Video - Shooting the Trapdoor Springfield

[duelist1954]

This is the third installment of my "Guns of 1873" series. In this video I'll shoot a Pedersoli replica of a Trapdoor Springfield with black powder .45-70 loads.

This video is Teddy Bear free.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qmFmOJ-q-Y

 

[Voodoochile]

I always liked the Trapdoor system.

 

[Pulp]

Possibly your best video to date.

What load are you using in your rifle?

 

[duelist1954]

Pulp,

I'm using 65 grains of 2Fg Goex under a 405 grain bullet.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Thanks for doing the videos duelist1954, I’ve enjoyed watching them with my morning porridge.

 

[Lunie]

Already on my list of guns I would like to someday fire and/or own!

 

[Bob Roberts]

Mine too, I’ve always liked single shots. It looks like it would make the perfect lazy man's musket.

 

[andrewstorm]

duelist 1954

Mighty nice rifle but a tad slow as molasses in a normal January,i recon that's why the Winchester 1873 44 40 was so popular cause you could shoot up a hole tribe of Indians armed with trapdoors in a hurry,not that I would,unless ordered by gen.Custer ,oh that's right Custer had the trap doors anyhow good buffalo gun pilgrim

 

[driver243]

Brilliant video, ps the teddy bears were great too!

 

[woodsrunner38]

The 1873 Trap Door! I always have a touch of sadness when I'm reminded of this piece!

There was one in our attic when I was a kid growing up. (1940's-50's) My Grandfather who reared me kept it secretly hidden because it was "stolen government property"! His Dad had been one of the Ring Leaders in the Great Election Riot of Barbour County Alabama in 1874, and had taken the rifle away from a Union Soldier guarding the polling place when he and one of his cohorts disarmed 18 Soldiers and 2 US Marshals, stole the ballot box and disappeared. (Pretty good account of this incident on the web).

My Grandad died and I was at sea in one of those "Long Grey Pointy Things" and by the time I got home several weeks later the rifle along with a first edition copy of "Gone With The Wind" signed by Margret Mitchell had disappeared totally! To me it would be priceless to own that rifle now!

 

[StrawHat]

The "problem" with the original trapdoors was not the mechanism, it was the copper cases used would swell and stick in the chamber. The carbine had no clearing rod so the weapon was good for a club until the case could be removed. Earlier trapdoors (50-70s) had the rod and accounted for themselves quite well. 45-70 Rifles, also had the rod. With the change to brass cases, the problem went away.