The Model 1819 Hall was the first U.S. military breech loading firearm issued in large numbers and also the first firearm manufactured with totally interchangeable parts. In 1819, John H. Hall entered into a contract with the War Department for 1,000 of his breech loading rifles. Hall occupied an old armory sawmill next to the Harpers Ferry Armory that became known as Hall's Rifle Works. In 1826, a government commission disassembled 100 Hall rifles, mixed up the parts, and re-assembled them on newly received stocks with no reported problems and thus confirmed Hall's success. This example is one of approximately 2,934 manufactured by Harpers Ferry in the year 1838 of approximately 19,680 total Harpers Ferry manufactured Hall Model 1819 rifles. This rifle has the standard offset blade and notch sights, "J. H. HALL/H. FERRY/US/1838" marked breech block, barrel bands retained by pins, and a proper button head ramrod.