Bullard Lever Action
Bullard Repeating Arms Company · Rifle · Discontinued · 1883
Also known as: Bullard Repeating Rifle, Bullard Model 1886
Overview
The Bullard Lever Action is a 19th-century American lever-action repeating rifle designed by James Herbert Bullard and manufactured by the Bullard Repeating Arms Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, between 1883 and 1891. Unlike the toggle-link mechanisms used by its Winchester contemporaries, the Bullard employed a smooth rack-and-pinion gear system driving a vertically sliding breech block, giving the action exceptional smoothness and the strength to handle powerful cartridges such as the .45-70 Government. Offered in large- and small-frame versions with a full-length tubular magazine and a loading gate permitting single-shot use while keeping the magazine in reserve, the Bullard was prized for its quality and workmanship but was costly and slow to produce, limiting it to roughly 2,800 rifles.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3630 g (128.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1180 mm (46.46") |
| Barrel Length | 711 mm (27.99") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 411 m/s (1348 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2215 J (1634 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .45-70 Government · primary — also known as .45-70, .45-70 Govt, 11.6x53mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Rack And Pinion Action, Vertically Sliding Breech Block, Tubular Magazine, Magazine Cutoff, Single Shot Loading Gate
Variants
- Bullard Small Frame — Small Frame
Service history
Operators
- Civilian sporting and hunting market
Production
Estimated total produced: 2,800 · Production years: 1883-1891
Approximately 2,200 repeating rifles (about 1,700 large-frame and 500 small-frame); total production across all types roughly 2,800 units. Some sources cite higher figures.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: James Herbert Bullard
Discontinued: 1891
Notes
Large-frame Bullard rifles were chambered for cartridges including the .45-85 Bullard, which was physically interchangeable with the .45-70 Government. The rack-and-pinion action concept influenced later designs by Browning and Henry Repeating Arms. Magazine capacity varied with barrel length and chambering.
Background
James H. Bullard, a former Smith & Wesson employee and prolific inventor, received his magazine rifle patent in 1881. His rifles' butter-smooth action came from tight tolerances and a rack-and-pinion gear train, but the same precision that made them prized also made them expensive and slow to build, and the company folded after less than a decade against cheaper Winchester competition.