Both single shot and magazine equipped systems were considered but, at the time, the single shot was deemed to be more reliable. The trials included tests for accuracy, dependability, rate-of-fire, and ability to withstand adverse conditions.
#1873 SPRINGFIELD TRAPDOOR BOOKS TRIAL#
Terry, conducted an examination and trial of 99 rifles from several domestic and foreign manufacturers including those from Springfield, Sharps, Peabody, Whitney, Spencer, Remington, and Winchester pursuant to the selection of a breech-loading system for rifles and carbines for the U.S. In 1872–1873 a military board, headed by Brigadier-General Alfred H. It was superseded by an improved model, the Springfield Model 1884, also in. The infantry rifle model featured a 32 5⁄ 8-inch (829 mm) barrel, while the cavalry carbine used a 22-inch (560 mm) barrel. The Model 1873 was the fifth variation of the Allin trapdoor design, and was named for its hinged breechblock, which opened like a trapdoor.
The gun, in both full-length and carbine versions, was widely used in subsequent battles against Native Americans. The Springfield Model 1873 was the first standard-issue breech-loading rifle adopted by the United States Army (although the Springfield Model 1866 had seen limited issue to troops along the Bozeman Trail in 1867). User dependent usually 8 to 10 rounds per minute He regularly writes about military small arms, and is the author of several books on military headgear including A Gallery of Military Headdress, which is available on -loading rifle Springfield Model 1873Ĭavalry carbine with 22 in (560 mm) barrel, military has to learn its lessons the hard way.Ī Forbes Magazine Contributing Writer, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based journalist who has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers and websites. military also did that again century later when it adopted the M14 while the Soviet Union had the AK-47. It would seem odd to consider that military planners would accept an inferior design while weapons technology was advancing so quickly. Instead of trying to replace the Trapdoor, it was refined and improved – and only in the 1890s was the Springfield Trapdoor finally replaced by Springfield Model 1892–99 Krag–Jørgensen.
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military adopted a single shot rifle – in part to help maintain fire discipline – when successful repeating rifles were already widely used by adversaries. However, another factor for Custer’s defeat was that the Lakota warriors were also armed with superior Henry, Spencer, and Winchester repeating rifles. The cartridges were redesigned with brass cases, which didn’t expand as much as copper and that greatly improved the effectiveness of the weapon. Following an investigation into the defeat and annihilation of Lieutenant-Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s battalion at the Battle of Little Bighorn in June 1876, it was suggested that many of the troopers’ Model 1873 carbines may have jammed.
Cavalry, which was issued without the cleaning rod. Otherwise, they were left with a second-rate club.Įven worse was that the carbine version carried by the U.S. Soldiers needed to manually extract the spent cartridge with a knife blade or other tool such as a cleaning rod. Soldiers quickly found that the copper could expand excessively in the breech, while the copper could also leave a residue that would further result in it being jammed in the breech. The rifle was originally issued with a copper cartridge case. It proved to be an accurate rifle, but its recoil was so high that soldiers jokingly said it could take down two men with each shot – the man it hit and the man who actually fired it!Īs with the M16 a century later, ammunition was the weapon’s Achilles Heel. To load a round, the operator had to open the latch and manually insert a single cartridge.
The design was improved and finally adopted as the Model 1873, and soon nicknamed the “Springfield Trapdoor” due to its breech-loading mechanism.
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