military has to learn its lessons the hard way.Ī Forbes Magazine Contributing Writer, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based journalist who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. military also did that again century later when it adopted the M14 while the Soviet Union had the AK-47. Manufactured between 18 during the height of the Indian War and the Custer massacre, this is a cadet rifle version of the U.S. It would seem odd to consider that military planners would accept an inferior design while weapons technology was advancing so quickly. Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Cadet Rifle, made by the Springfield Armory.
Instead of trying to replace the Trapdoor, it was refined and improved – and only in the 1890s was the Springfield Trapdoor finally replaced by Springfield Model 1892–99 Krag–Jørgensen. military adopted a single shot rifle – in part to help maintain fire discipline – when successful repeating rifles were already widely used by adversaries. However, another factor for Custer’s defeat was that the Lakota warriors were also armed with superior Henry, Spencer, and Winchester repeating rifles. The cartridges were redesigned with brass cases, which didn’t expand as much as copper and that greatly improved the effectiveness of the weapon. Following an investigation into the defeat and annihilation of Lieutenant-Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s battalion at the Battle of Little Bighorn in June 1876, it was suggested that many of the troopers’ Model 1873 carbines may have jammed. Cavalry, which was issued without the cleaning rod. Otherwise, they were left with a second-rate club.Įven worse was that the carbine version carried by the U.S. Soldiers needed to manually extract the spent cartridge with a knife blade or other tool such as a cleaning rod. Hi AllI have a new to me rifle added to my collection today a 1873 Springfield Trapdoor s/n 198401, I'm trying to get info on it especially ammo. Numrich has been providing current and obsolete parts since 1950 and has the service and experience that you need from a parts supplier. Soldiers quickly found that the copper could expand excessively in the breech, while the copper could also leave a residue that would further result in it being jammed in the breech. Need 1873 Trapdoor Springfield parts for your latest project Browse the huge selection of 1873 Springfield rifle parts and the schematic here and end your parts search. The rifle was originally issued with a copper cartridge case. It proved to be an accurate rifle, but its recoil was so high that soldiers jokingly said it could take down two men with each shot – the man it hit and the man who actually fired it!Īs with the M16 a century later, ammunition was the weapon’s Achilles Heel. To load a round, the operator had to open the latch and manually insert a single cartridge.
#CRATE OF UNISSUED 1873 SPRINGFIELD TRAPDOOR RIFLES SERIAL NUMBER#
The serial number of the piece indicates it was made in July to September 1884, a date reaffirmed by the inspector’s cartouche on the stock.The design was improved and finally adopted as the Model 1873, and soon nicknamed the “Springfield Trapdoor” due to its breech-loading mechanism. Actually, there is no such thing as a “Model 1878.” What you are seeing is a heavy strike of “Model 1873” wherein the “3” looks like an “8.” Your rifle is really a Model 1873, unofficially termed “Model 1879” because of a number of noticeable differences from the earlier models. I have shot it and it will produce five-shot groups of 2 inches or less at 50 yards.Īnswer: I love Trapdoor Springfields! I’ve shot most of the single-shot rifles used by other countries from the same period and still think it’s the best of the batch for rapidity of fire and accuracy. I would appreciate any information that you could provide on this one.
It has a serial number of 255XXX and a stamped date on the stock of “1884”. This was one of three he had, with the best bore and condition. 45-70 from a dealer that I have known for more than 40 years. Question: I have recently purchased a Springfield Model 1878 Trapdoor in.
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