U S Springfield Rifle

Question
Dear Doug,
I have a US Springfield rifle model #1871 that My Father in law had during WWII. thats all the information I Can make out other than it was made in Mass. Could you tell me something about it and what the value of it is. Thank you, Mildred Fletcher

Answer
Mildred,

Springfield Armory was the first federal armory.  It was constituted in 1872 by an act of the US Congress.  

The Model 1871 was made only in 1871-1872.  It was built using a Remington design.  The rifle used a 'rolling block' action and was chambered for a .50 caliber shell.  Only 10,000 of these rifles were made.  These guns were not serial numbered.

Depending on the condition of the rifle you have, it could be quite valuable.  If in nearly brand new condition, it would be rare indeed and some collectors are willing to pay premium prices.  For guns in 90% condition, it is not unusual to see values of $1200-$1300.  If the gun is in 98% condition, values can exceed $2000.

That's about all I can really tell you about the gun...hope this helps you out.

Doug Little