Bit by the trapdoor bug

[Paul_R]

I've been wanting a vintage black powder cartridge rifle to go with my modern Marlin levers and Winchester single shot. Those dang rollers cost a fortune for anything worth looking at in an American caliber and I always thought those trapdoors were the ugliest things ever made but they grew on me over time till I finally had to have one.

Enter my big score, a M1888 made in 1893. One of the last Springfield's made. Good stock with a '93 cartouche, tight crisp action, color case still visible and even vivid in some places, no rust or pitting anywhere just patina, all bluing is gone. Looks to be all original with a MINT bore! Should be a shooter I'll let ya know!

[joefrank64k]

Congrats! It looks great.

I love mine...fun to shoot and easy to reload.

[DevNull Ogre]

Congrats, that's a good looking rifle!

[vhram]

congrats looks great !

[pitfighter]

Great stuff! - love that you are shooting it and using it - way to go!
Nice pictures, too.

[RHT447]

Well done, sir. And with a ramrod bayonet to boot. Not too many of those still in captivity. Mine is an 1884 model. Also have an 1879 Remington-Lee (Navy with crossed anchors). I shoot both rifles with my own cast boolits.

Heh. If you don't have time to set the rifle on the bench and grab the binos to watch your own impact, your target is too close. Long range mortar fire. Great fun!

[Enfield47]

Congrats, sounds like you have a winner. I love those old eagle stamps and that bayonet too.

[DesertWalker]

Sometimes ugly is very cool....No rust, mint bore...YOU SCORED!

Rollers.....I want one too, but dang rollers are out of my price range. Does not hurt to look, though.

[ChrisC]

I love trapdoors. Mine is a newer version Springfield 45/70, but still love it. And when loaded with a full blackpowder load it makes some good noise and shoots great.

[SanPedroShooter]

I have the same one. Very minty. The bore is like a mirror except two big gouges that look like the spot a cleaning rod would hit going down.

I load and cast for mine too. It's a great rifle, I wouldn't want to fight with it though...

Check out JS Wolfs book on hand loading for it. A whole chapter on how to use the complicated sights too.

The army decided they would improve marksmanship and they meant it..

[saki302]

What loads were you shooting?

I've had success with reduced smokeless loads (some using filler).

I recently bought a restorer 1884 rifle- turned in a sub 3" group at 50 yards with two different ammo types off an unsteady rest (15 shot?). It'll probably do better if I really want to test it

-Dave

[sfsppe]

I'm looking to add a trapdoor to my collection soon!