Springfield Mod 1873

[omgb]

I was teaching a Hunter Ed class today and got a chance to try some new loads in an origninal 1873 Trapdoor. A friend of mine owns it and it's a bute. The barrel is still sharp and fresh and even the stock cartouch is still visible. Previously this rifle refused to group. Nothing seemed to work. Then I loaded up this batch and I got two groups at 100 yards were 4 of five shots were touching. The load was :

RP cases, 22 grns of AA 5744, CCI 200 primers and an LBT 520 grn LFN at .460 lubed with LBT soft blue. The lead was wheel weights. The load had very moderate recoil though it did slap my sheek each time I fired it. (my six foot 3 inch frame was not made for this rifle)

This particular gun has all matching numebrs and rolled off the line in 1875. Can you imagine, 131 years later and it's shooting clover leafs at 100 yards. Damn trigger must be 10 lbs it it's an ounce. I wish I had that gun, shooting it was great. I was even able to hit the 400 yard gong with it two out of three times.

[Buckshot]

.................Pedersoli makes a repro for less then what an original in vg-excellent condition would run these days. They sure are nice rifles, and no doubt.

...............Buckshot

[13Echo]

Try the catalog section at Al Frasca's site. You can get a decent shooter Springfield for less than you might expect. I have a beautiful 1884 that is a great shooter and it cost less than a reproduction. Of course loading for these old Soldiers is, as you discovered, different from modern (post 1898) rifles.

http://www.trapdoorcollector.com/springfieldarms.html

Also I would recommend Spence Wolf's book on loading for the Trapdoor. It's a rambler but a delightful read and full of information on lading and sighting.

Jerry Liles

[hydraulic]

OMBG: If that rifle was made in 1875 and did not go throught the revisions most did, it is a very scarce and valuable rifle. I cringe when I hear you were shooting smokeless loads. What were the initials in the cartouche?

[omgb]

I honestly don't recall. However, the serial number puts it at 1875 manufactur. All parts are in good shape. No rust, no case hardening left on the latch:( but the barrel free from external mottling and speckling, there are no pits and the inside of the barrel is free from pits with nice sharp rifling.

AA5744 is not going to hurt that gun. You can feel that the load is very mild. Smokeless is the powder the owner wanted and he specifically said NO BP so, what's a guy to do?