Springfield Model 1873
Springfield Armory (US Government) · Rifle · Discontinued · 1873
Also known as: Trapdoor Springfield, U.S. Model 1873 Rifle, Springfield Trapdoor, .45-70 Trapdoor
Overview
The Springfield Model 1873 is a single-shot, breech-loading service rifle and the first standard-issue breech-loader adopted by the United States Army. Chambered in the powerful .45-70 Government cartridge, it is named for its hinged 'trapdoor' breechblock, which flips up and forward like a trapdoor to load a single cartridge. Designed at the Springfield Armory by Erskine S. Allin, it served as the principal U.S. infantry and cavalry arm through the Indian Wars era.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4080 g (143.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1321 mm (52.01") |
| Barrel Length | 829 mm (32.64") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | None |
| Muzzle Velocity | 411 m/s (1348 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2215 J (1634 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2300 m (2515 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 559 mm (22.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 3 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .45-70 Government · primary — also known as .45-70, .45-70 Govt, .45-70-405, 11.6x53mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Hinged Trapdoor Breechblock, Single Shot, Adjustable Rear Sight, Ramrod Cleaning Rod, Socket Bayonet Lug
Variants
- Springfield Model 1873 Carbine — Cavalry Carbine
- Springfield Model 1884 — Improved Model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1873 · as U.S. Rifle, Model 1873
Conflicts
- American Indian Wars (1873-1890)
- Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876)
- Spanish-American War (1898)
Production
Estimated total produced: 567,882 · Production years: 1873-1884
Approximately 567,882 Model 1873 rifles and carbines produced; the broader trapdoor family across all model years exceeded 700,000 units.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Erskine S. Allin
Discontinued: 1893
Notes
Produced in infantry rifle (32.6-inch barrel) and cavalry carbine (22-inch barrel) configurations. Early copper-cased cartridges were prone to expanding and jamming in the chamber, contributing to extraction failures cited in accounts of the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Background
At the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, the trapdoor's soft copper cartridge cases could swell and tear when the gun overheated, jamming the breech and forcing troopers to pry spent cases out with knives. The same hinged-breechblock action had begun life as a thrifty Civil War conversion that turned obsolete muzzle-loading muskets into breech-loaders.