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Thread: If you want to talk about repeaters, don't come in here

  1. #241
    Member gato naranja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jh9 View Post
    Collectors has a few of these that are tempting.

    Do people still shoot the old blackpowder trapdoors? I just flatly assumed they were probably not safe, even with just BP loads, and were a collector-only affair.
    There was a guy in the BPCR game back in the 1980's who built an 1868 "Officer's" trapdoor out of parts and fired it occasionally, but it was a blackpowder/lead bullet ONLY gun. Not sure what ever happened to it.
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  2. #242
    Ready! Fire! Aim! awp_101's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jh9 View Post
    Collectors has a few of these that are tempting.

    Do people still shoot the old blackpowder trapdoors? I just flatly assumed they were probably not safe, even with just BP loads, and were a collector-only affair.
    Assuming it is mechanically sound and proper load selection is used, yes they are safe to fire. The end of the video in post 217 shows the subject of that video being shot. SAAMI max pressure for standard pressure .45-70 is 28,000 PSI for just that reason. I believe they are also good for light smokeless loads as well as long as they don't go over the 28K max PSI limit.

    I don't find full house .45-70 to be fun at all. Doesn't matter if it's loaded with black or smokeless. Either it beats me up in the carbines I prefer or I have to use a longer, heavier rifle that's just not fun to carry around but that's just my opinion.

    My loads will be plinking level because for me the fun is getting a firearm that's coming up on it's 139th birthday back into working order. I've gotten great joy from assembling ARs, 10/22s and Ruger MK series pistols but working on antique single shot rifles takes it to another level.
    Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain

    Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

  3. #243
    Hillbilly Elitist Malamute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jh9 View Post
    Collectors has a few of these that are tempting.

    Do people still shoot the old blackpowder trapdoors? I just flatly assumed they were probably not safe, even with just BP loads, and were a collector-only affair.

    As mentioned, they are entirely safe to shoot if in any reasonably fair condition and havent been abused. They are some of the most fun Ive had shooting.

    Im sure Im in the minority, but Id trade a boatload of plastic guns for a small pile of original 1860s to 1890s guns of all descriptions, or even good quality copies in some instances.

    A friend in Arizona used to collect and deal in original Sharps rifles, specializing in buffalo hunt period and area guns shipped to dealers in hunting areas and known suppliers to the trade. He did it partly as an investment, and he tried to shoot every one that came through his hands. It was great fun to participate in that habit. He also had a number of Trapdoor Springfields and Winchesters among other things. I dont recall any of them being unshootable.
    “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
    ― Theodore Roosevelt

  4. #244
    Member gato naranja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Malamute View Post
    As mentioned, they are entirely safe to shoot if in any reasonably fair condition and havent been abused. They are some of the most fun Ive had shooting.
    Agreed, but with awp_101's caveat about recoil; I found that a light rifle or carbine in .45-70 with a 500 grain bullet was going to kick me (more) senseless pretty quick, despite some of the SMEs of the day assuring me the .45-70 was a creampuff with any bullet, as long as it was launched by blackpowder. By the time my "buffalo gun" fascination had run its course, I decided that - at least WRT recoil - I'd prefer the "standard" .50-70 Government load to a heavily loaded .45-70.

    I suspect that I would still enjoy shooting the old stuff more than I do anything modern, but the game became so expensive after I left it that if I were to take it up again, I'd be slapped with divorce proceedings.
    Last edited by gato naranja; 02-14-2024 at 07:25 AM.
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  5. #245
    Hillbilly Elitist Malamute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gato naranja View Post
    Agreed, but with awp_101's caveat about recoil; I found that a light rifle or carbine in .45-70 with a 500 grain bullet was going to kick me (more) senseless pretty quick, despite some of the SMEs of the day assuring me the .45-70 was a creampuff with any bullet, as long as it was launched by blackpowder. By the time my "buffalo gun" fascination had run its course, I decided that - at least WRT recoil - I'd prefer the "standard" .50-70 Government load to a heavily loaded .45-70.

    I suspect that I would still enjoy shooting the old stuff more than I do anything modern, but the game became so expensive after I left it that if I were to take it up again, I'd be slapped with divorce proceedings.

    Ive had a few different Marlin 45-70s as well as original Winchester and Browning 1886s and a Ruger No3. I shot mostly medium-heavy to heavier 300 and 400 gr loads in the Marlins and Brownings, anything youd shoot in a trapdoor felt pretty mild, but I admit the loads Ive shot in trapdoors were 400 gr, all loads very mild, and all the trapdoors ive shot have been rifles.

    I have an 1868 action I want to try to graft into a 50 cal TC Renegade with a few minor modifications more along the lines reminiscent of English Sporting rifles as to details. In 50-70 it should be pretty mild with its well designed stock compared to the common (hideous) crescent butts many 1800s rifles had. The trapdoors and military stuff wasnt as bad as many muzzle loaders, sporting guns and Winchester rifles with crescents. Im sure the trapdoor carbines were a bit friskier to shoot than the rifles though.

    My buffalo rifle fascination runs to the Sharps Business rifles in their original late 1860s-early 1870s format. Military butt, medium/heavy round, medium length barrel, set triggers. A percussion conversion gun would be its best possible configuration as far as my preference runs. A plain Jane real deal working gun with tons of character. 50-70 or whatever the 40 cal option was would be awesome and relatively mild shooting in such a gun.
    “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
    ― Theodore Roosevelt

  6. #246
    Quote Originally Posted by awp_101 View Post
    Assuming it is mechanically sound and proper load selection is used, yes they are safe to fire. The end of the video in post 217 shows the subject of that video being shot. SAAMI max pressure for standard pressure .45-70 is 28,000 PSI for just that reason. I believe they are also good for light smokeless loads as well as long as they don't go over the 28K max PSI limit.

    I don't find full house .45-70 to be fun at all. Doesn't matter if it's loaded with black or smokeless. Either it beats me up in the carbines I prefer or I have to use a longer, heavier rifle that's just not fun to carry around but that's just my opinion.

    My loads will be plinking level because for me the fun is getting a firearm that's coming up on it's 139th birthday back into working order. I've gotten great joy from assembling ARs, 10/22s and Ruger MK series pistols but working on antique single shot rifles takes it to another level.
    Ah. PF. Talking me into and then back out of expensive projects one thread at a time.

  7. #247
    Ready! Fire! Aim! awp_101's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jh9 View Post
    Ah. PF. Talking me into and then back out of expensive projects one thread at a time.
    Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain

    Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

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