Arms, Armor and Militaria

.50CF. 9" round barrel. NSN. Blued barrel, bright lock, casehardened breechblock, blued iron furniture, brass backstrap and butt cap, one piece walnut stock retained by one barrel band. Single shot breechloading "Trapdoor" system pistol with fixed rear sight machined into the hinge of the breechblock, tall post and blade front sight and brass buttcap. Top of beech is stamped DEC/1869. Breechblock marked 1869/{Eagle Head}/{Crossed Arrows}/US. Altered US M1864 musket lock marked with standard {Spread-Winged Eagle} and U.S./SPRINGFIELD forward of the hammer and dated 1864 at the tail. Barrel secured by a single U marked barrel band which is retained by a short 1.375" band spring.

No historical firearm has stirred as much controversy as to how many, IF ANY, were produced and if any are actually real, than the US Model 1869 Trapdoor Pistol. The origins of the pistol can be traced to correspondence from General William Tecumseh Sherman to the Ordnance Department dated 1 December 1869 that read in part: "...I wish you also cause to be prepared as soon as convenient prior to March 1, 1870, a carbine and single barreled pistol with the same or similar breech block as is now used in the Springfield musket, and capable of using the same identical cartridge. I do not suppose one can literally use a musket cartridge in the carbine and pistol, but each could use the same caliber, the same copper case, the powder alone varying in quantity, but the strength of parts should be adjusted so that in emergencies the carbine and pistol could use the musket cartridge." As a result of that communication it is generally believed that a small number of trials pistols were constructed in .50CF using modified US Model 1869 Cadet Rifle breechblocks, shortened barrels, some specialized furniture and newly made stocks. Some references suggest that as many as 50 of these were made, others that only a handful were made and some feel none were ever produced. The debate about surviving legitimate examples rages as well, with most sources suggesting that only two "real" examples exist, one in the Springfield Armory collection and one at the Smithsonian. Al Frasca notes in his book The .45-70 Springfield Book II 1865-1893 that only two such pistols were produced at Springfield Arsenal in 1869 and shows detailed photos of the gun in the Springfield Arsenal collection as well as providing detailed dimensions. He refers to the guns as Model 1868 pistols. He specifically notes the receiver markings and shows a detailed photograph, which match these markings exactly. However he further notes that the stock is two pieces, and pieced at the grip. Flayderman notes the same information and further suggests that a number of receivers were made up, but that only a very small number of guns were assembled, so it was possible that original receivers were available to produce high quality copies of the experimental pistol. An essentially identical example to this gun was sold at auction and was previously in the Locke Collection, and it is pictured in Frank Sellers' book The William Locke Collection on page 257. The receiver of this pistol appears to be one of the original ones that Flayderman references, with the gun built around it to rather exacting specifications. However, the use of the one-piece stock and some minute differences in measurements when compared to the Springfield Armory collection example and some very slight differences in the machining of the rear sight groove suggest that this is simply an exceptional replica. However, the gun is so well constructed, using almost exclusively period parts, and displays so well, that it is certainly extremely convincing and likely as close as any collector will ever get to owning an experiential Springfield Trapdoor Pistol. {ANTIQUE}