SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Federal prosecutors have filed a civil forfeiture action to reclaim a historic firearm believed to have been stolen from the Springfield Armory several decades ago.

In just a few decades, the U.S. Army would see itself go from a single-shot, blackpowder design in the form of the Trapdoor Springfield to a modern, semi-automatic fighting rifle in the M1 Garand.

The guns in question may be 250 years old, but they remain relevant in discussions about modern firearms law. The Firearms Research Center at the University of Wyoming will host a conference with the ...