Military
Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, served as the United States’ primary center for military firearms manufacture from 1777 to 1968. Founded during the Revolution on a strategic bluff above the Connecticut River, it became the first federal armory and a major national arsenal. In January 1787, state militia there repelled Daniel Shays and his followers, an event that helped end Shays’ Rebellion and intensified calls for a stronger federal government. In the 19th century, the armory supplied weapons for major wars while advancing interchangeable parts, machine production, and factory management. Later it produced the Model 1903 rifle and more than 4.5 million M1 rifles.
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Springfield, Massachusetts · United States
