1873 Trapdoor Question

358Apollo · March 20, 2010, 08:46 PM

I recently bought an 1873 Springfield trapdoor. The auction said that the bore was pristine (It is) and the rifle is in good working order. It also said that there was no finish on the rifle. When I recieved the rifle, I found this not to be true. It appears that it is nickle plated. I removed the barrel from the stock and the finish looks as good as the the day it was done. There are areas where the finish has come off but this is really no big issue. My question is has anyone seen a trapdoor like this before? I am new to the trapdoor scene and have only seen the blued rifles. This rifle is in great shape and I have a range day next week so I have loaded some BP rounds with 405gr RNHB bullets. Comments?

Hawg · March 20, 2010, 08:55 PM

Parade rifle maybe.

Slamfire · March 20, 2010, 09:04 PM

Hey you have a pristine barrel! What luck!

Don't sweat the nickle plating. This rifle is about 130 years old. Just after WWI NRA members could buy the things for $5.00 from the DCM. I would say that some previous owner really took good care of it and had the thing plated.

It just to be that plating shops were in neighborhood areas, and plating was cheap.

Not any more.

mykeal · March 20, 2010, 09:14 PM

Yes, I have seen at least one, several years ago at auction. However, IIRC the rear sight was also plated on that one. I don't recall whether there was any history or provenance provided with the one I saw, so I can't tell you any more than that.

358Apollo · March 20, 2010, 09:20 PM

Thanks for the info.

Hedning · March 23, 2010, 01:33 PM

You dont have to answer, but I just got to ask...what did you pay for that beuty? Congrats....I have to admit I envy you that one. I would concider selling my wife for a trapdoor looking that good.

**4V50 Gary** · March 23, 2010, 10:06 PM

I suspect it was nickel plated as a parade gun. I'd leave it. It sure is handsome.

358Apollo · March 24, 2010, 11:46 AM

The rifle cost me $725.00. I think I got a pretty good deal. Thanks for the info. There is some minor surface piting of the metal but I'll leave it the way it is.

Tom2 · March 25, 2010, 07:35 PM

Well, if you were totally serious, assuming there is nice smooth metal under the plating, restoration would be possible. They can deplate nickel the same way they apply it. No need to grind it off as some bubbas I have known tried! The treatment can strip down to the bare steel and then I guess you have to refinish it of course. Reblue on the steel parts except for the ones that are case colored. Someone like Doug Turnbull that does reblue and recase on say, Winchesters, etc. could do it. That gun stock looks pristine so you would maybe end up with a real trapdoor restored to look factory fresh. Now you would never want to do that to a decent original finish gun but in this case, with the excellent bore(?) and sharp details it might look great and have some value but less than a mint original finish of course. Or in any case, preserve it so it stays nice. I owned two of them in the past, that 45 70 gives your shoulder a nice push when you light one off! Would make a real eye catching display mounted on a wall rack.

Rusty.it · March 26, 2010, 04:35 AM

Looking the second picture i can see the muzzle that show a caliber bigger than .45, it look like a .58 barrel.
But lock plate is the second relase, flat, the really first model has the 1864 lock.
Action look like a real trapdoor '73, not a first convertion from 1864 rifled musket with the trap screwed to the cutted barrel.
Rear sight is a pre-1884, the year where was adopted the Buffington style sight.
ciao
Rusty

March 20, 2010, 09:20 PM	#5
358Apollo Junior Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Posts: 9	1873 Trapdoor question. Thanks for the info.

March 23, 2010, 10:06 PM	#7
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,849	I suspect it was nickel plated as a parade gun. I'd leave it. It sure is handsome. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

March 25, 2010, 07:35 PM	#9
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Well, if you were totally serious, assuming there is nice smooth metal under the plating, restoration would be possible. They can deplate nickel the same way they apply it. No need to grind it off as some bubbas I have known tried! The treatment can strip down to the bare steel and then I guess you have to refinish it of course. Reblue on the steel parts except for the ones that are case colored. Someone like Doug Turnbull that does reblue and recase on say, Winchesters, etc. could do it. That gun stock looks pristine so you would maybe end up with a real trapdoor restored to look factory fresh. Now you would never want to do that to a decent original finish gun but in this case, with the excellent bore(?) and sharp details it might look great and have some value but less than a mint original finish of course. Or in any case, preserve it so it stays nice. I owned two of them in the past, that 45 70 gives your shoulder a nice push when you light one off! Would make a real eye catching display mounted on a wall rack. __________________ Your gun is like your nose, it is just wrong for someone else to pick it for you!

March 20, 2010, 08:55 PM	#2
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	Parade rifle maybe.

March 20, 2010, 09:04 PM	#3
Slamfire Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Posts: 5,261	Hey you have a pristine barrel! What luck! Don't sweat the nickle plating. This rifle is about 130 years old. Just after WWI NRA members could buy the things for $5.00 from the DCM. I would say that some previous owner really took good care of it and had the thing plated. It just to be that plating shops were in neighborhood areas, and plating was cheap. Not any more.

March 20, 2010, 09:14 PM	#4
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	Yes, I have seen at least one, several years ago at auction. However, IIRC the rear sight was also plated on that one. I don't recall whether there was any history or provenance provided with the one I saw, so I can't tell you any more than that.

March 23, 2010, 01:33 PM	#6
Hedning Member Join Date: January 4, 2010 Location: Eastern Norway Posts: 43	You dont have to answer, but I just got to ask...what did you pay for that beuty? Congrats....I have to admit I envy you that one. I would concider selling my wife for a trapdoor looking that good.

March 24, 2010, 11:46 AM	#8
358Apollo Junior Member Join Date: September 7, 2009 Posts: 9	The rifle cost me $725.00. I think I got a pretty good deal. Thanks for the info. There is some minor surface piting of the metal but I'll leave it the way it is.

March 26, 2010, 04:35 AM	#10
Rusty.it Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Posts: 50	Looking the second picture i can see the muzzle that show a caliber bigger than .45, it look like a .58 barrel. But lock plate is the second relase, flat, the really first model has the 1864 lock. Action look like a real trapdoor '73, not a first convertion from 1864 rifled musket with the trap screwed to the cutted barrel. Rear sight is a pre-1884, the year where was adopted the Buffington style sight. ciao Rusty