In addition to its impressive firepower, the M1873 was one of the first rifles to have a blued steel finish rather than the more reflective “National Armory Bright.” Not only was the cartridge an excellent anti-personnel round, it could also bring down a horse. The new round could deliver a 405 grain bullet at a muzzle velocity of 1,350 feet per second. The M1873 had a 32 5/8-inch barrel and fired a new. To load a round, a soldier had to open the latch and manually insert a single cartridge. The rifle got its nickname from its breech-loading mechanism, which resembled a trapdoor. Later designated the Springfield Model 1873 and nicknamed the “Springfield Trapdoor,” the rifle would serve the American military for the next twenty years. 99 as the standard infantry weapon of the U.S. In 1873, the Ordnance Department adopted the Springfield No. Eager to correct this flaw, the Ordnance Department began a series of trials to find a suitable replacement to the M1866. However, there were flaws in its design, most notably, the breech block tended to swing open when under pressure. On the frontier, the M1866 performed admirably during several engagements with Indian warriors, and it gained a reputation as a dependable firearm. 50 after a series of trials in 1866, resulting in the Model 1866. Allin modified his design by lowering the caliber from. 58 caliber bullet with sixty grains of powder. The M1865 used a copper-cased cartridge which propelled a. This resulted in the development of the Model 1865 Springfield, known as “Allin’s Alteration” and later the “Needle Gun” for its long firing pin.
Allin, the master armorer at the Springfield Armory in Massachusetts, was tasked with converting the Army’s muzzle-loading rifles into breech loaders. The origins of the M1873 Springfield date back to the waning days of the Civil War.
Today, it is a favorite weapon of gun collectors. The rifle also saw service in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. The Springfield Model 1873 was the Army’s standard issue rifle during the Indian Wars of the 1870s and 1880s.