Springfield Model 1881 Forager
Springfield Armory (US Government) · Shotgun · Out Of Production · 1881
Also known as: Model 1881 Trapdoor Forager, Springfield Forager Shotgun, M1881 Forager
Overview
The Springfield Model 1881 Forager is a single-shot break-open trapdoor shotgun chambered in 20 gauge, built at the U.S. Springfield Armory from Model 1873 trapdoor actions. Issued to infantry companies stationed west of the Mississippi so soldiers could hunt small game to supplement rations, it used a smoothbore barrel reamed out from a condemned .58 caliber Civil War percussion barrel and a refurbished musket stock. Only about 1,376 were produced, making it one of the rarest of all U.S. martial trapdoor arms.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3630 g (128.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1120 mm (44.09") |
| Barrel Length | 660 mm (25.98") |
| Action Type | Trapdoor |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 380 m/s (1247 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1734 J (1279 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 35 m (38 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 20 Gauge · primary — also known as 20GA, 20 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single-Shot Breech-Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half-Cock Hammer Notch
- Features: Hinged Trapdoor Breechblock, Smoothbore Barrel Reamed From A Condemned .58 Caliber Percussion Barrel To .635 In (20 Gauge), One-Piece Refurbished Civil War Musket Stock With Filled Ramrod Channel, Notched Breechblock Rear Sight, Brass Post And Bead Front Sight, Carbine-Pattern Grooved Trigger And Trigger Guard
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,376 · Production years: 1881-1885
Serial numbers ran from 1 to 1376; batch produced in 1881, 1882, 1883 and 1885.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Springfield Armory
Discontinued: 1885
Notes
Built almost entirely from existing Model 1873 parts and condemned components; the design added only three new parts (a shotgun extractor, a front sight bead, and a barrel screw lug). Two were issued per infantry company; the type remained in issue to government hunters and scouts as late as 1906, including in the Alaska Territory.
Background
Nicknamed the 'Forager', this trapdoor shotgun let frontier soldiers put fresh game on the mess table. Cobbled together from Civil War musket stocks and worn-out .58 caliber barrels, it soldiered on with Army scouts and government hunters into the early 1900s, ending its service life in the Alaskan Territory.