In trying to get more educated on the subject, I went to Google Books and found this free book with a lot of good info on the origins of the U.S. Magazine Rifle by the Secretary of War. It has reports on the rifle, ammunition, progress of the re-tooling of the Springfield Armory, reason for delays, etc. Maybe some of you have already seen this report, but for others unfamiliar with it as I was this could be a good read. The name of the book is:
Report of the Secretary of War; Being Part of the Message and Documents Communicated to the Two Houses of Congress. In Three Volumes. Volume III. Washington Printing Office. 1895.
I have not read much of it yet, but did scan it for any tidbits about the rifle.
On the section reporting on the Springfield Armory, it starts with "The work of manufacture of the new magazine rifle has been almost completely transferred to the new shops at the armory, the transfer of the machinery from the old to the new shops having been made during the year in the most convenient manner."