I purchased some goods from an elderly gentleman and found this tool at the botom of the box. There is some rust and pitting but it's marked "U S Model 1879". It's obviously a weapon tool but for which one? I was thinking a Trapdoor Springfield?
That's what it is alright; a take down tool for the M1873 Trapdoor. It's marked 1879 because that is when it was adopted. It has 2 screw driver blades to fit the screws on the rifle. The pin is to push out pins. The "wrench" looking part is for "apturing" the mainspring. The action is fully cocked and the jaws placed over the compressed leaves of the mainspring. The action was then uncocked and the mainspring remaned compressed in the jaws making disassembly and reassembly of the lock quite easy. Nice to have if you have a trapdoor.
Larry Gibson
