New to me .50/70 Govt trapdoor springfield was traded for today.

[koger]

Got a call from my LGS today, asked if I still had the Henry 45/70 that I poste on here recently, I told him affirmative. He then proceeded to tell me he had a customer wanting on, that had an original 50/70 trapdoor to trade for it. I thanked him and boogied on up there. The gun was in pretty good shape, for its age, I guess. It had a crack between the lock screws on the stock, the rest of the stock is tight and correct. The barrel was without finish, which most of them were finished in the white, as far as the 50/70's go, if I recollect correctly. All the metal was between a gray/light brown patina. The action had several light pits around on it, small, but several of them. I dropped a light down the bore, expecting the worst, when to my surprise, I found a pristine bore! Nice and shiny, well defined rifling. I continued to give it a look over, everything worked as it should. I asked him what he was thinking. He then produced 20 rounds loaded, new, that he had ordered from some online place , with 2 empties. He said he would trade straight up. I reluctantly gave in and traded, just because the bore was son dang nice, I am heading out the door to shoot it in a few minutes with a report later this evening. I am into the rifle for cheap, so I can live with the issues. If it shoots great, I will probably buy another stock for it, and clean it up some.

[koger]

Well I got the 50/70 out and shot some, over my 4 wheeler seat, at about 80yds. There is a road thru my field, and there was a fist sized quartz rock just shining in the sun, glittering and just begging to be shot. I shot the rifle with the sights all the way down, and the front sight line up at 6 oclock with the rock on top. I was shooting some commercial loads with black powder. The first shot took the top half of the rock off and dug a hole in the ground, churning up some mud. The second shot at what was left of the rock generated a sparkling shower of quartz crystal as the rock vaporized. For the next 2 shots, I dead centered two dried up cow flops at 120, and 140yd. I cleaned the barrel when done, dropped a light down it and those big flat 3 grooves and lands are very shiny and clean, well defined. I am a happy campers, just thought I would share.

[Jniedbalski]

Sounds like a nice rifle

[ndnchf]

What model - 1866, 1868, 1870?

[koger]

1868 Model, stamped on the breech.

[varsity07840]

1868 Model, stamped on the breech.
Judging by what a Henry .45-70 goes for on Cabela's, you got the better of that trade. If your rifle is in as issued configuration, as in not bubba'd and is stamped 1868, then you have a rare example. Very few Model 1868s were actually built in 1868. Post some pics if you can. Do not shoot smokeless ammo out of it, if you choose to continue shooting it at all.

[Texas by God]

You definitely got the good side of that trade! Text me some pics and I'll post them,, Amigo.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Yellowhouse]

Theres an article on your rifle in the May 2020 issue of Rifle Magazine.

[varsity07840]

Theres an article on your rifle in the May 2020 issue of Rifle Magazine.

That's an 1866. Much different receiver and breech block.

[Texas by God]

Koger's trapdoor. So cool!
I want a 50-70 or a .577 bad. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200410/494d36d99804d0363f03d92e09732543.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200410/0c5d565783d9f3f463e666ca972dbd2a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200410/1429cf370bdd885ad127b294800fc3b7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200410/0882c50c8eb45525900d9cd30ede0f81.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200410/45cdd82373b86e17728f3be8bc00608f.jpg

[ndnchf]

Yep, looks like a M1868. I've got one too. Great fun to shoot. So is my .58 Robert's Remington rolling block. The .50-70 abd .58 Roberts are both great fun at the range.

[koger]

ndnchf, I commented on facebook yesterday about that Rem roller you have, I had never heard of a .58 Roberts. Was this a factory round?Thomas thanks for posting pics.

[koger]

I have brass and a mold on the way, already had dies that I use for my 12.7x44R Husqvarna. I am 3 trades into this one, but into it cheap. I figure one like this, with a really good bore, should be worth $700-750. There are a bunch of pits around the actiona and bottom half ot the barrel, where you would carry it, but the top 2/3 of the barrel is in good shape. The stock is solid,except for the crack shown, which I have since fixed with acraglass. It has the cleaning rod also. The buttplate is proud, and the stock don't look to be refinished, it may just have shrunk from drying that much the last 150 years.

[ndnchf]

Koger- yes it was loaded by Remington, perhaps others like C. D. Leets as well. You will love shooting that trapdoor, but it will likely shoot high at 50 - 100 yards. The were sighted to hit a man much further out.

[Tom Herman]

Do not shoot smokeless ammo out of it, if you choose to continue shooting it at all.

Excellent rifle! I LOVE my Model 1868, built in 1869... I would have made that deal all day long...
Smokeless works fine, as long as you give it good thought: You want a mild load, and a powder that duplicates the pressure and rise time of FF Black Powder... I use Accurate 5744, which doesn't have position sensitivity issues, nor does it require the use fillers (which can be a really bad thing!).
Best of Luck with your rifle! I really enjoy mine, and about 90% of my shooting is with smokeless as mentioned...

-Tom

[1Hawkeye]

Nice trapdoor. I learned with my rolling block that the only drawback to a .50 Gov't is it sure eats up your lead supply.

[koger]

Hawkeye, I have the lead situation covered, I have a little over 3 ton put back. I have one ton alloyed up in lyman ingots for centerfire calibers.

[hpbear101]

260339

I like the Lee bullet for my 1868, very similar to the original.

Tom

[gunther]

Look around in the area of the stock crack. If the inspector's stamp is still visible, think twice about refinishing.

[varsity07840]

260339

I like the Lee bullet for my 1868, very similar to the original.

Tom

I agree. With the 1:42 twist in the TD, the Lee is the go to bullet. Croft Barker suggests using a bullet under 1" in length in that twist and the Lee fits the bill. I shot my '68 a couple of days ago.

[15meter]

I've got an 1870, I use the Lee boolit over 5744, the load came straight from an Accurate manual.

Boolit sized @ .515.

Fun gun to shoot.

Except for the 57 lb. trigger pull.