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MODEL 1877 .45/70 SPRINGFIELD
TRAPDOOR CARBINE – VERY NICE SCARCE EARLY SPECIMEN – ca.
1877 –
SN
35728 –
CONFIGURED AS MADE IN THE
FIRST YEAR OF PRODUCTION:
This Model 1877 Springfield Trapdoor Carbine, Serial
Number 35728, presents a fairly scarce example of the
Model 1877 Carbines assembled during the first year of
production.
I discussed this particular carbine with Al Frasca when
I acquired it. He described the situation at
Springfield Armory in 1877 where due to the nationwide
depression, no funds had been appropriated for the
manufacture of new arms, but rather only for the repair
of existing rifles and carbines. As a result, the first
Model 1877 Carbines were produced under this umbrella of
“Repairing Old Arms”. He believes this carbine to be
one of those assembled at Springfield during this period
of austerity wherein the armory workers incorporated the
serviceable “First Model” 1873 parts on hand with the
newly produced barrels and new short wrist stocks.
Hence the reason that this carbine features a “1873”
dated lock, the early serial number, the
high arch breech block, and the 1873 rear sight mounted
with slotless screws.
This carbine has retained all of the correct early Model
1877 features to include: the V/P/Eagle/p proof marks on
the barrel at the breech, the fine knurled hammer with
the three position tumbler, the smooth trigger, barrel
band without the stacking swivel, and the key hole
opening in the buttplate tool trap. The center hole in
the butt trap is drilled to the correct depth for this
early 1877 carbine as it will only accept the First
Pattern Headless Shell Extractor, as opposed to the
deeper hole required for the Model 1882 Extractor. The
oval “ESA” dated cartouche applied during the first two
years of production – 1877 and 1878 - is still visible;
however the individual characters are not distinct. The
stock does not have the circled P proof stamp, rather it
is stamped with a block capital “U”, further indication
that this carbine went through the repair process as
described by Frasca.
The mechanical lock and trigger function is very crisp
and the bore is very good to excellent with bright,
strong rifling with no significant pitting. The metal
surfaces are smooth overall with no pitting and with an
even
plum brown finish. The stock
has not been sanded or
refinished, and is overall smooth, has a nice even rich
color, and has only some minor handling and storage
marks.
This carbine appears to have been intact for many years
as it presents, and it is a very respectable example of
the fairly scarce, early production Model 1877
Carbines. An added value are the early Model 1873 parts
incorporated in this carbine, especially the early
“Custer Era” serial number and early rear sight – both
highly desirable features. This carbine is a good
example of the carbines that bridged the period
immediately following the Little Big Horn as the Model
1873 Carbines were returned for repair and to correct
chronic problems, and these new carbines appeared on the
frontier.
SOLD
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