M1873 .45 CALIBER TRAPDOOR CARBINE CLEANING BRUSH, THONG
AND ROD SET:
Altered from the Civil War Carbine Cleaning Brush and
Rod sets, these rare appendages for the M1873 Carbines
pre-date the jointed rods supplied with the M1877
Springfield Trapdoor Carbines. The Civil War rods and
brushes were reduced in diameter by the Springfield
Armory from .50 caliber to .45 caliber. Issued at a
rate of 20 brush and thong sets and 2 rods per crate of
carbines, it is little wonder they are so rare today.
These rods are annotated in the 1874 Springfield Armory
Manual, page 18, and discussed in Gun Tools, Vol.
I (Shaffer, Rutledge, & Dorsey) on page 286.
The brush attached to the thong enabled the soldiers to
carry the set in their saddlebags while in the field, or
the brush unscrews from the thong for use with the
barracks rod. A nice addition for the advanced
collector to accompany your Custer-era carbine. $195
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