My FrankenTrapdoor.

[StrawHat]

This project ended up entirely different from what I originally intended it to be.  I had planned to restore it using original pieces and parts.  When I first found the barreled action in my Pops garage, I noticed the muzzle was a bit larger than I expected for a 45-70.  I grabbed a 45 ACP round and tested the muzzle.  The round fell through the bore all the way to the breech block!   A bit of cleaning and I saw on the breechblock "1866" and I realized I did not have an 1873 (or later) barreled action but a Second Allin conversion in 50-70.  No problem, I will still restore it.  So began a search for parts that got me to meet many interesting folks and see a lot of rifles and parts.  Al Frasca (http://www.trapdoorcollector.com/) met with me, and from him I learned more in 30 minutes than I would have in a lifetime of research.  He is a truly remarkable individual and possesses a wealth of knowledge about the Springfield trapdoor.  His collection is equally as educational. 
  Anyway, it seems my action started out as a Civil War musket and had the rear of the barrel machined and a swinging breechblock fitted in place.  The 58 caliber bore was drilled out and sleeved to 50 caliber.  The sleeve was shaped in three steps with the largest diameter at the breech and the smallest at the muzzle.  All the work was done with belt driven machinery or hand tools.  The barrel was then chambered for the 50-70 cartridge.  From the marks on the underside of my particular barrel it was determined that at some point it made the trip to Bannerman's Island Arsenal and was shortened to it present length, just under 29 inches.  It may have been sold overseas to a foreign military or it may have stayed in the USA but eventually the lock and stock were removed and lost.  The sights were missing also.
 
Finding the appropriate vintage parts was neither easy nor inexpensive and the project was put to the back burner for a while.  A good friend and fellow builder (Mark builds flintlock that are as good as any I have seen anywhere) kept after me about getting it built.  When I told him of the expense, he commented "How did they make them originally?"  While I was answering him, he interrupted and suggested I find a suitable musket with a blown or damaged barrel.  Well, let me tell you, those are not easy to find either!  Several years passed and Mark kept chiding me and at one point mentioned the Italians make a reasonable copy of the 1860s Springfield.  Well, the light went on above my head.  I started looking for a damaged one and once again drew the wrong cards to fill my hand.  What I did find, however, was an Italian 1841 Mississippi Rifle with a damaged barrel and a good price.  After some dickering, the 1841 came home with me and I started looking for the extra 58 caliber round barrel I had in my barrel bin.  (At this point, you may notice I have a couple of irons in the fire and while I passed my IQ test, I tend to think in a linear fashion and don't cross over much.)  Not finding the barrel I called Mark to see if he had one.  He did not but suggested I "had" one.  I assured him differently but he reminded me of the Trapdoor and how it was originally a 58.  Okay, this time the light truly glowed above my head and a plan was formed.
 
I removed the damaged barrel from the stock and stripped the extractor and ejector spring from the TD.  Laying the naked barrelled action in the 1841 stock showed how much larger the barrel channel was from the metal.  Out comes the bedding compound and I fully bed the TD into the 1841 stock.  The tang on the TD is shorter than the tang on the 41 so I fitted a maple dutchman in place and inlet the tang.  Next up was to reinstall the ejector spring and extractor, one at a time and inlet them in the stock. 
 
The lock for the Mississippi rifle was different from the lock for the Springfield rifles so I grabbed my miniature hand held milling machine (or a rattailed file) and proceed to inlet the TD cam into the lockplate.  I reattach the hammer to see what I need to do to make it work and see it is not even close to what I need.  I doubt if the casting will take the bend I want to do so I cut the hammer nose off and attach an extension.  I fashioned the extension from a piece of hex stock and intended it to be a temporary fix. 
 

 
I dovetailed in a front sight with no problems but hesitated about dovetailing a rear sight.  I saw the holes were drilled for the original but did not like those options available.  Eventually I took a Blank rear sight and reworked the base to fit the round barrel and soldered it in place.  I reassembled the whole rifle and looked at it.  All the parts fit and the hammer contacted the firing pin but the finish was not what I liked so tear it apart again and go th work on the stock.  Using scrapers, I stripped the old finish and stain from the stock and smoothed out the rough spots.  I then reshaped the stock to more pleasing lines and removed some of the excess wood and weight.  A couple coats of Minwax Hickory stain followed by a few coats of shellac and my base was done.  I then grabbed the can of Danish Oil and layed on 5 or 6 coats of it.  At that point, I called it done.
 

 
I work up a load for it and use the rifle for a couple of years and the color of the stock keeps annoying me.  So this past December I remove the finish using handplanes, spokeshaves and scrapers.  I make up some walnut stain using hulls I gathered from under the American black walnut in my front yard and after two coats of stain, it is as dark as I want it.  One very thin coat of Danish Oil and it is good until the temps warm up, maybe in May.
 

 
I am now very pleased with the Trapdoor.  No, not really an accurate copy of an authentic model but certainly not work that was out of the realm of someone with the parts, tools and need to rebuild a rifle.
 

[Swampman]

I think it's really cool!

[dougk]

Hey Strawhat,

thanks for sharing the tale behind your project.  It was very interesting.  And the gun looks fantastic!

Doug

[StrawHat]

Thanks guys, it was a bit of work and a lot of fun.  And writing about it brought back a few memories.

[351 power]

nice work. thanks for the story

[jedman]

  Very Nice !!