1873 Trapdoor - The VERY MUCH NOT Cattywampus Special

[rcathey]

Same auction house, 6 weeks apart, $40 cheaper.
Very much not cattywampus.

I would say that "good things come to those that wait" but I didn't wait.
Let's go with "even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then."

What do you guys think?
Anybody get a Springfield Research hit?
I need to flip the barrel band around..looks like someone had it apart at some point.
Note the "96.33" written in white on the trigger guard. This has some sort of clear finish painted over it. Any thoughts on that? Someone's inventory number? A gun store price back in the day?

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[Dick Hosmer]

No data found, but it looks 100% right/matching to me. Some evidence of poor storage, but a little TLC with 000 wool and oil, plus lemon oil for the stock, will make it look even better.

[rcathey]

Thanks, Dick. I was hoping you'd reply.
It is a bit "dusty." I'll give it a good cleaning this weekend.
The bore isn't wonderful. No real pitting I can see (yet) but it looks like a lot of the rifling is gone.
This does fill a gap in my collection and it's quite pretty as far as I'm concerned so I'm thrilled to have it. The price I paid was really unfair, to be honest. Sometimes you really get lucky at the auctions, sometimes you don't.
I won this round

[browningautorifle]

Note the "96.33" written in white on the trigger guard.

Looks like a museum inventory number, although short. It's the style and then they shellac over them...like you suggest it has been.

[rcathey]

Looks like a museum inventory number, although short. It's the style and then they shellac over them...like you suggest it has been.

Interesting! It's certainly small and unobtrusive like one would expect of such a marking.
That's a fun thought.
I'll be sure I don't clean that all the way off. Neat to think about.
I'll ask the auction house next time I'm in if they could provide any details on where it came from.

[rcathey]

The rifle and bore both cleaned up beautifully.
The bore is a mirror with clear rifling.
I wish I had better photographic equipment to show how the rest cleaned up.

In reply to the “museum marking,” I noticed tonight that the wood on lock plate side of the rifle is noticeably lighter in color. As if that side was displayed for a long time.
There’s certainly some interesting clues here!

[rcathey]

I borrowed my work camera for the weekend to take some better pictures. Still not Knowledge Library worthy but it gets the point across.
I used the 3M stainless steel wool scrubbing pads again. Those things are worth every single cent for the miracles they work.

Also, bores are super hard to take good pictures of (it's even better than the pics show). Any tips there?

Finally, I'm certain this has been beat to death, but I'd really like to put some modern ammo through this sucker. Cowboy action loads should be just fine and dandy, right?

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[browningautorifle]

Cowboy action loads should be just fine

Yes, they should. Most books have a set of loading spec for trapdoor rifles and carbines.

[rcathey]

Yes, they should. Most books have a set of loading spec for trapdoor rifles and carbines.

I’ll be saving my brass, that’s for sure.
The brand I bought actually uses Starline brass so it’ll be nice for reloading.