One more for you...1873 Trapdoor springfield.

[itgoesboom]

This one I have known about for awhile, although I haven't gotten to shoot it. Seems like everytime I go back to my home town, friends pull out their obscure firearms and such, and ask me about them.

This one I have a real intrest in, since it is a family piece, and it is near perfect condition.

So we are real intrested in when this rifle was made, and what the historical/collector value is, although the reality is, this one will never be sold.

Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor, serial number 1559XX.

On the stock their is also a small engraving "SWP 1881". Could be 1887, there is a dark spot that would make it a "7", but I think that is just wood grain, not the engraving.

Any and all help would be appreciated.

I.G.B.

 

[Jim Watson]

SWP 1881 means it was inspected by Samuel W. Porter in 1881.

I found some sites with discussions of trapdoors on google
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...9,GWYA:en&q=trapdoor+springfield+&btnG=Search

Trapdoorcollector.com has a lot of stuff, including a link to the Springfield Research Service where you can enter your serial number and see if there is a record of it (not a real high percentage.)

 

[Jim K]

1881 is correct as the year that rifle was made. The date in the inspector's "cartouche" is the year the rifle was accepted by the Army, which essentially means the year it was made.

Jim

 

[itgoesboom]

Thank you Jim and Jim.

I.G.B.