Trapdoor pistols

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

Since we've had a discussion about the .45 Colt ctg in the Winchester, I thought I'd bring up the subject of Springfield trapdoor pistols.  Every now and then--not very often, but occasionally--you'll see, at a gun show, what appears to be a pistol with the Springfield trapdoor action.  It'll have the US markings on the lock plate.  It will be very expensive.

It's also a fake. 

 

Thre is one authenticated trapdoor pistol.  It's chambered for the same .50 cal ctg the old Remington single-shot pistol was chambered for.  It was made at Springfield Armory & its production is supported by Armory records.  That pistol is in the arms museum at USMA at West Point, NY.  Later, a 2nd pistol, same chambering, same markings, but not supported by Armory records, turned up.  Last I heard it was in the Flayderman collection.  These are the only 2 actual trapdoor pistols known to exist.

 

Back in the 1920s thru the early '50s Hollywood made a lot of swashbucklers--swords & muzzle-loaders, costume pieces.  They also had on hand a lot of Springfield infantry rifles, & of course Hollywood has always liked the cavalry better than the infantry for movies.   A lot of those rifles were cut down, restocked as pistols, & dressed up with brass furniture, fake frizzens, & a bunch else to 'look like' muzzle-loading flinters.  It takes a while to load a muzzle-stuffer, even with a blank.  When the director wanted a lot of shooting, the extras & bt-part guys got the converted Springfields & a pocket full of 5-in-1 blanks.  They stayed in the background while the stars got the actual period guns.  A lot of these things grew legs & walked away from prop-rooms, & they're what turns up at gun shows as 'original Springfield trap-door pistols.'

[Richard A. Morro]

Also there were these same pieces made up for the movie "THE ALAMO" I don't remember showing time, but it was a Black & White movie. And the same thing happened to those pieces. I never saw one of those pieces but they were pictured in a old back issue of several gun magazines! Along with the story of there origins. If I remember correctly- it could have been The American Rifleman Magazine!!

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

That was probably the Alamo movie starring Rex Reason.  It was filmed in B&W sometime in the 1940s.  It was a definite B picture.  I've seen 1 still from it with the star sitting on the 'front steps' of the chapel--the chapel never had 'front steps'--& the whole top of the set is missing.  In others you'll see the 'step & arch' facade, but that was added in the 1840s by the US Army when it used the Alamo chapel for a storehouse.  The original chapel had a flat roof & a bell tower at each of the front corners.  By the time Santa Anna's artillery got thru with it, it had no roof & no bell towers.  I've also seen at least 1 'Alamo' movie in which the Texans were flying the Lone Star flag--which wasn't designed until 1839.

[Flying R]

Great info Mr.Eckhardt. What was that story about those Haversack(not sure of spelling) rifles and Hollywood?

[C. F. 'Charley' Eckhardt]

Don't know about haversack rifles.  The only 'haversack' story I know I got from re-enactor Kevin R. Young, who was one of the extras in The Blue & The Gray.  The prop people came out with a case of apparently-unissued M1907 US Army khaki haversacks, which happen to be the rarest US Army haversack there is.  Kevin asked the prop people what they were gonna do with them.  They said "These are gonna be the Union haversacks."  Kevin said "But they're the wrong color."  The prop people said "Oh, we're gonna spray-paint 'em black."  You gotta wonder how many other highly-collectible items there are in movie prop departments--& how they've been destroyed or altered beyond recognition.

[Flying R]

For some reason I though it was a rifle in that story, my mistake.