Trapdoors were intimately involved in most of the U.S. Army's "fencing musket" endeavors.
Although the earliest fencing muskets were related to .69 or .58 caliber muzzle loaders, some of the latter may have overlapped with the .50 caliber trapdoors.
Limited numbers of dedicated fencing musket variations were made during the Trapdoor era, with bayonets to suit.
Later, after adoption of the M1903 Springfield, more than 20,000 Trapdoors were cut to the approximate length of the M1903, lead weights added to the the barrels, and the hammer, tumbler, thumb latch, and extractor were removed or cut flush, and rear sights removed to reduce injuries. Thus modified, no one cared if these obsolete old guns got beat up in bayonet training, and it prevented damage to newly issued M1903s.
Although the rifles have been frequently covered, the exact sequence and details of the bayonets remain a mystery to most people.
Here is an EXCELLENT article from the Society of American Bayonet Collectors on U.S. fencing bayonets 1852-1915 by Ralph Cobb:
https://worldbayonets.com/Library/Artic ... er2020.pdf
U.S. Fencing Muskets and Bayonets 1852-1915
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Dick Hosmer
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Re: U.S. Fencing Muskets and Bayonets 1852-1915
Fascinating article, and a great example of the type of material we can link to/reference from this site!
That said, when treated at that depth, one would expect photos of the M1906 and M1909. I was somewhat disappointed by their absence.
The late Bob Reuben (known fondly to west coast collectors for over 50 years as "Bayonet Bob") once told me that the only M1906 he had ever seen was the one in his collection - and which he described as a being a real dog. Apparently they really are rare. I did obtain a really nice M1909 from him, which he said at the time was VERY scarce - guess he was right!
Here is the 1909. Same (thick) bar as the 1906 but twisted 90 degrees, and with only tip covered. The 1912 would see the bar fully covered and MUCH thinner/springier. It is not at all hard to see why the 1906 (particularly) and the 1909 could cause injury.
That said, when treated at that depth, one would expect photos of the M1906 and M1909. I was somewhat disappointed by their absence.
The late Bob Reuben (known fondly to west coast collectors for over 50 years as "Bayonet Bob") once told me that the only M1906 he had ever seen was the one in his collection - and which he described as a being a real dog. Apparently they really are rare. I did obtain a really nice M1909 from him, which he said at the time was VERY scarce - guess he was right!
Here is the 1909. Same (thick) bar as the 1906 but twisted 90 degrees, and with only tip covered. The 1912 would see the bar fully covered and MUCH thinner/springier. It is not at all hard to see why the 1906 (particularly) and the 1909 could cause injury.
- xP1010044 copy.jpg (241.93 KiB) Viewed 1150 times
Last edited by Dick Hosmer on Wed Jun 28, 2023 2:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Dick Hosmer
- Posts: 544
- Joined: Tue Mar 07, 2023 7:05 pm
- Location: Northern CA
Re: U.S. Fencing Muskets and Bayonets 1852-1915
No - THE Model 1906 was the first to be screwed on. What you show is the earlier socket type which just happened to be made in 1906. That's a very tempting item, but I'm no longer buying.