This full length U. S. Model 1873 Springfield rifle trapdoor rifle has a mostly bright bore. Stocked in walnut the rifle has been sanded long ago and the cartouche and stock proof mark is very faint. The wood has some scattered handling marks from well over 100 years of handling and use by previous owners. The stock does have a hairline crack extending back from the tail of the panel all the way to the comb of the buttplate and back toward the breech on the opposite side. The blued barrel and most furniture have aged anywhere to a brown or silvery gray patina. Trigger reach is 13-1/2' and this rifle weighs 8.9 pounds.

Chambered for the popular .45-70 Government cartridge the bore on this rifle is very bright with one small frosted area just behind the muzzle. It should make a very good shooter, once the crack on the wrist is stabilized. The Director of Civilian Marksmanship offered Trapdoor rifles to NRA members at low cost, and such famous mail order merchants as Sears and Roebuck listed such guns in their early catalogs. This nice rifle has not been sporterized, as many of the rifles sold to the public were.

The military style buttplate is wide and lightly curved, made to absorb the recoil of the .45-70 Government cartridge. The heel of the buttplate must have been in contact with a damp surface for a considerable amount of time and has a pitted texture on the heel. The thumbnail comb extension of the buttplate, clearly marked U.S..

Moving up the stock, the short tang can be seen, its color case hardening has faded to a brown. The serial number of the rifle, 340XXX, can be seen at the forward most portion of the breech. The trapdoor itself is also marked U.S. / MODEL / 1873 in three lines. Ahead of the breech and trapdoor, the barrel measures 32" out to the muzzle. The barrel is fitted with M1879 buckhorn rear sight, the patina on the barrel is lighter around the sight and it may have had a different sight mounted at some time. The serial number would indicate that it should have a Buffington sight, but the rear barrel band does not have the notch for the Buffington sight. The front sight is the traditional military blade sight. The markings on the barrel are quite visible, the classic V over P over the upraised eagle's head with an additional inspection mark just ahead of the action on the barrel.

From below the rounded toe of the rifle can be seen leading forward to the triggerguard. The triggerguard has a sling swivel on the forward bow that is matched by a front swivel on the front barrel band. Two blued barrel bands hold the barrel to the stock while also supporting the ramrod below. Each of the bands is properly marked with a U, the open end of which faces toward the muzzle. Below the barrel the proper cleaning rod is held securely in position, its open channel is in excellent condition.

The lock works crisply with a three notch tumbler, and the trigger release is positive and smooth. The lock plate is marked with an eagle next to U.S. / Springfield / 1873 in three lines. The tumbler screw is a replacement.

For additional information on the trapdoor rifles, see the book The .45-70 Springfield by Joe Poyer and Craig Riesch. This antique black powder cartridge rifle should make a good shooter. We would highly recommend stabilizing the crack in the stock before shooting. The bore is mostly bright with a few small scattered speckles. We have had good success with Trapdoor rifles that have bores in far worse shape than this rifle. Order it today, as a bona fide antique it can be shipped directly to you with no FFL paperwork.