Winchester Hotchkiss

The Winchester Hotchkiss was a bolt-action repeating rifle patented by Benjamin B. Hotchkiss in 1876 and produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Springfield Armory from 1878. The Hotchkiss like most early bolt-actions had a single rear locking lug integral with the bolt handle, but was unique in feeding multiple rounds from a tubular buttstock magazine similar to the Spencer rifle. The .45-70 Hotchkiss was acquired in limited numbers by the US Navy as the M1879, and (in a slightly modified version) by the US Army and several state militias as the M1883, making it the first center-fire bolt-action repeater to be adopted by any major military (the distinction of first bolt-action repeating rifle to be a issued in great numbers as a standard military arm was the Swiss Vetterli 1869, which utilized very large rim-fire metallic cartridges).

United States military history

A joint production program was undertaken after the Winchester design passed United States Army Ordnance Department tests in 1878. Springfield Armory assembled rifles from Winchester actions and hardware with barrels and stocks manufactured at the armory. Sights, cleaning rods, and stock hardware were nearly identical to contemporary production for the single-shot "trapdoor" Springfield Model 1873. The Army ordered 513 Hotchkiss First Model Rifles for infantry units stationed on the western frontier including Texas and Fort Abraham Lincoln in the Dakota Territory. Springfield subsequently modified 501 of these rifles to First Model and Second Model Carbines for testing by cavalry units. Carbines have a shorter barrel and stock and the rear sight is marked HC for Hotchkiss Carbine. The United States Navy ordered 1,474 First Model Rifles with 28.75 inches (73.0 cm) barrels rather than the 32.25 inches (81.9 cm) barrels on Army rifles.^[1]

Hotchkiss First Model Rifles are identified by the circular knob safety and magazine cutoff on the right side of the stock. The knob weakened the stock, and was replaced by two levers atop the receiver on Hotchkiss Second Model Rifles. The Navy purchased 999 Second Model Rifles in 1880 and 1881; and Springfield Armory converted most of the Army First Model Rifles to Second Model Carbines. A few rifles were manufactured for the Army with two piece stocks variously identified as the Model of 1883 or Third Model Hotchkiss Rifles. Army Hotchkiss rifles were withdrawn from service after the Springfield Model 1873 was judged superior to the Hotchkiss in 1883 field trials; but the Navy rifles remained in service until replaced by the M1895 Lee Navy.^[1]

Other production

The Chinese Empire purchased 15,000 Winchester-Hotchkiss rifles in 1881. Winchester also produced a civilian sporting version of the Hotchkiss, likewise in caliber .45-70 Government, until 1899.

References

v t e Winchester Firearms and Cartridges Rifles Lever-Action Henry rifle Model 1866 Model 1873 Model 1876 Model 1886 Model 1892 Model 1894 Model 1895 Model 53 Model 55 Model 64 Model 65 Model 71 Model 88 Model 150 Model 250 Model 255 Model 9422 Bolt Action Model 1878 Hotchkiss Model 1895 Lee Navy Model 1900 Model 1902 Model 1904 Model 43 Model 47 Model 51 Imperial Model 52 Model 54 Model 56 Model 57 Model 58 Model 59 Model 60 Model 60A Model 67 Model 68 Model 69 Model 70 Model 72 Model 75 Model 121 Model 131 Model 141 Model 320 Model 325 Model 670 Model 770 Pump-Action Model 1890 Model 1906 Model 61 Model 62 Model 62A Model 270 Semi-Automatic Model 1903 Model 1905 Model 1907 Model 1910 Model 30 Model 63 Model 74 Model 77 Model 100 Model 190 Model 490 Falling-block action Model 1885 Shotguns Pump-Action Model 1893 Model 1897 Model 1912 Model 25 Model 42 Model 1200 Model 1300 Lever-Action Model 1887 Model 1901 Model 9410 single-shot Model 20 Model 36 Model 37 Model 37A Model 41 double-barrel Model 21 Model 24 Model 96 Model 101 Semi-Automatic Model 1911 SL Model 40 Model 50 Model 59 Model 1400 Model 1500 SX-1 Cartridges .17 Winchester Super Magnum .22 Magnum (WMR) .218 Bee .219 Zipper .22 Hornet .220 Swift .223 Winchester Super Short Magnum .225 Winchester .243 Winchester .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum .25-20 WCF .256 Winchester Magnum .25-35 Winchester .25 Winchester Super Short Magnum .264 Winchester Magnum .270 Winchester .270 Winchester Short Magnum 7mm Winchester Short Magnum .30-30 Winchester .307 Winchester .308 Winchester .300 Winchester Short Magnum .300 Winchester Magnum .32 Winchester Special .32-20 Winchester .325 Winchester Short Magnum .33 Winchester .338 Winchester Magnum .348 Winchester .35 Winchester .35 Winchester Self-Loading .351 Winchester Self-Loading .375 Winchester .38-40 Winchester .38-55 Winchester .38-56 WCF .38-72 Winchester .40-72 Winchester .401 Winchester Self-Loading .405 Winchester .44 Henry .44-40 Winchester .458 Winchester Magnum