Heres a pic.

[Sawtoothtaxi]

Thanks for all the help on the earlier post. Here is a pic. of the NIB Jonathan Browning I was given. Sorry, had to show her off. Hope this goes through. I'm still figuring out the photobucket thing.

 

[Swampman]

Nice, I had one exactly like it, and a brass mounted .54.

 

Very nice looking rifle. Hang onto it. I had a chance to get one of those a number of years ago but passed up on it. I now regret it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

PS: Where'd you get the Caribou?

 

[Sawtoothtaxi]

Nada bou. elk

 

[Sawtoothtaxi]

Here are the other two she gave me. 1884 Springfield Trapdoor and an Ithica, Damascus barrelled 20 Ga. coach. They weren't NIB LOL

 

[Sawtoothtaxi]

OOps forgot the p

ic.

 

Looks an awful lot like an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor Carbine to me. I had one and sold it to pay for a Hawken rifle I had built for me.

 

[Sawtoothtaxi]

Looks like a carbine but it was cut to be that way. The stock and barrel have been shortened. I did some researching and was told that alot of them ended up that way because they fit in scabbards better.

 

That's really unfortunate being it will seriously effect it's collector value. Of course if you have no intention of selling it, then that's of no consequence. How did you come up with model designation of 1884? Was it stamped that year? The Springfield Trapdoor model was introduced in 1873 and I've never heard of another designation than that. By the way, that was the rifle that was issued to the 7th cavalry under the command of Lt. Col George A. Custer when they met their demise on 25 June 1876.

 

[quigleysharps]

Very nice...all. :thumbsup:

 

[Sawtoothtaxi]

Yup FlyBoy....Stamped on the trapdoor U.S. Model 1884

 

Very interesting Sawtoothtaxi, have you ever fired that Springfield?

 

[Cmabie]

Flyboy,
Springfield 45-70 carbines went through a few changes over the years. The first issue model 1873 had a high arch breach block with a retracting firing pin. The 1873 had an eagle's head with crossed arrows on the top of the breach block. I have one. The sencond model 1873 had a heavy breach block which remained stamdard until 1888. It was stamped 1873 on top of the breach block. Both carbines had an elevator sight without windage. The first model, with the high arched breach block had a stacking swivel on its barrrel band. All models had a saddle ring on the opposite side the lock plate. The next model was 1879. It had a buckhorn type elevator sight with a windage adjustment on it. The model 1884 was perhaps the best of the carbines. It had a Buffintgtom windgauge sight and a trap in the butt with a three piece cleaning rod and broken cartridge extractor. I shot my first deer with it when a teenager. (Why the Buffingtom sight was not used on the Springfield 1903 remains a mystery as the one that comes with that model's windage knob sometimes does not hold and the there is some horizontal movement bullets in the center of your target.) The last model had a cover over the knobs on the windgage sight that protected them. The cover was part of the barrel band. The last model was issued as late as 1910 to black troope in Arizona and New Mexico instead of Krag carbines. If you have a rifle with a blued breachblock instead of a casehardene one the rifle has been refurbished at Springfield arsenal. One will find all kinds of combinations of sights on these rifles as they were upgraded and repaired and reissued. When I was a boy my dad took me to Benecia Arsenal. One could buy a 45-70 rifle for $1.75 and and P17 enfields for $7.50. Should bought dozens of them, but it was the depression. I thought you might find this interesting. :thumbsup:

 

Rabbitears, I find what you said to be most interesting. I pride myself on my knowledge of US Marshal arms. I've always been of the thougt that the Springfield Trapdoor was of the 1873 designation. I had one that was made in 1875 but it was still an 1873.

From the single shot Trapdoor we went to Krag Jorgensen, and from there to the 03 Springfield and yes we used the British Enfield. According to Alvin York, the 03 Springfield was a better rifle. He liked the sights much better.

But back to the Springfield Trapdoor, I was unaware that there was ever another designation than model 1873. Thanks for the info!

 

[Cmabie]

Flyboy, The date the gun was inspected has the date stamped a in a cartiouche with the inspectors initials opposite the lock Thr date of the models were 1873,79,84, 88. I have a few in my collection. I have a model 1888 that is stamped 1893. They are very accurate rifles with cast bullets.

 

[Blivetmaker]

Really nice rifle. Judging from your "gun racks" it shoots accurately too!. Looks like Idaho's got some meat to put next to all them Po-Ta-Toes! :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[mikelange]

Flyboy, if you're interested in U.S. military weapons, acquire a copy of "Flayderman's Guide To Antique American Firearms And Their Values". You will find that there were a number of distinct year models of the trapdoor (actually dating back to the late 1860's, when they were chambered in the 50-70 cartridge). Lots of similar info on the other models of rifles, muskets, pistols, and so on. You can generally find this book at Barnes and Noble bookstores -- if not, go to[url] Amazon.com[/url]. The wealth of information is well worth the purchase price, and every chapter contains lists of recommended books that deal with the subject matter in that chapter.

 

Thanks for the info Mongrel. I have a pretty good collection of books concerning military firearms but I don't have a copy of the Flayderman's guide. I guess I'll just have to go down to Barnes and Noble and get one.

 

[faw3]

That one book may not cover it all but they sure tryed! A fine" Rockey Mountain Rifle"you have got .Fred :hatsoff: