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1884 Trapdoor Springfield question

Ibidapo
I bought a very clean Trapdoor rifle a few years ago, and a box of the 'lower power" cartridges for it. Well, today, I was going to shoot the gun, but the cartridges would not go all the way into the chamber. They would go about halfway, and then it was like a "dead stop". Bore looks great, but I cannot understand this. It's almost like this gun has a smaller caliber, but I can only find info on the 45-70 for 1884 model.I bought it from a "slick" gun-dealer, and he is now deceased, so it's no telling what I have. Should these cartridges require alot of force to feed a bullet into the chamber? Thanks!!
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8 comments

Date Votes
  • duckhunter
    Any rust or pits in the chamber??
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  • JohnnyBGood
    quote:Originally posted by Ibidapo
    I bought a very clean Trapdoor rifle a few years ago, and a box of the 'lower power" cartridges for it. Well, today, I was going to shoot the gun, but the cartridges would not go all the way into the chamber. They would go about halfway, and then it was like a "dead stop". Bore looks great, but I cannot understand this. It's almost like this gun has a smaller caliber, but I can only find info on the 45-70 for 1884 model.I bought it from a "slick" gun-dealer, and he is now deceased, so it's no telling what I have. Should these cartridges require alot of force to feed a bullet into the chamber? Thanks!!


    Three things to check would be:

    1) An obstruction in the chamber, such as the broken off neck of a previously fired cartridge.

    2) Bullet too large of a diameter.

    3) Cartridge case not full length resized.

    John
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  • Ibidapo
    Thank y'all for the replies. I'll check a little better for obstructions. The ammo is Remington factory loads for "All models", which is supposed to be a safer load for some of the older guns. I cleaned toe bore and oiled it lightly when I got the gun, and the bore looked good, but it's hard to see the chamber with the recess and trap door kinda in the way. If there is a partial cartridge in there, it would be a "booger" to get out, I'm sure.
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  • Emmett Dunham
    The 1884 is marked on the receiver in front of the bolt, I wonder if this could be an earlier model in a different caliber.


    Emmett
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  • gruntled
    Removing the trapdoor is very easy. The pivot pin can be easily tapped out & that's all it needs however that should not be necessary.
    I just looked at mine & if you shine a good light down the barrel you can easily see the entire chamber from the breech. (Mine is a carbine but I should think a rifle wouldn'd be much harder.)
    They used to have enough problems with broken off cases that there is a tool to remove them. Finding such a tool may be the problem.
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  • dandak1
    I have owned and shot half a dozen trapdoors (all with pyrodex or black powder). The cartridges should easily enter into the chamber. The earlier trapdoors were of larger calibers (.58 and 50), altho some later ones were experimentally made in smaller calibers (30-40 krag IIRC). I would NOT even try to shoot anything in that until it gets a complete going over by a gunsmith who is familiar with these arms. Broken necks are fairly common in the older guns (had a rolling block in 43 spanish that had that condition...couldnt even see it in the chamber, but a stiff cleaning brush entering from the muzzle grabbed it and pushed it thru). Have your gunsmith make a chamber cast and measure it to see EXACTLY what you have. Maybe some bubba shortened the barrel from the chamber end and didnt recut the chamber...maybe some gunsmith in the late 1800's converted the thing to 45-60...who knows. They are WEAK actions, the gun being destroyed or your health and safety is not worth experimenting...get the chamber cast and slug the bore to determine what you have.
    As an aside, i would never shoot smokeless loads in a trapdoor, and that includes my specimens that are a tight as when they left the Springfield Armory. Just my 2 cents.
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  • Ibidapo
    Thank y'all for the posts! Some great info!!! I'll investigate.
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  • jonk
    A weak action? Well yes and no. Perfectly strong enough for a blackpowder 45/70 round. But not as strong as a bolt action or rolling block, no.

    As to your problem- one simple thing might be that the throats on most trapdoors are rather abrupt. Combined with a bullet profile or seating depth that is incompatible- i.e. too long for a trapdoor- that could be your problem if the case just won't seat the last bit.

    If it is really hanging up halfway out though...I'd also have to guess a re-chamber or broken case in the chamber, or other obstruction.
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