H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Went to a gunshow today, which is always fun. Just as I was about to leave, I saw what looked like a brand new Springfield Trapdoor carbine at one of the vendors. Knowing that it's pristine condition probably meant that it was either a modern reproduction, or a orignal that had been refinished, I figured it just might be affordable. Well, as it turns out, it is an orignal model 1873 rifle that has been turned, very expertly, into a carbine, and it is in excellent mechancial condition. And, as it turns out, it was very affordable. With the prices for orignal carbines, and even some modern reproductions almost always haveing a 4 digit price, with the first digit rarely being a 1, seeing this for $650 seemed like a bargain to me. As such, I bought it and brought it home. I feel like I've gotten me a nice shooter, and even if it's not a "real" carbine, it sure looks a lot like one, so I am happy. Can't wait to try this thing at a long range side match or at a shoot down in Rhode Island where they often put a couple of single shot rifle targets into one of the stages. This is going to be a lot easier to shoot that my M1884 rifle that weighs a heck of lot more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Gist Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Great buy. I regret selling a rifle from the Edgemont Armery several years ago. Tucson guns and Western Artifacts has one now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 picpicpicpic GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Howdy HK I was there too. I saw that one too. I passed on it because I just bought a full sized Trapdoor a few weeks ago. I did walk home with my first S&W Tip Up though. I picked up a lovely little No. 1 Third issue. Just finished entering it in my book. P.S. Yes, it was a good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Ye cain't tickle us without a pitcher, it ain't cowboy, it ain't Kosher, it jest ain't right!!! May we be graced by a picture??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted September 24, 2011 Author Share Posted September 24, 2011 Howdy HK I was there too. I saw that one too. I passed on it because I just bought a full sized Trapdoor a few weeks ago. I did walk home with my first S&W Tip Up though. I picked up a lovely little No. 1 Third issue. Just finished entering it in my book. P.S. Yes, it was a good price. Hey, Driftwood. I wondered if I'd see you there or not. I did see a S&W top break .44 like the one you got the last time we saw each other there, and I thought of you. I went to this show thinking I was gonna look for either a 45-70 trapdoor carbine, or some sort of a revolver in .44 Special. I did see some other things that I thought were very nice, and well prices, various M1 Carbines, 1917 rifles, and some other things that caught my eye, but they really weren't what I was looking for, so I passed on them. Then, I found this just as I was getting ready to leave. Trapdoor rifles are great guns, and capable of great accuracy. I have an 1884 trapdoor rifle myself, and I do like it. But, they are very difficult to shoot offhand more than a couple of rounds cuz they are so durned heavy. The carbine seems to be much more manable weight wise. I'll just have to wait and see what happens on the recoil end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I did see a S&W top break .44 like the one you got the last time we saw each other there, and I thought of you. ??????? I didn't see it. A Double Action? Do you know what caliber? Price? Condition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted September 24, 2011 Author Share Posted September 24, 2011 ??????? I didn't see it. A Double Action? Do you know what caliber? Price? Condition? It was in one of the end cap tables on the same side as the entrance into the show. Just to the right of it, I think. I don't recall the price, and all it said was caliber .44. I didn't take a closer look at it since when I saw it, I though, "Hm, I already have one of those," and moved on. The finish was a mostly grayish patina, but the surfaces did look fairly smooth. Since I didn't actually handle it, I can't offer any more info than that. It was a double action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 Look here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Look here. ezakly! That's a whopping good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jake1001 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I picked up an 1884 marked Springfield Trapdoor a couple of months ago for $100. I thought it was a rifle with a carbine stock on it. I stopped at Cowboy and Indian Store on the way home to show it to Jim Bowie. We compared his rifle to mine and it turned out mine was a Cadet, which is a couple of inches shorter than a rifle. It had a Buffington rear sight on it backwards and a missing main spring. I bought a new mainspring and installed it. Turned the sight around and went shooting. KABOOM she goes and hits the target every time for 15 shots. I bought it from an old Marine who was in Korea during the WAR 1950-53. He said he got it when he was 14 years old (1946) and shot it 4 times. Cleaned it and put it away. He never took it out of the closet again till I bought it. He doesn't know what happened to the mainspring. I don't know how to post pictures here so if I can get my kids to help me, I'll put some up. Just sayin' Big Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Look here. I think he's ignoring us :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I think he's ignoring us :wacko: Give him a break. He just bought it today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grouchy Greg, SASS#71981 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Went to a gunshow today, which is always fun. Just as I was about to leave, I saw what looked like a brand new Springfield Trapdoor carbine at one of the vendors. Knowing that it's pristine condition probably meant that it was either a modern reproduction, or a orignal that had been refinished, I figured it just might be affordable. Well, as it turns out, it is an orignal model 1873 rifle that has been turned, very expertly, into a carbine, and it is in excellent mechancial condition. And, as it turns out, it was very affordable. With the prices for orignal carbines, and even some modern reproductions almost always haveing a 4 digit price, with the first digit rarely being a 1, seeing this for $650 seemed like a bargain to me. As such, I bought it and brought it home. I feel like I've gotten me a nice shooter, and even if it's not a "real" carbine, it sure looks a lot like one, so I am happy. Can't wait to try this thing at a long range side match or at a shoot down in Rhode Island where they often put a couple of single shot rifle targets into one of the stages. This is going to be a lot easier to shoot that my M1884 rifle that weighs a heck of lot more! ================================================== I've got one of those 1873 rifles that was cut down to carbine length, probably by Bannermans. You have to look really hard to see where the cleaning rod channel was filled in and stained to match the rest of the stock. I paid $95 for it in 1971. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 Posted September 25, 2011 Author Share Posted September 25, 2011 Okay... Pics... Let's see if I did this right. If I did, and if more are wanted, I will add. http://s1135.photobucket.com/albums/m625/HKUriah/Shooting/?action=view¤t=TRAP2.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1135.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm625%2FHKUriah%2FShooting%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DTRAP2.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Okay... Pics... Let's see if I did this right. If I did, and if more are wanted, I will add. http://s1135.photobu...ent%3DTRAP2.jpg ++NICE++ GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Howdy HK Yup, that's the one. I remember it had clearly been refinished. Quite shiny with a lot of new blue on it. I seem to remember the stock had also been refinished with a shiny coat of varnish? At first I wasn't sure if I was looking at a modern reproduction or a refinished old gun. Finally I realized it was a refinished old gun. Nothing wrong with that, it knocks down the value for us shooters. I was not aware of the fact that it had been cut down from a full sized rifle. I seem to remember the price was pretty good compared to a modern Italian replica. Good for you, I'm glad you grabbed it. If I had seen it a few weeks ago I might have been interested, but I am happy with the full sized Trapdoor I picked up a few weeks ago. I am a little bit bummed out that I missed the S&W DA. Wish I had seen it. I would not mind having a second one. But I am very happy with the little tip up that I grabbed. Turns out it was shipped in September of 1870. That makes it the oldest gun in my collection. Tip Up Tip Up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Howdy HK Yup, that's the one. I remember it had clearly been refinished. Quite shiny with a lot of new blue on it. I seem to remember the stock had also been refinished with a shiny coat of varnish? At first I wasn't sure if I was looking at a modern reproduction or a refinished old gun. Finally I realized it was a refinished old gun. Nothing wrong with that, it knocks down the value for us shooters. I was not aware of the fact that it had been cut down from a full sized rifle. I seem to remember the price was pretty good compared to a modern Italian replica. Good for you, I'm glad you grabbed it. If I had seen it a few weeks ago I might have been interested, but I am happy with the full sized Trapdoor I picked up a few weeks ago. I am a little bit bummed out that I missed the S&W DA. Wish I had seen it. I would not mind having a second one. But I am very happy with the little tip up that I grabbed. Turns out it was shipped in September of 1870. That makes it the oldest gun in my collection. Tip Up Tip Up That looks like a S&W Model No.1, Third issue as seen in Oct '11 American Rifleman magazine. Manufactured: 1868-1882 with 131,163 made. According to them there were no factory records for that model. GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283 Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Howdy Gunner Yes, it is a S&W No. 1 3rd Issue. I can't speak for American Rifleman, but Roy Jinks, the official S&W historian told me yesterday it shipped in September of 1870. I will take his word for it, he probably has access to more information than American Rifleman. If he did not know when it shipped, he would say so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Howdy Gunner Yes, it is a S&W No. 1 3rd Issue. I can't speak for American Rifleman, but Roy Jinks, the official S&W historian told me yesterday it shipped in September of 1870. I will take his word for it, he probably has access to more information than American Rifleman. If he did not know when it shipped, he would say so. Sounds good by me. Can't imagine that AR doesn't have it's resources though but...maybe you can contact Mr. Jinks and have him set the record straight to AR if that be the case. GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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