Springfield model 1873

Springfield Model 1873
Type	Breech-loading rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1873–1893 (Reserve use afterwards)
Used by	United States
Wars	American Indian Wars Spanish–American War Philippine–American War Boxer Rebellion (limited)
Production history
Designer	Erskine S. Allin
Designed	1873
Manufacturer	Springfield Armory
Produced	1873–1885
No. built	c. 245,000
Variants	Carbine, cadet rifle
Specifications
Length	52 in (1,300 mm)
Barrel length	32.6 in (830 mm)
Cartridge	.45-70-405
Action	Trapdoor
Rate of fire	User dependent; usually 8 to 10 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	1,350 feet per second (410 m/s)
Feed system	Breech-loading
Sights	Iron sights

The Springfield Model 1873 was the first standard-issue breech-loading rifle adopted by the United States Army (although the Springfield Model 1866 had seen limited issue to troops along the Bozeman Trail in 1867). The gun, in both full-length rifle and carbine versions, was widely used in subsequent battles against Native Americans.

The Model 1873 was the fifth variation of the Erskine S. Allin trapdoor design, and was named for its hinged breechblock, which opened like a trapdoor. The infantry rifle model featured a 32.6-inch (83 cm) barrel, while the carbine used a 22-inch (56 cm) barrel. A cadet rifle with a 30-inch (76 cm) barrel was also produced.

Around 245,000 Model 1873 rifles along with couple variants were made between 1873–1885.

Selection process

In 1872–1873 a military board, headed by Brigadier-General Alfred H. Terry, conducted an examination and trial of 99 rifles from several domestic and foreign manufacturers including those from Springfield Armory, Sharps, Peabody, Whitney, Spencer, Remington, and Winchester pursuant to the selection of a breech-loading system for rifles and carbines for the U.S. military. The trials included tests for accuracy, dependability, rate of fire, and ability to withstand adverse conditions. Both single-shot and magazine equipped systems were considered but, at the time, the single-shot was deemed to be more reliable. Firing tests were held at the Springfield Armory and Governor's Island, New York where the average rate of fire for the Springfield was 8 rounds per minute for new recruits and 10 rounds per minute for experienced soldiers. The board recommended "No. 99 Springfield" which became the Model 1873.

Ballistics

The cartridge was designated as ".45-70-405", indicating a .45 caliber (11.63 mm), 405-grain (26.2 g) bullet propelled by 70 grains (4.5 g) of powder. It had a muzzle velocity of 1,350 feet per second (410 m/s), making it a powerful and effective load for the skirmish tactics of the era.

A reduced-power load of 55 grains (3.6 g) of powder (carbine load) was manufactured for use in the carbine to lighten recoil for mounted cavalry soldiers. This cartridge had a correspondingly reduced muzzle velocity of 1,100 feet per second (340 m/s) and a somewhat reduced effective range.

Use in combat

The rifle was originally issued with a copper cartridge case and used in the American West during the second half of the 19th century, but the soldiers soon discovered that the copper expanded excessively in the breech upon firing. Another issue was the copper held in leather carriers created a green film that would effectively weld the case into the breech of the carbine when fired. This sometimes jammed the rifle by preventing extraction of the fired cartridge case. A jam required manual extraction with a knife blade or similar tool, and could render the carbine version of the weapon, which had no cleaning rod to remove stuck cases, useless in combat except as a club.

After the annihilation of Lieutenant-Colonel George Armstrong Custer's battalion (armed with the carbine and carbine load ammunition) at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876, investigations first suggested that jamming of their carbines may have played a factor, although archaeological excavations in 1983 discovered evidence that only 3.4 percent of the cases recovered showed any indication of being pried from jammed weapons.

This did not account for cases removed by a cleaning rod or other objects nor for jammed rifles cleared away from the immediate battle area and outside the very limited archaeological survey area. Every Custer battalion weapon became Native American property. Captain Thomas French, M company commander was kept busy on the Reno defensive position line using the cleaning rod from his infantry rifle to clear the jammed carbines passed to him from the cavalryman on the line. The cartridge was subsequently redesigned with a brass case, since that material did not expand as much as copper. This was shown to be a major improvement, and brass became the primary material used in United States military cartridges from then to the present. After the Little Big Horn disaster, troops were required to perform target practice twice a week.

The Model 1873 continued to be the main service rifle of the U.S. military until it was gradually replaced by the Springfield Model 1884, Springfield Model 1888, and finally the Springfield Model 1892 bolt action rifle, essentially a copy of the Norwegian Krag–Jørgensen action. Replacement began in 1892, and despite its obsolescence, the Model 1873 and its successors was still used by secondary units during the Spanish–American War in Cuba and the Philippines, where it was at a major disadvantage against Spanish forces armed with the 7 mm Spanish Model 1893 Mauser bolt action rifle.

Gallery

• 
  Reenactor firing a Springfield Model 1873 breech-loading rifle at Fort Mackinac in 2008.
• 
  Geronimo (right) holding a Springfield Model 1873 alongside his fellow Apache warriors in 1886.

See also

• Springfield rifle