Better photos of my 1866 Springfield.

[JimF]

Hell, now I think I'm going to Keep this rifle. I hadn't looked at it for months. It's a neat one I think! I'll shoot it soon and see how it feels against my 63 year old shoulder.
Attachment 41622

Geez, Fred . . . .
It's been my experience, that the cartridges seem to ignite better with primers installed!! --Jim

[Fred]

Oh, I'll be loading them up Jim with my cast Lee 450 grain flat nosed bullet backed with ffg. Winchester large rifle primers of course!
I've noticed that the ejector on this rifle really kicks the empty shells out with force. The ejection system was no doubt rough on the early copper case ballon head ammunition. I can see why, during the entire Wagon Box Fight of 1867, two soldiers with cleaning rods were assigned to immediately clear any rifle whose extractor had torn through a soft copper rim.
Fouled and over heated chambers could no doubt make extraction difficult.
Anyway, this old rifle is well designed.

[Fred]

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[Fred]

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[Fred]

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[Fred]

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[Fred]

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[Fred]

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[Fred]

If you have a properly fitting flat tip screwdriver, the back of the firing pin can be depressed All Of The Way In with it, then you can use the screw driver to unscrew the threaded retaining collar or nut, thus freeing up the firing pin to be removed.
When assembling it again, you need to make sure that the retaining nut or collar is turned All Of The Way In again. The nut is designed to bottom out or stop when it is in just far enough.
I believe it's probable that a special two pronged tool on the combination screwdriver was Never meant to be used to turn the retaining nut out. I think they intended a flat tip blade for that. I think that the two pronged blade on the combination tool was meant for the rear sight screw, which it fits like bark on a tree.
That leaves the Breech Block Hinge Pin Retaining Nut. I don't think that the army wanted anyone messing around with those outside of a company arms room.
The armorer no doubt had an excellent tool at hand just for that job.
Just something I was thinking about.
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[Fred]

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