1. Right on the serial number - I missed that one. But not all Model 1870 breechblocks had the word 'Model'. That was added in 1871 specifically to distinguish the Model 1870 from a Model 1868 made in 1870.
2. We checked Springfield Research to see if there were any serial numbers close to this one listed in the National Archives in Washington, DC. We found serial numbers 241,203 and 241,221 Issued to the 15th Minnesota during the Span-Am War in 1898.
3. Mar 09, 2011  1873 Trapdoor Rifle serial number search request. Lockplate is stamped ahead of hammer, eagle and US/ Springfield 1873. Breechblock markings MODEL 1873 over eaglehead,over crossed arrows marked US MODEL/1873. Serial number is four digits, 7020, produced in 1874. My question is can anyone research its history by serial number?

This is a Springfield Trapdoor Model 1873 Rifle. This rifle is chambered in 45-70 caliber and has a serial number of #156185 with a star at the end of the number. This auction is for a Springfield Trapdoor.45-70 Gov't caliber single shot rifle. This is considered an antique and does not require a FFL to deliver. The trapdoor has US Model 1873. For its age this is a very nice rifle. Serial number 282136 indicates a 1885 manufacture date. The bore is very good with strong lands and grooves and free of pitting.

Rock Island, IL –-(Ammoland.com)- In terms of American military long arms very little attention is given to a predecessor of the much heralded M1903 and M1 Garand, the Springfield Trapdoor.

The Springfield Trapdoor was produced for over 20 years and would experience many changes throughout its life. The rifle would take its place in history just after the Civil War, despite the justifiable hesitation of many military personnel who were all too aware about the superiority of repeaters and magazine fed rifles. It would kill buffalo by the thousands as America expanded westward and would also play a role in the wars against the Native Americans. Militarily it represents the watershed transition for U.S. forces from the musket to the rifle. Today we find out a little bit more of this rifle, its origins, the question of its performance, and its role in history.

Origins

After the Civil War, the War Department wanted a breech-loading rifle. To be specific, they wanted a breech-loading rifle that would chamber a self-primed, metallic cartridge. This led to the formation of an Army Board who, in 1865, would host trials of different rifles by makers both foreign and domestic. The idea of the Master Armorer at the U.S Armory at Springfield, Mr. Erskine S. Allin, was to take the existing Civil War muzzle-loaders, of which there were thousands, and convert them by adding the now well known “trap door” to the receiver.

This appealed to the Board for a number of reasons:

• It used existing materials, thereby saving money and manufacturing time.
• Money was even more important with the War Department's newly slashed budget.
• Single shots were viewed as more reliable and rugged than repeaters or magazine rifles.
• It looked like proven guns of the past, especially with its pronounced hammer.
• Their priority on long range accuracy over rate of fire.
• Single shot rifles were thought to force a more efficient use of ammunition

The Board adopted the National Armory's (a.k.a. the U.S. Armory at Springfield, later just “Springfield”) design, now referred to as the “First Allin.” However, this “adoption” was more of a test drive than a final acceptance. As reports came in from the field in subsequent years, the rifle would be adapted, redesigned, replaced in the field in small numbers. This went on for about 5 years from National Armory's Model 1865 to their Model 1870, until on September 3, 1872, the Board of Army Officers held another trial. This trial was designed to find a rifle with more in line with their preference toward range and power than the Model 1870 being “test driven” by soldiers in the field. The Board, now known as the “Terry Board,” was headed by Brigadier General A.H. Terry and requested roughly 100 different breech-loading rifles from various makers to put through trials. They again received both foreign and domestic submissions from some of the most prominent firearms manufacturers of the day such as: Winchester, Remington, Springfield, Sharps, Spencer, Whitney, and others. All but 21 were rejected almost immediately and only two of those were modifications of the current .50 caliber trap door

At this point, a “sidebar” study was held by the Terry Board. It was a separate, yet related, study to determine which combination of caliber, powder charge, and bullet weight would provide the best performance. They tested .40, .42, and .45 caliber bullets, powder amounts from 65-80 grains, several rifling variations, and bullet weights from 350-450 grains. Each variation had its own barrel and was tested with 20 shots at 6 targets 500 yards away. The winner would be barrel #16 with the #58 ammunition, which would be the 45-70-405 cartridge. We know it better as the .45-70 Government. The round was deemed so effective that Colt would be making Gatling guns to utilize that round later that same year. It is surprising that both government and private manufacturers took so long to realize that by increasing powder and lessening bullet weight, they could produce rifles with much greater range. The development of this round and its subsequent rifle, literally made for each other, would mark the American shift from muskets to longer range rifles.

By the time the .45-70 was decided upon, the Terry Board had further narrowed the field of long arms to six possible candidates. Each was altered to use this new cartridge and tested further. In the end, their bias to an older style of warfare and rifle won out and the trap door action was selected. The preference for a powerful rifle that would be accurate at long distances also implies interesting things about the state of American conflict at that time. The Civil War having ended a short 7 years earlier, the thought was to again select a weapon that would perform nobly in a similar type of conflict. The thought of fast-moving battles against Native Americans may have been a secondary priority at that time, hence the lack of urgency to adopt repeating and magazine based rifles.

Use

It is known that trapdoor rifles were not developed until after the Civil War and through Springfield's manufacturing records one will find that the first 1,940 Model 1873 carbines and 2 rifles were not made until the final months of 1873 with an additional 6,521 weapons ready by March 31, 1874. The Model 1873 was the fifth improvement of the Allin design.

The Spanish-American War would not start for another 24 years. Until that time the Allin System longarms would be used in the American plains for two purposes: killing buffalo and fighting American Indians. As a buffalo killer, the weapon was apt. Its muzzle velocity of 1,350 feet/second would allow it to penetrate 17 inches of white pine at 100 yards, certainly enough to kill a buffalo. This power when combined with its long range accuracy also made it an excellent hunting rifle for other large game of the prairie and coyotes. The classic cowboy song “Home On the Range,” was first published in 1873 with its now well-known lyrics of buffalo roaming while deer and antelope play. Little could author Brewster M. Higley have known how much the Springfield, developed that same year, would affect those animals.

The Allin System's performance in the Indian Wars is much debated. Often cited are the “large number” of empty cartridges found at the Battle of Little Big Horn which exhibited signs of malfunction. Such examples were found, however, they are a small percentage (2.7 – 3.4% by some counts) of the thousands rounds that were fired in that conflict. The concern over jamming weapons in the Indian Wars is not a modern one. Even at the time, it was a known concern among soldiers. This was due in large part to the use of a copper alloy (“Bloomfield Gilding Metal”) in the manufacture of the ammunition's case. Copper was prone to expanding in the breech upon firing and could also prevent the extractor from properly functioning. This often required the user to pry the cartridge from the breech or to push it out by using the ramrod. Such a remedy was not an option on the carbine version which did not include that valuable tool. This brought about the use of brass cases to reduce expansion, a material still in use to this day.

The Springfield Model 1873 carbine was the standard issue longarm of all U.S. Cavalry units from 1874 to 1896, but the rifle would be switched out in 1886 for the improved Springfield Model 1884. The Allin system would be not be replaced as the standard U.S. rifle until the adoption of the Krag-Jørgensen (a.k.a. Springfield Model 1892-99) which would also be produced by the Springfield Armory from 1894 to 1904. For those paying close attention to dates, this means that the Krag, using its smokeless ammunition, was the primary rifle used in both the Spanish-American War as well as the Philippine-American War, though the sheer number of available trap doors inevitably meant that the outdated black powder guns would still see use.

Variations

It's hard to see how any troops could complain about the Springfield trap door. With a new variation out almost every year of its production, any issues could be dealt with rapidly and remedied in subsequent variations. The only issues that could not be fixed were those of its relatively low rate of fire, a quality inherent to its loading method, and its black powder propellant. I will not cover the vast number of variations here. For an exhaustive list of the changes and varieties in all their minutia, please consult what many consider to be the Bible of Springfield Trapdoors, Robert Frasca's The .45-70 Springfield. With his list of all the parts that were altered from 1873-1894, it is difficult to imagine one piece remaining throughout all 20 years of production.

Not only did the Model 1873 miss the major conflicts of the 17th and 18th centuries, it was also vastly overshadowed by the iconic Winchester repeater and Colt revolver released that same year. It was a rifle languishing in the past by a population in the throes of the Industrial Revolution and hungry to adopt the new technologies that accompanied it. The Model 1873 was relegated to ill-chosen government contracts, slaughtering buffalo, and killing Native Americans. Racks full of the model even inspired a less than flattering poem from poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow entitled, “The Arsenal at Springfield.” Outdated in both propellant and loading system even before it was adopted by the government and lacking the celebrity of a military conflict, the Springfield Trapdoor plays a quiet role in the story of U.S. military arms, yet remains a highly desirable collector's piece with its unique loading system, endless varieties to collect, and aesthetically pleasing components like the lockplate, hammer, and sweeping breech block. Even a highly dedicated collector would stay busy for decades happily collecting this long arm of the American plains.

In fact, one collector did just that, Dr. Richard Branum. Our upcoming December 2013 Premiere Firearms Auction will have over 50 trapdoor rifles at all levels of collecting! Dr. Branum's collection represents a lifetime of collecting and has resulted in the most comprehensive and academic collection of trapdoors. Represented will be rare, experimental variations, extremely high condition models, unusual calibers, accouterments, and many different years of production. The collection possesses every caliber of manufacture: .58 rimfire, .50-70 government, .45.70 government, the rare .45-80 long range cartridge, and .30-40. It also contains every barrel length and every variation of the ramrod bayonet. It is a living history lesson to view all the chronological variations in this fantastic collection.

If early American militaria and rifles are your passion, the Springfield Trapdoors alone will be enough to get you champin' at the bit. There will also be nearly 70 Civil War pieces that help make up the nearly 1,000 antiques available in this auction. And we all know why antiques can be so nice. Stay tuned each and every week for more fascinating and laudable firearms.

“This is the Arsenal. From floor to ceiling,Like a huge organ, rise the burnished arms;But from their silent pipes no anthem pealingStartles the villages with strange alarms.”-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

SOURCES:

Frasca, Albert J., and Charles R. Suydam. The .45-70 Springfield: Springfield Caliber .58, .50, .45 and .30 Breech Loaders in the U.S. Service, 1865-1893. Springfield, OH: Frasca Pub., 1997. Print.

Us Springfield Model 1873 Short Barrel

About:
Rock Island Auction Company has been solely owned and operated by Patrick Hogan. This company was conceived on the idea that both the sellers and buyers should be completely informed and provided a professional venue for a true auction. After working with two other auction companies, Mr. Hogan began Rock Island Auction in 1993. Rock Island Auction Company has grown to be one of the top firearms auction houses in the nation. Under Mr. Hogan's guidance the company has experienced growth each and every year; and he is the first to say it is his staff's hard work and determination that have yielded such results. Visit: www.rockislandauction.com

Springfield model 1873
Type	Breech-loading rifle Single-shot rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1873–1892 (some were still used during the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War)
Used by	United States Army
Wars	Great Sioux War, Indian Wars, Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War
Production history
Designer	Erskine S. Allin
Designed	1873
Manufacturer	Springfield Armory
No. built	approx. 700,000
Variants	Cavalry Carbine with 22 in (560 mm) barrelCadet Rifle with 30 in (760 mm) barrel
Specifications
Length	51.875 in (1,317.6 mm)
Barrel length	32.625 in (828.7 mm)
Cartridge	.45-70-405
Action	Hinged breechblock
Rate of fire	approx. 11-12 rounds a minute
Muzzle velocity	1,350 feet per second (410 m/s)

The model 1873 'Trapdoor' Springfield was the first standard-issue breech-loadingrifle adopted by the United States Army (although the Springfield Model 1866 had seen limited issue to troops along the Bozeman Trail in 1867). The gun, in both full-length and carbine versions, was widely used in subsequent battles against the American Indians.

Springfield Model 1873 Value

The model 1873 was the fifth variation of the Allin trapdoor design, and was named for its hinged breechblock, which opened like a trapdoor. The infantry rifle model featured a 32​⁵⁄₈-inch (829 mm) barrel, while the cavalry carbine used a 22-inch (560 mm) barrel. It was superseded by an improved model, the Springfield model 1884, also in .45-70caliber.

Selection process[edit]

In 1872–1873 a military board, headed by Brigadier-General Alfred H. Terry, conducted an examination and trial of 99 rifles from several domestic and foreign manufacturers including those from Springfield, Sharps, Peabody, Whitney, Spencer, Remington, and Winchester pursuant to the selection of a breech-loading system for rifles and carbines for the U.S. Military. The trials included tests for: accuracy, dependability, rate-of-fire, and ability to withstand adverse conditions. Both single shot and magazine equipped systems were considered but, at the time, the single shot was deemed to be more reliable. Firing tests were held at the Springfield Armory and Governor's Island where the average rate of fire for the Springfield was 8 rounds per minute for new recruits and 15 rounds per minute for experienced soldiers. The board recommended 'No. 99 Springfield' which became the model 1873.^[1]

Us Springfield Model 1873

Ballistics[edit]

The rifle cartridge was designated as '.45-70-405', indicating a .45 caliber, 405-grain (26.2 g) bullet propelled by 70 grains (4.5 g) of black powder. It had a muzzle velocity of 1,350 feet per second (410 m/s), making it a powerful and effective load for the skirmish tactics of the era. A reduced-power load of 55 grains (3.6 g) of powder (Carbine Load) was manufactured for use in the carbine to lighten recoil for mounted cavalry soldiers. This cartridge had a correspondingly reduced muzzle velocity of 1,100 feet per second (340 m/s) and a somewhat reduced effective range.

Use in combat[edit]

The rifle was originally issued with a copper cartridge case and used in the American West during the second half of the 19th century, but the soldiers soon discovered that the copper expanded excessively in the breech upon firing. Another issue was the copper held in leather carriers created a green film that would effectively weld the case into the breech of the carbine when fired. This sometimes jammed the rifle by preventing extraction of the fired cartridge case. A jam required manual extraction with a knife blade or similar tool, and could render the carbine version of the weapon, which had no ramrod to remove stuck cases, useless in combat except as a club.

After the annihilation of Lieutenant-Colonel George Armstrong Custer's battalion (armed with the carbine and carbine load ammunition) at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876, investigations first suggested that jamming of their carbines may have played a factor, although archaeological excavations in 1983 discovered evidence that only 3.4 percent of the cases recovered showed any indication of being pried from jammed weapons.^[2] This did not account for cases removed by a ramrod or other 'stick' nor for jammed rifles cleared away from the immediate battle area and outside the very limited archaeological survey area. Every Custer battalion weapon became Indian property. Captain Thomas French, M Company Commander was kept busy on the Reno defensive position line using the cleaning rod from his infantry rifle to clear the jammed carbines passed to him from the cavalryman on the line. The cartridge was subsequently redesigned with a brass case, since that material did not expand as much as copper. This was shown to be a major improvement, and brass became the primary material used in United States military cartridges from then to the present. After the Little Big Horn disaster, troops were required to perform target practice twice a week.

The black powder Model 1873 continued to be the main service rifle of the U.S. military until it was gradually replaced by the Springfield model 1892 bolt-action rifle, essentially a copy of the Norwegian Krag-Jørgensen action. Replacement began in 1892, and despite its obsolescence, the Model 1873 was still used by secondary units during the Spanish–American War in Cuba and the Philippines, where it was at a major disadvantage against Spanish forces armed with the 7 mm Spanish M93 Mauser bolt action rifle.

There are reports of the surplus trapdoor Springfields being issued to civilians living in coastal areas during World War I to provide for an armed militia in the event of a German invasion^{[citation needed]}.

Unlike most other manufacturers' serial numbers, there are no hidden 'codes' in a Carvin serial number that indicate year or month of production, or anything else. They are, essentially, a random number. Carvin serial numbers can be located in several different places. Carvin serial number lookup. Jun 24, 2009  'Carvin does not keep an accurate database of serial numbers, and cannot provide any information based solely on a serial number. Because many of the guitars they produce are custom orders, the serial numbers flow as the orders are received, therefore, sequential serial numbers could represent any model guitar or bass.' Nov 23, 2013  Carvin amp serial number lookup.. Carvin serial #'s. And cannot provide any information based solely on a serial number. If it's rounded, but has an acoustic/electric type of pre-amp. Carvin offers a 100 Dollar credit towards a replacement system, which are in the 638-698Mhz range(NEW), older is (700-800Mhz). You don't have to send in your old wireless. The credit applies to any owner not just the original owner.

Gallery[edit]

Us Springfield Model 1873 Serial Number 69874

• Reenactor firing a Springfield model 1873 breech-loading rifle at Fort Mackinac in 2008

• Geronimo (right) holding a Springfield model 1873 alongside his fellow Apache warriors in 1886

References[edit]

Us Springfield Model 1884 Serial Numbers

1. ^BOARD of OFFICERS (1873). Ordnance memoranda, Issue 15. United States. Army. Ordnance Dept. pp. 99–106.
2. ^Fox, Richard A., Archaeology, History and Custer's Last Battle, 1993, University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN0-8061-2998-0, pp. 241–242

External links[edit]

• Shoot! Magazine article on the .50-70 cartridge, predecessor to the .45-70
• Uberti web site with images of currently cataloged reproduction

1873 Springfield Trapdoor Serial Numbers