Springfield Model 1875
| Springfield Model 1875 | |
|---|---|
| general information | |
| Civil name: | Springfield Rifle US Military Officer's Model 1875 |
| Military designation: | US rifle, 45-70 caliber, model of 1875 |
| Country of operation: | United States |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Springfield Armory (Massachusetts) |
| Manufacturer country: | United States |
| Production time: | 1875 to 1885 |
| Model variants: | Trapdoor Officer's Rifle |
| Weapon Category: | gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 45 ¼ inches / 1150 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 7.72 lbs / 3.5 kg |
| Barrel length : | 26 inches / 660 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | .45-70 Government |
| Ammunition supply : | Single loader |
| Number of trains : | 3 |
| Visor : | Foldable and adjustable hole rear sight, front sight without front sight protection |
| Closure : | Hinge lock |
| Charging principle: | Breech loader |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Springfield Model 1875 , also Springfield Rifle US Military Officer's Model 1875, was a variant of the Springfield 1873 "trapdoor" rifle specially manufactured for sale to officers , which was used from 1873 until it was replaced by the Krag Model 1892 -Repeating Rifle Ordinance of the United States Army was.
Development history
Like the orderly model, it was manufactured in the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts and was based on the breech- loading system developed by Erskine S. Allin , a breech-loading system developed by the Armory's master gunsmith and first used in the Allin Conversion Model 1865 Rifle and Springfield Model 1866 .
US Military Officer's Model 1875
The Officer's Model, specially made for sale to officers, was a high quality weapon. It had a 26-inch barrel, often an attached pistol grip, and an improved sight with a rear sight. With a total length of 1150 mm, it weighed 3.5 kg. About 20 predecessors of these weapons were still being produced in .50-70 Government caliber around 1870 . There is no detailed historical record of the Springfield Model 1875 Officer's Rifle . There is evidence that an Officer's Rifle was used by Al Sieber , a scout under General Crook in the Apache Wars.
Between 1875 and 1885, a total of 477 examples of the Officers Model were produced in three variants, all in .45-70 Government.
- An estimated 125 copies of the first variant were built from 1875 to 1877, they still had the locking block model 1873 with an accentuated cutout on the underside (high arch breech block) and other parts from series production.
- The second model, estimated production 252 pieces, already had the flat breech block and parts of the series models 1877 and 1879. This can be seen in the detachable pistol grip attachment.
- The 100 weapons of the third variant manufactured in 1885 correspond to the predecessor except for details and have an inspector's mark SWP / 1885 on the butt.
With these individually manufactured rifles, the individual wishes of the purchaser were taken into account, so none of these rifles correspond to the other. Most of these guns have a set trigger distinctive, is also the fold-down "peep sight" ( hole rear sight ) that can be adjusted in height and width. It is adjustable between 50 and approx. 700 yards (45 and 640 m).
comment
Chief Scout Al Sieber used a copy of this rifle. His rifle is exhibited in the Arizona Historical Society Museum as an "1875" model along with other rifles in a showcase. The year of manufacture 1873 can be seen on this rifle. In 1873, however, these models were still produced without the folding visor. This suggests that Al Sieber's Springfield Rifle is the 1873 model and was retrofitted with the folding visor after 1875.
Web links
- English collector's description
- Springfield Trapdoor Rifles with image overview and data grid
- Arms collectors
Individual evidence
- ↑ The globe sight is distant from the buckhorn and peep sights 20.8 inches and 32.75 inches respectively.