The Springfield Armory manufactured 1,011 Ward-Burton Rifles as basically trial weapons in 1871. The Ward-Burton Rifles were one of the earliest bolt action long arms issued by the U.S. Army. The receiver is blue, the bolt is bright and the remaining parts were finished in the white. The rifle is fitted with a Model 1868 trapdoor ramrod. The front sight is fixed and the rear sight is a folding leaf mounted just ahead of the receiver and is graduated to 900 yards and has a 1000 yard center notch. The left receiver flat is marked with the U.S. Eagle and Shield motif followed by "U.S./SPRINGFIELD 1871". The top of the bolt is marked: "WARD BURTON PATENT/DEC. 20,1859-FEB 21, 1871". The stock is a full one piece straight grip with a steel end cap, two barrel bands and steel buttplate marked "U.S." on the tang. The left side of the stock is stamped with the faint script initials "JWK" in a ribbon. There is a Sling swivel mounted on the forward barrel band and on the front of the trigger guard.

Fine. The barrel has a smooth mottled silver gray patina. The receiver retains traces of the original case/hardened finish mainly in the protected areas with a smooth mottled silver gray patina on the balance. The bolt shows a smooth mottled brown patina. The trigger guard has a dark brown patina with some minor pitting. The stock remains fine with a fine cartouche and a few moderate pressure dents on the left wrist. The markings are clear. The action is fine. This is a fine, original specimen of this seldom encountered primary issue U. S. long arm!