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Historic U.S. Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine Attributed to the Battle of Wounded Knee and E

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 25,000.00 USD
Historic U.S. Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine Attributed to the Battle of Wounded Knee and E
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Historic U.S. Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine Attributed to the Battle of Wounded Knee and Ellis Museum

This carbine is purportedly one of eight captured Indian arms held at Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, circa 1897 that were delivered to Professor J.W. Ellis. The eight firearms were captured from Indians at the Battle of Wounded Knee with each gun having a tag with the name of the Indian who had the gun at the time of possession. This carbine has a tag with the name "Sitting Eagle" followed by "No. 2" handwritten on one side. It has also been purported that the eight firearms delivered to the late Frank E. Ellis were authenticated by J.D. Sieberling, an assistant forearm at the Rock Island Arsenal. This information comes from a handwritten excerpt from the "Catalogue Frank E. Ellis Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology of Maquoketa, Iowa," which is included with the lot. In the 1990s this carbine was brought to the attention of the Rock Island Arsenal Museum curator. The curator was able to confirmed that there was an Ellis Museum in Maquoketa, Iowa, and the museum collection was later sold to Clark Garret of West Elkton, Ohio, and to Lawrence E. King of Monroe Center, Illinois, in 1966. Items from the collection were later sold at auctions held in Delaware, Ohio and Richmond, Indiana. The curator was unable to locate a copy of the Frank E. Ellis Museum catalogue nor was she able to locate auction catalogs. The curator was able to confirm the existence of a "F.D. Seiberling" (note that the name is not J.D. Sieberling as stated in the handwritten catalogue excerpt). According to the "Official Register of the United States," F.D. Seiberling was an assistant foreman of the storehouse and was employed at Rock Island Arsenal at the time the guns were purportedly captured at the Battle of Wounded Knee. Copies of the "Official Register" are included with the carbine. The curator did not find any reference in the Museum's historical records that would verify that guns were transferred to Professor Ellis nor reference to weapons captured from the Battle of Wounded Knee arriving at Rock Island Arsenal. One must draw their own conclusion based on the documentation! The high arch breechblock of the carbine is marked "MODEL/1873/[eagle]/[crossed arrows]/U.S." The lock plate is marked with the eagle and "U.S./SPRINGFIELD/1873" ahead of the hammer which functions with a three click tumbler. The carbine is equipped with a rear sight graduated to 1,200 yards and has an empty front sight slot. Blue finish with an oil quenched casehardened breechblock. Mounted with a one piece straight grip stock with a steel carbine buttplate marked "US" on the tang and a single barrel band marked "U" on the left side.

Manufucture: Springfield Armory U.S.
Model: 1873
BBL: 22 inch round
Stock: walnut
Guage: 45-70
Finish: blue/casehardened
Grips:
Serial Number: NSN

Fair. The carbine has a mottled brown-gray patina with some minor spotting. The saddle ring bar has been removed and the rear sight elevation bar is missing. The serial number has been removed. The stock is fair with a hairline crack and some wood missing near the lock plate and a hairline crack on the forearm along with a number of dings and scratches. All of the aforementioned details about condition seem harsh, but the reality is that add up to this historic Springfield Carbine being used by Indians and help to authenticate this specimen!