HONORABLE
HENRY E. SHAW
TELLS VISITORS
ABOUT HIS
CIVIL WAR
RIFLES

Honorable Henry Shaw will talk about the Springfield Rifle at the Big Walnut Area Historical Society meeting at 7:30. Tuesday, February 9, in the Myers Inn Museum meeting room. Shaw in a Civil War reenactor specializing in artillery and infantry. He has collected many original guns which he displays and will demonstrates at Civil War School Day on May 13.

The Springfield has been prized since the Civil War.  According to Encyclopӕdia Britannica, in 1794 the U.S. Congress established an Armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, known as the Springfield Armory. From the beginning they made smooth bore muskets which took their name from the Armory. From 1857 to 1865 the Armory produced more than 840,000 .58 caliber rifled muskets - most of which were used in the Civil War.

In 1866 they began adapting the muzzle-loading rifles to breech-loading, single shot rifles with making a trapdoor for the breech with latch, firing pin and extractor for the cartridge case.

From 1873 to 1892 the Springfield Armory turned out breech-loading, single-shot Springfield .45 caliber with 70 grains of black powder.

In 1892 the U.S. Army started using a Norwegian bolt-action repeating rifle which spurred the Springfield gunsmiths into studying a German Mauser, a five-shot bolt-action repeating rifle. They adapted the Mauser into the Model 1903 Springfield rifle and with modifications used Model 1906 ammunition.

The Springfield .30-06 became one of the most reliable and accurate military firearms in history. It was the principal U.S. infantry weapon until 1936 when Springfield Armory’s Garand (MQ) rifle replaced it during WWII. The Springfield .03-06 was modified into a sporting rifle prized for its accuracy.

Learn more about these weapons from Shaw on February 9th in the Myers Inn which faces the southwest corner of Sunbury village Square. The program is free and anyone may attend.

To learn more about the Big Walnut Area Historical Society or the Myers Inn Museum visit our website at http://BigWalnutHistory.org. The museum is open 12-3 on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and 10-3 on Saturdays.

 

         
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(01/22/2016)