Original U.S. Springfield Trapdoor Model 1873/84 Updated Cadet Rifle with Standard Ram Rod Made in 1878 - Serial 96469

Original Item: Only One available. This is a lovely example of the rare Springfield Model 1873/84 trapdoor Cadet trapdoor rifle, the weapon used, in its carbine form, by the troopers of the 7th Cavalry that met their fate at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876.

The breech block is marked:

U.S.
MODEL
1873

In 1884 the integral Round Rod Bayonet was designed, which could double as a cleaning rod, a development that met with very limited success. However, it was not fitted to all rifles, and not usually seen until at least 1886. It was finally replaced in 1892 with the .30-40 caliber Krag bolt action magazine rifle. Model 1884 rifles saw service in the Spanish American War. The regular army was issued the new Krag rifles and the guard units received the trapdoor. There are a number of stereopticon pictures that show guard units armed with of 1884 rifles. During the lifetime of the Trapdoor it was common for rifles and carbines to be returned to Springfield and be updated to the newer specifications.

Offered in very good condition is this trapdoor cadet rifle in .45-70 government caliber, Serial #96469, which indicates production in approximately December 1878, per U.S. Government records. There is however also an SWP 1890 cartouche on the left side of the stock, which is forward of the normal location, from when the rifle was updated with the Buffington sight. It still does have the original smooth trigger, so that part was not updated, and it does not appear that the stock or metalwork was refinished when this happened. It still retains standard ramrod, and was not later made in the the "1888" pattern, even though it was produced around the time it was introduced. The rifle has the "improved" Buffington sight fitted, along with the correct lower barrel band. However, the stock is in the 1873 configuration, with the standard ramrod and two part trigger guard.

The 1884 Cadet Model Trapdoor Rifle is mostly identical to the Standard 1884 Infantry Rifle, from the butt plate up to the rear or lower barrel band. The obvious difference is the overall length of the barrel, and thus the rifle. The standard Infantry barrel length was about 31 1/2" whereas the barrel on a Cadet Rifle was just about 2 inches shorter coming in at about 29 1/2". These rifles also featured the "long wrist" of the early Model 1873 Trapdoor throughout their production run.

Not a great deal but this did reduce the weight and presumably allowed raw Cadets to get used to the substantial .45-70 Caliber. Between 1874 the first year of the Standard Model 1873 Models were constructed and 1886 when the Model of 1884 took over the ratio of Infantry Rifles manufactured was 20-1 TWENTY TO ONE. In fact in the 12 years 203,182 long Rifles to 9,188 Cadet Rifles.

Later Model 1884 Rifles and Cadet Rifles were still being made or converted from long to short until about 1900. The fact remains that the MODEL 1873 and 1884 Cadet Rifle is twenty times harder to find than the standard 1873 Infantry Rifle. This information all comes from a wonderful Book :- THE .45-70 SPRINGFIELD written by Albert Frasca and Robert Hill in 1980. 381 pages of invaluable information, published by Springfield Publishing of Northridge, California.

This trapdoor cadet rifle has overall very good metal finish and most metal proofs still present, showing a lovely patina on the metalwork from age and use. The barrel has matured to a lovely dark gray, while the receiver and breech block show more of a mottled color. The stock is lovely, showing the lovely red-brown color of aged and oiled walnut. We do not see any signs of an arsenal recondition on the stock, as it is still fully "proud" over the level of the lock plate. Probably the only thing done was the original cartouche was removed from inspection. There are no repairs or past major structural damage we can see any evidence of.

The bore is in very good condition, showing crisp lands and grooves with a mostly bright finish. There is just a bit of wear evident from use, showing that it was well cared for, and just a bit of past oxidation and fouling in areas. We would rate it an 8.5 out of 10. The breech block has an intact freely moving firing pin and opens correctly, locking in place when closed. The extractor still present and functional along with the ejector on the breech floor, though we have not tested it with real brass. The rear sight works well, with an easily adjustable range and windage, though they are just a bit stiff, and there is a bit of play in the windage. The original cleaning rod shows some wear, but is still complete with the cleaning jag on the end, and is the correct shorter version for the Cadet rifle, not cut down from a longer one. It is also an early "Enfield" style rod, probably from when it was originally made.

The both barrel bands are U marked, and the butt plate tang is marked with the correct U.S. stamp. Metal finish is lovely, and really looks great, giving the rifle a great honest used look. Center fire breechloader, .45 cal., two bands, two sling swivels with stacking swivel, Buffington sight, with standard ramrod. Lock is marked with a Federal Eagle to the left of U.S. / SPRINGFIELD, indicating that it was manufactured at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The elegant script SWP belongs to Samuel W. Porter, who was the Master Armorer and Chief Inspector of Springfield Armory from 15 September 1879 to 18 June 1894. The two faint stylized P in a circle proofs under the wrist of the stock indicates that the rifle passed all of its overpressure proof testing both times. Additional marks of interest include inspectors' and proof marks around the breech end of the barrel: a capital P over a V over another P over an Eagle's head over a third P on the left side just above the stock. This would indicate re-inspection of the barrel when the new stock was fit. The upper right corner of the Buffington sight is marked R to indicate that the sight graduations are for a rifle and not a carbine.

This is an excellent opportunity to pick up a very nice example of the cadet variant of a classic U.S. issue firearm. Ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1878
Caliber: .45-70 Government
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 48 3/4 Inches
Action type: Hinged Breechblock with side action lock.
Feed System: Single Shot

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.