Trapdoor Rifles

Hello
I checked my collection and did not find the above photo on the firing line and the crop does not look like one I would have done, so probably off the interwebs? not sure as I have some stuff in storage.

So here are a couple that are in the collection

This is San Antonio rifle range from a collection from Lt. O. M. Smith

This is an interesting photograph of Phillip Reade, a Multigraph

This is a group of Engineer's, from a grouping of 1st Sgt. Theodore E. Royston
You will notice a pistol grip on one possibly two shooters

It would only let me put three photos on that post so here is the last the scores

Interestingly, the guy with the pistol grip is wearing the waist belt for the Palmer brace-yoke.

Thanks to Tom Trevor, he pointed out the photo in Al's book one on page 139 (lower) is very similar to the photo on Pg. two in this thread of the shooters on the range.
The upper photo in the book looks like the one attached here based on the open two story structure in the back ground, the attached photo is from the San Antonio rifle range group in the Lt. O. M. Smith group

Dick,
Good observation on the brace system belts. When you enlarge the photo, I think you can see that they all were wearing the brace system belts. These seem to be the earlier Model 1872 Trial Brace System belts, though. Notice also, the prone positioned shooter has a Hagner No. 1 cartriudge box on his belt, positioned in the small of his back. This was the position worn in garrison as opposed to two of them on either side of the belt plate while in the field (with the brace system being worn). The Palmer system came out two years later in 1874, and the brace system loops were on the buckles and catches.

Attached are a couple photos of a M1874 Palmer Brace System belt plate that was found at the site of Cantonment on the North Fork of the Canadian River, in Oklahoma. The site was occupied by several companies of the 23rd Infantry and for a short time, a couple companies of the 4th Cavalry, circa 1879-1881.
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Thanks Rick, yes the pic shows the 1872 version, not the Palmer. I have both somewhere, I think. Nice dug plate!

Here is another couple
A silver stadia and a pair of bronze the smaller being a copy made by a gentleman in Ukraine ? I think.

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