Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. Springfield Model 1873 trowel bayonet designed for use with the .45-70 Trapdoor Springfield rifle. These unusual combination tools are difficult to find in any condition, and this example remains in very good service used shape with a functional locking mechanism and substantial original finish remaining on portions of the socket.

The trowel bayonet was developed as a dual-purpose tool, intended to serve both as a bayonet and as an individual entrenching implement. The broad blade resembles a small gardening trowel, but its sharpened edges and pointed tip allowed it to function as a weapon when mounted on the rifle. When removed, it could also be used for digging and field fortification work.

The bayonet was designed to fit Model 1873 Springfield Trapdoor rifles equipped with the standard ramrod arrangement. The rear portion of the socket rotates to lock the bayonet securely onto the rifle barrel.

The blade measures approximately 10 inches long and 3 3/8 inches wide, with a reinforced central spine. The blade remains partly bright, though there is scattered staining, light pitting, and general wear from age and use. There are also some darker areas of rust and oxidation. These surfaces could likely be cleaned further if desired, although the existing patina gives the piece an attractive period appearance.

The socket and hilt area retain traces of the original blued finish. The rotating locking mechanism remains fully functional and operates correctly.

The removable wooden haft that could be inserted into the socket to provide greater leverage when using the trowel as an entrenching tool is not included.

The Model 1873 trowel bayonet reflects the U.S. Army’s post-Civil War interest in combination military tools. Experience during the Civil War reinforced the importance of rapid field entrenchment, and Army designers increasingly explored equipment that could serve more than one purpose while reducing the number of separate tools a soldier had to carry.

This period of experimentation produced several distinctive combination designs associated with the Springfield Trapdoor system and later U.S. military equipment. The trowel bayonet is one of the most recognizable of these attempts, combining the roles of bayonet and digging tool in a single piece of equipment.

With its intact rotating socket mechanism, substantial original finish, and distinctive wide trowel blade, this is a very appealing example of an unusual Indian Wars era U.S. military bayonet.

Dimensions:

Blade Length: 10 inches
Blade Width: 3 3/8 inches
Blade Style: Wide Trowel
Overall Length: 14 1/2 inches