Krag Collectors Association Forum

I wanted to share this 1893 photograph with my KCA Friends.

This U.S. War Department display features a group of three Springfield 'trap-door' rifles: a .45 caliber with a 'trowel' bayonet, a .45 caliber with a 'rod' bayonet, and a .30 caliber, with a hand-guard. (Indicated by an orange Arrow in the close-up).

I looked long and hard for photos of this display.

(The gun-rack photo is in the Smithsonian digital collection. I think, I can make out a '30' on the ID tag. I have also added some photos of 'guide-book' pages, that referred to some of the 1893 War Dept. display).

Close photo of tag reads "Springfield rifle Caliber 30".

Only three to maybe 15 of the .30 caliber Springfield "test" rifles were made. This one, being present in 1893, has to be one of the first ones.

The .30 caliber 'trap-doors' were fabricated mainly to test barrel steels, rifling styles, bore sizes, propellants and bullet jackets.
Built at Springfield with special receivers, some were sent to powder manufacturers and played a role in the development of 'smokeless' powders and evolution of the .30-40 cartridge.

Color pictures are of one that is in an upcoming Rock Island auction: