Thefirearmblog iconThefirearmblogSep 25, 2026

Fudd Friday: Buy A Classic Surplus Rifle With A Twist

Despite the marketing success of the Winchester '73, the Springfield trapdoor rifle was more likely the rifle that really tamed the Wild West. government equipped its cavalry and other troops with these robust, hard-hitting rifles.

Fudd Friday: Buy A Classic Surplus Rifle With A Twist

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Despite the marketing success of the Winchester '73, the Springfield trapdoor rifle was more likely the rifle that really tamed the Wild West.

government equipped its cavalry and other troops with these robust, hard-hitting rifles.

A repeater like Winchester or the competition sold might have been more desirable, but the single-shot Springfield was still capable of a faster rate of fire than old muzzleloaders, and the cartridges were...

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The useful part

Despite the marketing success of the Winchester '73, the Springfield trapdoor rifle was more likely the rifle that really tamed the Wild West. government equipped its cavalry and other troops with these robust, hard-hitting rifles. A repeater like Winchester or the competition sold might have been more desirable, but the single-shot Springfield was still capable of a faster rate of fire than old muzzleloaders, and the cartridges were much more reliable and easy to deal with than a cap-and-ball carbine.

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A repeater like Winchester or the competition sold might have been more desirable, but the single-shot Springfield was still capable of a faster rate of fire than old muzzleloaders, and the cartridges were much more reliable and easy to deal with than a cap-and-ball carbine. West — natives and non-natives alike — and it kept the peace.

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