Around 6,900 of these rifles were manufactured in 1878-1881 making them the bulk of the roughly 8,700 Model 1878 rifles manufactured. They were purchased by a variety of state governments, the National Rifle Association, and the governments of China and some South American countries. It has a military style blade/bayonet stud front sight, adjustable notch and folding ladder rear sight, sling swivels on the front barrel band and bottom of the action, the Old Reliable marking and Bridgeport address on top near the breech, no visible caliber markings, patent and address markings on the left side of the action along with the serial number, a script "L" on the bottom of the action ahead of the trigger guard, boxed "P" on the tail of the forearm, and a script "BL" or possibly "IBL" monogram in a circle on the left side of the buttstock (noted on other Borchardt military rifles).

Fine with 75% plus of the lightly fading original blue and casehardened finish, minor marks and scratches, some faint spotting, minor scrapes and pressure marks on the re-oiled wood, and a few flakes/chips located on the rear of the forearm on the left and the toe. Mechanically excellent.