There have been quite a few threads started recently about favorite firearms of one type or another, but this one didn't fall into any convenient category. Nonetheless, it's one of my favorites. This is an original U.S. Model 1879 "trapdoor" carbine. It was manufactured at Springfield Armory in 1881, a year when only 501 carbines were produced. This was the smallest number of .45/70 carbines produced in any year. It remains in excellent condition. As you may probably know, this is of the same general type used by Custer's troops at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, although it was made about 5 years later than that unfortunate fracas. We've often heard the saying "if only this gun could talk," and I've often wondered when and where this one was employed.

I photographed it posed on a Conestoga wagon wheel, which I thought was appropriate for its time frame. Hope you like the picture.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Nice!

Seen more rifles that were cut down than I've seen original carbines. Mine was a cut-down (Bannerman's?).

Does it has a lanyard loop on the left?

Mine doesn't.

Fine pic. Good looking rifle.

Yes, it has a rack and ring on the left side for an over-the-shoulder sling. This component of a cavalry carbine was later abandoned with the Model 1899 Krag carbine, which was to be carried in a boot on the horse rather than carried with a sling by the trooper. It had no such device, nor did the later Model 1903 Springfield, which was used by both infantry and cavalry.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Actually , I'm thinking it wasn't used on a Krag because there's nowhere to mount it on the left side on the normal spot.

The earlier Krag carbines had the traditional rack and ring. Here is a Model 1896 Krag carbine from my collection to show its location. This is the type that Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders used in the Spanish-American war. The later 1898 model also had this feature, but as I stated, the 1899 model did not.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Gotcha!

My trapdoor carbine is the 1873 model and one source put the SN in 1875 also saying that hundreds of rifles were made that year, but only 5 carbines. would love to "discuse" it with you via PM. Ivan

Just a note for Trapdoor owners or prospective buyers. The year on the breech block is not necessarily the model of the rifle. Serviceable breech blocks were often used in the building of new rifles/carbines and the date of the breech block might not be the actual year/model of rifle. They also used up older production in later models. My 1888 rifle has a breech block with a date of 1884 , even though it's all original.

The Trapdoor (like the Krag) saw a lot of change during it's production. There's several good books that let you positively identify the year/model of a Trapdoor.

Beautiful carbine, splendidly photographed.

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Oh well, what the hell.

My Sharps new Model 1863 carbine. Possibly issued to a Maryland cavalry. In my Sharps book, they have a listing of guns by serial number and where/who they were issued. The number falls between two that were issued there.

That is a cool looking piece!

I believe H&R made a run of replicas of these starting in about 1973, I guess to coincide with the centennial of the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876. I wanted one of the carbines bad! I just couldn't afford it. I think they also made an officers rifle, also. I believe I remember a full page ad on the back of either Shooters Bible or Gun Digest showing a recreation of a scene from the Custer battle. I wonder what one of the H&R repros goes for today?

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Georgia On My Mind

It is called a "Sling Bar", not rack.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Very nice. That's some heavy iron there. Makes one wonder how tired you would get lugging a 10 lb musket around. I used to have a Win 95 carbine and that thing was a load.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Quite correct, officially. Common slang terminology was used.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Here's mine, nowhere near as nice as yours. When I got it, it was a wreck; the hammer was welded to the tumbler and when I got them apart I had to replace both. The firing pin was broken and the tip wedged into the bolt face, which may account for the scorched wood around the receiver. It's seen hard use, may have been an Indian gun. But surprisingly, when I got it, the three piece cleaning rod and headless shell extractor where still in the door in the buttplate.

Attached Images

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Here is a model 1879 rifle that I bubbaized into kind of a Officer's Model. I've taken Elk, Deer, Antelope, and I have no idea how many pest critters with it. It's my most favoritest rifle.

I see a H&R Officer's model up for auction here in Cheyenne tomorrow night. I'm gonna be there to see what happens.

Although I hate to see any original G.I. firearm sporterized, I have to admit that this one is particularly well done and quite handsome. Good job, Iggy.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Nice carbine..I have it's big brother..an 1881 made rifle. My rifle ain't so slick though.

WOW , I recall seeing those stocks in old E.C. Bishop Gunstocks catalogs.

I feel the same way about cutting down a perfectly good M1 Garand.

Never saw one like this though!

A LGS near me had 2 H&R Officers's. One was almost new and had a tag of $800. The other had been used, maybe a 75-80% gun, he had $700 on that one. The nice one sold.

Also while troopers used an over the shoulder carbine sling that clipped onto the slide ring, their saddles also had an open bottom boot attached to the rigging that the carbine barrel slid through so the weight of the carbine was carried by the horse when mounted. The Civil War period boot was about 2-3 inches and the later Indian War boots were about 1 foot long with brass reinforcement and covered the action.

I normally agree about modernizing an old veteran, but this one was a wreck I found in an old barn on the ranch.

I debated with myself for a long time. It was throw it away or start over. Stock was broken, barrel rusted, etc. I had been looking at a Meecham conversion in the museum, and decided to see what I could do.

I found an unfired barrel for $25. Got a stock from Rhinehart-Fajen, Neidner grip cap and butt plate, free floated the barrel, and went from there to make a usable and well loved old gun.

We've spent a lot of enjoyable time together.