Springfield Trapdoor Serial Numbers: 20 Serial Numbers Revealed

The Springfield Trapdoor rifles and carbines were a series of breech-block loading rifles and carbines manufactured between 1865 and 1888. Over this period, they managed to produce over 500,000 firearms.

This article will consider the Springfield trapdoor serial numbers, location, and how to verify the Springfield Trapdoor rifle. We have also included a database 0f the trapdoor rifle serial numbers and their production quantities.

Check it out!

Where is the Serial Number Located On A Springfield Trapdoor

If you hold the pistol horizontally, muzzle away from you, the serial will be on the top of the receiver to the left of the hammer.

The Model 1868 in.50-70 will feature a set of matching numerals immediately above the wood at the receiver junction on the gun’s left (non-hammer) side.

How to Identify and Verify a Springfield Trapdoor

A genuine Trapdoor rifle may only be identified if its authenticity can be proven.

The 1873 weapon model has been in demand among collectors. A few key pieces of information and basic restoration techniques may distinguish an original 1873 Trapdoor rifle from a copy.

Identify Your Springfield Trapdoor: Step-by-Step Guide

Here are the steps to help you identify your Springfield Trapdoor:

Step 1: Records Finding

In the black powder gun collector’s value guide, find the records for the value of the weapon you are examining.

These will tell you the weapon’s value based on the condition it is found in.

The prices vary from around $800 for a rifle in poor but serviceable condition to over $4,000 for a brand-new firearm.

Step 2: Barrel Type Identification

The color of the barrel indicates its composition.

• If the weapon’s barrel is silver, it is composed of steel rather than iron.
• Black metal implies a barrel made of iron, which shows an earlier Springfield Trapdoor model: the Model 1865.

Step 3: Caliber Gauge Examination

Using a caliper gauge, measure the inner diameter of the receiver to determine whether the gun is—45 caliber.

• The -45 caliber indicates an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor model and any succeeding variations.
• The. 50 and.58 calibers indicate earlier variations.

The barrel should have three straight concentric grooves of the same diameter as the lands or flat spaces between them.

• As measured by a gun caliber gauge, the grooves should be.005 inches deep and have a constant twist rate of one turn every 22 inches over the whole length of the weapon.

Step 4: Lock Plates Examination

Examine the lock plate to ensure the edge does not have a slope.

• When read from top to bottom, the weapon’s lock plate should have the inscription “U.S. Springfield 1873” in this sequence.
• If this wording appears on the lock plate, this is a lock plate for a Springfield Trapdoor rifle produced in 1873.

Step 5: Stock Identification

Examine the stock around the lock plate.

• If the lock plate meets the stock, it is an 1873 model.
• If the stock is not in contact with the lockplate, you’ve got an older Springfield Trapdoor.

Step 6: Markings Identification

Verify that there are no identifying markings on the barrel from the replica’s manufacturer on the barrel. Find any spots on the barrel where the markings may have been removed by grinding.

This will help you know whether your rifle or carbine is an authentic 1873 Springfield Trapdoor or a replica.

Step 7: Band Examination. Look out for stacking swivels

Examine the band that connects the barrel to the stock at the most forward position of the gun.

Here is an open swivel, also known as a stacking swivel, used to store rifles and carbines without bayonets.

Note: The weapon might be an earlier model or a counterfeit without this part.

This is the last proof required to confirm the authenticity of a Springfield Trapdoor rifle or carbine from 1873.

Springfield Trapdoor Rifles and Carbines Serial Numbers

The following numbers show the total number of weapons produced every three years from 1873 to 1893.

We have also outlined the serial numbers for the different periods. Check them out.

Springfield Trapdoor Serial Numbers – FAQ

Conclusion

Helping you understand your Springfield trapdoor rifle serial number was our primary goal.

We looked into how to identify and verify your trapdoor rifle model, its serial numbers, and the production records.

Do you have a spring field trapdoor? What is the serial number? Please share it with us in the comments section.