Still playing with the Trapdoor..

[oldfart1956]

Fellers I'm still piddling around with the 1884 Trapdoor and I'm really enjoying the Trailboss loads. I got to pondering something today that I couldn't find the answer to in "search" so since I don't post much I figgered I'd ask. I've read a lot about reduced loads possibly ringing a chamber. I'm assuming this might also apply to black powder loads. I use a lot of 3fg. Goex in this thing. Some time back they used a reduced 50gr. black powder charge for the carbine models and I've never heard of any problem doing so. I don't recall if this was with the 500gr. slug or the 405gr. slug. I'm casting with the Lee 405hb mould and I sure like shooting the lighter charges (50gr.) better than the full-house loads. Any likelyhood of a problem doing this. Thanks in advance fellers. Audie...the Oldfart..

[13Echo]

Black powder loads potentially can ring the soft steel of the Trapdoor. All govt. loads for the rifle, even the carbine loads used compression or wads to take up any airspace. What I use for a carbine load is 59grs FFg and the Lee 405gr HB bullet seated to crimp over the front band. Very pleasant, no airspace, no wad needed and only slight compression.

Jerry Liles

[varsity07840]

Fellers I'm still piddling around with the 1884 Trapdoor and I'm really enjoying the Trailboss loads. I got to pondering something today that I couldn't find the answer to in "search" so since I don't post much I figgered I'd ask. I've read a lot about reduced loads possibly ringing a chamber. I'm assuming this might also apply to black powder loads. I use a lot of 3fg. Goex in this thing. Some time back they used a reduced 50gr. black powder charge for the carbine models and I've never heard of any problem doing so. I don't recall if this was with the 500gr. slug or the 405gr. slug. I'm casting with the Lee 405hb mould and I sure like shooting the lighter charges (50gr.) better than the full-house loads. Any likelyhood of a problem doing this. Thanks in advance fellers. Audie...the Oldfart..

405 gr. bullet, 55gr. of 2f powder, wads to make up difference from 70 gr. load.

Duane

[Don McDowell]

The original trapdoor carbine load was a 55 gr charge of 1f powder with a cardboad tube and wads to eliminate any airspace under the 405 gr bullet.
If you haven't tried any 1f you might want to , as it is so much bulkier you'll have lighter weight charges, but the velocity and accuracy will be good, but not so much recoil as with the finer grained powders, and no having to mess with large wad stacks.

[NickSS]

The army loaded carbine loads three ways. all used the 405 gr bullet with a hollow base. The first way was with a stack of wads to make up the difference between 70 gr and 55 gr of powder. this was not satisfactory as the wad colum would stick in the hollow base and cause inaccuracy. The next was was with a cardboard tube to reduce case capacity. This worked fine. In the 1880s the army went from copper casings to brass adn the case capacity was less. They changed th cabine load to the same bullet with the same powder charge and only seated the bullet deaper in the case to take up air space. Today I make what I call chicken loads using 45 gr of FFFG and a 500 gr bullets.with Pufflon to take up air space. This is accurate to 200 yards and much less recoil than full power loads.

[oldfart1956]

Thanks fellers! Audie...