Home Login Signup Catalog My Account Browse Links Logout How to Consign   Rules

Currently US $368 First bid $350 Quantity 1 # of bids 2 Time left 14d 16h 2m 55s+ Started 2024-11-06 00:00:00 Ends 2024-12-05 17:00:00

Springfield Armory, Model: 1888 Trapdoor Springfield, Cal: .45-70 MFG: 1891, S/N: 508546, Trapdoor single-shot rifle, 32 1/2'' barrel.

CONDITION: The straight wrist black walnut stock is good as being lightly sanded & re-finished. The stock also has various nicks, dings, gouges, scratches & wear from use/age. There are a few cracks around the wrist & lock plate, two emanate from the upper tang one goes down the wrist to the comb & the other wraps around to the lock plate, there are two more cracks/ gouges in the wood between the lock plate & trigger guard. There is also a large chunk of wood missing on the right side, right Infront of the lock plate, the edge has been sanded & smoothed & finished over. The left side of the stock above the trigger is marked with the Inspector cartouche ''SWP 1890''. The bottom of the wrist is marked with a faint circle ''P'' firing proof. The heal of the stock is stamped with a Faint ''20''. The metal has mostly toned to a brown patina with consistent roughness & spots of gun metal gray. There are spots of tool ding marks down the barrel & some metal components. The lock plate has been blued & has spots of thinning & punch marks. The left side of the barrel is stamped with a ''V'' over ''P'' over a eagles head, ''P'', ''I''. The top of the breech block is stamped ''U.S.'', ''MODEL'', ''1884'', the marking is thinned & partially gone. The rear of the Receiver is marked with the S/N. The lock plate is marked with a American eagle, ''U.S.'', ''SPRINGFIELD''. Both barrel bands are marked ''U''. The bore is good. Its bright with consistent roughness & spots of light pitting. The barrel holds a blade front sight with a Buffington rear sight. The stock carried a steel trapdoor buttplate that's worn gray & has roughness, nothing inside the trapdoor. The stock carries both sling swivels with the stacking loop. Rifle has its Rod Bayonet/ cleaning rod. Antique No FFL Req.

HISTORY: The trapdoor Springfield was one of if not the best conversion of a muzzleloader to a breechloader ever adopted my a world power. The Conversion was invented by Erskine S. Allin, who was the master armorer at the Springfield Arsenal from 1848-1879. his originally conversion was the M1865. it used the original 58 Caliber barrels from the M1863 Muzzleloaders & just added a breech to load cartridges from the rear. In the next design in 1866 it would go to a .50 Cal rim fire round, still using the original barrels they just brazed in a barrel sleeve & bored it to .50 cal. The trapdoor mechanism was also simplified. There would be many more models & updates done through the years until the rifle was adopted formally by the military in 1873, at this time it would be chambered in the .45-70 cartridge that we know today. The 1888 model is the last one that would be produced, they were the same at the 1884 (even marked the same on the gun) but had the new rod bayonet. The military though combining the cleaning rod & the bayonet was a good idea by saving costs & the amount of stuff a solider had to carry. In field testing they bayonets were prone to breaking even with carful use. The military did not learn its lesson & this bayonet design would be seen on the later Krag rifles & the M1903 before they finally realized it was a terrible idea & stopped trying it. Antique No FFL Req. - Value: 700 to 1400

(Move around the image by clicking and dragging. Zoom with your scroll wheel)

Bidding

Springfield Armory, Model: 1888 Trapdoor Springfield, Cal: .45-7... Item # 4307 Current bid: US $368   Bid increment: US $19 Your minimum bid or spread bid: (Minimum bid: $387) (Do not include a dollar sign in your bid amount)   Your bid is a contract - Place a bid only if you're serious about buying the item. If you are the winning bidder, you will enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller.

How to Bid 1. Register to bid - if you haven't already. It's free! 2. Know the details - read the item description and payment & shipping terms closely. 3. If you have questions - please contact Ward's Auctions before you bid. 4. Place your bid!

Questions or comments? email us! Return to Home Page