Trap door help
- Thread starter walter o
- Start date
OFT II
US Veteran
What's wrong? No front sight and a rifle trigger guard, likely a cut down rifle.
OP
serian number on the project gun
S/N is 286932 Like i said it has been re blued barrel not buffed that heavily but the lock plate almost all of the stamping buffed off. I got the stock stripped and i can just make out some impression on the left side behind the lock screws it is a beautiful piece of walnut so i spliced a piece that i had to use for grips ,and it came out great .Took the block of walnut turned a round plug on 1 end about 1 1/4 long ,cut the stock at the barrel band an squared it up .Drilled a corresponding hole in the stock to match the plug on the block , glued the block to the stock and left it clamped for 24 hrs It is solid as a rock and i started to shape it to blend to the stock .Things are going better than i thought it would .
S/N is 286932 Like i said it has been re blued barrel not buffed that heavily but the lock plate almost all of the stamping buffed off. I got the stock stripped and i can just make out some impression on the left side behind the lock screws it is a beautiful piece of walnut so i spliced a piece that i had to use for grips ,and it came out great .Took the block of walnut turned a round plug on 1 end about 1 1/4 long ,cut the stock at the barrel band an squared it up .Drilled a corresponding hole in the stock to match the plug on the block , glued the block to the stock and left it clamped for 24 hrs It is solid as a rock and i started to shape it to blend to the stock .Things are going better than i thought it would .
OP
serian number on the project gun
S/N is 286932 Like i said it has been re blued barrel not buffed that heavily but the lock plate almost all of the stamping buffed off. I got the stock stripped and i can just make out some impression on the left side behind the lock screws it is a beautiful piece of walnut so i spliced a piece that i had to use for grips ,and it came out great .Took the block of walnut turned a round plug on 1 end about 1 1/4 long ,cut the stock at the barrel band an squared it up .Drilled a corresponding hole in the stock to match the plug on the block , glued the block to the stock and left it clamped for 24 hrs It is solid as a rock and i started to shape it to blend to the stock .Things are going better than i thought it would .
S/N is 286932 Like i said it has been re blued barrel not buffed that heavily but the lock plate almost all of the stamping buffed off. I got the stock stripped and i can just make out some impression on the left side behind the lock screws it is a beautiful piece of walnut so i spliced a piece that i had to use for grips ,and it came out great .Took the block of walnut turned a round plug on 1 end about 1 1/4 long ,cut the stock at the barrel band an squared it up .Drilled a corresponding hole in the stock to match the plug on the block , glued the block to the stock and left it clamped for 24 hrs It is solid as a rock and i started to shape it to blend to the stock .Things are going better than i thought it would .
jag312
Member
Obviously a cut down rifle. It sold for $2900 + 19% bidder's premium + shipping and/or sales tax. For a cut down rifle selling for that amount at an auction, you need at least two people with more money than brains and with absolutely no idea of what was being auctioned.
My Grand Dad ordered this one from Bannermans back about 1900. He figured he'd better have a gun of some sort if he was gonna homestead in Wyoming.
They built a home stead and he put the rifle in the barn and never touched it or fired it. I found it after grandparents moved to town in 1947. I was too young to be playing with a real rifle, so my Dad put it in the saddle room in our barn.
I grew up and forgot about it until I moved back to the ranch in 1979.
There wasn't much left. Found an unfired rifle barrel and cut it down a bunch. Replaced the rifle stock. Fiber glassed the action and free floated the barrel.
I've actually got less than a $100 in the gun.
Two antelope, two mule deer, and an elk later, I decided I had a winner.
I have a Shiloh Sharps 45-70 too, but I like the Trapdoor a leetle bit better.
They built a home stead and he put the rifle in the barn and never touched it or fired it. I found it after grandparents moved to town in 1947. I was too young to be playing with a real rifle, so my Dad put it in the saddle room in our barn.
I grew up and forgot about it until I moved back to the ranch in 1979.
There wasn't much left. Found an unfired rifle barrel and cut it down a bunch. Replaced the rifle stock. Fiber glassed the action and free floated the barrel.
I've actually got less than a $100 in the gun.
Two antelope, two mule deer, and an elk later, I decided I had a winner.
I have a Shiloh Sharps 45-70 too, but I like the Trapdoor a leetle bit better.
Last edited:
OP
progress report on 45/70
Stock addition complete and finished .Not to look like a new gun it has some dings and bruises.Made and installed the new extension on the fore end to bring it to carbine length. Did not sand the stock just stripped the alligator varnish and 40 steel wool to make it shine ,then birch wood casey stock finish to bring out the beautiful grain and the inspectors cartouch.Did not silver solder on a new front sight .Cut a dovetail and made a new sight with a changeable blade .For now some cold blueing will hold it for a while
While i find the saddle staple and ring.Remember it a shooter not a show gun it is something to have fun with
http:
//i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb133/sharpsslantbreach/ivory%20grips%20020_zpskkpm6e6t.jpg
Stock addition complete and finished .Not to look like a new gun it has some dings and bruises.Made and installed the new extension on the fore end to bring it to carbine length. Did not sand the stock just stripped the alligator varnish and 40 steel wool to make it shine ,then birch wood casey stock finish to bring out the beautiful grain and the inspectors cartouch.Did not silver solder on a new front sight .Cut a dovetail and made a new sight with a changeable blade .For now some cold blueing will hold it for a while
While i find the saddle staple and ring.Remember it a shooter not a show gun it is something to have fun with
http:
//i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb133/sharpsslantbreach/ivory%20grips%20020_zpskkpm6e6t.jpg
Frank Barnes wrote about a smokeless load for the trapdoor as a 500 gr. bullet in front of 38 gr of H4895 in the Gun Digest in 1973 or 76. The OAL of the cartridge is .2" longer than the 405 gr. load. It has held 2.25" at 200 yds from an original 1884 with its buffington sight. Chronographs 1310 fps from that rifle and is close enough to the originals 1315 fps of the original. This is at your own risk of course. The .2" additional length is vital to the comfort or lack thereof for the shooter.
Regards,
Tam 3
Regards,
Tam 3
I had a real nice one. My gunsmith made it up for a guy here in
town. Started will a nice rifle, cut barrel to carbine length, put on
new sights, reblued and restocked in style of a Gemmer Sharps.
I did shoot a few factory 405g Feds.- but shot 330 cast HPs /BP
at Targets. Smith made second one for the guy, indentical style
but rebarreled to 38/55. Have been waiting for family to sell that
one, I'm 1st in line. The military had a Carbine load issued for
Trapdoors, a little less powder, forget what it was offhand. With
Rem Rolling Block 45/70, original action BP, rebarrel with Numerick Buffalo Kit, carbine style, I shot 405 cast/ Unique
with Dacron filler, for LV target loads.
town. Started will a nice rifle, cut barrel to carbine length, put on
new sights, reblued and restocked in style of a Gemmer Sharps.
I did shoot a few factory 405g Feds.- but shot 330 cast HPs /BP
at Targets. Smith made second one for the guy, indentical style
but rebarreled to 38/55. Have been waiting for family to sell that
one, I'm 1st in line. The military had a Carbine load issued for
Trapdoors, a little less powder, forget what it was offhand. With
Rem Rolling Block 45/70, original action BP, rebarrel with Numerick Buffalo Kit, carbine style, I shot 405 cast/ Unique
with Dacron filler, for LV target loads.
da gimp
Member
You really had to be tough to fire that infantry load of 700 grs of black powder... it was heavily compressed I think...& used a 12 foot drop tube to help get in a longer than usual case.... but it musta been a hum dinger of a bear load... ( grins from Missouri..)
Back in them days the Troopers couldn't weigh over 165 pounds to keep from overloading their horses.
That infantry round knocked them little fellers around pretty bad. Ya talk about developin' a flinch.
With only 12 rounds of practice ammo per year, it's no wonder they weren't terribly good shots with that carbine.
That infantry round knocked them little fellers around pretty bad. Ya talk about developin' a flinch.
With only 12 rounds of practice ammo per year, it's no wonder they weren't terribly good shots with that carbine.
Ivan the Butcher
Member
I think you will find the rifle load was a 500 grain bullet instead of a 700! The 500 is a butt kicker, I can't imagine what a 700 would feel like. The largest mold for 45 caliber rifles I have is 540 grains (usually casts at about 560) and it looks like you are loading a lead tree log!
In modern cases you can only get about 65 to 67 grains of FFFg Black powder under a 500 LRN and still make proper cartridge overall length.
I know that H-4895 load is considered safe, but in a 140 year old Black Powder rifle, it sure scares me!
I have a 1873 Carbine. It is considered a Custer or Little Big Horn gun as the SN is right at the cut off. An authentic carbine butt stock has no hole drilled for a cleaning kit and the butt plate has no door. The Lock has an extra click also. (If an original is in really good condition, be suspicious! It could have been unissued, but in early models that is very unlikely!)
Many originals have "Field" installed sling swivels (more like little "D" rings, on the barrel band), these are sometimes really nice, and sometimes really bad, but they are part of that gun's history and are to be left on the gun. The Hollywood movies don't show how much walking really went on in the cavalry! (Horses are a very big target! and were often injured otherwise.) The 7th Kansas Cav. complained that the 7th U.S. Cav. commandeered all their horses on a 1874 campaign. (many felt that's why Custer took them along!)
Ivan
In modern cases you can only get about 65 to 67 grains of FFFg Black powder under a 500 LRN and still make proper cartridge overall length.
I know that H-4895 load is considered safe, but in a 140 year old Black Powder rifle, it sure scares me!
I have a 1873 Carbine. It is considered a Custer or Little Big Horn gun as the SN is right at the cut off. An authentic carbine butt stock has no hole drilled for a cleaning kit and the butt plate has no door. The Lock has an extra click also. (If an original is in really good condition, be suspicious! It could have been unissued, but in early models that is very unlikely!)
Many originals have "Field" installed sling swivels (more like little "D" rings, on the barrel band), these are sometimes really nice, and sometimes really bad, but they are part of that gun's history and are to be left on the gun. The Hollywood movies don't show how much walking really went on in the cavalry! (Horses are a very big target! and were often injured otherwise.) The 7th Kansas Cav. complained that the 7th U.S. Cav. commandeered all their horses on a 1874 campaign. (many felt that's why Custer took them along!)
Ivan
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