When the Model 1857s became available in greater numbers, Union forces relegated their existing Model 1841 stocks to reserves or for use on naval vessels where their firepower might still be usable. For the South, the Model 1841 remained in service a time longer until better alternatives were adopted. Lacking the industrial resources of their counterparts in the North, many Model 1841s were often melted down to be reconstituted into newer, more modern cannon designs.