US SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1880 HUNTING KNIFE & SCABBARD

Marked on the guard "U.S. SPRINGFIELD" on one side, serial numbered 963 on the other. 13.5" in total, this Model 1880 Springfield hunting knife comes in a leather "type 3" scabbard, marked "RIA" on the hook and the leather. Leather shows some flex wear but hook is intact and the hanger is excellent. Excellent.The M-1880 Hunting Knife was designed for concurrent use with the M- 1881 and the M-1888 Rod Bayonet Rifles also manufactured at the Springfield Armory. The first 902 knives were made in 1881 and had iron guards. Subsequently another 9,000 or 10,000 were made with brass guards (records vary). In 1883, the first 4,000 or 5,000 M-1880 Hunting Knives were made with brass guards and another 5,000 were made in 1885.