Can anyone Identify a Trapdoor barrel for me??

[Bnt55]

I have a US Model 1884 Trapdoor barrel that I am going to eventually build, but I am having a hard time finding info on it. The caliber is .45-70 and the serial number is 454785. The goofy part is the 32" octagon barrel, all the old military rifles are smooth round barrels? Can some help out or point me in the right direction please.

[1Hawkeye]

Trapdoor barrels have always been round from the arsenal. Someone has rebarreled it during its history. If you go on the Springfield armory nps website you can look up your serial number to see what month and year of production.

[tdoor4570]

Go to trapdoorcollectors .com there you can find out info on your trapdoor the serial number in on the action not the barrel it has been rebarreled at some time . hope this points you in the right direction. tdoor4570.

[Bnt55]

Interesting, well whoever did it, did a fantastic job it is practically seamless. I did read somewhere that KY long rifles were used when they moved from percussion to the trapdoor design, could this be a cut down black powder barrel from an old black powder Kentucky long rifle? Are these guns strictly black powder or do you guys use smokeless powder for reloading the .45-70?

[bedbugbilly]

This will help you date the serial number

http://npshistory.com/publications/spar/serial-nos.pdf

An interesting barrel for sure!

It has been many years ago, but I had a friend who had a trap-door rifle in his collection with and octagon. IIRC . . his had a Model 1873 breech and the barrel was a heavy octagon barrel and probably 22" to 24" in length. The breech was obviously an arsenal breech with the Model stamp and serial number . . but everything else about the rifle was "civilian". It had a walnut stock, a steel crescent buttplate and a short firearm - i.e. not full length and no cleaning rod. I remember it striking me as looking like a rolling block but with a trap door action It obviously was an old build but everything about it made you think of a carbine that could be carried in a scabbard on horseback.

How is the bore on it? If not good, seems like a good candidate for a Bobby Hoyt re-line. That ought to make an awesome build - hope you can find out something on it.

Another thought . . . . someone may have bought the barrel years ago from Bannermans and rebarreled it. At one time, Bannermans had so many surplus 45-70 barrels the they used them as re-rod when they pour the cement piers on Bannermans Island. I have a ramrod bayonet style barrel that a friend gave me that he picked p when he went to see Bannermans Island probably thirty years ago . . . the cement pies were crumbling and the rusted 45-70 barrels were fully exposed.

[kootne]

There were some converted to sporting rifle in the early 1880's by Schuyler, Hartley, & Graham of New York. They seem to have been done as a lot because they all have the same characteristics; Octagon barrel (30" by memory), ebony filler in ramrod slot, reshaped and thinned buttstock and buttplate, checkered wrist, schnable for-arm, barrel band replaced with a screw into barrel and dovetailed sights. In either 45/70 and 40/70 straight I think. They are the ones pictured in old Meacham ads along with Meacham Sharps. Of course, there have been many done by others onesy-twosy before and since.

[Bnt55]

From what I can see using a flashlight, the bore is in pristine condition with full clear rifling all the way. This is going to be a fun build, just the barrel and trapdoor action alone weighs 7 lbs 6.5 oz. I have heard that there are replica parts available for these rifles, someone mentioned that Hawkin rifle kits for blackpowder work as well (not sure how accurate that is)

[toot]

and the top barrel flat comes up a dead center. a fantastic job!! let me know how to prints if you shoot it?