Original Item: Only One Available. Now this is a real peach! This rifle started out as a Civil War Springfield Rifle Musket, dated 1863, made by SPRINGFIELD ARMORY, as indicated on the lock plate. There is also the "Spread Eagle" and U.S. marking, indicating military production. This particular rifle looks to have been made during the change over from the Model 1863 Type I to Type II, as while it has the 1863 date, it has screw retained bands held in place by springs. Definitely an interesting example! Around 700,000 of all Model 1863 types were produced from 1863 until the end of the Civil War in 186

The U.S. Civil war had confirmed the adage of NEED is the Mother of INVENTION. Muzzle Loading Muskets and Rifles were extensively used but new developments continually resulted in a "fresh" breach loading system being adopted on a trial basis. The Union had as many as NINETEEN different systems issued during the war and the ALLIN system was a version that was considered a determination was made to standardize.

The Trapdoor system seemed to be the one that satisfied most authorities so more trials were held, and the trapdoor was adopted. The government then looked for for cost effective ways to modernize their rifles, and one way was to convert muzzle loading Rifle muskets to a breech loaders, as seen throughout the world.

Originally, the trapdoor Springfields were created to convert Model 1863 Springfield rifled muskets to breech-loading rifles at a relatively low cost. This conversion consisted of replacing the percussion lock with the breech-loading trapdoor mechanism, and relining the barrels to convert them from .58 to .50 caliber. This proved problematic, because in the field, the lining tended to separate from the barrel.

To correct this problem, the Model 1868 used a new barrel instead of relining the original older barrel. The new barrel was slightly shorter, 32.5 inches, compared to the 36.5-inch barrel used on the Model 1866. The shorter barrel was affixed using only two barrel bands, instead of the three used on the Model 1866. Since it lacked the middle barrel band, the sling was affixed to the upper barrel band instead. The Model 1868 also differed from previous models in that it used a separate Allin type receiver with the barrel attached to it. The Model 1868 was also the first trapdoor conversion to use the cartridge extractor covered by U.S. Patent No. 68,009, issued August 27, 1867 to W.H. & G.W. Miller. The Model 1868 had an overall length of 51 7⁄8 inches.

Over 50,000 Model 1868 rifles were manufactured 1868-1870, chambered for the .50-70 450 cartridge. This model is unique in the 'trapdoor' series by being marked with the actual year of manufacture (1868, 1869, or 1870) on the breech-block. This model served as the stepping stone towards the definitive Model 1873 "Trapdoor Springfield" series of rifles in .45-70 caliber, which was adopted in 1873 as the standard military longarm of the United States armed forces for the next 20 years.

In very good condition, the lock is marked 1863 with an EAGLE next to U.S. / SPRINGFIELD, indicating production at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield, in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Breech Block is marked 1870 with an Eagle head / Crossed Arrows / U.S. cartouche underneath, and the receiver and barrel breech are marked with serial number 32161 on the left hand side. There is also a clear "boxed" TWR cartouche, for Thomas W. Russell, an inspector at Springfield Armory, though this may be from when it was originally made, not when it was converted.

The bore is in excellent condition, among the best we have seen on a Model 1868, showing crisp lands and grooves with an almost mirror bright finish. The original machine cutting marks are still visible in the rifling grooves as well, and there is no fouling or oxidation to speak of. The cartridge extractor / ejector is present and functional, though we have not tested its ability to eject spent brass.

The metalwork of the rifle is polished bright steel, with signs of past peppering and oxidation in places, particularly around the lock, trigger guard, and butt plate. These all show signs of past rust scaling, now removed. The barrel and receiver fared better, but still definitely show that they had some peppering, now removed. The rifle still has both sling swivels, and the correct original cleaning rod with a single shoulder, though it does show surface oxidation. The rear sight is fully intact and functional, something that we do not see very often.

The stock is in very good condition, with nice grain and a lovely brown color to the walnut. It has a lovely color and oiled finish, and shows the expected dents, dings, and small gouges from long service. There is some chipping and cracking along the edges of the ramrod channel, usually acquired when the rifle fore stock is rested on something when aimed and fired. It does not look to have seen any major cleaning or restoration work like the metalwork did.

A very good example of the M-1868 Converted rifle with a fantastic bore, fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1863 - Converted 1870
Caliber: .50-70 government
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 32 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 52 Inches
Action type: Side Action Lock
Feed System: Trapdoor Breech Single Shot

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