Pennsylvania State Police .45-70 Springfield Trapdoor Carbine...

**padowser** · January 8th, 2018, 03:37 PM

I went to the Farm Show on Sunday and came across a table selling raffle tickets for a Pennsylvania State Police memorial .45-70 Springfield Trapdoor Carbine. I think it is a Cimarron replica The raffle benefits the PA State Police Museum.

Looking into the history of this rifle, it seems that the the Superintendent of the PSP requested 220 of these rifles, and 10,000 rounds of ammo, from the Federal Government in 1906.

My first thought was that there were some nice lever actions available in 1906, as well as several bolt actions. The auto-loading Remington Model 8 came out in 1906 too. I guess cost was the reason to arm the PSP with the same rifle that Custer had at the Little Big Horn.

Anyway, I find the PSP use of this firearm very interesting. I am looking for more info on this topic.

**Marcus99** · January 8th, 2018, 09:04 PM

Dogs were the size of bison in those days...

**abner13** · January 8th, 2018, 09:27 PM

They were probably surplus and provided free. Lots National Guard units probably still had them.

**Ecclectic Collector** · January 9th, 2018, 06:52 AM

Hard to imagine in this day, but our country was not rich back then. Yeah maybe some leading industrialists had tons of money, but local government was very poor in those days.

I second the carbines were probably provided free or nearly so. Other than being a black powder cartridge single shot, it is a whopper of manstopper cartridge. I bet they stayed in racks and were sold out of service by the later 20s when cars became more common, along with the various more modern WW 1 generation of firearms.

The trapdoor actually had a very long service life. Many were still be stored by National Guard units into the 1930s and they certainly were being issued to units who stayed over here during WW 1 as many period photos attest.

**padowser** · January 9th, 2018, 11:20 AM

Yes, the rifles were surplus. The transfer was approved by then Sec of War, William H. Taft, on 2/26/1906. I think they were replaced with the .30-40 Krag.

I am trying to locate an article entitled....."The PA State Police: Springfield .45 Trapdoor Carbines" by Dusan Farrington, and J. V. Puleo.