Edge

Sounds demasculating.

In the fall of 1873, the US Army adopted the 45-70 Govt round and a new generation of the Springfield Trapdoor rifle. Made with the Allin conversion of the Civil War era M1861 musket, it was a fairly reliable breech loading rifle. The Trapdoor model like the calvary carbine model above, would undergo a few more changes over it's two and a half decades in service. Improvements like a serrated trigger, a ramrod that doubled as a bayonet and the Buffington rear sight; a flip up ladder sight system, calibrated out to 2000 yards. The 45-70 was conceived by the army brass as a volley gun, capable of raining down 405 grain lead projectiles from up to a 6000' distance. But the Buffington sight proved difficult for troopers to master, add to this ammo shortages and an anemic post war Defense budget and you had troops sent into the Indian Wars woefully un-prepaired for accurate rifle engagements. The Trapdoor carbine was heavy, it's ammo; heavy. The rifle rounds trajectory was much like a brick and it's rate of fire was less than stellar, specially when compared to the repeating rifles often used by the late 19th century soldier's adversaries. But that's our history. And I thought a quick comparison to today's Army assault rifle might give one pause to think what carrying a Trapdoor into an engagement might have been like and how far we've come. Weight: An 1873 Trapdoor and 100 rounds of ammo (60 rounds of 45-55-405 was standard issue for the horse soldier) weighed in at about 18.5 pounds. Today's M4 with 500 rounds weighed about the same. Rate of Fire: An army trooper with an M1873 was expected to put 6 rounds of 45-70 downrange per minute. The M4 has a sustained rate of fire of 700-950 rounds per minute. Not a bad improvement over less than a century. But what will the next century bring?

No I don't get out that way often. There are several in my curled that would like to ride the entire AZ Trail. The more I explore this great state the more I realize there's so much more to see.

Stage and freight roads zig zagged across AZ, connecting mines, forts, settlements and transportation hubs. One of the roads I take north of Morristown was once the stage line from Morristown to Wickenburg. Another I use south of Mayer, Bull Rd., was the road used to freight gold ore from Crown King to Big Bug prior to the railroad. https://tucson.com/news/local/minetales/mine-tales-new-roads-stage-stations-served-miners/article_da12c06a-b5a0-561a-96d0-ca0b64640449.amp.html

I didn't see Butterfield in your answer earlier.

Reliable water = settlements. Roads link settlements. Great resource, Swivelhead, I've bookmarked for later.

I was just yesterday discussing the Butterfield route and schedule with Mr. Ahnhert.

The Butterfield Trail has a special meaning for me since my grandparents lived at what was, a hundred years previously, the Cow Springs stage stop between Hatch and Lordsburg, NM. The wagon ruts were still visible and two buildings built for the stage line, still stand. One was an adobe meat house (right) which was nearly unchanged. Note the wagon wheel hubs and metates in the foreground. The other, the bunk house which received upgrades over the years.

Correct. Partial credit for Wells Fargo answer, they were partners and eventually acquired the line.

Im sorry, you've come to the wrong class. Your admission slip says you're supposed to be in Shed Building 101 across the hall.

One

No sir

I don't believe the Pony Express route went thru AZ. Good guess though

7 years earlier

Not a person but an object, bears an individuals name