I came across this classified ad today on "Uncle Henry's" online (Maine).

i have an 1884 springfield 45-70 trap door rifle in firing condition, great shape for its age. It was actually used in the civil war been in my family for years, gre... Distance

Civil War 1884 Springfield classified

Must be one rare bird, an 1884 Springfield used in the 1861-1865 US Civil War. I presume the history-expert owner will change his ad soon, so I cut and pasted it for you folks.

Maybe it was used in the SPANISH Civil War ~ 1936???

it is possible he is telling the truth. I do not have the book in front of me, but the first several thousand civil war muskets were converted in four different calibers

1. .58 caliber rimfire
2. .58 caliber centerfire
3. three different Allin conversions in .50-70 caliber
4. .45-70 models of 1873 and later versions.

My trapdoor carbine was one, the proper serial number range to have been with Custer. Probably not, but possible, since we have no serial numbers of the rifles and carbines that were iddurf for the Native American celebration of the Centennial...

Rich

A rifle made in 1884 cannot have been used in the American Civil War which ended in 1865.

Even the .58 cal rimfire version, the 1865, did not see action in the War and was quickly replaced by the 1866. All or parts of Civil War rifled muskets were used to make the 1865 (.58 rimfire), 1866, 1868, and 1870 trapdoors (.50-70), but the 1873 (.45-70) and later were all new parts.

Jerry LIles

Jerry,

do you date the rifle by the serial number on the lock plate, the Springfield Armory date of conversion, or...? I have no idea where the cut-off date is on conversions. Perhaps you can shed some light on where the SA stopped converting those hundreds of thousands of muskets to Trapdoors, and began manufacture from scratch?

I have owned Trapdoors with lock plate dates from 1861 thru 1865 in both 50-70 and 45-70.

thanks,

Rich

I.S.,

The 1865 was a Rifled musket with a breech mechanism fitted to a musket barrel chambered for a .58 cal rimfire. It was otherwise almost all musket.

The 1866 is much the same with an improved breech mechanism fitted to an original musket barrel sleeved to .50 cal and chambered for the .50-70 with musket lock, stock and furniture.

The 1868, also .50-70, initially used sleeved barrels with a completely new receiver, new sights, and converted stock, musket lock and trigger assy. The rest of the furniture was new. Later rifles had new barrels. This was the first Springfield to receive a serial number which was stamped on both the left side of the receiver and the barrel.

The 1870 was like the '68 with a slightly different (shorter) receiver only it was not serial numbered. Later production had new made stocks

The 1873 introduced the .45-70. Everything was new made, lock, stock, and barrel, except the trigger guard and trigger and these were replaced with new parts as the old stock was used up. All rifles from 1873 on were serial numbered on the top rear of the receiver.

If you have a .45-70 with a Civil War dated lock it's a Frankentrap put together from parts by the Bannerman company. Locks were not serial numbered by Sprinfield.

Jerry Liles