Another article in draft form - comments welcome; hope you enjoy.
John
Following the end of the Civil War, the U.S. found itself with thousands and thousands of obsolete muzzle-loading black powder rifles. The challenge was to convert our general issue inventories to more effective breechloaders, and at the same time, save money. The solution was a series of rifles and carbines that became our standard issue arms from 1865 through 1893. The single-shot "trapdoor" breech-loading conversions of muzzle-loaders and newly-made arms manufactured on the trapdoor principle found fame on the western frontier and in the Spanish-American War. They have been immortalized in countless movies. Although these were interim weapons between the muzzleloaders and the later smokeless repeaters, they served the nation well during this period. The romance associated with their use has placed them into the "classic military rifles" category for all time.
The task of converting the old muzzle-loading .58 caliber rifle-muskets fell to Master Armorer Erskine S. Allin of the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. His first effort was to cut an open-top section from the rear of the barrel and then attach a swinging breechblock (which was unstamped with any model or year) that would rotate downward into that opening. This breechblock moved up and down much like a trapdoor. The percussion hammer was modified to flat-face style from its former cupped configuration. It struck a firing pin angled through the breechblock. When hit by the hammer, the firing pin would impact the rim of a .58 caliber rimfire cartridge. A thumb-actuated cam latch held the breechblock in its closed position. A sliding ejector was moved by cog teeth on the front of the breechblock. The hinge strap was fixed to the barrel with one screw and some solder. Civil War-era lockplates were used; these mostly bore dates from 1861 to 1864. This first conversion was known as the U.S. Model of 1865 rifle, and today collectors call it the "first Allin conversion." It was the first general issue breech-loading rifle in our service. A trial lot of 5,000 mostly full-length rifles was made and issued. Included in this batch were some shorter "cadet" rifles for use at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Troop trials exposed some deficiencies in the 1865 design and its ammunition. Previous extraction problems were addressed with a U-shaped spring extractor that kicked shells out with more vigor. The firing pin became spring-loaded to move it away from the cartridge when the breechblock was lowered. A new .50 caliber centerfire cartridge was designed. It has become known today as the .50/70 Government. In order to accommodate the lesser-caliber round, the old .58 barrels were drilled out and then lined with a .50-caliber tube, which was brazed in and then rifled. This new arm was designated as the U.S. Model of 1866, and is today also known as the "second Allin conversion." It was our first general issue centerfire breechloader. About 52,300 full-length infantry rifles were converted from Model 1863 muzzle-loaders. Like their Civil War forebears, they measured 56 inches long and the barrels, left in the white, were 36 ½ inches. Some cadet rifles were also made with slightly shorter barrels. Breechblocks were marked with "1866" and an eagle head insignia. Civil War era lockplates were used and these bore dates of either 1863 or 1864. The hinge strap assembly of the breechblock was attached to the barrel with two screws and solder. All Model 1866 rifles used Civil War bayonets which twisted onto the muzzle and locked behind the front sight which served as a bayonet lug. Trials of the Model 1866 showed it to be powerful, accurate and serviceable as an infantry arm.
On August 2, 1867 twenty-six U.S. Army soldiers and a few civilians outfought several hundred Lakota Sioux Indians near Fort Phil Kearny, Wyoming. It later became known as the "wagon box fight" for the wagons the soldiers had overturned for cover. The Sioux were unpleasantly surprised by the firepower of the new Model 1866 "trapdoors" which proved to be the decisive factor in the battle.
The Model 1868 rifle came next. About 50,000 were made. Measuring a shorter 51 7/8", it had two barrel bands instead of three, and used a separate receiver into which either a lined or newly-made 32 ½" barrel was screwed. The breechblock was marked with the year of manufacture (either 1868 or 1869) and an eagle head mark. A pivoting "knife blade" extractor was provided. A small quantity of 1868 carbines with 22" barrels was made for field trials. As on the two previous models, Civil War spike bayonets were used. A shorter cadet rifle was also manufactured. These cadet arms were marked "1869" with an eagle on the breechblock, and except for barrel and stock length, were identical to the 1868 design.
A slightly improved version of the Model 1868 was known as the Model 1870. The principal difference was a shorter receiver. About 11,000 were made with minor differences. Like the Models of 1866 and 1868, these chambered the .50/70 round. They carried a "Model 1870" stamping and an eagle head mark on the breechblock. Some carbines were also made. All Model 1868 and 1870 arms had barrels finished "armory bright" (unblued).
In 1872, a board of Army officers recommended that the caliber of the trapdoor arms be reduced further to .45. This was following studies of rifles of .40, .42, and .45 calibers. The new cartridge was designed to accommodate 70 grains of black powder, and for ever more became known as the .45/70 Government.
The model of 1873, the first to use that cartridge, became famous as being produced and used in the "Custer" era. The 32 5/8" barrel and the newly-made lockplate were blued, while the receiver and breechblock were case-hardened. Sub-variant models of 1877, 1879, 1884 and 1888 were manufactured, differing mainly in the rear sights. Stampings on the breechblock varied. The infantry model of 1888 used a ramrod bayonet rather than modified Civil War bayonets. It was our last black powder arm, and our last issue single-shot rifle. Carbine versions were made in all models. Over 400,000 rifles were made, and about 60,900 carbines. A few "officer's models" were specially made and engraved, and some "forager" shotguns used trapdoor actions. The rifle illustrated is a cavalry carbine with a 22" barrel, model of 1879, quite similar to the Models of 1873 used by Custer's troops at the Little Big Horn. According to the "B" stamp between the rear sight and the breech, it was overhauled and repaired at Springfield in 1884. It had evidently seen hard service with the U.S. cavalry.
The trapdoors were officially superseded by the model 1892 Krag-Jorgensen bolt action rifles, but manufacture did not cease until 1893. Trapdoors and Krags were manufactured at Springfield concurrently during that year. Although then considered obsolete, trapdoors continued to be used in the Army for quite a number of years, and were employed in large numbers during the Spanish-American War.
The trapdoors were powerful and effective weapons in their day. Many were sold as surplus for trifling sums after WWI. Today, any trapdoor Springfield is a collector's item, and prices in recent years have begun to rise dramatically. The models of 1865, 1866, 1868, 1870, 1873 and all carbines are considered particularly valuable. Custer-era carbines (1873-1876) are collector "holy grails."
Good condition .50/70 and .45/70 arms are still quite shootable with appropriate low-pressure loads. They are getting harder to find now, relics of a romantic period in our history when black powder arms still ruled and the West was being won. They're classics.
(c) 2013 JLM
John
Following the end of the Civil War, the U.S. found itself with thousands and thousands of obsolete muzzle-loading black powder rifles. The challenge was to convert our general issue inventories to more effective breechloaders, and at the same time, save money. The solution was a series of rifles and carbines that became our standard issue arms from 1865 through 1893. The single-shot "trapdoor" breech-loading conversions of muzzle-loaders and newly-made arms manufactured on the trapdoor principle found fame on the western frontier and in the Spanish-American War. They have been immortalized in countless movies. Although these were interim weapons between the muzzleloaders and the later smokeless repeaters, they served the nation well during this period. The romance associated with their use has placed them into the "classic military rifles" category for all time.
The task of converting the old muzzle-loading .58 caliber rifle-muskets fell to Master Armorer Erskine S. Allin of the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts. His first effort was to cut an open-top section from the rear of the barrel and then attach a swinging breechblock (which was unstamped with any model or year) that would rotate downward into that opening. This breechblock moved up and down much like a trapdoor. The percussion hammer was modified to flat-face style from its former cupped configuration. It struck a firing pin angled through the breechblock. When hit by the hammer, the firing pin would impact the rim of a .58 caliber rimfire cartridge. A thumb-actuated cam latch held the breechblock in its closed position. A sliding ejector was moved by cog teeth on the front of the breechblock. The hinge strap was fixed to the barrel with one screw and some solder. Civil War-era lockplates were used; these mostly bore dates from 1861 to 1864. This first conversion was known as the U.S. Model of 1865 rifle, and today collectors call it the "first Allin conversion." It was the first general issue breech-loading rifle in our service. A trial lot of 5,000 mostly full-length rifles was made and issued. Included in this batch were some shorter "cadet" rifles for use at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Troop trials exposed some deficiencies in the 1865 design and its ammunition. Previous extraction problems were addressed with a U-shaped spring extractor that kicked shells out with more vigor. The firing pin became spring-loaded to move it away from the cartridge when the breechblock was lowered. A new .50 caliber centerfire cartridge was designed. It has become known today as the .50/70 Government. In order to accommodate the lesser-caliber round, the old .58 barrels were drilled out and then lined with a .50-caliber tube, which was brazed in and then rifled. This new arm was designated as the U.S. Model of 1866, and is today also known as the "second Allin conversion." It was our first general issue centerfire breechloader. About 52,300 full-length infantry rifles were converted from Model 1863 muzzle-loaders. Like their Civil War forebears, they measured 56 inches long and the barrels, left in the white, were 36 ½ inches. Some cadet rifles were also made with slightly shorter barrels. Breechblocks were marked with "1866" and an eagle head insignia. Civil War era lockplates were used and these bore dates of either 1863 or 1864. The hinge strap assembly of the breechblock was attached to the barrel with two screws and solder. All Model 1866 rifles used Civil War bayonets which twisted onto the muzzle and locked behind the front sight which served as a bayonet lug. Trials of the Model 1866 showed it to be powerful, accurate and serviceable as an infantry arm.
On August 2, 1867 twenty-six U.S. Army soldiers and a few civilians outfought several hundred Lakota Sioux Indians near Fort Phil Kearny, Wyoming. It later became known as the "wagon box fight" for the wagons the soldiers had overturned for cover. The Sioux were unpleasantly surprised by the firepower of the new Model 1866 "trapdoors" which proved to be the decisive factor in the battle.
The Model 1868 rifle came next. About 50,000 were made. Measuring a shorter 51 7/8", it had two barrel bands instead of three, and used a separate receiver into which either a lined or newly-made 32 ½" barrel was screwed. The breechblock was marked with the year of manufacture (either 1868 or 1869) and an eagle head mark. A pivoting "knife blade" extractor was provided. A small quantity of 1868 carbines with 22" barrels was made for field trials. As on the two previous models, Civil War spike bayonets were used. A shorter cadet rifle was also manufactured. These cadet arms were marked "1869" with an eagle on the breechblock, and except for barrel and stock length, were identical to the 1868 design.
A slightly improved version of the Model 1868 was known as the Model 1870. The principal difference was a shorter receiver. About 11,000 were made with minor differences. Like the Models of 1866 and 1868, these chambered the .50/70 round. They carried a "Model 1870" stamping and an eagle head mark on the breechblock. Some carbines were also made. All Model 1868 and 1870 arms had barrels finished "armory bright" (unblued).
In 1872, a board of Army officers recommended that the caliber of the trapdoor arms be reduced further to .45. This was following studies of rifles of .40, .42, and .45 calibers. The new cartridge was designed to accommodate 70 grains of black powder, and for ever more became known as the .45/70 Government.
The model of 1873, the first to use that cartridge, became famous as being produced and used in the "Custer" era. The 32 5/8" barrel and the newly-made lockplate were blued, while the receiver and breechblock were case-hardened. Sub-variant models of 1877, 1879, 1884 and 1888 were manufactured, differing mainly in the rear sights. Stampings on the breechblock varied. The infantry model of 1888 used a ramrod bayonet rather than modified Civil War bayonets. It was our last black powder arm, and our last issue single-shot rifle. Carbine versions were made in all models. Over 400,000 rifles were made, and about 60,900 carbines. A few "officer's models" were specially made and engraved, and some "forager" shotguns used trapdoor actions. The rifle illustrated is a cavalry carbine with a 22" barrel, model of 1879, quite similar to the Models of 1873 used by Custer's troops at the Little Big Horn. According to the "B" stamp between the rear sight and the breech, it was overhauled and repaired at Springfield in 1884. It had evidently seen hard service with the U.S. cavalry.
The trapdoors were officially superseded by the model 1892 Krag-Jorgensen bolt action rifles, but manufacture did not cease until 1893. Trapdoors and Krags were manufactured at Springfield concurrently during that year. Although then considered obsolete, trapdoors continued to be used in the Army for quite a number of years, and were employed in large numbers during the Spanish-American War.
The trapdoors were powerful and effective weapons in their day. Many were sold as surplus for trifling sums after WWI. Today, any trapdoor Springfield is a collector's item, and prices in recent years have begun to rise dramatically. The models of 1865, 1866, 1868, 1870, 1873 and all carbines are considered particularly valuable. Custer-era carbines (1873-1876) are collector "holy grails."
Good condition .50/70 and .45/70 arms are still quite shootable with appropriate low-pressure loads. They are getting harder to find now, relics of a romantic period in our history when black powder arms still ruled and the West was being won. They're classics.
(c) 2013 JLM
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