Trapdoor mechanism

A thumb-operated cam latch at the rear of the breechblock held it shut when in closed position.

The rack-type system extractor was withdrawn automatically as the breechblock was opened and snapped back at the end of its stroke.

[4] The Springfield model 1865 fired a rimfire .58-60-500 cartridge (.58 inch 500-grain (32 g) bullet, 60 grains (3.9 g) of black powder), the caliber matching that of the Civil War Minié ball, which was originally used in these rifles.

In 1872–1873 a military board, headed by Brigadier-General Alfred H. Terry, conducted an examination and trial of 99 rifles from several domestic and foreign manufacturers, including those from Springfield, Sharps, Peabody, Whitney, Spencer, Remington, and Winchester pursuant to the selection of a breech-loading system for rifles and carbines for the U.S. Military.

The trials included tests for: accuracy, dependability, rate of fire, and ability to withstand adverse conditions.

¨The Gun That Made One Man The Equal Of Five¨, come out in the epilogue of the action in the film Springfield Rifle (used to stop the thieves stealing horses for the Confederates).