Help with a trapdoor

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KDS

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Hey guys, I just picked up my first Springfield Trapdoor. I think its an 1884. The bore doesn't have much rifling left but it locks up tight and will be a nice addition to my US battle rifle collection. I want to shoot it. I have taken it to a few gunsmiths who have said it looked safe but the only way to know for sure would be to give it a whirl. I don't plan to shoot it much, maybe take it out once a year and put a few rounds down range. Since it will probably take me 5 years to run through a single box of ammo, I don't intend to reload for it. Can anyone recommend good factory loaded ammunition that would be safe for this rifle? Also, what do I need to know as a first time shooter of a gun this old?
 
yes 45-70. I wasn't aware they were chambered in something else. Thanks Gus. What do you do when shooting a rifle like this the first time? Do you put it in a gun vise and put a string on the trigger? An old guy I was talking to told me to tie it to a tree to shoot it the first time. I certainly don't want it to blow up while I'm holding it.

Also, if it fires just fine the first time, do people assume its safe from then on?
 
I'd try the Black Hills cowboy load with the 405g lead bullet.

If you don't want to spring for a professional exam of the rifle, I'd strap it to a fence post and get a long string.
 
Don't use Hornady Lever Evolution .45-70 ammo. It's loaded for pressures suitable to modern rifles, like Marlins and Ruger #1s.
The first trapdoors were .58 caliber (they reused the Springfield musket barrels the rifles were built from to save money), then they went to .50 caliber (.50-70), and finally .45-70.
 
Get a really good magnifying glass and check all the areas around the chamber for any stress cracks. Check the block as well. If you don't see anything it should be reasonably safe to shoot the COWBOY loads that the others suggested. Just MAKE SURE not to get modern loads as they will almost assuredly be too much for your firearm. If you are really afraid to fire it from hand, get one of those gun vices, strap it down well, make sure the gun vice is attached to the table securely, get string (about 15 foot should suffice) load and fire.
 
Thanks guys. Asherdan, I am not opposed to a professional exam, I just don't know who to send it too. All the shops I have taken it to just kind of tell me it looks good to them.
 
I would second the Black Hills ammo. Pretty decent stuff for factory. To really make it run you might look in to reloading with black powder. That is what it is meant for anyway. But it can be time consuming as there are more steps for reloading BP than smokeless.
 
Black Hills and Ten X produce excellent factory ammo for use in original Trapdoors.
Ten X also produces a Black Powder load.
 
If you want, clean the snot out of it and take it to the local auto machine shop and have them magnaflux it. If there are any small or unseen cracks, they will show. Alternatively, wash it in gasloline and wipe it dry - if there are any hidden cracks, they will still bleed after wiping it off. If you don't get any cracks, it has not been over stressed, so "all rifles" safe ammo will be fine :)
 
KDS said:
How about the Remington Core Lokt that says safe to fire in all rifles?
Click to expand...
Absolutely not! The bullet jackets are harder than the bore, you will wear out what is left of the rifling in a couple of shots.

Goex Black Dawg will work ok, but you will probably need to go to a .460" cast bullet. Lee's 459-405HB actually drops at .4605" and works fine in my trapdoors with 65 grains of FFg and a .030 veggie wad.

45-70cartcomp.jpg

4Trapdoors.jpg
 
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