5 Attachment(s)
1884 Trapdoor Woods Sporter
When I got this Trapdoor rifle the barrel was already cut to 24" and the stock had been cut back to a stub and there were no sights. I attached a front sight base with JB Weld and a Krag 1902 rear sight with one screw just to try shooting it and then put it away for awhile. Last year I took it out again and looking at it the barrel seemed a bit gangly for the shortened stock so I checked out the proportion of barrel to stock of the Trapdoor Carbine and decided to cut the barrel back to 20" to get the same look and better handling. The barrel was filed flat and an RCBS chamfering tool used to clean up the crown.
Attachment 284417 Attachment 284418 Attachment 284421
To replace the temporary rear sight I made a simple sight that would use the tang screw and not require any further alteration and would work nicely in the woods.
Attachment 284419 Attachment 284420
An old feeler gauge body was used for the forward portion with the pieces held together with JB Weld and the elevation screw and one of the thicker gauge fingers allowed flex for the adjustments to be made. A Williams sight eyepiece is held in place by two size 00 faucet washes that were softened a bit in a microwave to accept the eyepiece that is now held securely in place. The rubber washes also match the contour of the feeler gauge body piece. The sight is the same width as the tang and sits centered over it.
I developed a hunting load using a LEE 459-405-HB and 24.0gr IMR4227 topped with a .75gr puff of dacron which chronographed at a comfortable 1120fps. Took it hunting in VT several days this past season but didn't get a shot. One day I met a local hunter at the end of the day and as we chatted I noticed he kept looking down at the rifle but didn't ask about it. You don't see many 20" Trapdoors in the deer woods these days but this one is definitely going back.
