The last chapter of the Trapdoor rifles -serial number 561529 dated 1893.

[Jim K]

FWIW, I have 524856, cartouche date 1891.

As in most cases, the .30 Army (.30-40) cartridge was developed before the rifle was selected, so all the testing was done with modified TD rifles.

Incidentally, the officer who selected .30 for testing (and set the US Army standard for the next 80 years) was once asked why he picked that caliber. His reply was that it seemed like a nice round number. So much for ballistics, research, and so on.

Jim

[A. F Medic]

I was emailed about a TD that a fellow vet owns. I had placed images of it in a prior post. Its' serial number is 565430

[Tom in N.J.]

I have a Model 1884 Type 2 cadet rifle, 1893, #564257. One piece trigger guard with sling swivels. I believe the last of the last were made up for school use. Checking Waite / Ernst, I see the last 4320 rifles made were cadet rifles.

[Rafsob]

This is my addition to your post. She is serial number 503800:











As of right now, I shoot only black powder in her. She is very accurate for a gun that is over 110 years old. I picked this beauty up about 8 yrs ago for $500. The barrel has a nice patina to it. But when I removed the stock from the barrel, the underside of the barrel was a beautiful blue. I believe she was made in 1889.

[No4Mk1(T)]

Here is mine. Ser # 5631xx. She's well warn but has a very nice bore. Only thing wrong is it presently has a Carbine back sight ladder.

[5MadFarmers]

Sling stuff.

The two photos below show the AEA marking on the U.S. M1887 sling for the Trapdoor rifle.

” AEA.” (Army Executive Agent for Insensitive Munitions)

http://i530.photobucket.com/albums/d...ngDSC03598.jpg

David

Amusingly I know who A.E.A. is.

[jsl1944]

Just picked up a similar rifle with the "A" on top rear of barrel. It has an 1891 cartoushe. The "A" per Waite and Ernst or Frasca and Hill indicates arsenal rework.
I am curious about the trap in the butt plate. I would surmise that it is there to provide for the cleaning rod as there is a bayonet rather than a rod.
Am I correct in this?

[daveboy]

Well, since we are showing off...here are some photos of SN 556144.

daveboy
Attachment 23305Attachment 23304Attachment 23303Attachment 23302Attachment 23301Attachment 23300

[waltmilan]

I look at serial numbers and production figures and I can never figure out why they made so darn many Trapdoors and Krags. The Army had what, 25,000 men? Does anyone know?

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Condition wise and age wise -

WOW! Those are some beautiful late trapdoors. I only know a little about them and I didn't know they went to a rod bayonet later. That's really interesting. I guess the design carried onto the first 1903 Springfield with the rod bayonet before they decided to go back to a standard bayonet. I read that Teddy Roosevelt didn't like the rod bayonet idea for the 1903

Before my father passed away several years ago he gave me this older model trapdoor that his young business partner had given to him because he didn't want it.
(I didn't even know what it was when he gave it to me)

His partner's grandfather gave it to my dad's partner years earlier and he didn't like guns so he kept it out in his garage. When he got married his yuppie wife told him she didn't want a gun in the house so he gave it to my dad, and my dad gave it to me because he knew I collected old military guns. My dad had a large collection of hunting rifles and several handguns but he didn't have any interest in military rifles. He said after having to lug a heavy Garand around in Korea he had all he wanted of them.

It was covered in grime and surface rust, and the stock was so bone dry it was splitting open. I carefully cleaned it up and put probably the first oil on it that it had seen in 30 years or more, and also soaked the poor old stock with linseed oil. The open grain closed up fairly well after a while.

It was rode hard and put up wet (literally) After the hard life it had, I figure it was more a 'relic' condition but thought it looked nice enough to display as a wall hangar. At least it has a better home than piled with shovels and rakes in some garage.

It's dated 1878, SN 188218 -

I have a collection of WWI and WWII US firearms and it was interesting to discover an earlier firearm made by Springfield than my 1903's. I only know a little about trapdoors from what I've read on the internet. Does anyone know if there's a good basic book about trapdoors that tells the history etc? I'd like to learn a little more about them just for interest, but don't need an advanced book. Down the road I'd love to get a nice one, and maybe something I could shoot. I know there's a learning curve like everything else and I like to study up before doing anything.

Thanks,
~ Harlan