Original Item: Only One Available. The 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. This example is in lovely condition, with a great patina from use in service and subsequent cleaning. It does look to have been carried in service and has been cleaned to remove oxidation, giving it a lovely aged patina. It also comes with a hard to find bayonet and scabbard, making this a nice complete offering.

The right side of the receiver is marked with the correct Federal Eagle over the arsenal and date, though they are a bit faint:-

This indicates production at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield, in Springfield, Massachusetts under license from Remington. The left side is marked with the model number, which is a bit worn on the left side:

The tang of the receiver is marked with the patent licensing information:

The barrel bands are marked with "U" as standard with Springfield Armory produced weapons. There is also an oval ESA cartouche on the left side of the butt stock by the receiver, for Erskine. S. Allin, Master Armorer at Springfield Armory from 1853 until his death in 1879, as well as the designer of the trapdoor system.

The condition of the rifle is very nice, with just a little peppering on parts of the metalwork, and otherwise has a worn gray mottled patina from use and cleaning over its long life. The stocks are very nice, showing the lovely red-brown color of aged and oiled walnut. It does look like the stocks were probably reconditioned at some point, as the bevels are not as crisp as they once were, and the butt plate protrudes a bit above the level of the butt stock. The barrel is pretty much unfired, with a bright finish and crisp lands and grooves, though there is a bit of past oxidation near the muzzle end from exposure to the elements. The action works great, with the ejector presenting, and the hammer properly drops to half cock after the breech is closed. Both barrel bands are present, and the cleaning rod is still included, though it is missing the threads at the end, which look to have been cut off.

The included bayonet is the classic American style triangular socket bayonet marked U.S., which is in very good used condition, still showing a good amount of the bright finish on the blade, with the socket showing a pleasing matured patina. The scabbard has faded from the original blue color, now showing a mottled matte patina, and it has a dent and bend near the tip. It has unfortunately lost the integral leather frog.

This is a lovely example of the Model 1871 with a great look and great bore, complete with an original bayonet. Ready to display!

Specifications(Rifle):-

Year of Manufacture: 1872
Caliber: .50-70 Government
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 36 Inches
Overall Length: 52 Inches
Action type: Rolling Block with Rear Hammer
Feed System: Single Shot

Specifications (Bayonet):-

Blade Length: 18"
Blade Style: Triangular
Socket Length: 3"
Overall length: 21“
Scabbard Length: 18 3/8"

History of the Springfield M.1871 Remington—Army

During the U.S. Civil War, Joseph Rider experimented with several breech loading weapon designs. In 1865, he was issued the first patent for what would evolve into the Remington rolling block action. The Remingtons continued to invest in Rider's work, and met with Ordnance Department officials in the hope of interesting them in this new design. The U.S. Navy Ordnance Department became interested in the design, and purchased several different models of rifles from 1867 through 1869. Field trials of these various rifles yielded mostly positive results.

In 1869, the Navy Bureau of Ordnance tested many different weapons, and settled on the .50 caliber Remington Rolling Block for use by both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marines. An order was placed for 10,000 model 1870 rifles. After the rifles were produced, Navy inspectors realized that the rear sights had been positioned incorrectly, and were dangerously close to the chamber, making the weapon unsafe for use. All 10,000 rifles were rejected, and were subsequently sold to France for use in the Franco-Prussian War. The sale of the defective rifles enabled enough funds to be recovered that the Navy Ordnance Department ordered an additional 12,000 rifles.

Following the success of the model 1870, the Governor of New York ordered 15,000 Remington rolling block rifles and bayonets for his state's militia. These model 1871 rifles were very similar to the model 1870 rifles, but differed in some details. Field experience with the model 1870 showed that the mechanism jammed too easily in dusty conditions. Users also did not like loading the weapon at full cock. The model 1871 included a locking bolt in the breech mechanism. The user pulled the hammer to the full cock position, retracted the breech block spur to expose the chamber, and inserted the cartridge. When the breech block closed, the hammer automatically fell to the half cock position, and the weapon could not be fired until the hammer was once again pulled to the full cock position.

Over 20,000 model 1871 rifles were eventually purchased by the state of New York. The U.S. Army did not greet the Remingtons with much enthusiasm, despite its superiority to the standard-issue Springfield model 1870. Foreign sales of the weapon were much more successful. Denmark ordered many of the model 1870 and 1871 rifles. In 1873, Spain ordered 50,000 model 1871 rifles, which were delivered in 1875. Numerous other countries, such as France, Chile, Argentina, Cuba, Greece, and Puerto Rico also purchased this rifle.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.