Buffalo rifle generally refers to large-calibre, generally single-shot black powder cartridge firearms which were used to hunt the

American Bison The American bison (''Bison bison'') is a species of bison native to North America. Sometimes colloquially referred to as American buffalo or simply Bubalina, buffalo (a different clade of bovine), it is one of two extant species of bison, alongs ...

to near-extinction in the late-19th Century. Three types of rifles in particular were used by professional bison hunters, namely the

Sharps rifle Sharps rifles are a series of large-bore, single-shot, falling-block, breech-loading rifles, beginning with a design by Christian Sharps in 1848 and ceasing production in 1881. They were renowned for long-range accuracy. By 1874 the rifle wa ...

, the

Springfield Rifle The term Springfield rifle may refer to any one of several types of small arms produced by the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the United States armed forces. In modern usage, the term "Springfield rifle" most commonly ref ...

and the Remington No.1 rifle otherwise known simply as the

Rolling block A rolling-block action is a form of firearm action where the sealing of the breech is done with a specially shaped breechblock able to rotate on a pin. The breechblock is shaped like a section of a circle. The breechblock is locked into place by ...

. The Sharps was the favorite among hunters because of its accuracy at long range.

References

{{Firearms Rifles Bison hunting Guns of the American West Hunting rifles

See also

References