1884 Trapdoor auction price $400

[GUTS]

I bought this last week on a live online auction for $400. It's my first Trapdoor and I plan on using it in our black powder matches. It seem to be in decent shape and the bore looks like a mirror so it should shoot nice. I think I got it for a reasonable price but I don't know anything about the Trapdoors yet(but I will). What do you guys think about the condition?














The brown residue on the metal appears to be dried cosmoline, gun oil melts it off.

Information

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[Patrick Chadwick]

If that rifle shoots OK, I think you got a real bargain. A competition-fit Trapdoor is worth four-figures over here.

Patrick

[Patrick Chadwick]

P.S: A word of caution. There appears to be is some slight splintering of the stock wood behind the tang. This indicates that the tang is too tight, the system screws are not tight enough, or both - a condition that can cause the buttstock to split. The recess for the tang should be lengthened about 0.3-0.5 mm (15-20 thou), i.e. so that a piece of thick paper will slide in behind the end of the tang, giving enough clearance to prevent the system banging back against the end of the channel. I recommend that you correct this before using the rifle!

Patrick

[GUTS]

Thanks a lot fellas, I appreciate the help!

[Joe Wagner]

I have an 1884 Springfield also, which I shoot as often as I can. The chipping at the back of the tang appears to be more of an incorrect disassemly indicator (at some time in the past from the patina) to me. I'm far from an expert on trapdoor springfields, but I highly recommend the US Springfield Trapdoor Rifle Information Center webpage:The U.S. Springfield Trapdoor Rifle Information Center

[Emri]

You did real good for $400. By all means, address the tang fitment problem before firing the rifle.

HTH,

Emri

[GUTS]

I finally got to shoot this rifle. A couple of us were at our club's range the other day and I brought the Trapdoor along just to show it to one of our other buddies that was showing up later. When he came he had 100 rnds of 485grn cast bullets with him. We shot all 100rnds and it was a blast. The Buffington sight had to be cranked a little to the left to get it on target but once it was on it was a very nice shooting rifle that was more accurate than I thought it could be. Our clubs range has NRA steel silouette targets(in lines of twenty at each station)at 50 meters(chickens), 100 meters(pigs), 150 meters(turkeys), 200 meters(rams), 300 meters(pigs), 400meters(turkeys), and 500 meters(rams). At 250 yards(our range is in meters out to 500 and after that the single targets are measured in yards) is a coyote, 625 is a terrorist(we call him the Hostile), at 750 is the elk, at 900 is the buffalo, and at 1000 is the gong. Once I had the windage figured out I hit targets at 100, 150, and 200 meters. I also hit the elk, and the buffalo, but I shot about ten rounds at the gong and missed all of them, but a few were real close. I took five shots at the buffalo before I hit it on the sixth. The settings on the Buffington sight were almost perfect for the ranges I shot it at. I have various rifles to shoot but I think I could grow to like this Trapdoor.