Springfield Model 1879 Trapdoor Rifle
Springfield Armory (US Government) · Rifle · Discontinued · 1879
Also known as: Trapdoor Springfield, U.S. Model 1879 Rifle, Springfield Trapdoor Model 1879, 1879 Trapdoor, Model 1873 (1879 pattern)
Overview
The Springfield Model 1879 is a single-shot, breech-loading service rifle in the U.S. Army's 'trapdoor' Springfield family, chambered in the .45-70 Government cartridge. It refines the earlier Model 1873 with a thicker receiver and breechblock, an improved buckhorn rear sight offering the first Springfield windage adjustment, a swivel-cover buttplate over a three-hole butt receptacle for the jointed steel cleaning rod, and a revised three-notch safety-notch lock. Despite the changes, the arm continued to be stamped 'Model 1873' by the Ordnance Department. It armed U.S. infantry through the closing campaigns of the Indian Wars.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4080 g (143.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1321 mm (52.01") |
| Barrel Length | 828 mm (32.60") |
| Action Type | Trapdoor |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| 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, Buckhorn Rear Sight, Windage Adjustable Rear Sight, Three Piece Jointed Cleaning Rod, Socket Bayonet Lug, Spring Loaded Claw Extractor
Variants
- Springfield Model 1879 Trapdoor Carbine - Carbine
Base model
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1879 · as U.S. Rifle, Model 1873 (1879 pattern)
Conflicts
- American Indian Wars (1879-1890)
Production
Estimated total produced: 180,000 · Production years: 1879-1885
Approximately 180,000 trapdoor arms of the 1879 pattern (rifles and carbines) were produced at Springfield Armory before the Model 1884 Buffington-sight pattern superseded them; the broader trapdoor family across all model years exceeded 700,000 units.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Erskine S. Allin
Discontinued: 1885
Notes
Although widely called the 'Model 1879,' the government never officially renamed the arm and continued marking breechblocks '1873.' Deep '3' stampings later led some collectors to misread a nonexistent 'Model 1878.' The rifle retains the full-length ~32.6-inch barrel of the 1873 rifle; a matching carbine with a 22-inch barrel was made concurrently.
Background
By 1879 the single-shot trapdoor was already outdated beside European bolt-action repeaters, yet the U.S. Army chose to keep refining Erskine Allin's breech design rather than re-tool. The 1879 buckhorn sight gave American soldiers their first windage-adjustable rear sight, and the swivel-covered butt trap that held the jointed cleaning rod is the detail that cemented the enduring 'Trapdoor Springfield' nickname.