Approved for manufacture by the Secretary of War on August 16, 1889, as a standard rather than experimental model, the rifle was derived from the experimental Model 1884 ramrod bayonet rifle.  A new design feature in the model was a one-piece milled guard combining the guard plate and the guard bow in a single unit.  The guard swivel was riveted to the guard bow.  The bayonet was released by pressing the exposed checkered buttons of the spring-backed catch to rotate and unlock it.  The bayonet could then be pulled out to “fixed position”, where the catch mechanism then engaged the lower set of locking grooves.  The buttstock was fitted with a trap buttplate giving access to a receptacle in the buttstock containing a headless shell extractor, Model 1879 combination tool, and a wiper.  64,822 rifles of this model were produced.  This was the last of our single-shot large caliber arms. 

      Our specimen has the serial number 563064.  The top of the breechblock is marked “US” “MODEL” “1884” in three lines.  The left side of the stock has an inspector’s cartouche “SWP 1893”.  The barrel is marked “P”.  The buttstock receptacle contains the shell extractor, combination tool, and wiper.