Original U.S. Civil War Springfield M-1863 Rifle Converted to M-1868 Trapdoor Artillery Short Rifle in 1869 with Period Sling - Serial 23214

Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is a real peach! This rifle started out as a Civil War Springfield Rifle Musket, dated 1863, made by SPRINGFIELD ARMORY, as indicated on the lock plate. There is also the "Spread Eagle" and U.S. marking, indicating military production. This particular rifle looks to have been made as a Model 1863 Type II, as it has solid bands held in place by springs. Around 700,000 of all Model 1863 types were produced from 1863 until the end of the Civil War in 1865.

The U.S. Civil war had confirmed the adage of NEED is the Mother of INVENTION. Muzzle Loading Muskets and Rifles were extensively used but new developments continually resulted in a "fresh" breach loading system being adopted on a trial basis. The Union had as many as NINETEEN different systems issued during the war and the ALLIN system was a version that was considered a determination was made to standardize.

The Trapdoor system seemed to be the one that satisfied most authorities so more trials were held, and the trapdoor was adopted. The government then looked for for cost effective ways to modernize their rifles, and one way was to convert muzzle loading Rifle muskets to a breech loaders, as seen throughout the world.

Originally, the trapdoor Springfields were created to convert Model 1863 Springfield rifled muskets to breech-loading rifles at a relatively low cost. This conversion consisted of replacing the percussion lock with the breech-loading trapdoor mechanism, and relining the barrels to convert them from .58 to .50 caliber. This proved problematic, because in the field, the lining tended to separate from the barrel.

To correct this problem, the Model 1868 used a new barrel instead of relining the original older barrel. The new barrel was slightly shorter, 32.5 inches, compared to the 36.5-inch barrel used on the Model 1866. The shorter barrel was affixed using only two barrel bands, instead of the three used on the Model 1866. Since it lacked the middle barrel band, the sling was affixed to the upper barrel band instead. The Model 1868 also differed from previous models in that it used a separate Allin type receiver with the barrel attached to it. The Model 1868 was also the first trapdoor conversion to use the cartridge extractor covered by U.S. Patent No. 68,009, issued August 27, 1867 to W.H. & G.W. Miller. The Model 1868 had an overall length of 51 7⁄8 inches.

Over 50,000 Model 1868 rifles were manufactured 1868-1870, chambered for the .50-70 450 cartridge. This model is unique in the 'trapdoor' series by being marked with the actual year of manufacture (1868, 1869, or 1870) on the breech-block. This model served as the stepping stone towards the definitive Model 1873 "Trapdoor Springfield" series of rifles in .45-70 caliber, which was adopted in 1873 as the standard military longarm of the United States armed forces for the next 20 years.

In very good condition, this example is a bit interesting, as it was shortened to "artillery rifle" length, with about 4 3/4 inches removed from the muzzle end. This looks to have been an arsenal level modification, as it is very well done. We assume this was performed after the breech loading conversion. It also has a lovely Indian Wars period Trapdoor leather sling still installed with both keepers still intact. It is however in delicate condition, and we have made no attempts to remove it from the rifle, as it would probably damage the sling.

The lock on the gun is dated 1863 on the lock plate tail, with a Federal Eagle under the hammer next to U.S. / SPRINGFIELD, indicating production at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield, in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Breech Block is dated 1869 with an Eagle head / Crossed Arrows / U.S. cartouche underneath, and the receiver and barrel breech are marked with serial number 23214 on the left hand side. We checked the left side of the stock, and there are no cartouches we can see due to wear and resurfacing.

The bore is in very good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with crisp lands and grooves. There is some light overall staining, as well as some evidence of past fouling, now cleaned away, but no signs of major oxidation. The breech block opens and locks closed correctly, and the firing pin is present and mobile. The cartridge extractor is present, however the spring is missing, so it does not "snap" out when the block is opened. The ejector on the floor of the breech is present, though we have not tested its ability to eject spent brass.

The metalwork of the rifle shows a lovely aged brown patina, with some traces of the original bluing present on the hammer and receiver area. This definitely looks like a rifle that saw a good amount of time being carried in service, and was cleaned repeatedly. The rifle still has both sling swivels, and the cleaning rod is also still intact, though the threaded end was cut off to shorten it. The rear leaf sight is intact, however the leaf is a bit bent, and the slider is worn, so it does not stay in place when moved. The barrel bands are all U marked and the buttplate is U.S. marked.

The stock is in very good condition, with nice grain and a lovely red brown color to the walnut. It has a lovely color and oiled finish, and shows the expected dents, dings, and small gouges from service. There are some small wood filler repairs, and it definitely looks to have been arsenal reconditioned at some point, which removed all of the markings. There is the name R. SAXE carved into the left side of the stock.

A very good example of an M-1868 Converted artillery short rifle with lovely bore and original sling, fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1863 - Converted 1869
Caliber: .50-70 government
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 27 3/4 Inches
Overall Length: 46 7/8 Inches
Action type: Side Action Lock
Feed System: Trapdoor Breech Single Shot

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