SOLD – EXCEPTIONAL & IMPORTANT U.S. ARMY MODEL 1883 WINCHESTER HOTCHKISS BOLT ACTION 45-70 TRIALS RIFLE

In exceptional antique excellent condition, we have a very rare and important US Army Issued Model 1883 Winchester-Hotchkiss Rifle, also known as the 3rd Model Rifle.  This is a straight up U.S.Army accepted rifle as is so marked and would have been issued during the troop trials of 1884. The rifle is well covered with US Ordnance inspection markings and cartouches and is a textbook example. The case hardening is in a high state of preservation.    The rifle performed extremely well during the field tests but was ultimately not adopted due to the pre-conceived prejudiced views of the line infantry officers; many who cut there teeth during the Civil War and were more comfortable with the Trapdoor Springfield.  Never the less, this was a very important step in the later adoption of a modern bolt action rifle for the Army.  While not adopted by the United States Army, The Navy did take around 1500 into service and the rifle did enjoy some subatancial success on the foreign market, with notable orders coming from China and Mexico with nearly 60,000 being produced.  This is an exceptionally fine example and no post Civil War US martial rifle collection could be complete without one; actual US issued rifles are extremely tough to locate.