Trapdoor

[StrawHat]

I just finished helping my wife's father move into a new place. During the move, we transferred his firearms from one house to the other. He has a nice accumulation of stuff but the one that caught my eye was a Springfield Model 1873 rifle. It was in good shape, actually better than good with a nice bore and nice finish on the metal and wood. When I handed it to him to place in the safe, he looked at it, handed it back to me and asked why I wanted my rifle in his safe? I thanked him and brought it home. I have not had a chance to do much more than give it a quick visual inspection but it is a nice rifle to have. In the next days or weeks, I will go over it thoroughly and see what exactly I have recieved, but for now it looks like an earlier 1873.

[Dframe]

Congratulations. I love the trapdoor. As you no doubt know, it was considered a small bore in it's day. I believe it's the oldest (Still regularly manufactured) cartridge in existance. So you should do what your sig line says.

[StrawHat]

Congratulations. I love the trapdoor. As you no doubt know, it was considered a small bore in it's day. I believe it's the oldest (Still regularly manufactured) cartridge in existance. So you should do what your sig line says.


Compared to my 1866 it is still a small bore! And a flatter shooting cartridge to boot!

Along with the 45 long Colt, the 44-40 and the 45-70 all came out in 1873. I have the tools to reload the 45-70 but it will take a while to get used to the flatter trajectory!

[Dframe]

Yeah those flat shootin modern guns can be a challenge.:D

[StrawHat]

I've had a chance to look it over a bit closer and it is all original. One of the barrel bands was installed backwards so someone had torn it apart at some point. The bore shows some roughness but overall the bore is shiny. I will try to smooth it out with bore paste and then use paper patched cast bullets. I have found PP bullets really smooth out a barrel.

[Dframe]

I've been wanting to try Paper Patch bullets in my trapdoor but seems I have just too many things going. Got to sit down and figure out what boolit and patch material will do me the best. PP seems to be part science and part alchemy.

[StrawHat]

I have been patching boolits for a while and try to keep things simple. So simple in fact, I am told they can not work. They probably wouldn't be what some would use for target work but I don't shoot competition so I am happy with lesser results.

There is a lot of chatter about the size of the boolit prior to patching but I have found using my regualr boolit is fine and size it after patching. It also helps iron the patch on.

This is for black powder

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=38

And the subforum for smokeless

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

Other fora have similar boards but I get a lot of info from those two.

If you have any questions, get in touch.

[Dframe]

Thanks for the links. Your description of your gun sounds exactly like mine. A little roughness here and there. But I figure I'm probably a little rough too and I'm not 130 years old. I may have to just use a few grease groove bullets I have lying around and try some various paper materials. Doesn't sizing tear or damage the patch? My sizer is an old Lyman 450.

[StrawHat]

I use a push through die to size my patched bullets. It was cut from 7/8x14 stock and bored with a "funnel" that ends at the diameter I want the finished product to be. Once the paper is dry, I send it through the die nose first. The next bullet pushes the previous one out of the die. That is a real simplified version of what happens but you get the idea. I have had dies recut using the Lee Push Through die as a donor and have had them made from scratch. There does need to be a funnel effect for it to work without messing up the patched boolit.

The dies fit in a normal reloading press and not a sizing press. Lube after sizing or use a lube cookie under the boolit. Or both.

You can paper patch a grooved bullet or even a jacketed bullet. The straight sided ones are not the only ones that work.

[StrawHat]

...I figure I'm probably a little rough too and I'm not 130 years old...

Yeah, but some days I feel like it.

[Dframe]

I'm going to look for something like a push through die. I don't have the capacity to make my own tools. The press I'm using is an old Lyman Spar-T. And I have an old Spartan available.
What about sizing a somewhat oversize (as cast) boolit down a couple of thousandths then paper patching back up to optimal diameter?
You're as old as you FEEL...............I personally am 102

[StrawHat]

...I'm going to look for something like a push through die. I don't have the capacity to make my own tools. The press I'm using is an old Lyman Spar-T. And I have an old Spartan available.
What about sizing a somewhat oversize (as cast) boolit down a couple of thousandths then paper patching back up to optimal diameter?...

That would work also. Some of the fellows at cast boolits will make a die for you that will work. I have sized both ways and don't see a difference. Same with the use of a wad under the bullet. Some do, some don't. I try to load all the cartridges the same and use a similar technique for all the cartridges I reload. Lately, I have returned to using the Lyman Tong Tool for rifle reloading. Nostalgia??? Maybe, but when you need only 20 rounds reloaded, it is as good as any other reloading tool. If I needed 2000 rounds, that would be another story!

...You're as old as you FEEL...............I personally am 102...

But you don't look a day over 100!

[Dframe]

I still have a couple of Lyman nutcrackers as well. seems I can't seem to throw anything out. Actually my 44 calibre nutcracker works extremely well. It's just as you note, when you're loading a lot of ammo, the nutcracker is way too slow and labor inetensive.
When you are patching do you use any sort of lube? Seems there is little agreement on this. Most shoot dry patches but some apply wax or other lube.

[StrawHat]

I have used a couple of lubes on the patch after wrapping but have not settled on one, or any. Like many other aspects of reloading, it depends on what the rifle prefers. In reality, the rifle shoots well enough unwrapped but the paper sure does shine up an old bore.

[StrawHat]

Another aspect of reloading the old cartridges is whether to use a wad over the powder or not. And if you do, what type of wad. I have at times used a lube cookie, a plain wad and sometimes greased felt. Others have used tablet backing but my prefered wad was cut from Wheaties boxes.

[StrawHat]

No range report yet, but I did take some photos.

Here is the 1873,

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc194/StrawHat/1873Springfield001.jpg

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc194/StrawHat/1873Springfield002.jpg

And the 1873 with my Frankentrapdoor

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc194/StrawHat/1841and1873002.jpg

I am looking forward to getting the 1873 to the range and sighted in. After that, just walking and shooting!