And yet another 1868 dated 1868 Springfield...

[Kragrifle]

Is the rod cupped like the 1866 or flat like the 1868?

[Fred]

Yea, Dick Hosmer had Reminded me of that on an earlier post.
Post Number 17 has a photo that shows the rod tips. It's cupped.

[Dick Hosmer]

If the rod has a shoulder it can't be a modified 1866. It must be originally made with the shoulder.

True, of course, though I suppose they could have built-up metal by welding - but - in those days before arc-welding - it was probably simpler to make a new rod, and, lacking any other instruction, "Joe" probably shaped the head just like the earlier model. One other thing, the shafts of '66 and '68 rods are not the same. Fred, measurements!

An interesting side-bar - early 1873 rods, blued, double-shoulder, have 7 rings, like the .50's. At some point this was changed to 6, eliminating the rearmost one.

[Fred]

Great information Dick!
Actualy, the countour of the shoulder of each rod is different from the other. Rifle number 127 has a slightly more curved shoulder whose edge is a bit rounder.
On rifle number 6, the shoulder is a bit straighter and the edge of the shoulder is noticebly sharper.

[Fred]

Great information Dick!
Actualy, the countour of the shoulder of each rod is different from the other. Rifle number 127 has a slightly more curved shoulder whose edge is a bit rounder.
On rifle number 6, the shoulder is a bit straighter and the edge of the shoulder is noticebly sharper.

[Dick Hosmer]

I'll have to check OM77 to see if they describe how the shoulder prep is made. The front part of the rod was probably stamped in some sort of die while red-hot, then turned and polished as required. Surely there could be some difference in the shoulder shape, so long as the proper diameters were observed, and the end-distance was to gauge.

[Fred]

I agree Dick.
You're going to enjoy studying these two rifles when you swing through here in a couple of years or so.
Anyway, I'm left wondering what any of the other single digit rifles look like. I'll bet that there must be variations in every one of them.

[Kragrifle]

One last bit of trivia. 1866 rods are of two different thicknesses and there are three different configurations of trap doors and forward straps that I have found so far on Second Allins.

[Fred]

That's Very Interesting!

[Dick Hosmer]

One last bit of trivia. 1866 rods are of two different thicknesses and there are three different configurations of trap doors and forward straps that I have found so far on Second Allins.

I'm assuming that the thick rods were made from musket 'blanks' and that the thinner ones were new from scratch.

Plus two blocks! The early ones retain the thumblatch with a screw from the left (like the 1865) and have no "cap" on the right side. Always kinda wanted one, but never found it, and am not buying any more guns. Well, a .30 cal at a garage sale for $100, yeah, I would . . . .

[Fred]

[Fred]

[Fred]

[Fred]

Really crispy looking front sight.

[Kragrifle]

OMG, Fred you're killing me! You could cut meat with that front sight it is so sharp!