The .58- and .50-Caliber Rifles and Carbines of the Springfield Armory, 1865-1872
To date, there has been no single research source for information about the post-Civil War small arms that led to the selection of the .45-70 Springfield rifle and carbine. Yet these rifles and carbines bore the brunt of fighting in the early part of the Indian Wars. Today, they are popular with firearms collectors but who find little information to aid in determining their authenticity.
Richard A. Hosmer, a well-known collector of this period, has written a concise and comprehensive text on each of the eighteen rifles and carbines that were developed at the Springfield National Armory during this seven year period and field-tested by the U.S. Army during years that saw some of the most intense fighting in the West.
Of these eighteen arms, five rifles and one carbine were adopted and issued for general service; three were issued to the cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. The remaining seven rifles and two carbines were issued for various periods of field testing. They were all variations of the Allin “trapdoor,” Remington, Sharps, Spencer, and Ward-Burton breech loading systems. All are extremely historical arms.
Mr. Hosmer’s book provides a detailed description of each rifle and carbine, including markings, finishes, dimensions of all pertinent parts, and a history of each arm’s development. Each firearm is summarized in a separate table. Additional tables list all finishes and markings. Separate chapters describe the bayonets issued with each arm as well as their accoutrements and tools. The book is heavily illustrated with photos of the firearms and their parts.
