how did they make weapons in the 1850's plus?

Answer 1

Actually made them very similar to the way they are made today. They had machine shops and could mass produce. They had drop forges and smiths to fit and finish the firearms.

I have gone to school at the Smith and Wesson factory. The drop forges are pretty old and the floor of the factory was, I believe, original.

The major changes would be to metallurgy, computer assisted manufacturing, and method of ignition for the ammunitions, and tighter tolerances. Assembly of firearms is still a skilled labor and they are hand done and inspected. You'd be surprised how much hand work goes into a firearm even now, therefore the higher price that 10 years ago.

In the early 1700's or even earlier, many weapons were made at home, one at a time, each basically unique. The ignition was flintlock, and making weapons was a " cottage" industry .