MAKING WAVES

At a time when the U.S. Navy lacked a standard rifle, an officer known for his expertise in artillery took up the task to develop an effective rifled small arm for sailors and seamen manning the nation’s growing fleet of warships. Rear Admiral John Adolphus Bernard Dahlgren would leave a lasting mark on the Navy and, in fact, ordnance long used by the entire U.S. military.

In the early 1850s, Dahlgren helped establish the Naval Ordnance Department in Washington, D.C., which became responsible for developing new armaments and inspecting ordnance produced