Winchester-Hotchkiss Model 1879
Winchester Repeating Arms · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1879
Also known as: Hotchkiss Bolt Action, Winchester Hotchkiss Model 1883
Overview
The Winchester-Hotchkiss Model 1879 was Winchester Repeating Arms Company's first bolt-action rifle, built under license from designer Benjamin B. Hotchkiss whose patents Winchester acquired in 1877. Its defining feature is a tubular magazine housed in the buttstock rather than under the barrel, fed past a magazine cutoff that allowed single-shot use. Chambered in .45-70 Government, it was the first bolt-action repeating rifle adopted by a major military, seeing limited US Army and Navy service through three successive models (1879, 1880, and the definitive 1883).
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4000 g (141.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1240 mm (48.82") |
| Barrel Length | 730 mm (28.74") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tube |
| Muzzle Velocity | 410 m/s (1345 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2200 J (1623 ft·lbf) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- .45-70 Government · primary — also known as .45-70, .45-70-405, 11.6x53mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Buttstock Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Magazine Cutoff, Rotary Safety Lever
- Features: Buttstock Tubular Magazine, Magazine Cutoff Single Shot, First Winchester Bolt Action
Variants
- Winchester-Hotchkiss First Model (1879) — First Model
- Winchester-Hotchkiss Second Model (1880) — Second Model
- Winchester-Hotchkiss Model 1883 — Third Model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1879 · as Model 1883
- United States Navy · adopted 1879 · as Model 1879
Conflicts
- American Indian Wars (1879-1890)
Production
Estimated total produced: 82,000 · Production years: 1879-1904
Approximately 82,000 across all models; the Model 1883 alone accounted for 59,446 (muskets, carbines and sporting rifles)
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Benjamin Berkeley Hotchkiss
Discontinued: 1904
Notes
The First Model's one-piece stock was prone to cracking; the Model 1883 fixed this with a two-piece stock and exposed central receiver. Roughly 11,000 were exported to China.
Background
The Winchester-Hotchkiss was Winchester's very first bolt-action rifle and, with its magazine tube buried in the buttstock, the first bolt-action repeater ever adopted by a major military.