Because there were huge stocks of martial front loaders in good condition all over the world, many countries decided to convert them to breechloaders. As “economy” was the watchword, superior designs were often ignored in order to utilize existing arms. The British converted their excellent .577 Enfield by fitting the Snider action while retaining the original lock, stock and .577 caliber barrel. Various European armies used other breechloading systems to update their muzzleloaders.
Springfield Armory, after testing several different actions, selected the “Trapdoor” Model 1866 chambered in .50-70 Government. This 3-band rifle was based on the .58 caliber Model 1863 Type II rifle musket’s lock, stock and barrel with a brazed in .50-caliber liner. This was our Army’s first standard-issue centerfire rifle. The Model 1866 (aka 2nd Allin Conversion) did not possess a separate receiver as the breech of the original barrel was simply milled out to receive a hinged “trapdoor” breechblock. The lack of a proper receiver resulted in a flawed extractor/ejector system that frequently got out of adjustment and required tuning or the replacement of fragile parts. The following Model 1868 Trapdoor featured a separate receiver that screwed onto the barrel and a reliable extractor/ejector design that was used in the later Model 1870 (.50-70) and Model 1873 (.45-70) Trapdoor rifles.
This story is from the Spring 2020 edition of The Black Powder Cartridge News.
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This story is from the Spring 2020 edition of The Black Powder Cartridge News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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