| Sealed patterns, marked with a red wax seal and | | | | After the war all these operations closed down, |
| kept in the Tower, survive from the 18th century | | | | but the Ordnance then set up a new factory at |
| onwards. Infantry swords were largely discarded | | | | Enfield Lock.The Board constantly considered ideas |
| but patterns were provided for troopers' cavalry | | | | for new or improved military weapons. But, |
| swords and weapons for specialist bodies. Officers | | | | perhaps surprisingly, it was the sportsman, rather |
| still carried privately purchased weapons that | | | | than the soldier or inventor, who largely inspired |
| conformed to Ordnance patterns. Until about 1710, | | | | the innovations which were to transform military |
| during the War of the Spanish Succession | | | | firearms by the mid 19th century. These included |
| (1701-14), the Board of Ordnance had usually | | | | the percussion cap, a cylindrical copper cap |
| bought complete weapons from private | | | | containing explosive fulminate that was detonated |
| contractors. Then it began to place separate | | | | by a hammer. The Rev. Alexander Forsyth |
| contracts for the different stages of manufacture | | | | experimented with fulminate in the Tower in |
| and assembly, so that it had greater control. Most | | | | 1806, but the man usually credited with the |
| gun barrels and locks were made in and around | | | | invention of the percussion cap is an English artist, |
| Birmingham. | | | | Joshua Shaw. In 1839 the Board finally decided to |
| London gun-makers, mostly in the Minories near | | | | convert weapons in store to Pattern 1839 |
| the Tower, added the stocks and completed the | | | | percussion muskets for Regiments of the Line, |
| weapons. The Tower was the central depot. The | | | | but in 1841 a fire at the Tower destroyed vast |
| Ordnance provided the contractors with detailed | | | | quantities of flintlocks, which speeded up the |
| specifications, including specimens or patterns, and | | | | introduction of the new percussion firearms. |
| inspected and proved (tested) their work at the | | | | Other innovations included rifling the barrel (cutting |
| Tower, where it was then stamped or engraved | | | | a spiral groove inside to make a bullet spin for |
| with the Ordnance mark. During the Napoleonic | | | | truer aim) and breech-loading. The Ordnance, |
| Wars (1792-1815) such was the demand for | | | | however, was wary of change; a soldier in the |
| weapons for Britain and her allies that an | | | | heat of battle needed a firearm that was robust |
| organisation similar to the Tower's was set up in | | | | and reliable. It was not until 1867 that the |
| Birmingham, for the complete manufacture and | | | | breech-loading rifle, in the form of the Snider, |
| proving of weapons. In London the Ordnance itself | | | | became standard issue, twelve years after the |
| took on the production and assembly of | | | | functions of the Board of Ordnance were taken |
| components, with a factory on Tower Wharf as | | | | over by the War Department. |
| well as at Lewisham. | | | | |