They again received both foreign and domestic submissions from some of the most prominent firearms manufacturers of the day such as: Winchester, Remington, Springfield, Sharps, Spencer, Whitney and others. Terry, requested roughly 100 different breech-loading rifles from various makers to put through trials. The Board, now known as the “Terry Board,” headed by Brigadier General A.H.
This trial was designed to find a rifle more in line with their preference toward range and power than the Model 1870 being “test driven” by soldiers in the field. Then, on September 3, 1872, the Board of Army Officers held another trial. This went on for about five years from National Armory’s Model 1865 to its Model 1870. As reports came in from the field in subsequent years, the rifle would be adapted, redesigned and replaced in the field in small numbers. Armory at Springfield, later just “Springfield”) design, now referred to as the “First Allin.” However, this “adoption” was more of a test drive than a final acceptance. The Board adopted the National Armory’s (a.k.a.
To be specific, it wanted a breech-loading rifle that would chamber a self-primed, metallic cartridge.
Rare Early Springfield Armory Model 1873 Trapdoor Rifle with Rare Metcalfe Device Breech from above of the Officer’s Model 1875 Origins…What Role Did the Springfield Trapdoor Play in History?Īfter the Civil War, the War Department wanted a breech-loading rifle. Today we discover a bit more of this rifle, its origins, the question of its performance, and its role in history. Militarily, it represents the watershed transition for U.S. It also played a role in the wars against the Native Americans. The Springfield Trapdoor would kill buffalo by the thousands as America expanded westward. The rifle would take its place in history just after the Civil War-despite the justifiable hesitation of many military personnel who were all too aware of the superiority of repeaters and magazine fed rifles. Produced for over 20 years, the Springfield Trapdoor experienced many changes throughout its life. In terms of American military long arms, very little attention is given to a predecessor of the much-heralded M1903 and M1 Garand, the Springfield Trapdoor.