Trapdoors

[Wislnwings]

Here's a couple questions for the trapdoor lovers out there. First, if looking at purchasing one, are there any not so obvious things I need to look out for? I recently looked at a 73 rifle in 45/70 and its got me thinking that I don't have one and maybe I should. Also, are there any good books you can recommend on them? If I decide to move forward with a purchase I'd like to do some reading up on them first. The only book in my home library with any info on them is Mike Venturino's Shooting Buffalo Rifles and I'd like to do some additional reading on them.

[Don McDowell]

First thing to check is that the firing pin isn't froze up.
If I were to going trapdoor shopping, I don't think I'ld look at anything older than the 1881 version, those weren't beat to death like the older ones were for the most part, and it's my belief they were made of better steel/iron. Plus the buffington sight makes shooting those quite nice , once you replicate the velocity/ballistics of the issue load.

[bobw]

Don's pretty much hit it on the nose. When you get a later model 81,84 or the rod bayonet model the 500 gr bullet was used in them and the Buffington sight calibrated for its use. The 73 models used a 405 gr bullet and not the best choice for LR work. bobw

[smbrj]

I did things a bit backwards and came into a trapdoor that was modified to a hunting rifle that I got for a price I could not refuse. It had a shortened barrel replaced sights no collector value at all. So I did my research after the fact. Turns out that it was a sound gun and I shoot BP loads through it. One book that I recommend is Loading Cartridges for the 45-70 Springfield Rifle by J.S and Pat Wolf. It has a lot of information of how to duplicate the orig military loading used in these rifles as well as the history and what to look for when buying one. Since I got the rifle I've had the opportunity to see other trapdoors at gun shows and shops and their condition varied from ones that I would shoot to others that I wouldn't let near a loaded round. The one thing common about all of those guns were that they were asking $750 and up for them.

[Tombstone 71]

My father had a 45-70 trapdoor carbine when he was 14 or so. He loaned it to a friend and never got it back. I came across a 1873 rifle in 45-70 that was in good shape and gave it to him last year for his bd. He flipped out big time Before I gave it to him I loaded it with a 520 lyman 457123 with 60gr's of 1f and shot it at 200 yard's on paper. I did not think that it even hit the target and as I was going back to the 600yrd. line to shoot my 120 shiloh I did not look at the target until later in the day. WOW, out of 5 shots 3 were touching and the last 2 were only 3" out of the group. I now have a 1884 rifle in 45-70 and it is a joy to shoot.

Tim

[Wislnwings]

Thanks for the info guys. I went back and looked over the one I found locally. When I looked up the serial number it looks like it was made in early 1890. It has the Buffington sight. I ordered Pat Wolf's book to read up before diving into this.