I recently acquired this Peabody rifle in a trade after looking for about a year to find a single shot 45-70 to use in my club's cast bullet matches. I was considering some trapdoors and rolling blocks, both antique and repro, but none of them spoke to me until this one. It's not a real carbine, rather a cut down Connecticut militia rifle, but I am very happy with the configuration and condition. The Connecticut contract guns were the only factory produced Peabodys in 45-70 that I'm aware of. Most of the rest were 43 Spanish or rimfires. It would be a crime to alter one of these today, but what's done is done on this one, and frankly I far prefer the 24-inch barrel to a full-length rifle. It's really in outstanding condition with a perfect bore and locks up like a vault.
I live in WI not far from where the company that was making the Peabody reproductions is located, and the guy I got it from actually worked there building those rifles. He told me that when they were in development he tested one of their rifles by firing a 45-70 case filled with IMR 4064 through an obstructed bore as a proof load. They estimated it was 70,000 psi and bulged the barrel but didn't damage the action. I don't intend to try that myself! I will be using some trapdoor loads I already have but intend mainly to shoot my own cast blackpowder loads in it.