Lock is marked with an eagle and US SPRINGFIELD, manufactured by Springfield Armory, Springfield Massachusetts. 45-70 government caliber, with two bands, two sling swivels with stacking swivel, an adjustable Buffington Sight, and standard ramrod. The Springfield Trapdoor is a Center fire breechloader in. Metal finish shows some traces of past pitting, but is overall solid. The serial number indicates production in 1874, the second year of production, and the stock is in good original condition. The breech on this example block is marked as expected: U.S.īelow this is marked Serial # 22422 with legible clear ESA cartouche, overall good metal finish with all stock proofs still present. This is at least partly ORIGINAL and can fill the hole in many a Springfield Trapdoor Collection. The aged London Gunsmith did an outstanding job, which of course took more than a year to complete. Exceptionally rare since most of the original devices were Officially destroyed. The serial number of the example in the Springfield Armory Museum is 31830. One only using the original Springfield Trapdoor rifle with its cut out Metcalfe stock, serial number 22425. Having done the research we decided to restore the device by one of London's top Gun Makers, using the Reference Book as a guide, recreate the components. There is a COMPLETE original example in the Springfield Armory Museum (See page 56). Having manufactured some hundreds before the idea was shelved we learned that in 1956 a case of 506 Metcalfe device cartridge blocks that had been smashed were discovered in Francis Bannerman's New York City warehouse. Reading the text from the above book tells us that this rare device was not at all what it was hoped to be, and frankly was unpopular. Over four years the idea was developed using standard 1873 model rifles. 45-70 cartridges that could be quickly accessed for this single shot rifle. The devise was a detachable wood block mounted on the right side of the rifle to hold 10. Hill, we found the complete information on LIEUTENANT, later CAPTAIN METCALFE'S CARTRIDGE BLOCK DEVISE. Aside from being a very early production example, in front of the lock there was an old lengthy slot cut out of the stock on the right side of the fore stock of the rifle. One of these rifles however was a bit different. Some four or five years ago IMA purchased a series of Trapdoor Springfield rifles from a well known Internet Auction house. This consists of the inletted stock, attaching clamp, and Cartridge block. Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a fantastic find and great opportunity to own a rifle with a very interesting history: A Springfield 1873 Trapdoor Rifle fitted with a restored Metcalfe Loading device.

1873 springfield rifle serial numbers