USLSS Bronze Type C Lyle Gun

Fantastic USLSS Lyle Gun in Firing condition. Cast in 1906 by the RIW ( RICHMOND IRON WORKS). It bears serial number 775 and has the inspector's stamp of O.C.H. The Carriage and gun have been restored to Firing condition and feature a .32-caliber firing mechanism. You have an eye for the finest of the United States Life Saving Service History. This Bronze Type C Lyle Gun has been used during the past 109 years to save lives and keep our mariners safe. We have personally conducted several live-fire demonstrations with the Breeches Buoy using this very gun, and it fires just as it did over a hundred years ago. We will include the .32-cal firing mechanism and an original USLSS firing lanyard, just discovered in a private collection. A museum-quality Lyle Rescue Cannon or Lyle Gun, manufactured in 1905 by the Richmond Iron Works of Richmond, Massachusetts, a storied manufacturer of American munitions. Although the name Richmond Iron Works was attached to the operation in 1843, industrial use on the site dates to 1763 when saw and grist mills were established along the Furnace Creek. The entire 290 acres is now part of the Richmond Furnace Historical and Archeological District and was accepted for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service in 1999. R.I.W. is a major part of American industrial development. RIW buildings still standing include the office (1862), the iron master's house/boarding house (1832), a 1890 school, and several workers' dwellings (1870's). The district includes iron mines and limestone quarries R.I.W. was a major producer of Rodman Guns during the Civil War, and its iron also provided the cladding for the Civil War ship "Monitor." And R.I.W. iron made up a healthy share of American railroad wheels. Of course, they made Lyle Guns under contract for the United States. The growth of the new American iron industry and R.I.W. spurred Richmond's population to 1,152 by 1840. The earliest immigrant furnace workers were Welsh, Scotch and English with experience in mining and smelting from Europe. After the start of the Irish Potato Famine in 1844, inexperienced immigrant Irish workers joined R.I.W. at $1.00 per day. The Lyle Gun was invented in 1876-78 by David Lyle, an 1869 graduate of West Point. Lyle was an "Ordnance Specialist" and began his career at San Francisco's Benecia Arsenal. At that time, the Secretary of the Treasury was responsible for the "Life Saving Service" of the Navy. He asked the Army's assistance in improving shipboard life saving equipment. Lyle was assigned the task "in addition to his other duties." Lyle transferred to Springfiels Armory where he spent 2 years reviewing and experimenting with the various "line-throwing" devices available to rescue seamen along coastlines and from ship to ship. By 1878, Lyle had developed an accurate, lightweight cannon which was immediately put into service. As testimony to the effectiveness of Lyle's work, the Coast Guard later estimated that the Lyle Gun had save 4,500 lives by 1906. The Lyle Gun and it's manufacturer are foundational parts of American industrial development, American armament and immigration. This particular Lyle Gun is stamped on the muzzle with the year of manufacture, "1905". The muzzle is also stamped "No 775" the serial number and the 775th gun made there. It has the stamp, "L M F" on the muzzle and also "R.I.W." The carriage mount is stamped "U S L S S" for United States Life Saving Service. The cannon is in fine condition with bright metal and crisp markings. It includes the original wooden and iron carriage, the elevation quoin, and the 1936 manufacturer's brass firing mechanism, which uses a .32-caliber blank cartridge.

$13,900

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