Springfield Model 1870 Trapdoor Carbine
Springfield Armory (US Government) · Carbine · Discontinued · 1871
Also known as: Model 1870 Carbine, Springfield Trapdoor Carbine (1870), Allin Conversion Model 1870 Carbine
Overview
The Springfield Model 1870 Trapdoor Carbine is a single-shot, .50-70 Government breech-loading carbine built at the U.S. Springfield Armory using Erskine S. Allin's hinged trapdoor breechblock. A shortened cavalry version of the Model 1870 rifle, it fitted a 22-inch barrel, a saddle ring and bar, and a rear sight graduated for mounted use. Only a few hundred were produced in 1871, making it one of the rarest of the martial trapdoor carbines and a transitional design between the .50-70 conversions and the later .45-70 Model 1873.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3200 g (112.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1048 mm (41.26") |
| Barrel Length | 559 mm (22.01") |
| Action Type | Trapdoor |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 366 m/s (1201 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1953 J (1440 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 275 m (301 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 640 m (700 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 1067 mm (42.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 3 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .50-70 Government · primary — also known as .50-70 Musket, .50-70-450
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Hinged Trapdoor Breechblock, Single Shot, Saddle Ring And Bar, Adjustable Rear Sight, Brass Blade Front Sight
Production
Estimated total produced: 361 · Production years: 1871
About 341 carbines made April-June 1871 with possibly around 20 more October-December 1871; far scarcer than the roughly 11,000 Model 1870 rifles.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Erskine S. Allin
Discontinued: 1872
Notes
Produced in extremely limited numbers (roughly 341 to 361 carbines) between April and December 1871; stocks bear the single ESA cartouche and the carbines were not serial numbered.
Background
The Model 1870 carbine occupies an unusual footnote in U.S. martial arms: chambered in the aging .50-70 just as the Army was moving to standardize the .45-70, only a few hundred were ever built. Its rarity and the single ESA cartouche make surviving examples among the most sought-after trapdoors by collectors.