A True 1866 Short Rifle

[Dick Hosmer]

What does the JB stand for? Is that just the inspector’s initials for the breach area, or for the whole gun?

I do not know; it MIGHT even be something left over from the musket period. Never seen it before. If it is unique to the shortening operation, I have never seen any documentation.

[carlsr]

My first short '66 had the filler and the upper band spacing was just a little off. I lived with it a long time before finally admitting it wasn't right. The (correct) one I have now, was acquired from Ed Hull about 25 years ago. One constant - I have learned - is that the dimensions from the upper band shoulder, and the tip, to the muzzle, are constant and do NOT vary on genuine SA arms from the CW muskets to the M1884! Lay a short rifle along any genuine rifle from that period, and if those points do not align perfectly, you have a problem with the short rifle - also, a proper short rifle will measure 36" from tang-screw joint to muzzle, or exactly 4" less than a three-bander. Sometimes the front spacing may look OK, but the barrel is off a bit. A lot of people were making these and they did not all march to the same drummer. The only easy-to-spot "bad" ones are those miserable abortions with thinned wrist and un-modified middle band.

Dick, my short rifle with the filler is 36" from tang screw joint to muzzle, well 35 31/32 to be exact.
Other than the band spring filler this rifle is exact in all other measurements. I've seen many short rifles that bubba had his hands on and this rifle definitely is not one of those.

[Hammer]

What does the JB stand for? Is that just the inspector’s initials for the breach area, or for the whole gun?

I do not know; it MIGHT even be something left over from the musket period. Never seen it before. If it is unique to the shortening operation, I have never seen any documentation.

Well, you know you got something quite special if it’s something Dick Hosmer‘s never seen on a Springfield trapdoor before

[Tony Beck]

I suspect it is an inspector's stamp from when the breechblock strap was soldered on. My short rifle has a 4 in the same spot. My other 66 isn't in good enough shape to be sure, there may be a B under the pitting.

[Hammer]

I suspect it is an inspector's stamp from when the breechblock strap was soldered on. My short rifle has a 4 in the same spot. My other 66 isn't in good enough shape to be sure, there may be a B under the pitting.

I recently bought a standard (long) M1866 to be able to compare it with my Short rifle and it has a the letter D in that same area. It alto has what looks like maybe the numeral 4 in the same place that you said yours has the number 4.
Just reading page 40 of Dick‘s book, he states that a “portion of a date and various single letter subinspectors stamps from period of use may be visible near the tang”.
So if our rifles have a four in that location, that may represent the date 1864.