GIJOEL
Member
A good friend of mine just inherited 3 1873 trapdoor Springfield rifles (2 rifles 1 carbine) and a winchester 1866. The I think the Winchester is in 44 rim fire (does anyone make this stuff?) He wants to shoot the rifles if it's safe to do so. I think the winchester is out due to odd chambering and bronze alloy receiver. The trapdoors seem to be in decent shape with no obvious flaws in the lock work. I advised my buddy to choose one of the 1873's to shoot and leave the others alone. Are there any nuances in the operation of the 1873? Does the carbine hold any extra value? Is there any "do not use" ammo I should be aware of? Are there any good books or information sources for these rifles?