The Springfield Model 1886 was one of several models of carbines which used the

trapdoor A trapdoor is a sliding or hinged door in a floor or ceiling. It is traditionally small in size. It was invented to facilitate the hoisting of grain up through mills, however, its list of uses has grown over time. The trapdoor has played a pivot ...

breechblock A breechblock (or breech block) is the part of the firearm action that closes the breech of a breech loading weapon (whether small arms or artillery) before or at the moment of firing. It seals the breech and contains the pressure generated by ...

design developed by Erskine S. Allin. It was Springfield Armory's second attempt to create a single longarm that would satisfy the needs of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery (the first attempt being the

Springfield Model 1882 The Springfield Model 1882 Short Rifle was a trapdoor rifle based on the design of the Springfield Model 1873. It is usually referred to as a "short rifle" but is sometimes called a "carbine". History and Design The Model 1882 was an experiment ...

short rifle)."Uniforms, arms, and equipment: the U.S. Army on the Western Frontier, 1880-1892" By Douglas C. McChristian

History and Design

The Model 1886 carbine featured the new sight created by Lieutenant Colonel

Adelbert R. Buffington Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington (November 22, 1837 – July 10, 1922) was a United States Army Brigadier General who served as the 10th Chief of Ordnance for the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. Biography Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington was born in Wheeling ...

that had been incorporated into the Springfield Model 1884 rifle. The stock had a storage compartment for a three piece folding cleaning rod and a ruptured case extractor. The upper barrel band also had a curved swivel sling design that allowed it to fit close to the stock when the carbine was placed in a saddle boot. The Model 1886 did not have the lower barrel band that had been present on the Model 1882. The carbine was fitted with a barrel and a full walnut stock. Approximately 1,000 carbines were produced and were sent to the field for trials. Like the Model 1882, the Model 1886 performed adequately in field trials, but was not seen as an improvement over existing arms.

References

{{reflist Springfield firearms Hinged breechblock rifles Rifles of the United States

History and Design

See also

References