Forging at Springfield Armory through time

Fire burned the central Armory building early in 1824.

In this dramatic contemporary picture, looking from where the Museum now is and across the Green toward present-day Federal Street, an early 1824 Armory fire is shown consuming the administrative building and stocking shops. The sparks from the forges where iron was shaped and welded, contained in the Forging Shop to the left with the row of narrow chimneys, were most often the source of the periodic building fires at the Armory.

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The Upper Water Shops, circa 1830

In about 1800, the Armory established three water-powered forging and wood-shaping shops along the Mill River a mile south of the Hill Shops, where the Museum is now located. This image, of the Upper Water Shops in 1830, shows the large Watershops Pond behind it from where the water came that turned the wheels and turbines driving machinery. Today, the Upper Water Shops, into which the Middle and the Lower Water Shops were condensed into about 1858, is a large brick complex that, though in private hands since 1968, continues as a prime industrial site.

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Water-powered forging hammers at Springfield Armory, circa 1840s

This view of the inside of the Forging Room of the Water Shops, in the 1840's, shows the use of water-powered trip hammers to shape hot iron and to weld it. Following the War of 1812, the Armory incorporated the most advanced technology available for shaping and welding iron and steel.

MARCO PAUL AT THE SPRINGFIELD ARMORY, by Jacob Abbott, 1853, p. 17.

Armory forges in WWII

By the 20th Century, steam and electrical power supplemented water power. This row of drop hammers forced the hot metal into the cavities of dies, like a cookie cutter, shaping much of the object in an instant.

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Armory workers in WWII

In WWII, up to about 42% of the workforce were women. In this scene, a woman is working alongside a man, most likely forging components for the M1 'Garand' Rifle.

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Forging dies for the M1 rifle receiver

On the lower face of the forge was a die, that is, a hardened steel former into which hot iron or steel was forced by the force of the hammer. In this case, the die is for the M1 'Garand' rifle receiver.

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Rough receiver forging

The rough forged receiver with most of the finish form created by the die.

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A partially-finished rifle receiver

After forging, the rough forged receiver was brought to its finished form by a series of machined cuts that removed excess metal.

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Cross-section of a forging

In this cross-section of a steel forging, the grain lines may be seen, illustrating how the process of forging compresses the metal and strengthens the finished product.

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cutting dies

Cutting dies, known as "sinking a die", was a highly-skilled art and of vital importance to the success of the forging operation at Springfield Armory.

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multiple die-making

Here may be seen three dies created in one operation. Being constantly hammered, dies wore out and were routinely replaced.

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Bringing the hot metal to the forge

Here may be seen the hot steel held in tongs by the Armory worker above the die and below the hammer.

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The hot metal is placed on the die

Next, the worker lowered the glowing hot steel onto the die. This was dirty, noisy, and hard labor.

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The sparks fly when the hammer hits the hot metal.

In the tradition of the blacksmith, sparks fly as the repeated blows of the hammer drive the hot steel into the die.

Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS

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