Credit: ©Jerry Millevoi Photography, http://www.jerrymillevoi.com/
The Corps of Discovery's food supply and self-defense depended on muzzle-loading, long-barreled flintlock rifles. Lewis equipped the expedition with fifteen .54 caliber U.S. model 1803 rifles, specifically designed for the U.S. Army, which he obtained at the federal Harper's Ferry Arsenal.
