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Springfield Armory National Historic Site
Springfield Armory Weapons Research
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| Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS |
| The Springfield flintlock musket (seen in this historical 1950s official Springfield Armory photograph, first manufactured in 1795, was based on the French "Charleville" musket of the 1760's. Serial numbering at Springfield Armory began with the US Model 1868 rifle. Springfield Armory's final rifle, the M14 [not shown in this image], was made from the late 1950's to mid-60's. It remains in use by US armed forces. |
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS The War of 1812 revealed weaknesses in both the earlier musket design and in its manufacturing processes. The flintlock muskets that followed the war solved all both those problems.
US Model 1812, 1816 [including late musket dated 1836], 1817 artillery, 1830 cadet & 1840 flintlock musket [The last flintlock muskets made at US armories.]
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS The US Model 1842 percussion musket was the first Armory weapon manufactured interchangeably at both national armories, Springfield and Harpers Ferry.
US Model 1842 percussion musket [This weapon was, like the flintlock musket, a .69" caliber smoothbore, but with the improved percussion ignition system.]
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS Widely used in the American Civil War [1861-65] by both sides, the rifle musket designed and produced by Springfield Armory and its contractors provided the mainstay of infantry firepower.
US Model 1855, 1858 cadet, 1861, 1863 Type I, & 1863 Type II Rifle Muskets
Firing a newly-developed conical bullet that needed no patching, the US Rifle Musket developed in the mid-1850's was an accurate long-range rifle that hit harder than any issue shoulder arm - including all breech-loading rifles. The US Model 1855 employed a novel paper tape percussion system, the "Maynard" system, similar to that used in a modern toy cap pistol. By the Civil War in 1861, the Maynard system was abandoned. A muzzle-loading weapon, it proved nevertheless slow to load and, by the the end of the Civil War, was understood by Ordnance Department officers to be obsolete when compared to the rapidly improved breech-loading weapons developed during the war.
Learn about the large Confederate arms collection at Springfield Armory NHS.
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS The US Model 1873 was the first form in .45 caliber of the durable shoulder arms of the US armed forces following the Civil War.
US Model 1865 to 1888 "Trapdoor" Rifles M1865, M1866, M1868, M1868 carbine, M1869 Cadet, M1869 pistol, M1870, M1870 carbine, M1873, M1873 carbine, M1880 exper., M1881 Marksman, M1881 shotgun, M1884, M1884 carbine, M1888
Like most modern industrialized nations, the United States converted much of its large inventory of obsolete muzzle-loading shoulder arms into metallic cartridge breech-loading rifles. For the Europeans, this was an intermediate phase until better weapons were procured. The US, however, in a period of post-Civil War austerity and with no enemy to face other than the Native American warrior on the Western Plains, held onto the "Trapdoor" rifle into the 1890's when it was replaced by a Springfield Armory-made copy of a modern European-designed bolt-action rifle, the Krag-Jorgensen.
"Trapdoor" rifle serial number ranges.
Information on Springfield "Trapdoor" rifles.
Springfield Armory began serial numbering its weapons in 1868. Prior to that time, no serial numbers were issued (1795-1868). Records of where the weapons went after manufacture rarely survive, being mostly temporary accounting records.
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS The US Model 1892 "Krag" rifle was the first smokeless powder Springfield rifle issued to American soldiers and marines. Noted for its smooth operation and accuracy, the weapon remains popular to this day among hunters.
US Model 1892 to 1899 Krag-Jorgenson
Following steady research into bolt-action arms in the 1870's and 80's, an international competition in 1892 for a new US service arm resulted in the choice of the Norwegian-designed Krag-Jorgenson rifle. Firing a modern .30" caliber smokeless rimmed cartridge, the rifle incorporated a five cartridge magazine. Meeting the more powerful and faster-loading German-designed Mauser during the Spanish American War of 1898, however, convinced US Ordnance Department officers that the "Krag" was wanting as a modern military weapon. By 1904, it was replaced by the Mauser-inspired Springfield US Model 1903 rifle.
The Krag rifle, US Model 1892, M1896, M1896 carbine, M1898, M1898 carbine, M1899 Philippine Constabulary carbine, M1899 carbine
Krag serial number ranges.
Records of where the weapons went after manufacture rarely survive, being mostly temporary accounting records.
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS The M1903, or '03 as it is often called, was also made by Rock Island Arsenal from 1904 to 1919. Private contractors Remington and Smith-Corona also produced a version for use in WWII as a second-line standard arm.
US Model 1903 Rifle
Immediately following the 1898 Spanish American War, an American variant of the German-designed Mauser was created starting with a prototype in 1900. Manufactured by Springfield Armory until the late 1930's, when it was displaced by the US M1 "Garand" rifle, the weapon was renowned for superior accuracy, dependability, and handling.
Springfield US M1903 rifle, serial number 1, M1903 NRA Sporter.
Springfield M1903 serial number ranges.
Records of where the weapons went after manufacture rarely survive, being mostly temporary accounting records.
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS The M1 rifle was also manufactured during WWII by Winchester and, during the Korean War, by International Harvester and by Harrington Richardson.
US M1 Rifle
Known as the "Garand" after its inventor, Springfield Armory engineer John Garand, this shoulder arm was first created in the mid-1920's, accepted for production in 1936, and produced from 1937 to the late 1950's. With its semi-automatic operation and durability, the M1 gave the American serviceman in WWII a standard issue weapon unmatched by any other nation.
Research on US M1 rifles purchased from the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) may be provided through CMP by writing to: Customer Service, Civilian Marksmanship Program, 1401 Commerce Boulevard, Anniston, AL 36207 Tel (256)835-8455
Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) CMP e-mail
US M1 rifle, serial number 1 and its development. Here's the first .276" caliber prototype T3E2, serial number 1; the first .30" caliber Garand rifle T1 serial number 1; and the first .30" caliber test rifle T1E1 serial number 1. Early production M1 rifle marked by WWII soldier. The M1E4 experimental gas system. The M1E5 carbine sn#1 and the M1 T26 "tanker". The M1C and M1D scoped rifles.
US M1 Rifle serial number ranges.
US M1 National Match rifle information.
US M1 "Tanker" information.
Records of where the weapons went after manufacture rarely survive, being mostly temporary accounting records.
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Springfield Armory NHS archives, US NPS The M14 was the culmination of years of experience in infantry arms-design following WWII. Besides Springfield Armory, which designed and manufactured the rifle, the rifle was produced under government contract by Harrington Richardson Arms Co., Olin-Mathieson Chemical Corp. (Winchester), and Thompson-Ramo-Woolridge (TRW). All production stopped before Springfield Armory closed in 1968.
M14 Rifle and post-WWII rifle development
The M14 rifle was based on the strong Garand action, but incorporated improvements in mechanical operation, a full-automatic option, and detachable clip loading. Originally, the weapon was to combine the best features of the semi-automatic infantry arm and that of the fully-automatic light machine gun. The M14 was the last standard issue shoulder arm designed and built by Springfield Armory. Today, it is seeing active duty with the US armed forces.
The T20 #1, T22 E2 #1, T22 E3 #1, T27, T44 E4, T44 E6 #1, M14 #2066 and M15 in detail.
M14 serial number ranges.
Post-WWII Springfield rifle development.
Records of where the weapons went after manufacture rarely survive, being mostly temporary accounting records.
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Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS The US Model 1817 pistol's components were manufactured by Springfield Armory before the War of 1812. However, it wasn't until several years after the end of the war in 1815 that the pistols were assembled and finished, not at Springfield but at Harpers Ferry.
Springfield Armory Pistols Occasionally, the Armory manufactured pistols, starting in the early 19th Century and continuing into the 20th Century.
Examples of Springfield Armory-made and/or tested pistols:
U.S. PISTOL MODEL 1817 TYPE II FLINTLOCK .69 SPAR8188
Components manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma., and assembled later by Harpers Ferry Armory.
U.S. PISTOL-CARBINE MODEL 1855 PERCUSSION .58 SPAR1131
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in 1856.
U.S. PISTOL MODEL 1869 TRAPDOOR .50-45 SPAR50
Manufactured at Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in December, 1869 - Experimental single-shot, breechloading pistol.
GERMAN PISTOL LUGER MODEL 1900 7.65MM SN# 6885 SPAR865
Manufactured by Deutches Waffen & Munitionsfabrik (DWM), Berlin, Germany - Standard German semi-automatic pistol with 8-round feed mechanism. Used by U.S. Army Ordnance for testing at Springfield Armory.
U.S. PISTOL MODEL 1911 "SPECIAL ARMY MODEL OF 1911" .45 SN# 5 SPAR2151
Manufactured by Colt, Hartford, Ct. in 1911 - The first 9 "Special Army Model of 1911" pistols were essentially tool room models submitted by Colt to Army Ordnance.
U.S. PISTOL MODEL 1911 .45 SPAR1352
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in 1912 - Completely disassembled hand-made prototype tool room model of the U.S. M1911.
U.S. PISTOL MODEL 1911 .45 SN# 72573 SPAR1384
Manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield, Ma. in 1914.
SPRINGFIELD .22 CAL. CONVERSION .22 caliber, 1912 SPAR1383 Experimental. In 1912 Springfield Armory began work on an adaptation of the .45 caliber weapon to fire .22 caliber cartridges. The object of the government experiments was to develop a gallery practice pistol that would use less expensive .22 caliber cartridges.
M1911A1 'BRASTIL' .45 caliber, 1932, experimental. SPAR1632 In 1932 Springfield Armory experimented with die casting pistol frames and slides from a high tensile corrosion resistant bronze alloy called 'brastil.' The resulting 'golden gun' represents one of the first attempts to die cast handgun components. Despite the success of the test, the project did not move beyond the experimental stage.
serial number ranges: Lugar pistols; US M1911 pistols
NOTE: Before 1868, serial numbers were not given to National Armory weapons.
Records of where the weapons went after manufacture rarely survive, being mostly temporary accounting records. Records of pistols distribution by Springfield Armory of pistols by Colt, Smith & Wesson, and other makers do not exist at this site.
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Springfield Armory NHS, US NPS The Army's experience in the Philippine Islands during and after the Spanish American War demonstrated the value of a heavy bladed bolo-type knife for campaigning in the jungle. Approximately 17,540 M1909 Bolo knives were manufactured by Springfield Armory from 1909-1915.
Springfield Armory bladed weapons (swords, knives, & bayonets)
Springfield Armory manufactured a small number of swords and knives in the 19th Century and early 20th Century. By contrast, bayonets were manufactured for Springfield Armory's shoulder arms throughout most of the period of production.
Exhibit cases 8 & 9 in the Museum display bayonets from 1795 to the Civil War and Springfield Armory sword production from the 1870's to the 1920's. View those cases!
Records of where the weapons went after manufacture rarely survive, being mostly temporary accounting records.
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There are other "SPRINGFIELD"-named firearms often confused with weapons manufactured by the historic Springfield Armory, 1794-1968.
Springfield, Inc.: (makers of the M1A [a semi-automatic civilian variant based on the US M14 rifle] and M1 Garand rifle reproduction as well as M1911-type pistols) A private firearms manufacturer, Springfield, Inc., is occasionally confused with the historic Springfield Armory. Under the commercial name of Springfield Armory (there is no historical link to the original Springfield Armory at Springfield, Massachusetts - site of Springfield Armory National Historic Site), they produce modern weapons based on the original mid-20th century designs of the historic Springfield Armory. You may contact them at:
Springfield Armory
420 West Main Street
Geneseo, Illinois 61254
ph#:(800)680-6866
SPRINGFIELD ARMS: Weapons produced under the name of Springfield Arms are not of government production here at Springfield Armory. Springfield Arms was eventually absorbed by Savage Arms Company of Westfield, Massachusetts, whose phone number is 413-568-7001.
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