.45-70 rifles and the trapdoor action

[Svartalf]

Hello, I'm just reading an old story that mentions old rifles (yeah, in the 30s texans already thought such things very important), and I've started down a rabbit hole.

What I get is that those Springfield 1865 rifles were early adopters of the metal cartridge among breechloading arms.
I'm not so sure why the action was retained in later models, since by 1873, repeaters were well known, while trapdoor is not compatible with multiple shot rifles.

what I get even less is that the 1865 and 1873 models look pretty fucking like muzzle loading muskets, and that from the outside at least, the closed action looks precisely like it were a percussion rifle... I don't get the why of that, and I'm not even sure how a percussion style hammer can even properly strike a metal cartridge...

Are there any historians or experts who could resolve this for me, or at least direct me to the proper person/site?

[pErvinalia]

yes

[L'Emmerdeur]

The early Springfields were actually
converted muzzle-loaders. Doesn't help with the first part but hope it helps with the second.

[Svartalf]

Gbost of Browning, speak of needlessly conservative...

[JimC]

Where is Seth when you need him?

[rasetsu]

Where is Seth when you need him?

Is there such a thing?

[Svartalf]

You mean needing seth? I doubt so...
I thought Lak might have known, but among our deserters, I thing gawdzilla would be the weaponry expert.

[L'Emmerdeur]

I hope Gawdzilla is still around somewhere. I didn't spend much time here when he was active but I interacted with him on a history site where he had a different handle, and came to appreciate his point of view and range of knowledge.

The trapdoor breechblock housed the firing pin, and the cartridges were rimfire. As you said Svartalf, conservative design philosophy retained the percussion-style hammer. Reason being, it didn't need to do anything other than actuate the firing pin.

From the same article referenced above:

The firing pin was housed within the breechblock. The hammer nose was flattened to accommodate the firing pin.

I don't miss Seth in the slightest.