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Winning Bid US $300 First bid $300 Quantity 1 # of bids 1 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2025-05-07 00:00:00 Ended 2025-11-21 22:35:25

Springfield Armory, Model: 1888 Trapdoor, Movie prop carbine, Cal: .45-70, MFG: 1874, S/N: 15297, Trapdoor single shot rifle, 22 1/8'' barrel.

HISTORY: This rifle started life as a 2nd year of MFG 1873 trapdoors. It was updated over the years & ended up as a 1888 Model with a one-piece trigger assembly, Buffington rear sight, a three click action, & a ramrod bayonet. It still retains the early hammer & 1873 lock plate. After military service it would enter film production with three different studios, Viatagraph studios, Selig Polyscope Company & Columbia pictures. With a stamp for each on the rifle. Cosigner states the rifle came from the Ellis Props & Graphics company from when they went out of business in 2001. Rifles that came from them hold markings from older studies they bought them from & sometimes carry a ''E'' stamp for the Ellis company. At some point in its movie career the barrel & stock were cut down to turn the rifle into a carbine. The Selig Polyscope Company was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. They are noted for establishing the first permanent movie studio in southern California. They would close in 1918. Vitagraph studios, AKA Vitagraph company of America, was founded by J. Stuart Blackton, & Albert E. Smith in Brooklyn New York, 1897. By 1907 it was the biggest American film production company & produced many famous silent films. They would be bought by Warner Bros. in 1925. Columbia Pictures would begin in 1918 with brothers Jack & Harry Cohn, & a business partner Joe Brandy. They would open the studio as Chon-Brandt-Cohn (CBC) Film Sales Corp., they would switch the name to Columbia in 1924. Columbia still operates today & is one of the largest studios in the world. The ''E'' stamp for the Ellis company is not present on the rifle.

CONDITION: The straight wrist walnut stock is good with numerus nicks, dings, dents, chips, & scratches from use/age. Stock was cut down into a carbine with the cleaning rod channel visible on the forend. the right cheek of the stock is marked ''SELIG'', ''10''. ''SELIG'' marking is worn & the ''G'' is partial faded. The left side of the wrist, just above the trigger guard tang, is stamped ''COL''. The left side of the wrist is marked with the acceptance cartouche. Markings are worn & barely visible, reads ''SWP'' over ''1890''. The metal on the barrel has toned to a mix of brown patina & gun metal gray, with spots of roughness & cleaned pitting. The receiver retains about 30% blue with spots of brown patina. Breech block is worn gray with spots of patina & roughness. The lock pate retains about 40% blue with spots of wear & scattered patina. The top of the breech block is marked ''US'', ''MODEL'', ''1873''. Rear of the receiver is marked with the S/N. The rear of the barrel is marked ''V'' over ''P'' over a eagles head, ''P'', ''R'', markings are slightly worn. The left side of the barrel, just under the rear sight ''V I T A'' is stamped. The lock plate is marked with an American great eagle, ''U.S.'', ''SPRINGFIELD'', ''1873''. Barrel band marked ''U''. The upper extension of the buttplate is marked ''US'', & the military unit markings ''CO. A'', ''10''. The bore is good. Its bright, with thinned rifling & roughness at the muzzle. The barrel holds a replaced squared post front sight, with the Buffington U-notch ladder rear sight. The ladder does not sit flat & hits the barrel band. The stock carries a blued steel buttplate, worn gray with patina. The rifle has no sling mounts. Antique, No FFL Req - Value: 600 to 1800

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Price

Springfield Armory, Model: 1888 Trapdoor, Movie prop carbine, Ca... Item # 4426 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $300

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