harrison & richards trap door

[BUFFALOW red]

if i under stand  correctly H&R is different co than the harrison & richards trap door/ little big horn edition in 45-70
any way to tell age of these ?
it appers previous owner changed front sight as its to tall to use with rear barrel bucking ham original style sight  the front is held own with a screw is it posible to find out what what was orignial on the offecers model is real purdy
thanks

[jro45]

My H&R 410 shotgun looks brand new. I've only shot trap with it once. Maybe next year I'll use it more.  Is this the H&R you're talking about?

[Graybeard]

Not even remotely. He has a H&R branded and made Trap Door Springfield in .45-70 just like the army used back when Custer got his at the hands of the indians. From what I have seen and heard of them (never owned one myself) they were very nicely made rifles but sadly no stronger than the originals and still require BP level loads same as the originals.

The proper company name was Harrington and Richardson I believe just going on memory.

[kevinsmith5]

I would check gunbroker to see if anyone has one for sale and look at the pictures. Might be able to get an idea what was original from that.

[kevinsmith5]

This help any?

[JimP.]

I have one, mine is the Officers model, has a 26 inch barrel and a cleaning rod underneath the barrel, complete with a adjustable folding ladder peep sight located on the wrist of the back stock. very nice wood, nice front end cap, action has beautiful color case hardening, and using my own loads of a 500 gr round nose lead bullet and 28 grains of 5744 powder, shoots very well and matches the velocity of the same bullet and an equivelent load of 777 powder (70grs by volume) black powder. cleans up very easily and is accurate enough to really get serious if you wished to use it for hunting. one thing though, the cresent butt plate is hard on the shoulder, but i slipped a recoil pad on over it and now the rifle  is a dream to shoot.....JimP.

[BUFFALOW red]

This help any?

yes thanks mine has a screw to hold on the front sight & it looks to moderen is yours held on with a screw

[JimP.]

no, front sight is in dovetail and no screw...Jimp

[bluecow]

use 60 grn 2f goex behimd 405 grn cast and she shoots just fine.  recoil not that bad at all.  droped down to 60 grn for the age of the old girl though most likely not needed.  if i recall the army droped down to 50 or 55 grn for the carbines. cant remember why. recoil?

[StrawHat]

use 60 grn 2f goex behimd 405 grn cast and she shoots just fine.  recoil not that bad at all.  droped down to 60 grn for the age of the old girl though most likely not needed.  if i recall the army droped down to 50 or 55 grn for the carbines. cant remember why. recoil?

Yes, 55 grains and recoil was the reason.  Seems the average trooper was not built like John Wayne (according to regs he couldn't have been) and the heavy charge belted them around a bit.  Never shot a carbine, both mine are rifles, an 1866 and an 1873.

Testing with the trapdoor also had the Army loading up to 80 grains when trying to find a long range load for the rifle.  A slightly longer chamber was cut.  Supposedly this gave rise to the 45-2.4 cartridge we call the 45-90.

Regarding the H&R, I have heard that the locking cam was prone to unlock and turn the rifle into an auto ejector.  That could be interesting!

[NickSS]

Back in the past I have owned several H&R trapdoors including a carbine, officers model and one that was really rare.  The really rare one was bought off an ex H&R employee who got it right out of the factory when they closed shop.  It was a prototype for a long range Creedmore model trapdoor.  It had a carbine stock, 32 inch round barrel with a globe sight and the ladder tang sight on the wrist of the stock.  It had no markings on it at all except the serial number which was 001.  Me like an idiot sold it.  I bet it is a collectors item today.