Saw a Trap Door rifle today...

[JayF in AZ]

It was hanging on a wall a few feet behind a counter in a little antique shop. I was broke so I didn't ask to look it over. Wood looked original and the metal looked reblued. Assuming it has rifling and is mechanically ok, what are these things going for these days? I don't imagine it will be going anywhere soon so I might be able to save a few pennies

[Les Staley]

Jay, that's a hard question to pin down. Could have been an 1873 rifle or carbine..if an carbine maybe in the Custer range of serial #s..BIGBUCKS!!...even an infantry rifle used on the horsemeat march later that fall..still worth mucho dinero...battle of Slim Buttes. (Not a fad diet). An 1884 model can be bought much cheaper $600 to $1200.. Look the same but later production..no Indian War use..usually pretty good shape..I bought one a few years back for $700 with a bright shiny bore ..will shoot it someday..google is your friend...Les

[FatJackDurham]

If it has been reblued, then $400-500 is about right. There are plenty around. Check the quality of the inspecters cartouche. It it is indistinct, the wood might also have been refinished. If the cartouche is clear and the date on it matches the serial number manufacturing date (might be one year off if the receiver was made at the end of one year and the rifle was finished in the next) then it would be morth a little more.

If there is no cartouch or evidence of a cartouche, it definitely is worth less than $600, unless, as the other poster mentioned, the receiver serial number indicates a historical significance.

Hundreds of trapdoors were refnished and sanded down to bright metal to use in Civil War movies and pirate films, since the lock mechanism and general design is identical to the Civil War era muskets. Trapdoors are a lot easier to reload with blanks for second takes, though.

That was the case with mine when I bought it.

[roundup]

Some years back H&R marketed a newly manufactured replica.

[JayF in AZ]

Thanks for replying, I know it's really an impossible question. I was just looking fo a ballpark guess.

After I posted here I did use google, and what I saw there looks like a trapdoor "forager" shotgun. As far as I can tell from the internet, if it's real it would be worth some pretty good money. Next time I get up to the little town with the shop I'll definitely put my mitts on it.

[Ray Newman]

JayF in AZ: this might be of some help -- "Trapdoor Education", www.levergunscommunity.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39834

[Old Time Hunter]

Jay,

Does it look like any of these?
Rifle, Carbine, and Cadet sizes:



Oops forgot the rifle:


Car touche on Carbine:

[JayF in AZ]

OTH, thanks for the nice pictures The one I saw looks like this though:

http://www.antiquegunlist.com/index.php ... ga-shotgun

[guido4198]

You might start here:
http://www.trapdoorcollector.com/?
for more information than you ever wanted to know about Trapdoors.