This U.S. Springfield Model 1884 Trapdoor carbine, serial 362987, left the armory in 1887 chambered in .45-70 with a 22-inch round, proofed barrel. The breech block is stamped US/MODEL/1884 and the serial sits behind the breech. The metal has gone to a brown-grey patina; the bore is bright with strong rifling, though scattered pitting and frosting show in the grooves. The stock carries the nicks, dings and scratches you expect, and the action works as it should.

What sets this carbine apart is the butt plate, marked 31/US/31/9G/31, identifying it as the 31st carbine issued to Company G of the 9th Cavalry, a regiment that campaigned against the Comanche, Ute, Sioux and Apache during the Indian Wars. For a Texas collector of frontier-era military arms that unit mark is the point of the piece. Mechanically it is a .45-70 carbine, so nothing in the Texas deer rules bars it, but it belongs in a collection rather than a deer blind.

Key features

• .45-70 carbine, 22-inch barrel, made 1887
• Butt plate marked to 9th Cavalry Company G
• Breech block stamped US/MODEL/1884
• Brown-grey patina, bright bore with scattered pitting
• Action functions correctly; stock shows handling marks

It ships to a licensed Texas dealer of your choice for the federal check and transfer before you take it home.