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It might be worthwhile to follow up with the Springfield Armory site for more information based on the specifics above here. It is possible additional documentation of this specific rifle is in the custody of the National Park Service, though you indicate above that you have already contacted them. īeyond those ascertainable pieces of information related to the production process of your firearm, the history of your particular gun would likely be difficult to substantiate without the existence of records documenting the specific serviceman(men) who used it. In addition, given the serial number you provided, the National Park Service records of the Springfield Armory site narrow the production timing of your rifle to between January and June of 1875, based on the order of production available by serial number. Rather, it is likely your rifle is a Springfield Trap Door Rifle of the 1873 model vintage, with a particularly deep date stamp which makes the 3 appear to be an 8.Īs a knowledgeable source on the subject states of later-produced Trap Door models: “Even though the guns were different from their parents, they were still marked “Model 1873.” It might be noted that many Model 73s had very deep stampings, which made the “3” look like an “8,” leading some collectors to think there actually was a Model 1878 Trapdoor.” See link. Thank you for your question to History Hub! Based upon the information you provided above and the information available online, your rifle is not an 1878 model, as Springfield did not have a model of that year number.
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