Original Item: Only One available. This is a lovely example of the rare Springfield Model 1884 trapdoor Cadet trapdoor rifle, the weapon used, in its carbine form, by the troopers of the 7th Cavalry that met their fate at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876.

The breech block is marked:

In 1884 the integral Round Rod Bayonet was designed, which could double as a cleaning rod, a development that met with very limited success. However, it was not fitted to all rifles, and not usually seen until at least 1886. It was finally replaced in 1892 with the .30-40 caliber Krag bolt action magazine rifle. Model 1884 rifles saw service in the Spanish American War. The regular army was issued the new Krag rifles and the guard units received the trapdoor. There are a number of stereopticon pictures that show guard units armed with of 1884 rifles.

Offered in very good condition is this trapdoor cadet rifle in .45-70 government caliber, Serial #280310, a faint "boxed" SWP cartouche that has an illegible date underneath. The serial indicates production in approximately February 1885, per U.S. Government records. The rifle looks to have seen a good amount of use, which has resulted in stock wear, making the original cartouches very hard to see. It features a standard ramrod, and was not later made in the the "1888" pattern. The rifle has the model 1884 serrated trigger and "improved" Buffington sight fitted, along with the correct lower barrel band. However, the stock is in the 1873 configuration, with the standard ramrod and two part trigger guard. There is also a very nice aftermarket sight protector fitted to the front sight.

The 1884 Cadet Model Trapdoor Rifle is mostly identical to the Standard 1884 Infantry Rifle, from the butt plate up to the rear or lower barrel band. The obvious difference is the overall length of the barrel, and thus the rifle. The standard Infantry barrel length was about 31 1/2" whereas the barrel on a Cadet Rifle was just about 2 inches shorter coming in at about 29 1/2". These rifles also featured the "long wrist" of the early Model 1873 Trapdoor throughout their production run. Not a great deal but this did reduce the weight and presumably allowed raw Cadets to get used to the substantial .45-70 Caliber. Between 1874 the first year of the Standard Model 1873 Models were constructed and 1886 when the Model of 1884 took over the ratio of Infantry Rifles manufactured was 20-1 TWENTY TO ONE. In fact in the 12 years 203,182 long Rifles to 9,188 Cadet Rifles.

Later Model 1884 Rifles and Cadet Rifles were still being made or converted from long to short until about 1900. The fact remains that the MODEL 1873 and 1884 Cadet Rifle is twenty times harder to find than the standard 1873 Infantry Rifle. This information all comes from a wonderful Book :- THE .45-70 SPRINGFIELD written by Albert Frasca and Robert Hill in 1980. 381 pages of invaluable information, published by Springfield Publishing of Northridge, California.

Condition notes:

The rifle looks to have seen a good amount of use, which has worn the finish on the barrel to a light gray mottled patina, while the breech block is a bit lighter in color on the top. We checked the underside, and it actually still retains some of the original case-coloring on the bottom. The metal proofs and markings are all still present and easily legible. The stock is lovely, showing the lovely red-brown color of aged and oiled walnut. It is still fully proud over the level of the lock plate, so it does not show any signs of having been arsenal reconditioned. It does have wear from service on the left side, as well as the expected dents and dings from use in service. There are no repairs or past major structural damage we can see any evidence of.

The bore is in very good condition, showing crisp lands and grooves with a mostly bright finish. There is just a bit of wear evident from use, as well as a bit of light oxidation haze overall. We would probably rate it an 8-9 out of 10. The breech block has an intact freely moving firing pin and moves correctly, though there is a bit of grease in the channel. The extractor is still present and functional as is the ejector, though we have not tested them with real brass. The rear sight works well, with an easily adjustable range and windage, though they are just a bit stiff. The original cleaning rod shows some wear, but is still complete with the cleaning ribs on the end, and is the correct shorter version for the Cadet rifle, not cut down from a longer one.

The both barrel bands are U marked, and the butt plate tang is marked with the correct U.S. stamp, with an additional A / 311 rack number stamped into the wood. Metal finish is lovely, and really looks great, showing a lovely worn patina of age. Center fire breechloader, .45 cal., two bands, two sling swivels with stacking swivel, Buffington sight, with standard ramrod. Lock is marked with a Federal Eagle to the left of U.S. / SPRINGFIELD, indicating that it was manufactured at the United States Armory and Arsenal at Springfield, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The elegant script SWP belongs to Samuel W. Porter, who was the Master Armorer and Chief Inspector of Springfield Armory from 15 September 1879 to 18 June 1894. A VERY faint stylized P in a circle under the wrist of the stock indicates that the rifle passed all of its overpressure proof testing. Additional marks of interest include faint inspectors' and proof marks around the breech end of the barrel: a a V over a P over an eagle's head over another P on the left side just above the stock. The upper right corner of the Buffington sight leaf is marked R to indicate that the sight graduations are for a rifle and not a carbine.

This is an excellent opportunity to pick up a very nice example of the cadet variant of a classic U.S. issue firearm. Ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1885
Caliber: .45-70 Government
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 49 Inches
Action type: Hinged Breechblock with side action lock.
Feed System: Single Shot

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are no able to ship to the United Kingdom.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers". Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.