trapdoor bayonet on 1873 barrel

[Dick Hosmer]

The socket on 'wolfie's' U.S. marked bayonet appears longer than that of a standard trapdoor bayonet. The additional length seems to be between the 'lock-ring' and the blade shank. Could it be for a Chaffee-Reese or some other Springfield Armory made .45 caliber test arm?

The non-Allin SA .45-702s (LVB, WH, and CR) all took the service bayonet, with the exception of the Hotchkiss Navies, which had a larger barrel, and took a specially swaged socket - M1873 won't go on, and the M1855/70 is way too loose.

[Edatbeach]

Only Springfield made trapdoors, so there is no "other" maker - however, there were numerous other arms of the period with similar dimensions and set-ups, some of which may (almost) interchange.

Dick,
You'll remember from other discussions elsewhere that New York dealer James Frazier also assembled trapdoors in the 1880s, and that Schuyler, Hartley & Graham had Remington making up trapdoors with new barrels in the 1890s. They looked like standard arms and took standard bayonets. And I have handled a trapdoor carbine marked on the barrel "Whitney Arms Company." Ed

[butlersrangers]

Photos can deceive. I was seeing something (longer socket) that was not there. Measuring is more reliable.

[Dick Hosmer]

Photos can deceive. I was seeing something (longer socket) that was not there. Measuring is more reliable.

Well, it still looks "long" to me (and it may be) but you are right about measuring - of course all that is required to produce a proper muzzle alignment is that the "front" dimensions be congruent - the total socket length, unless it fouled the tip, would not matter.