Jan 25, 2011 - There were 60,912 carbines made from 1873 to 1893. Those with serial numbers below 43,700 are known as “Custer Guns,” as there is a possibility they saw action at the. Gun: Springfield Model 1879 Trapdoor Carbine. Springfield Model 1873 1879 Trapdoor. As well as its serial number. 1903 bolt-action rifle, which was built at Springfield Armory and Rock Island.

• 1873 Springfield Carbine Serial Numbers

I was steered in your direction in order to find out some details and
possible potential value of an 1873 Springfield, Trapdoor rifle. I'm unsure
of the markings and what they represent, other than the serial number, which
appears to date the firearm as either end of 1873 or early 1874 production.
The gun is 52' over all length, with a serial number of 22867, which is the
only marking on the receiver that I've found without disassembling the
rifle.

Markings on the forearm are
G
2
42

Below that, in front of the trigger guard are
K
42

Below that, behind the trigger assembly are
C L
P (P is in script lettering and is in a circle)

Any help or direction that you could offer would be greatly appreciated in
finding information about the firearm. Thank you in advance. Please reply to
<email>

hello,,being a trapdoor it should be dated on the top of the receiver just in front of the bolt when open,,that would tell us the year ,,i've seen alot of these that are very hard to see from age ,,as for values on them ,,i know i'll have someone say i'm wrong but from what i've seen at shows and auctions recently there bringing between 650-1000,,for decent examples ,,i was at an auction about a week ago and a conversion musket /trapdoor parade nickle plated example in g-vg condition sold for 900 and it was a nice example ,,we had one in our shop about 6-8 mo's agao and couldn't get a bid on gunbrokers starting it at 650,,the recent shows i've been to i've seen alot of them priced at around 850 and there just not selling at those numbers and these were not junk they were quite nice for trapdoors ,,i've owned rifles and carbines and the carbines seem to sell faster than the rifles but it seems ther just slow movers and people just are not buying for the prices they did a couple years ago,,this is just my opinion and what i'm seeing them for and yours could be worth more to the right collector or at a good auction where other trapdoors are present,,
bigcurt

Thank you for the info and your opinion.
I do not see any other markings. Are you saying that there should be a 4 digit year stamp in the receiver that cannot be seen when the 'trapdoor' is closed?

Can you or anyone else tell me, or steer me to a resource that can distinguish what the markings on the stock represent? I know from other guns that I own, that these markings or impressions are indicitive of where and who made the gun.

hello,,try this site they have alot of inspector proofs and markings http://armscollectors.com/sn/usmilookup.php?file=us_m1911gvt.dat
bigcurt

The first 50,000 model 1873 trapdoors had the 'narrow' breechblock and were supposed to be condemned. Many many were missed.

The markings on the butt are unit numbers. There is no known list and no way to make one as the 'national guard' didn't have unique designations.

G,2,42 could be company G, 2nd Indiana Infantry, trooper #42 but it could also be the 2nd Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, etc. Could be 2nd US Infantry. Could be anything.

The breech itself should have a marking on it. Your trapdoor is the early narrow breech/square joint edition and the later ones have breechblocks which won't fit an earlier action.

The part that opens up to insert a cartridge is marked. At least should be.

One picture would tell me much about the rifle. I could then tell you.

We also have a 1873 spring feld 45 70 trap door.
the nuber is 353010
We are trying to find info about selling it and the prices value
Plez contect us
<email>

1873 Springfield Carbine Serial Numbers

your trapdoor was made in 1887.

value, as with anything. has to do with overall condition.

does the metal have a lot of original blue, little blue, no bluing left ??? Nandini serial telugu. Is the wood good, fair, poor ????
Is the bore clean, dark, pitted ???
Is it rusted anywhere, pitted ????

Trapdoors, depending on condition, can go anywhere from
$500 to $1500.

I realize this is an OLD thread, but it contains some pretty basic mis-information:

(1) The width change on the trapdoor action took place somewhere between 96,271 and 96,309 - NOT at 50,000, as reading the post would imply. All TDs below 50,000 were recalled by official order, but, as Joe said, more than a few were missed.

(2) The later blocks WILL, in the vast majority of cases, fit earlier receivers, but the profile below the hinge pin will not 'match', and the block will overhang the receiver by about 1/32' each side. This is NOT a mod that SA would have made, however!

I have a trapdoor also, I've found this site very informative: http://www.trapdoorcollector.com/

That is an excellent site - a lot of accumulated knowledge there, and, a very good source of pricing info. Al takes good pictures, gives excellent descriptions, and you can see what rifles, in various conditions, will actually sell for.

Identifying and verifying the authenticity of an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle or carbine is important in recognizing one of these weapons as a true collector's piece. The Springfield Trapdoor rifles and carbines were a series of breech loading rifle and carbine weapons built from 1865 to about 1888, beginning with the Model 1865 and then with other models being introduced every few years. The Model 1873 is the most popular with collectors. Using some simple information and tools, you can recognize an actual 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle or carbine and determine the value of it.

1. Find the listings for the value of the weapon you are examining in the black powder gun collector's value guide. These will tell you what the value of the gun is based upon the condition you find the gun in. The values can range from about $800 for a rough but decent condition rifle to over $4,000 for a weapon in factory-new condition.

2. Look at the barrel of the weapon and make sure that it is silver in color, indicating that it is made of steel and not iron. If the metal of the barrel is black, then the barrel is made of iron and you are looking at an earlier model Springfield Trapdoor weapon, perhaps the Model 1865.

3. Use the gun caliber gauge to measure the inside diameter of the weapon's barrel and look to see if it is indicating caliber .45. If so, this is the correct caliber of the 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle and carbine and later models of the Springfield Trapdoor. Earlier models were caliber .50 and caliber .58. Then examine the weapon's rifling to check that it is made up of three concentric plain grooves with the width equal to the lands or flat spaces between the grooves in the weapon's barrel. If it is different than this, you are looking at an earlier version of the Springfield Trapdoor. The grooves when measured for depth by the gun caliber gauge should be .005-inches deep and have a consistent twist of one turn in 22 inches throughout the weapon's length.

4. Examine the lock plate and make sure that it has no bevel on the edge. Also, the lock plate of the weapon should be marked with the following text in this order when read from top to bottom, 'U.S. Springfield 1873.' If the lock plate is marked with this text, then this is a lock plate for an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle or carbine.

5. Look at the stock around the lock plate. This should be rounded off where the lock plate meets the stock. If not, then you have an earlier model Springfield Trapdoor.

6. Examine the entire barrel of the rifle or carbine and make sure that there are no reproducer's markings anywhere on the barrel because there are reproductions of this weapon. Also, look to make sure that there are not areas on the barrel that indicate that these markings may have been ground off with a grinder. This will ensure that the weapon you have is an actual 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle or carbine and not a reproduction.

7. Look at the gun's most forward band that is securing the barrel to the stock. There will be an open or stacking swivel here that was used for stacking the rifles and carbines when bayonets were not attached. If the weapon is missing this part, you may have either an earlier model Springfield Trapdoor or you may have a reproduction. This is the final observation to consider when identifying and verifying the authenticity of an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle or carbine.

Items you will need

• 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifle or carbine
• Black powder gun collector's value guide
• Gun caliber gauge

About the Author

Robert Dyer has worked as a freelance writer since 1998. He has had articles published in 'Mississippi Gulf Coast Historical Quarterly. Dyer has a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of South Alabama.

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