Always learning.... Breech-loading weapons via 1873

Still reading over Private Trall Sipuel's Enlistment Post

 

The Model 1873 "Trapdoor" Springfield was the first standard-issue breech-loading rifle adopted by the United States Army (although the Model 1866 trapdoor had seen limited issue to troops along the Bozeman Trail in 1867).

 

The gun, in both full-length and carbine versions, was widely used in subsequent battles against the American Indians (Black Hills War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, Philippine-American War)

The Model 1873 was the fifth variation of the Allin trapdoor design, and was named for its hinged breechblock, which opened like a trapdoor. The infantry rifle model featured a 32⁵⁄₈-inch (829 mm) barrel, while the cavalry carbine used a 22-inch (560 mm) barrel.

 

A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel.