Colt-Burgess rifle
Colt-Burgess rifle | |
---|---|
Lever-action | |
Feed system | 15 round (rifle) or 12 round (carbine) tubular magazine |
The Colt-Burgess rifle, also known as the 1883 Burgess rifle or simply the Burgess rifle, is a
Overview
The Colt-Burgess rifle is similar in design to Winchester's lever-action rifles, such as the Winchester Model 1873. It was produced in two versions chambered for the .44-40 Winchester cartridge: a rifle version with a 25+1⁄2 in (650 mm) barrel, and a carbine with a 20 in (510 mm) barrel.[2] The rifle features either a full octagon, half-octagon, or round barrel, with the full octagon barrels being the most numerously produced among rifle variants.[1] A tubular magazine is located under the barrel in similar fashion to other lever-action rifles with a capacity of 15 rounds in the rifle version or 12 rounds in the carbine version. The receiver on the Burgess rifle is smaller than the Winchester 1873's, providing for a lighter firearm. The rifle's action, though similar to the Winchester 1873's, is considered to be a stronger design.[1][4] The action utilizes a toggle-joint system to lock the breechblock. The extension of the loading lever is the lower part of the toggle-joint; the upper part of the toggle-joint is linked to the breechblock. Located on the receiver is a sliding loading gate from which cartridges are fed into the magazine; the sliding gate design is in contrast to Winchester's tilting gate. Burgess rifles were finished with either a blued or browned barrel, blued receiver, casehardened hammer and lever, and walnut stock. Current reproduction Burgess rifles are also available with casehardened frames.[1][3]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Colt-Burgess_receiver.jpg/220px-Colt-Burgess_receiver.jpg)
Production
Although Colt predominantly was a manufacturer of popular revolvers, such as the Colt Single Action Army, the company began in the 1880s to seek to compete against Winchester in the rifle market.[5] In 1882, Colt contacted Andrew Burgess to design a lever-action rifle. Factory records list two entries for serial number 1: a rifle shipped to Hartley & Graham in New York on May 4, 1883, and a saddle ring carbine shipped two weeks later.[6] A total of 6,403 Colt Burgess rifles and carbines were manufactured before production ended in 1885. Approximately 60% of these were of the rifle variation.[1] When compared to production figures of Winchester's 1873 rifle, the Colt-Burgess failed as a serious competitor to Winchester. From 1873 to 1919, Winchester manufactured 720,610 Model 1873 rifles, or an average of over 15,000 per year.[7]
The short production history of the Colt-Burgess has led to much speculation as to the reason of its demise. According to legend, upon hearing of Colt's entrance into the lever-action rifle market, Winchester began to develop a prototype revolver to compete with Colt's market. A "
Replicas of the Burgess rifle and carbine are currently produced by the Italian manufacturer Uberti chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge.[4][8]
See also
- Colt Lightning Carbine
References
- ^ ISSN 0162-3583.
- ^ ISBN 9780896894556.
- ^ ISBN 9780896895348.
- ^ National Rifle Association of America. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
- ^ ISBN 9781585743070.
- ^ Letter from Beverly Jean Haynes, Office of the Colt Historian, May 3, 2024.
- ISBN 9780896894556.
- ^ "1883 Burgess Rifle and Carbine". uberti.com. A. Uberti. 2014. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
External links
- "Colt-Burgess 1883 Carbine at RIA". Forgotten Weapons (YouTube). November 26, 2014.