Springfield Rifle
Overview
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
produced by the Springfield Armory
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - was the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. After its controversial closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory was declared Western Massachusetts'...
in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, for the United States armed forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
.
In modern usage, the term "Springfield rifle" most commonly refers to the Springfield Model 1903.
Rifled musket:
- Springfield Model 1855Springfield Model 1855The Model 1855 Springfield was a rifled musket used in the mid 19th century. It was produced by the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts.Earlier muskets had mostly been smooth bore flintlocks. In the 1840s, the unreliable flintlocks had been replaced by much more reliable and weather resistant...
– Rifled MusketRifled musketThe term rifled musket or rifle musket refers to a specific type of weapon made in the mid-19th century. Originally the term referred only to muskets that had been produced as a smoothbore weapon and later had their barrels rifled... - Springfield Model 1861Springfield Model 1861The Springfield Model 1861 was a Minié-type rifled musket shoulder arm used by the United States Army and Marine Corps during the American Civil War. Commonly referred to as the "Springfield" , it was the most widely used U.S...
– Rifled Musket - Springfield Model 1863Springfield Model 1863The Springfield Model 1863 rifled musket is a .58 caliber rifled musket produced by the Springfield Armory between 1863 and 1865.The Model 1863 was only a minor improvement over the Springfield Model 1861. As such, it is sometimes classified as just a variant of the Model 1861. The Model 1861, with...
– Rifled Musket
Single-shot rifle:
- Springfield Model 1865Springfield Model 1865The Springfield Model 1865 was an early breech-loading modification of the Springfield rifle musket design.During the U.S. Civil War, the advantage of breech loading rifles became obvious. The rifled muskets used during the war had a rate of fire of 3 or 4 rounds per minute...
– Breechloading rifle "First Allin" - Springfield Model 1866Springfield Model 1866The Springfield Model 1866 was the second iteration of the Allin-designed trapdoor breech-loading mechanism. Originally developed as a means of converting rifled muskets to breechloaders, the Allin modification ultimately became the basis for the definitive Model 1873, the first breech-loading...
– Breechloading rifle "Second Allin" - Springfield Model 1868Springfield Model 1868The Springfield Model 1868 was one of several model "trapdoor Springfields", which used the trapdoor breechblock design developed by Erskine S. Allin. Originally, the trapdoor Springfields were created to convert Model 1863 Springfield rifled muskets to breech loading rifles at a relatively low cost...
– "Trapdoor Springfield" - Springfield Model 1869Springfield Model 1869The Springfield Model 1869 was one of several model "trapdoor Springfields", which used the trapdoor breechblock design developed by Erskine S. Allin. Originally, the trapdoor Springfields were created to convert Model 1863 Springfield rifled muskets to breech loading rifles at a relatively low...
– "Trapdoor Springfield" - Springfield Model 1870Springfield Model 1870The Springfield Model 1870 was one of several model "trapdoor Springfields", which used the trapdoor breechblock design developed by Erskine S. Allin. The Model 1870 was a minor improvement to the Springfield Model 1868, and retained most of the Model 1868's features.Note: Springfield Model 1870...
– "Trapdoor Springfield" - Springfield Model 1870 Remington-NavySpringfield Model 1870 Remington-NavyThe Springfield Rolling Block U.S. Navy Rifle was a shipboard small arm for use by the United States Navy, employing the Remington Arms Company rolling block design, and manufactured under a royalty agreement with Remington.-Origin:...
– Rolling Block - Springfield Model 1871Springfield Model 1871The Springfield Model 1871 Rolling Block U.S. Army rifle was manufactured in 1871-72 by Springfield Armory, using the design originated by Remington Arms Company, under a royalty agreement.-Origin:...
– Remington-Army Rolling Block - Springfield Model 1873Springfield Model 1873The Model 1873 "Trapdoor" Springfield was the first standard-issued breech-loading rifle adopted by the United States Army...
– "Trapdoor Springfield" - Springfield Model 1875Springfield Model 1875The Springfield Model 1875 Officer's Rifle was a variant of the Springfield Model 1873. It was checkered fore and aft of the breech and tipped with white metal. It was fitted with a "globe and pinhead" foresight and a "buckhorn" backsight on the barrel. It also featured a well-made peep sight...
– Officer's rifle - Springfield Model 1877Springfield Model 1877The Springfield Model 1877 Carbine was a variant of the Springfield Model 1873 Rifle/Carbine.In 1877, many changes were made to both the Model 1873 rifle and the Model 1873 carbine...
– Carbine - Springfield Model 1880Springfield Model 1880The Springfield Model 1880 was a trapdoor rifle based on the design of the Springfield Model 1873.In the years following the U.S. Civil War, Springfield Armory had produced bayonets by re-working older bayonets left over from the war. By 1880, their supply of bayonets had been almost completely...
– Triangular rod bayonet rifle - Springfield Model 1882Springfield Model 1882The Springfield Model 1882 Short Rifle was a trapdoor rifle based on the design of the Springfield Model 1873. It is usually referred to as a "short rifle" but is sometimes called a "carbine"....
– Short Rifle - Springfield Model 1884Springfield Model 1884The Springfield Model 1884 was one of the "Trapdoor Springfield" rifles.The Model 1884 traces its roots back to the design of the Springfield Model 1873. Oddly, most of the changes that identify the Model 1884 as a distinct model occurred either before or after 1884. The Model 1884 incorporated a...
– Rifle - Springfield Model 1886Springfield Model 1886The Springfield Model 1886 Carbine was Springfield Armory's second attempt to create a single rifle that would satisfy the needs of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery . It is one of several models of "Trapdoor Springfield" rifles.The Model 1886 featured the new sight created by Lieutenant Colonel...
– 24" Carbine - Springfield Model 1888Springfield Model 1888The Springfield Model 1888 was one of several models of "Trapdoor Springfield" rifles produced in the late 19th century.The Trapdoor Springfields had originally been produced with reworked bayonets left over from the Civil War...
– Round rod bayonet rifle
Repeating rifle:
- Springfield Model 1892-99Springfield Model 1892-99The Springfield Model 1892-99 Krag-Jørgensen rifle is a Norwegian-design bolt action rifle that was adopted in 1892 as the standard United States Army military longarm, chambered in U.S. caliber .30-40 Krag. All versions and variants were manufactured under license by the Springfield Armory between...
– Krag-JørgensenKrag-JørgensenThe Krag-Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Denmark, the United States of America and Norway...
rifle - Springfield Model 1903 – The standard US military rifle of the World War I and interwar era
- Springfield Model 1922Springfield Model 1922The Springfield Model 1922 is a .22 caliber bolt action rifle. It features a 24 inch barrel and a 5 round magazine. It was built as a training rifle, designed to mimic the M1903 Springfield rifle for training purposes...
– Training rifle in .22 caliber
Semi-automatic rifle:
- M1 GarandM1 GarandThe M1 Garand , was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry of any nation. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S...
- M14 rifleM14 rifleThe M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
There were also numerous limited production, experimental, marksmanship, and sporting rifles produced by the Springfield Armory which are referred to as "Springfield rifles".
Some examples of the smoothbore
Smoothbore
A smoothbore weapon is one which has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.-History of firearms and rifling:...
Springfield Model 1842
Springfield Model 1842
The US Model 1842 Musket was a .69 caliber musket manufactured and used in the United States during the 19th Century. It is a continuation of the Model 1816 line of muskets but is generally referred to as its own model number rather than just a variant of the Model 1816.The Model 1842 was the last...
musket that were later modified with rifling and used during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
may also be referred to as "Springfield rifles".
The Krag-Jørgensen
Krag-Jørgensen
The Krag-Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Denmark, the United States of America and Norway...
, M1 Garand and M14
M14 rifle
The M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
rifles are not typically referred to as "Springfield rifles", even though they were rifles manufactured by the Springfield Armory for the U.S.
