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 not look to have been carried much, and the metalwork is in great shape. It has however had the forestock replaced at some point, and almost looks "Duffle cut", however that makes no sense on a rifle like this, as the fore stock is removable.

As it is now, there is a cut under the lower barrel band, which has not been glued together. The stock forward of there is a replacement from another U.S. rifle, but we do not know which. It has two barrel bands with band springs, but none at the very bottom, so it is definitely not from this model of rolling block Springfield. As they were made, the M1871 rolling block should have two barrel bands, not three. Definitely a rifle with an interesting history!

The right side of the receiver is marked with the maker and date:

The left side is marked with the model number:

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

Two of the barrel bands are marked with "U" as standard with Springfield Armory produced weapons, while the middle one is unmarked. We did not see any inspector or other markings on the stocks. The condition of the rifle is very good, with just a little bit of past peppering on parts of the metalwork, which has not all been cleaned and polished bright. The stocks are in very good shape, with a lovely red brown color overall. In spite of being replaced, the two piece of the forestock match very well, and we do not see any real wear or damage such as dents and cracks.

The barrel is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with strong lands and grooves. There is some past oxidation in the grooves, now cleaned away, so it definitely did see a good amount of service, but was well cared for. The action works great, with the ejector presenting, and the hammer properly drops to half cock after the breech is closed, as required by the ordnance department. Both sling swivels are still present, and there is a cleaning rod, but it looks to be a fabricated replacement.

This is a very interesting example of the Model 1871, with a great gently used look and replaced fore stock. Ready to display!

Specifications-

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

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.