With the rear sight folded all the way down, the gun still shoots very high at one hundred yards. These guns were designed for long range shooting with different ammunition than can be found today. Learning to shoot the 1873 can be a bit of a challenge. Everyone that shoots mine is amazed that the recoil is so light for the size of the bullet. Firing a 405 grain bullet it no more intimidating that firing a twenty gauge shotgun. Coming in at just over nine pounds these hefty guns can really handle the loads. One of the joys of the US Springfield is that there are still many available today having produced just over 700,000 guns during its life cycle. 45-70 without the Gov’t designation can cause serious injury to the firearm and the shooter. The 1873 must shoot ammunition that is designated at “.45-70 Gov’t” this designation indicated that it has less pressure than modern guns and is loaded with appropriate powder to keep the pressures reduced. NOTE: When shooting any antique gun, make sure you use ammunition designed for use in these guns. Today, there are many different bullet weights available in the. The ballistics of the US Springfield in the long version produce muzzle velocity at just over 1,300 ft/sec while pushing the 405 grain bullet. 45-70 ammunition was redesigned with a brass case which is still used today. While this did not cause the defeat of General Custer, the US Army believed it played a part in the defeat and subsequently the. Ironically, the carbine version did not come equipped with a ramrod. Prior to the Little Big Horn incident, the US Springfield ammunition was manufactured with copper shells which proved to expand too much when fired causing the casing to get stuck in the breech and needing a ramrod, or other device to extract the shell. The carbine version became famous for its inability to extract shells at the Little Big Horn, where the seventh Calvary was defeated by Sitting Bull and his band of Indians. The carbine with its slight 22 inch barrel was used more by the Calvary who shot them from horse back, and the long version touting a 32 5/8” barrel and fifty two inches overall, was used by infantry men and buffalo hunters who wanted the longer barrel for more long range accuracy. It was made mostly in two configurations, the carbine and the long version. The 1873 US Springfield is a hoss of a gun. It is an extremely long way with iron sights. That is a long way using today’s modern optics. And the 405 grain bullets were accurate out to by many estimates three quarters of a mile or over 800 yards. While it was still a single shot, it was built solidly enough to handle a large volley of shots over a short time with skilled shooters able to get 15 shots off in one minute. The trapdoor was the first standard issue breech loading rifle adopted by the US Army. In fact this very gun was used to almost completely wipe out the largest land mammal in North America.Īfter the Civil War, Springfield armory won the bid to manufacturer weapons for the US Army. 45/70 is a true American classic and perfectly capable of taking large sized game today. The 1873 US Springfield Trapdoor chambered in. One in particular is a true joy to shoot, both for its nostalgia and its accuracy among antique firearms. From the Winchester lever action, to the M1 Garand all have a place in history that make them exciting to own and shoot. Some even played a huge role in our American heritage. And even with these new and exciting models coming out every year there are some that while they may have faded with time, are still great guns and exciting to shoot. It is exciting to get a new caliber to test, or a new design to try out as we ply our skills to our sport. More and more enticing features to cause us to line up and spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to get the new and best thing.Īs a hunter I am thankful these companies do not get lazy or sit back and just let things rock along. Different calibers, different designs, actions, stocks, triggers, etc. Every year gun manufacturers introduce new and exciting models for hunters and shooters to get excited about.
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