Historical Context
Editorially reviewedThe Army replaced the infantry hunting horn with crossed rifles under the order of 19 November 1875, effective by June 1876. The device appeared in changing uniform systems, including officer insignia and enlisted collar disks. During the First World War, manufacturing in the United States and France produced variations; the fixed Model 1795 musket design familiar today belongs to postwar standardisation.
Provenance: The 1875 introduction is tied to War Department General Order No. 96. U.S. Army Center of Military History uniform studies document bronze crossed rifles on infantry collars in the early 20th century. These sources support the branch meaning and period use while requiring caution about rifle model, finish, regimental numerals and officer-versus-enlisted construction.
Research status: reviewed · reviewed 23/08/2026
Sources
2 referencesThe American Soldier — early twentieth-century infantry
U.S. Army Center of Military History, The American Soldier, Print Set 2. (U.S. Army Center of Military History)
Supports: Documents bronze crossed rifles worn on the collar by infantry officers and enlisted soldiers in an early-20th-century uniform setting.
Infantry Branch — branch insignia history
War Department General Order No. 96, 19 November 1875, and later branch history as transcribed in the Infantry Branch reference. (War Department / secondary transcription)
Supports: Dates the introduction of crossed rifles and distinguishes the later standardised Model 1795 musket design adopted in the 1920s.
How to cite this page
Crossed Rifles Infantry Insignia — United States Army, 1875–1918. Sanctum Hex Vault. Reviewed 23/08/2026. https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-crossed-rifles-infantry-insignia-united-states-army-1875-1918
https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/historically-documented-military-symbols-and-insignia-rank-branch-unit-and-identification-devices-from-c-1700-1918-crossed-rifles-infantry-insignia-united-states-army-1875-1918Branch Device
Crossed Rifles Infantry Insignia — United States Army, 1875–1918
Crossed shoulder arms became the U.S. Army infantry branch insignia in 1875, but the weapon model and accompanying numbers changed before later standardisation.
Own this Symbol
£0.99
Final price payable in GBP.
Commercial Licence Included · Lifetime file updates
Associated meanings
Common Uses
Purchase & Download
Purchase this symbol or a collection containing it to unlock the downloadable files.
