It was Springfield Armory's second attempt to create a single longarm that would satisfy the needs of the infantry, cavalry, and artillery (the first attempt being the Springfield Model 1882 short rifle).
[1] The model 1886 carbine featured the new sight created by Lieutenant Colonel Adelbert R. Buffington that had been incorporated into the Springfield Model 1884 rifle.
The stock had a storage compartment for a three piece folding cleaning rod and a ruptured case extractor.
The upper barrel band also had a curved swivel sling design that allowed it to fit close to the stock when the carbine was placed in a saddle boot.
The carbine was fitted with a 24-inch (61 cm) barrel and a full walnut stock.