The Springfield M1903 is a bolt-action rifle used by the United States Army during 1903 to 1957. It was accepted into service by the army in 1903 and widely deployed during the First World War. Subsequently, it was replaced by the M1 Garand in 1936. However, the M1903 continued to be in service during the Second World War and the Korean War. Some numbers of the rifle were also deployed during the initial years of the Vietnam War.

The American Army entered into the First World War at a much later stage. However, its contribution both in terms of the number of troops and the effectiveness of its weapons was pivotal in bringing an end to the war. The Springfield M1903 was the main weapon which the U.S. Army brought to the war. The rifle was very accurate and its .30-03 Springfield round was very effective in delivering high stopping power.

The Springfield M1903 was very handy for close-quarter combat because of its smaller dimensions. At the same time, it was also very accurate up to approximately 1000 yards. In the later years, the M1903 was also used as a sniper gun by fitting it with aiming optics.

The rifle continues to be used by civilian enthusiasts and as a practice rifle by the military. Production of the rifle continued until 1965 when it was phased out of service. During its service, several variants of the M1903 were developed. The Springfield 1903 deserves its place in the history of firearms as a truly great weapon.

The Springfield M1855 is a 19th century rifled musket that was manufactured by the Springfield Armoury in Massachusetts, USA. The M1855 was widely employed during the American Civil War. About 60,000 units of the M1855 were manufactured during the 19th century.

Older muskets were mostly flintlock guns will a smooth-bore. However by 1840s, these were replaced with percussion-cap systems. These were not only more reliable but also more resistant to adverse weather. Soon smooth-bore barrels were replaced with rifled-barrels. The rifled barrel increased the range and accuracy of the musket tremendously. The Model 1855 had an effective range of 800 to 1000 yards.

The Springfield M1855 had .58 barrel. Older Springfield muskets had .69 calibre barrels and so the M1855 had a smaller calibre bore when compared to the older guns. However, it was more accurate when a minie ball was used with it.

The Springfield M1855 also used an improved percussion cap system called the Maynard tape primer. Instead of using individual percussion caps, the Maynard tape allowed a percussion cap located on the tape to be loaded every time the hammer was pulled back. However, the powder and the ball had to be loaded manually every time the gun was to be fired.

The Springfield M1855 was expensive and time-taking to manufacture and so many troops went to war with other weapons such as the traditional smooth-bore muskets that were completely underpowered when compared to the M1855. Subsequently, the Union Army adopted the M1861 which used a simpler percussion cap and sights. Another version was also developed. It was designated as M1863 and had a stronger hammer for better firing.

During the American Civil War, more than 650,000 Springfield rifles were obtained by the US Army. More than 20 contractors manufactured these rifles. Other guns were also used but the Springfield rifle was the main weapon of the US Army.

Over the years, several other rifles were developed and subsequently they replaced the Springfield. The quest for more firepower led to the development of rifles with internal magazines and they became the next weapon of choice.