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RARE SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1875 TYPE III OFFICER'S MODEL TRAPDOOR RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:17,500.00 USD Estimated At:35,000.00 - 45,000.00 USD
RARE SPRINGFIELD MODEL 1875 TYPE III OFFICER'S MODEL TRAPDOOR RIFLE.
Cal. 45-70. Beautiful Officer's Model Springfield, Type III with 26" bbl, gold washed Beach combination front sight and ski jump 1200 yard ladder rear sight marked with an "R" on left side. Bottom of bbl has a sgl blued steel guide and locator post containing its orig brass tipped hickory cleaning rod. Bbl has the usual "V,P" and eagle proofs along with additional "R" and "P" proofs. Breech block has the "US / MODEL / 1873" markings and lockplate has standard eagle and "US / SPRINGFIELD" markings. Mounted in a straight grain half stock with extensively checkered forestock & straight grip with orig 1873 style buttplate without trap and has a sgl bbl band. Forend tip is inlaid with a beautiful silver plated pewter cap with foliate patterns on the bottom. Top of the wrist is inlaid with the standard tang sight inletted directly into the wood. Left side of wrist has a crisp "SWP / 1885" cartouche. Trigger guard is 2-pc with a sgl set trigger and bottom of wrist has its orig separate checkered walnut finger rest. Lockplate, hammer, breech block, top tang, top front of receiver, bbl band, trigger bow, buttplate tang & forend cap are all nicely engraved in standard patterns. According to The .45-70 Springfield Book II 1865-1893, Frasca, there were 477 of these rifles produced in the period 1875-1885. One hundred and one of those rifles were issued to various military officers and important civilians with about another 300 of them purchased by military officers. It is further believed that another 25 of these rifles were shipped to San Antonio Arsenal for issue to military officers, which leaves about 50 unaccounted for and it is believed were possibly sold to private companies in 1893. A chart on p. 191 of the referenced publication shows that there were 100 of the Type III rifles produced only in the 4th quarter, April to June, 1885. That apparently was the last production of the Officer's Model rifle although records show that they were still being sold in 1900. This rifle is one of the finest extant. CONDITION: Extraordinarily fine, appears to be new & unfired retaining virtually all of its orig arsenal finish to both metal & wood with strong bright blue, brilliant case colors and bright varnished stock; cleaning rod is equally new. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. 4-47526 JR185