
military until it was gradually replaced by the Springfield Model 1892 bolt action rifle, essentially a copy of the Norwegian Krag-Jørgensen action. The black powder Model 1873 continued to be the main service rifle of the U.S. After the Little Big Horn disaster, troops were required to perform target practice twice a week. 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. The cartridge was subsequently redesigned with a brass case, since that material did not expand as much as copper. 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. Every Custer battalion weapon became Indian property. This did not account for cases removed by a cleaning rod or other objects nor for jammed rifles cleared away from the immediate battle area and outside the very limited archaeological survey area.
1873 springfield trapdoor 45 70 value manual#
A jam required manual extraction with a knife blade or similar tool, and could render the carbine version of the weapon, which had no cleaning rod to remove stuck cases, useless in combat except as a club.Īfter 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. This sometimes jammed the rifle by preventing extraction of the fired cartridge case. 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. 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. This cartridge had a correspondingly reduced muzzle velocity of 1,100 feet per second (340 m/s) and a somewhat reduced effective range. 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. 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. The rifle cartridge was designated as ".45-70-405", indicating a. 99 Springfield" which became the Model 1873. 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. Both single shot and magazine equipped systems were considered but, at the time, the single shot was deemed to be more reliable. The trials included tests for accuracy, dependability, rate-of-fire, and ability to withstand adverse conditions.
1873 springfield trapdoor 45 70 value trial#
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. In 1872–1873 a military board, headed by Brigadier-General Alfred H. It was superseded by an improved model, the Springfield Model 1884, also in. The infantry rifle model featured a 32 5⁄ 8-inch (829 mm) barrel, while the cavalry carbine used a 22-inch (560 mm) barrel. 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 gun, in both full-length and carbine versions, was widely used in subsequent battles against Native Americans. The Springfield Model 1873 was the first standard-issue breech-loading rifle adopted by the United States Army (although the Springfield Model 1866 had seen limited issue to troops along the Bozeman Trail in 1867). User dependent usually 8 to 10 rounds per minute Breech-loading rifle Springfield Model 1873Ĭavalry carbine with 22 in (560 mm) barrel,
