1888 Springfield Trapdoor - Birthday Present to ME!

About two years ago I made a post on this forum asking about an 1873 Springfield Trapdoor that I was looking at. Was in fair condition and after reading some well placed comments and my gut check I decided to pass. Bought the Joe Poyer book about the same time and just today found an 1888 in great condition and pulled the trigger. Was my birthday last week and I decided to finally scratch that itch. It does have a dark brown reddish tint to the wood but I read somewhere that this is normal? Bore is shiny and sharp. Thought I would share with my fellow enablers as "I want ya to know, I'm prouder than a game rooster". Pictures below. Now to get some loads made up and test 'er out. Listing molds I have below if anyone wants to post their favorites as I look at working up a load. I do already load for 45-70 in a Handi rifle and a Marlin 1895.

Molds in my collection -
Lee 457-340-F
RCBS 45-325-FNU
RCBS 45-300-FN
Lyman 457124AV
IDEAL 457125
Lyman 457132CV


Original Thread -
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/arch.../t-297831.html

Pics
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gs0x96bfya...%20PM.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/woucvdamrz...%20PM.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9ms8kyrb02...%20PM.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/tn6yyxq3um...%20PM.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/icwokj5rx6...%20PM.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dq1yhycr7d...%20PM.jpg?dl=0

Kev

looks a lot like mine, fun to shoot and it throws one heck of a chunk of lead.

Ideally, you should slug your bore to get a groove/groove diameter. However, measuring the slug is difficult if not impossible without a special micrometer. My guess is that all your moulds are too small unless they cast way oversize. Most TDs run bigger than the "normal" .458 groove, usually around .461. My suggestion would be a Lee 405 hollow base which will cast .460-.461. It's also an inexpensive mould. Load it as cast, without an overpower wad.

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Originally Posted by varsity07840

Ideally, you should slug your bore to get a groove/groove diameter. However, measuring the slug is difficult if not impossible without a special micrometer. My guess is that all your moulds are too small unless they cast way oversize. Most TDs run bigger than the "normal" .458 groove, usually around .461. My suggestion would be a Lee 405 hollow base which will cast .460-.461. It's also an inexpensive mould. Load it as cast, without an overpower wad.

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Have slugged lots of my rifles and will slug this one as well. **Edit- Reread your post varsity amd realized you were referring to a v anvil micrometer (which I do not possess) - thanks for the solid advice** Just got it home a couple hours ago. If the bore turns up a bit large for my molds I could always PC but feels a bit sacriligious to PC for a trapdoor...lol!

Load bp for my 44-40's and not opposed to this route in the trapdoor.

Will get her slugged in a bit and see what I have.

Very nice, Trapdoors are a lot of fun. You might find my load information in this thread useful;


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-and-Equipment

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Originally Posted by Larry Gibson

Very nice, Trapdoors are a lot of fun. You might find my load information in this thread useful;


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-and-Equipment

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Great read and great post. Thank you. Will pore over the information found within and proceed accordingly.

Measuring them boolits is a piece of cake. Strip of soda can or shim stock, whatever around slug. Wrap and pinch, one strip per side, whatever floats your boat. Material thickness x 2 from dimension = pretty darn close.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gtek

Measuring them boolits is a piece of cake. Strip of soda can or shim stock, whatever around slug. Wrap and pinch, one strip per side, whatever floats your boat. Material thickness x 2 from dimension = pretty darn close.

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Copy that, makes sense.

Kevanakg:

M1888 trapdoor rifles tend to be a bit larger bores than M1884 or M173 rifles, Most that I have slugged were in the .461-464 groove diameter instead of .460-461 like the earlier models. The Lee .459-406HB mule usually drops slugs near .463-463 diameter and will work fine for your rifle. Fill the lube grooves with a good black powder lube like SPG or 50/50 bee's wax/Lard and load with 60 grains of FFg black powder or 21 grains of IMR 4198 and an over powder/under bullet wad. Your gun will shoot great as the M1888 saw little use and was mostly held in reserve. They are great shooters!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by curator

Kevanakg:

M1888 trapdoor rifles tend to be a bit larger bores than M1884 or M173 rifles, Most that I have slugged were in the .461-464 groove diameter instead of .460-461 like the earlier models. The Lee .459-406HB mule usually drops slugs near .463-463 diameter and will work fine for your rifle. Fill the lube grooves with a good black powder lube like SPG or 50/50 bee's wax/Lard and load with 60 grains of FFg black powder or 21 grains of IMR 4198 and an over powder/under bullet wad. Your gun will shoot great as the M1888 saw little use and was mostly held in reserve. They are great shooters!

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Already have the mold on order in fact thanks to good advice on this thread. Largest sizing die I have is 461 but can always use as they drop. Have some NASA lube I use for my 44-40 bp loads as well which I have had great luck with.

Thanks, nice information in your post!