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#1395 Springfield 1879 Trapdoor carbine, 45/70 caliber with fine bright bore, just minor leading, and tight solid action. This is a very late ’79, as it is in the 290XXX serial range. The wood is pretty scruffy with numerous dings, bumps, gouges, and slivers …so it either saw lots of action on the frontier, or perhaps it rattled around in the wagon box of some homesteader during the late 1890s. It has the correct rear sight for the late 1879 variant, and other features also look correct to the best of my knowledge. There is a repaired crack at the wrist area, but it looks to be a recoil stress crack rather than the usual “pony rolled over on it” crack. It does seem solid and this type of crack is common when these carbines were either loaded with rifle ammunition (the full 70grain powder charge) rather than the carbine loading of 55grains, or they were dropped on the buttplate. Having shot a Trapdoor carbine with the hotter rifle load, I can attest to the fact that they kick like an Missouri mule that has been stung on the butt by a hornet! Two or three such rounds could easily crack the stock just behind the action in this way. Other than the wood, the metal is quite nice, well marked, no pitting of consequence, and just a thin grey-brown patina overall. Oh, and it even has a FAINT cartouche dimly visible on the stock (although not readable). There are a few more photos of this neat old shooter, so if they all do not load up, be sure to e-mail me and I’ll forward them along to you. About VG. $1395

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