Found a personal "Grail" today!
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Found a personal "Grail" today!
I've been looking for Trapdoor Springfield for some time. I've considered Italian repros but evey one I've seen on racks or tables has been close to if not over four figures.
So I went to a show today and came home with this H&R 1873 Trapdoor Musket (in 45-70, of course!):
There's a few dings in the stock, but the metal is as-new and has an amazing deep blue you just don't see anymore. The H&R is lighter than it looks and carries very well. The bore is mirror-bright with sharp rifling, and the previous owner said he's only fired cast lead loads at 1100-1200 fps. I believe it. Owner said it was very accurate at 100 yds and the open sights. We'll soon see.
I went over it today and made sure the breechblock locking lug setscrew was tight (yes) and snugged up the other screws, too. There was still preservative grease in some nooks and crannies. The trigger pull is a crisp 6.7-6.9 lbs with no creep.
Range report to follow.
Noah
So I went to a show today and came home with this H&R 1873 Trapdoor Musket (in 45-70, of course!):
There's a few dings in the stock, but the metal is as-new and has an amazing deep blue you just don't see anymore. The H&R is lighter than it looks and carries very well. The bore is mirror-bright with sharp rifling, and the previous owner said he's only fired cast lead loads at 1100-1200 fps. I believe it. Owner said it was very accurate at 100 yds and the open sights. We'll soon see.
I went over it today and made sure the breechblock locking lug setscrew was tight (yes) and snugged up the other screws, too. There was still preservative grease in some nooks and crannies. The trigger pull is a crisp 6.7-6.9 lbs with no creep.
Range report to follow.
Noah
Might as well face it, you're addicted to guns . . .
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
What a find!! Looking forward to the range report. Very nice.
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Noah,
When was this manufactured?
Stan in SC
When was this manufactured?
Stan in SC
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45-70,it's almost a religion
45-70,it's almost a religion
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Stan in SC wrote:Noah,
When was this manufactured?
Stan in SC
Harrington & Richardson made these repros in the late 70s or early 80s.
Er, NINETEEN 70s & 80s, that is!
Noah
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Noah,
That will make an excellent shooter with the nice crisp rifling and modern steel. Can I have it?
My old standby Trapdoor load of 11 grains of Unique behind a 385 Lyman cast would work great in that baby.---------------Sixgun
That will make an excellent shooter with the nice crisp rifling and modern steel. Can I have it?
My old standby Trapdoor load of 11 grains of Unique behind a 385 Lyman cast would work great in that baby.---------------Sixgun
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Cheers to that!
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
I know H&R made them ,but I don't know where they sold them because I never see them at gunshows or shops. Great Find!
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Nicely done. You are gonna have fun making smoke with that.
Jeremy
GySgt USMC Ret
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
First, congratulations! Not to get too nosey, but it sounds like this one was under four figures from the way your post started.
My trapdoor carbine is also an H&R. I really like it!!!
My trapdoor carbine is also an H&R. I really like it!!!
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Good job, Noah! Nice to see you got something you've wanted for a long time.
Old Law Dawg
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Good for you, Noah! Nice find!
Have you hugged your rifle today?
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Congratulations, I once used an original one with black powder at the range, great fun!!
Whatever you do always give 100%........... unless you are donating blood.
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
OS,Old Savage wrote:Cheers to that!
I happen to know Noah Zark, and yes, he looks just like Robert Palmer (without all the honeys) ------------Sixgun
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
I've had a couple of the H&Rs. Fun Shooters.
Nice find!!
jb
Nice find!!
jb
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Is that a sling swivel in front of the trigger guard...
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"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
congrats, always wanted one. I would love a carbine. Very kewl
Mike Johnson,
"Only those who will risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Eliot
"Only those who will risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Eliot
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
You guys never cease to amaze me, I did not think ANY of you would have known who Robert Palmer is!
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Congratulations on finding a great looking old-timey classic!
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
I have always preferred guns that are excellent in appearance, no beaters allowed generally speaking for me. Your H&R is just beautiful, especially compared to my original Springfield. While mine shoots and operates real nice, is not abused and is accurate, it has little in comparison to this nice one you found. Thanks for showing it.
To hell with them fellas, buzzards gotta eat same as the worms.
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Congrats Noah! That'll be a lot of fun at the range. Would be cool to take a wt with that too.
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MOLON LABE!
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
I've seen the Officer's Model they made, but didn't know they made such a nice repro of the full length rifle! That's a beauty!
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Very nice find.
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Nice find, Noah. I worked for H&R back in '78 and '79 as their advertising manager. The trap doors came out in 1971 to mark the company's 100th anniversary. I think the guns may have a bit of a dud sales-wise as there were a fair number still in inventory while I was there. No one talked much about them. Your rifle - I believe - is the least common.. Most of the parts were subbed out, but the guns were assembled in the Gardner plant, sporting arms manufacture having been moved there from Worcester in 1966. The page below is a sample of my "creative writing" for the 1979 catalog.
Riamh Nar Dhruid O Spairn Lann
- motto on the Irish Regiments' flags
- motto on the Irish Regiments' flags
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Noah,
WONDERFUL rifle!A good load will be a 300 grain .458 Remington bullet over 40 grains of Reloader7.Enjoy.
Stan in SC
WONDERFUL rifle!A good load will be a 300 grain .458 Remington bullet over 40 grains of Reloader7.Enjoy.
Stan in SC
The more I listen,the more I hear....and vice versa.
45-70,it's almost a religion
45-70,it's almost a religion
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Noah,
Sharp find... those are very nice reproductions and each one I've seen has been a good shooter...
Airdaleman,
Thanks for the bit of history lesson... and the copy of "your" ad.
Sharp find... those are very nice reproductions and each one I've seen has been a good shooter...
Airdaleman,
Thanks for the bit of history lesson... and the copy of "your" ad.
Griff,
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There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today! -- NOW WITH RANGE REPORT
I appreciate all the comments about the H&R Trapdoor Musket find. It's been YEARS since I've seen one, and I can recall seeing only three of them ever. I do occasionaly find the H&R Trapdoor Carbines of various flavors, but the Musket has been elusive as chicken teeth . . .
Airdaleman: Many thanks for posting the ad for the H&R Carbines. I can remember reading those ads when they appeared in the trade managzines, but the Trapdoor didn't float my boat back then. Had a fiance to marry, house to buy, career to establish, family to start and raise -- I was busy at the time. QUESTION: What "model number" did the factory apply to the Trapdoor Musket? How many were made?
Sixgun: No, you can't have it. No harm in asking, though.
H&R Musket RANGE REPORT: I took the Trapdoor and a couple old Mossberg 22s to the range yesterday afternoon, it is was a cloudless blue sky beautiful day in the mid 60s here with very little wind. I fired some 405 gr Remington factory loads as a "standard" and found that the musket was printing about 10" high but on center at 200 yds. The former owner had shaved off the top of the front sight post to regulate the Musket to his "1100 fps handloads" so I tried a couple of my tried and true 13 gr Unique under a 350 gr cast & gaschecked RNFP loads. Those slowpokes hit 2" under and dead center, so I adjusted the sight up a flat and the Unique handloads then hit dead center if I held at 6 o'clock. If it wasn't for the "boom", I wouldn't know if they went off. Someone had put out some claybirds on the 200 yd berm, and with the forend of the Musket on a sandbag on a wood block, I nailed a claybird with the fourth shot of Unique handloads. Close enough, but I'm going to look for a taller front sight anyway.
On to the Mossbergs, a Model 46M was cranky feeding and a good cleaning and adjustment of the cartridge elevator arm spring on the arm itself took care of the feeding problems. A recently-purchased Mossy 151 was FILTHY inside the action and the feed tube in the stock, so I gave it a complete field day treatment. Sunday was the first chance to get out, and the 151 functioned 100%, even with standard velocity Wolf target .22s, which don't cycle ANY semi-auto for me up to now. I burned up a box of 50 Wolf 22s in that 151 and it ran like a champ and VERY accurate. I chased an empty 20 oz pop bottle around the 50 yd berm for most of the 50 rds until a spinning shot sent it over and behind the berm. Then I fired the remaining rounds at larger bits of broken claybird, making them smaller.
Once again, I'm pretty stoked to be fortunate enough to find an H&R Trapdoor Musket, and was conmpelled to share with y'all boys. It appears to be a keeper, and I very much appreciate your comments!
Noah
Airdaleman: Many thanks for posting the ad for the H&R Carbines. I can remember reading those ads when they appeared in the trade managzines, but the Trapdoor didn't float my boat back then. Had a fiance to marry, house to buy, career to establish, family to start and raise -- I was busy at the time. QUESTION: What "model number" did the factory apply to the Trapdoor Musket? How many were made?
Yes it is. The other swivel is on the upper band.AJMD429 wrote: . . . Is that a sling swivel in front of the trigger guard...
Sixgun: No, you can't have it. No harm in asking, though.
H&R Musket RANGE REPORT: I took the Trapdoor and a couple old Mossberg 22s to the range yesterday afternoon, it is was a cloudless blue sky beautiful day in the mid 60s here with very little wind. I fired some 405 gr Remington factory loads as a "standard" and found that the musket was printing about 10" high but on center at 200 yds. The former owner had shaved off the top of the front sight post to regulate the Musket to his "1100 fps handloads" so I tried a couple of my tried and true 13 gr Unique under a 350 gr cast & gaschecked RNFP loads. Those slowpokes hit 2" under and dead center, so I adjusted the sight up a flat and the Unique handloads then hit dead center if I held at 6 o'clock. If it wasn't for the "boom", I wouldn't know if they went off. Someone had put out some claybirds on the 200 yd berm, and with the forend of the Musket on a sandbag on a wood block, I nailed a claybird with the fourth shot of Unique handloads. Close enough, but I'm going to look for a taller front sight anyway.
On to the Mossbergs, a Model 46M was cranky feeding and a good cleaning and adjustment of the cartridge elevator arm spring on the arm itself took care of the feeding problems. A recently-purchased Mossy 151 was FILTHY inside the action and the feed tube in the stock, so I gave it a complete field day treatment. Sunday was the first chance to get out, and the 151 functioned 100%, even with standard velocity Wolf target .22s, which don't cycle ANY semi-auto for me up to now. I burned up a box of 50 Wolf 22s in that 151 and it ran like a champ and VERY accurate. I chased an empty 20 oz pop bottle around the 50 yd berm for most of the 50 rds until a spinning shot sent it over and behind the berm. Then I fired the remaining rounds at larger bits of broken claybird, making them smaller.
Once again, I'm pretty stoked to be fortunate enough to find an H&R Trapdoor Musket, and was conmpelled to share with y'all boys. It appears to be a keeper, and I very much appreciate your comments!
Noah
Might as well face it, you're addicted to guns . . .
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
nice rifle and some good shooting.congrads.
pete
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Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
mescalero1 wrote:You guys never cease to amaze me, I did not think ANY of you would have known who Robert Palmer is!
Guess its not all campfire songs and old Slim Whitman cassettes for this crowd, ------
might as well face it, we're addicted to love.
Slick rifle Noah
----- Doug
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
I don't know a lot about the H&R. My nephew called me Sunday morning asking about one of the H&R Custer Commemeratives he had found for $700.00. I thought that was a little pricey, told him to offer $500.00. Maybe I was wrong as to value...??? Anyway if anyone is interested it is at the Gander Mountain store in Terre Haute, Indiana.
UNITE
Re: Found a personal "Grail" today!
Very nice rifle! I didn't know H&R did the rifles.
I regret not buying the H&R Officers Model I saw last year for $500.
I regret not buying the H&R Officers Model I saw last year for $500.
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Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?
Isnt it amazing how many people post without reading the thread?