1870-1898 Spanish Period Rifles

spanish period rifles
1870-1898 Spanish Period Rifles | Renacimiento Manila (@rebirth.manila)

1870-1898 Spanish Period Rifles

Rifled barrels increased the accuracy of guns, which meant soldiers could accurately shoot up to 500-600 yards (more or less 500 meters). Massed infantry formations gave way to firing lines with less concentration of men.

In the Philippines, during the late Spanish period, Spanish forces were equipped mainly with these weapons.

The Spanish Remington Rolling Block Rifle was a single shot, breech-loading rifle, equipped with a socket bayonet. This was used by the Guardia Civil and most Spanish army units in the Philippines until 1896. Captured Remington rifles were used by Filipino revolutionaries to fight Spain.

The Spanish Mauser of Mauser Model 1893 was a bolt-action rifle, capable of firing five shots before reloading. The ammo, which uses smokeless powder, was loaded by a stripper clip which made reloading faster. This was used by Spanish reinforcements from 1897 to 1898 during the Philippine revolution.

Both rifles were later used by the Philippine Republic against the US during the Filipino-American War.

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