I saw a trap door rifle for sale in a shop for about $900. It's 50-90 I believe, it's a .50 for sure. Didn't handle it, but it looked ok, I don't know much about them, but it should be fun to shoot. Just curious about the price.
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I saw a trap door rifle for sale in a shop for about $900. It's 50-90 I believe, it's a .50 for sure. Didn't handle it, but it looked ok, I don't know much about them, but it should be fun to shoot. Just curious about the price.
It was not a 50-90 but probably was a 50-70. They bring a little less than 45-70 rifles but if it is in good shape and full military condition the price is about right.
It would be .50-70 for sure. Price depends on condition. For $900 you can get a pretty decent New York militia rolling block in .50-70 that (in my opinion) is far superior to the trapdoors.
Look at www.trapdoorcollector.com site for a better idea of prices.Robert
Thanks guys.
Good afternoon
I shoot a 1866 50-70 and it is fun... would be ALOT more fun IF the state of ILL would let me shoot deer with it. They are reasonably accurate at 200 yards.
I bought mine some years ago off Gunbroker just watching prices until I saw one coasting through the sale with only one bidder. Got it for $200 less than most sold for.
If I had to choose between the 50-70 models of Trapdoors I qwould opt for the 1868 model as it is less complicated (ejection) and the stocks are LESS prone to crack on the left receiver side. With care the 66 model is OK but you have to remember the left side is thin.
So why did the ARMY choose the trapdoor over the Rollers... The trapdoor could FORCE a cartridge into a dirty chamber easier than a Roller. BUT the Roller is by far a better system !
The Trapdoor also has much greater extraction power than the roller and it ejects as well as extracts. With the quality of the early cartridges the Trapdoor was probably the more reliable military weapon. With improved ammunition the roller is the better rifle for ease and rapidity of loading.
Jerry Liles
I've got a 50/70 and 45/70 Trap and like them both, but the 50 is more fun to shoot in my opinion. I like taking them out to play....lots of smoke and fun
Just curious, but why would the 50 be more fun to shoot. I have a 45-70 and it is fun but I have the long version instead of the carbine and it is a pain sometimes because of the length. I was concidering having it shortened to the carbine length.
Another reason the military went with the trapdoor was cost(surprize, surprize)! They reworked old MLs to make the Trapdoors at a cheaper cost plus I believe they already owned allot of the guns they needed to do the rework.