Question for one

[looseprojectile]

of you that squanders your hard earned money on books instead of/in addition to guns.
I see an H&R 45 70 trapdoor rifle at the local gunshow. It is the one with checkering and sporter looking stock. Has the wood ram rod below the barrel.
It is in new condition. Should I want it for $650.00 ? Course that is what he is asking, might go for $600.00 . I should probably invest in a couple of books that have gun values but I see that they go out of date real quick. Thanks for any input.

Life is good

[Hardcast416taylor]

I saw an officers model still in the box go for $550 just last month at a show. Robert

[cajun shooter]

In the world of gun buying and trading I've come up with this. If the buyer is happy and the seller is happy then it was a good deal. I had a unfired Ruger SBH that I put on this forum for sale. Not one inquiry in two weeks. I put it in my local paper and sold it to the first caller. I could have sold that gun over 20 times as I was flooded with calls. It all depends on your area and what is available there. A gun will sit in one part of the country and be snatched up in another.

[looseprojectile]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of BPCR shooters in my neck of the woods.
That particular rifle doesn't fit into any useful category as far as target shooting, though it does have good sights. Could use it for hunting.
Those kinds of guns are slow moovers here. Maybe $550.00 is a little more reasonable, but that rifle is sooooo beautiful. Damn sickness.
Thank you guys for the reality check. I already have two 45 caliber rifles.

Life is good

[cajun shooter]

I wanted that gun in the mid 70's when they were built. It's either a wall hanger or hunting rifle. It has no application in any BPCR sport. It is nice looking and handles well.

[HEAD0001]

I saw two of them sell here in WV for $700. I bought mine about 12 years ago. I think I gave $600 for it when I bought mine. Tom.

[StrawHat]

Just a "Heads Up"

H&R copied most of the Trapdoor faithfully but they somehow goofed onthe geometry of the cam that holds the action shut. On some of them, the cam can pop after teh shot and open the action. I believe the parts can be swapped out with originals but I am not sure. I have no first hand knowledge of this as I have not owned one but was told this by one of the fellows at the Log Cabin Shop. Perhaps a check with some of the Trapdoor collectors for a better grasp of the problem.

[Don McDowell]

That's not a bad price for one of those, if you want it, and can swing the money, then do it. Wouldn't hurt to offer less and see if you can get it.

There's quite a few bpcr shooters in your part of the world , just keep lookin....

[pietro]

$600 ? ? I sold my H&R Officer's Model for $650, over 25 years ago - so IMO, it's a real decent buy - regardless of some hearsay "deal" that YOU'RE never going to see or lay your hands on.

If I had a NIB example, I sure wouldn't be turning it loose for less then $750 anytime soon.

.

[looseprojectile]

I think it is going to be the door buster special Saturday morning at the show next month. Why is it that some guns sing that siren song?
And I thought I was too old for this crap.

Life is good

[Uncle R.]

Just a "Heads Up"

H&R copied most of the Trapdoor faithfully but they somehow goofed onthe geometry of the cam that holds the action shut. On some of them, the cam can pop after teh shot and open the action. I believe the parts can be swapped out with originals but I am not sure. I have no first hand knowledge of this as I have not owned one but was told this by one of the fellows at the Log Cabin Shop. Perhaps a check with some of the Trapdoor collectors for a better grasp of the problem.

I've seen it with my own eyes - a guy was shooting factory 300 gr loads (Pretty stiff for a trapdoor!) in an H&R trapdoor at our club and the gun would unlock with every shot although there was no gas leakage. (Danged if I know why not.) With factory 405 gr loads it stayed latched.
I don't know the reason behind it - but it does happen sometimes.
Uncle R.

[pietro]

H&R evidently had personell used to working on economy-grade Handi's also doing the Trapdoors - and either had a bad batch of breechblocks (I never had issue one with mine), or made some "Monday" and/or "Friday" guns.

Shooters, that had an auto-ejecting H&R Trapdoor, simply replaced the breechblock with an issue SA (surplus) breechblock to "disappear" the problem.

Here's a link to a GBO thread on the issue:

http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.php?topic=3085.0

.

[longhorn]

There's also an American Rifleman (short) article from some years ago detailing a home fix for the problem. Mine was a fine, handy shooter with nary a breechblock problem, but it went on down the road for something I guess I just had to have.....