Peabody action
Encyclopedia
The Peabody action was an early form of breechloading firearm action
Firearm action
In firearms terminology, an action is the physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term is also used to describe the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. Actions are generally categorized by the type of mechanism used...

, where the heavy breechblock
Breechblock
A breechblock is the part of the firearm action that closes the breech of a weapon at the moment of firing....

 tilted downwards across a bolt mounted in the rear of the breechblock, operated by a lever under the rifle. The Peabody action most often used an external hammer to fire the cartridge.

The Peabody action was developed by Henry O. Peabody from Boston, Massachusetts, and was first patented in July 22. 1862. While the Peabody was not perfected in time for the American Civil War, a few were entered in the trials of 1864 with favorable reports.

Peabody carbines and rifles were made by the Providence Tool Company, Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

; c. 1866 - 1871. The total production was, all models 112.000. Calibers were: .45 Peabody rimfire; .45-70 Government; .50 rimfire; 50-70; .433 Spanish; 10,4 mm rimfire Swiss. Barrel length carbine 20", rifle 33". Finish: Receiver casehardened, barrel blued, Iron mountings, Walnut stock.

The majority of Peabody's production was for foreign contracts, they were adopted by the militaries of Canada (3.000 pieces), Switzerland (15.000), France (33.000) Romania, Mexico and Spain during the later 1860s. In the United States, Connecticut purchased c. 1871/72, 2.000 Spanish Model rifles, Massachusetts 2.941 rifles and South Carolina purchased c. 1877 350 carbines.

The Swiss gunsmith Friedrich von Martini created an action that somewhat resembled Peabody's, but incorporated a hammerless internal striker and used a toggle moved by the striker to lock the action during firing. Mated to a barrel with rifling designed by Alexander Henry, the 1871 Martini-Henry
Martini-Henry
The Martini-Henry was a breech-loading single-shot lever-actuated rifle adopted by the British, combining an action worked on by Friedrich von Martini , with the rifled barrel designed by Scotsman Alexander Henry...

would become the British Army's standard rifle for thirty years.

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