1878 trap/door restore ?

[buckweet]

hello guys.

i have an original trapdoor 45/70 rifle.

pretty fair shape.

stock, has a small crack in it, the rear sight is pretty stiff, but im keeping it oiled up.

wondering ? who to contact ? if i ever get the funds to restore it ?

its been in our family over a 100 years.

[elk hunter]

Buckweet;

Just get on the internet and search "Trapdoor Springfield" you'll find lots of information and available parts. Generally you'll find trapdoors like cast bullets of .460 to .462 diameter. I prefer 4198 powder and 400 to 500 grain bullets for mine, but black is also fun. Try it, I guarantee you'll like it.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Try these 2 sites for help.

1) www.trapdoors.com

2) www.trapdoorcollector.com

Good luck. Robert

[Boz330]

Buckweet;

Just get on the internet and search "Trapdoor Springfield" you'll find lots of information and available parts. Generally you'll find trapdoors like cast bullets of .360 to .362 diameter. I prefer 4198 powder and 400 to 500 grain bullets for mine, but black is also fun. Try it, I guarantee you'll like it.

You do mean .460 to .462 don't you? A 500gr .360 boolit would be about a foot and a half long.

Bob

[Bull Schmitt]

Buckweet,

I think you will find that you have an 1873 Trapdoor. The "3" is hard to read and is frequently misread as an "8". The 1873 model is considered by some to be more of a blackpowder rifle than the later 1884 model. I shoot only blackpowder in my 1873 models. YMMV.

Bull

[buckweet]

Buckweet,

I think you will find that you have an 1873 Trapdoor. The "3" is hard to read and is frequently misread as an "8". The 1873 model is considered by some to be more of a blackpowder rifle than the later 1884 model. I shoot only blackpowder in my 1873 models. YMMV.

Bull

excuse me... i stand corrected, your right.. i knew that, just slipped my mind.

thanks guys for the replys, and links


weet

[opentop]

its been in our family over a 100 years.

I wouldn't restore it. It's worth more and I would keep it as is for its historical value.

[NickSS]

I would not restore it but cleaning it and replacing lost or broken parts as well as fixing the stock crack is OK. Just do not reblue or sand and refinish the stock (steaming out dents is OK but use boiled linseed oil to finish the stock with none of the more modern stock finishes. Actually BLO on the stock will probably help as the wood is probably dried out and the army used to have their troops put a coat of Blo on their stocks about once a year.

[DeadWood]

Buckweet,

I think you will find that you have an 1873 Trapdoor. The "3" is hard to read and is frequently misread as an "8". The 1873 model is considered by some to be more of a blackpowder rifle than the later 1884 model. I shoot only blackpowder in my 1873 models. YMMV.

Bull

interested in this also. would like to find out more on your statement of when/what type of powder to use? mines a 1884

[Bull Schmitt]

Deadwood,

There is a discussion on another thread that probably has the kind of info you are looking for:

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...ad.php?t=73896

Some consider the 1884 Model to be stronger than the 1873 Model. However both were developed and designed during the black powder era. It is my understanding that SOME modern commercial cartridges loaded with smokeless are safe to use in a trapdoor. Some modern 45-70 cartridge boxes will be marked "not for use in Trapdoor Springfields". Modern jacketed bullets ARE NOT recommend because of wearing the soft barrel metal.

Plenty of info here:

http://www.trapdoorcollector.com/

http://www.frfrogspad.com/springfi.htm

Bull