Guns International #: 102586889
Seller's Inventory #: 2401-0159
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Guns International #: 102586889
Category - Pedersoli Rifles
- Taylors & Co Rifles
Taylors Pedersoli Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine .45-70 Single-Shot New in Box
Description: At the end of the Civil War the U.S. government had in inventory over 1 million Springfield muzzle loading rifles that were in good shape, but completely obsolete. Rather than scrap all these good rifles and spend a large amount of money to design and produce a new weapon, the Ordnance Dept. was ordered to convert these rifles to a breech-loading arm. But due to the large number of guns involved this took many years and several models of converted rifles were developed in that time span. The original Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine became famous for its use in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. In fact, the follow-on Model 1877 Trapdoor Carbine came about because of the battle. The changes were brought about by a flawed post-battle analysis. The Army came to the erroneous assumption that the battle was lost primarily due to the troops having trouble ejecting the hot cases of spent .45-70 rounds which were made of copper back then rather than brass. However, there were several reasons the battle was lost, only one of which has to do with the ammunition. The reasons included, 1) Custer left the 7th Cavalry’s Gatling guns behind despite the overwhelming firepower they could provide, 2) the 7th Cavalry was outnumbered 4-to-1, 3) some of the Native Americans were using the Winchester Model 1866 lever-action rifle which provided a higher rate of fire at a cost in firepower compared to the Trapdoor, and 4) much of the ammunition suffered from either poor quality control, and/or had been subjected to poor storage conditions. Though the Trapdoor Springfield was known to have cases stick to the walls of the chamber, its effect on the battle’s outcome is considered negligible given the other factors involved. The Model 1873 Trapdoor as well as its successor, the Model 1877, utilize a different rear sight than that found on the full size infantry rifles. Though both the rifle and carbine used the .45-70 round, each used a different powder charge effecting a different trajectory. While the rifle used the full 70 grains of black powder, the carbine used 55 grains to reduce the recoil of the shorter firearm for the cavalry who were having to shoot from horseback. Despite the difference in powder charge, the cavalry version is still referred to as the .45-70. The Models 1873 and 1877 were used until replaced by the newer Model 1884 and 1888 rifles/carbines. The saw service as late as the Spanish-American War in 1898. The rifle shown here is a faithful reproduction of the original Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine (minus the modern markings on the barrel) produced by Pedersoli, a well-known manufacturer of replica rifles. It was produced for Taylor’s & Co., a well-known distributor of replicas of firearms used in the Old West. The carbine is new in the box. It features a beautiful color case-hardened/bright blued finish. The butt plate is also color case-hardened. Please note that this rifle should be fired using the original 405 gr bullet rather than the later 500gr bullet which was designed for use in the later versions of the full-length infantry rifles. Price: $1,895.95 Rifle Caliber: .45-70 Government Manufacturer: Taylor's & Co. Model: M1873 Trapdoor Carbine Serial Number: TD05388 Barrel Length: 22.0 inches (559 mm) Bore Info: Rifled, 6 grooves, 1:18 inches (1 in 457 mm) RH twist Ejectors: Manual ejection via opening of breech block Condition: New in Box Barrels: Carbon Steel Barrel Type: Round contour Action: Single-shot, breech-loading rifle, hinged breechblock. Triggers: Single Stock: Walnut Fore End: Walnut Butt Pad: Metal plate LOP: 13.0 inches (330 mm) Finish: Blued, Color case hardened Weight: 7.27 lbs. Sights: Adjustable ladder rear sight, blade front sight, sight radius 16.75 inches (425.45 mm) with ladder sight flipped up; 14.875 inches (377.825 mm) with ladder sight down. Case: Taylor's box (Pedersoli) Contact Seller |
Guns International #: 102586889
Seller's Inventory #: 2401-0159
Guns International #: 102586889
Seller's Inventory #: 2401-0159