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U.S. Springfield Model 1866 .45-70 Trap Door Rifle

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:400.00 - 1,200.00 USD
U.S. Springfield Model 1866 .45-70 Trap Door Rifle
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You are bidding on a U.S. Springfield Model 1866 .45-70 Trap Door Rifle. The rifle features a 36" barrel, trap door action, external hammer, and blue'd finish. By the close of the Civil War, muzzle-loading arms were hopelessly outdated. Although the Army had adopted the both the Morse breech-loading conversion system and its center-fire cartridge prior to the Civil War, the outbreak of the War Between the States stopped development and production. With the return of peace, many inventors attempted to sell various patents to the government for the conversion of muskets to breech-loaders. Erskine Allin, Springfield Armory's Master Armorer, had begun developing a breech-loading conversion system for the U.S. Model 1861 Rifle-Musket as early as 1864. His modification involved cutting away the back of the barrel and installing a cam-locked breechblock. The first of these, termed the Model 1865, or First Allin, were issued early in 1866. Problems soon developed, and resulted in a complete redesign of both the rifle action and its ammunition. The Model 1865's complicated and weak extraction system was replaced by a system of springs, which proved to be far more rugged and reliable than Allin's original design. The new .50-70 center-fire cartridge, developed by Steven Vincent Benet of Frankford Arsenal, represented a vast improvement in metallic cartridge ammunition for U.S. military use and became the Army's first generally issued center-fire round. To facilitate use of the new .50 caliber ammunition, existing .58 caliber musket barrels were bored out and sleeved with a brazed-in steel or wrought iron liner and re-rifled. The new breech-loading musket was heavy, weighing over 10 pounds, but it was very accurate and much more reliable than Allin's earlier design. The issue of these Model 1866 "Second Allin" Springfields caused a minor scandal in Congress. In 1866, the Laidley Board had been convened to select a new breech-loading rifle for U.S. service. Over a dozen arms had been submitted, including the Remington rolling block and Sharps falling block designs. As it was still under development at the time when the Laidley Board convened, the Springfield Allin Conversion was not represented. The Board eventually recommended the Peabody, a forerunner of the British Martini-Henry, for adoption by the U.S. Army. When Springfield Armory began issuing a breech-loading arm that had not been presented to the Board, well-connected firearms inventors and their corporate sponsors stormed Washington. A second Board was convened, and after a long investigation, the Springfield-Allin Conversion was formally adopted for Army use. This is a original rifle that looks to have been reblue'd and the stock has been refinished. This rifle shows good condition for its age, showing wear and use. The bore has some minor pitting. This rifle was manufactured before 1897 and is a antique firearm. NO FFL transfer or NICS background check required