#trapdoor springfield

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Spanish-American War, by Ostwind Projekt

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Tenth US Cavalry trooper poses with three Apache scouts.

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Springfield Model 1875 Officer's Rifle

The Model 1875 short rifle was produced in small numbers by the Springfield Armory to equip US Army officers. Based on the Model 1873 ‘Trapdoor Springfield’ breechloading rifle the Model 1875 used Erskine Allin’s ‘trapdoor’ breech system. 

A number of features set the Model 1875 apart from more common Trapdoor carbines including a sporting style half-stock, chequering on the rifle’s wrist and fore-stock, a metal stock nose cap and a hickory cleaning rod. The Model 1875 also had a single set hair trigger, which when pushed forward reduced the weight of the trigger pull significantly.

Erskine S. Allin’s breechloading patent (source)

Springfield Armory produced small runs of the Officer’s Rifle in three types. Type Is had a round based tang sight (see images #1 & #2) fitted to the wrist of the stock. The Type II and III both had provision for a detachable, chequered pistol grip (see image #3). It was expected that these rifles would be privately purchased by officers for sporting or service use. As such they were not marked with US Ordnance inspection marks.

Only small numbers were manufactured between 1875 and 1885. An estimated 477 Model 1875s were made, including approximately 125 Type Is and 252 Type IIs. They were offered for sale at $36, approximately $800 today.  

The rifles were chambered in the standard .45-70 service round and had 66cm (26-inch) barrels and weighed around 3.6kg (8lbs). The rifle’s barrels were blued while the other metal parts including the receiver and breech block and hammer were colour case hardened. These parts also featured open scroll engraving, further setting it apart from the service weapon (see image #4).

Today, Model 1875 Officer's Rifle are exceptionally rate and can command in excess of $30,000 at auction. 

Sources:

Images: 1 2 3 4

Model 1875 Officer's Rifle, Trapdoor Collector, (source)

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The Black “Immune” Regiments in the Spanish-American War

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When you're time-traveling to the Revolutionary War to better arm the forces of the United Colonies, accept no more-advanced substitutes.

It's more realistic a scenario than handing out AKs to the Confederacy.

[historicalfirearms]

Springfield Model 1888 

The Model 1888 Springfield was the last in a series of attempts to improve the Model 1873. The Model 1880 had introduced a triangular rod bayonet which was stored under the barrel and could also theoretically be used as a clearing rod. This departed from the conventional socket bayonet which had previously been used. The Model 1880′s bayonet retention system was found lacking and only around 1,000 of these rifles were made for trials.

In 1888 a round rod bayonet was introduced with an improved retention/locking mechanism. The Model 1884 had also incorporated a rod bayonet from the 1880 but added the Buffington rear sight, developed by Lt. Colonel Adelbert R. Buffington, which proved to be rather over-complicated for field conditions. The 1888 also used the Buffington rear sight, with some rifles also having a front sight hood.

Springfield Model 1880 Experimental Trapdoor Rifle with Triangular Ramrod Bayonet (source)

The Model 1888 proved to be one of the most manufactured variants of the Trapdoor Springfield with over 60,000 produced by 1893. The 1888 saw action with US units not armed with the new Krag rifle during the 1898 Spanish American War. The rod bayonet system continued to be experimented with despite its obvious shortcomings and was incorporated into the first iteration of the Springfield Model 1903. When the improved second iteration of the Model 1903 was developed the rod bayonet concept was finally abandoned, Theodore Roosevelt famously called the ramrod bayonet “about as poor an invention as I ever saw.”

9th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in camp with stacked M1888 rod-bayonet (source)

Like earlier Springfields the Model 1888 was chambered in .45-70 and used Erskine S. Allin’s breech-loading mechanism, which was originally patented by Allin in 1865. The Model 1888 represents the furthest evolution of the Trapdoor Springfield, but it was already obsolete when it entered production. Not only had nations other begun transitioning to smokeless ammunition but many had already adopted bolt action or magazine fed rifles.

The Model 1888, and the rest of the Trapdoor Springfield family or rifles, were officially replaced in 1892 by the Krag–Jørgensen magazine-fed bolt action rifle, but remained in use with the National Guard until at 1905. 

Sources:

Images: 1 2 3 4 5

The Springfield Trapdoor Rifle Information Centre (source)

Rifles of the World, J. Walter, (1993)

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Old School Tactical -- The Metcalfe Cartridge Block for Springfield Tradoor.

In the 1870's and 1880's, most nations had decided to adopted breechloading single shot designs over a myriad of bolt action and lever action repeaters.  While such breechloaders were often more powerful and more accurate, the rate of fire with such rifles were limited.  In an attempt to increase the firepower of the infantryman, the United States Army adopted an interesting design called the Metcalfe experimental cartridge block.  Invented by US Army officer Lt. Henry Metcalfe, the design was simple.  A small recess was machined into the forearm of a Model 1873 Springfield Trapdoor and a clip was added to secure the block.  The block held eight .45-70 cartridges, and due to its postion near the breech, made loading much faster than having to retrieve cartridges from a satchel or cartridge box around the waist.  The Metcalfe cartridge block typically had a lid which was secured with a leather strap so that the cartridges would not fall out when not in use.

The US Army would equip 1,008 Trapdoor Springfields with the Metcalfe cartridge block.  In the end they chose not to fully adopt the design.  The Metcalfe cartridge block was also used in limited numbers with other common breechloading designs of the day, such as the Remington Rolling Block, Peabody Martini, and British Martini Henry.