It is a BP Rifle!!!

rafsob · 12-23-2011, 06:21 PM

I know it is not a muzzleloader, but it is BP:

I walked in to my local gun shop and this guy was in there trying to trade this original trapdoor carbine in for an AK-47. He got it from a friend that had died and left it to him. He was not interested in it in any way. The shop owner isn't too savvy on these older guns and he told the guy to have me look it over.

I gave him an honest estimate on this gun ($1500 to $3000). He ask the shop owner if he wanted to buy it and he said no. He then asked me if I wanted it and I said yes, but didn't have that kind of money on me. We then talked back and forth and I ended up taking it home. For a great price, I might add. He was happy and I actually thought he was Santa Claus in drag and I just got my Christmas present early.

I am in the process of doing a thorough research on the carbine and it is really looking great so far. And yes I have shot it and it is shooting a little high. I shoot BPCR rounds in my trapdoor rifle and used them to test the carbine. I will have to make some specific rounds for it. The rifle rounds are loaded with about 65 grs of Goex 2f. I need to lower that to 55 grs and it should be a lot more manageable. I ordered a maintenance kit for it and found an original. the kit has the jointed ramrod, shell extractor and carbine tool. Now that will cost me a few coins of the realm.

Oh yeah, the shots were shooting way high and friend just happened to have an original large front blade sight.

Hope I didn't make anyone mad by posting this, but thought you all would be interested.

While I am at it, this is the big brother:

cayugad · 12-23-2011, 06:38 PM

Very cool rifles.. thanks for posting that.

builder459 · 12-23-2011, 06:40 PM

Post away, i really enjoy looking at the old school rifles!!

Breechplug · 12-23-2011, 06:40 PM

Nice find rafsob, looks nice a good one and a nice project to mess around with. Have'nt seen ya on in awhile.
I want to Wish You and Your's a Very Merry Christmas and a Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year!
(BP)

MountainDevil54 · 12-23-2011, 06:44 PM

is that the 50-70?

bronko22000 · 12-23-2011, 06:47 PM

Isn't it a .45-70? They are cool. I've looked at them a few times but never actually brought one home with me.

rafsob · 12-23-2011, 07:37 PM

And to you my friend BP.

It is a .45-70 and the DOB is 1882. There is so much we don't know about these guns. Springfield did a lousy job of documenting their actions. Well take my serial number on my carbine. It is 1809xx and has a star (*) at the end of the number.

Now there are not that many of these considering the number of guns that were produced. But no one knows what these stars mean!!! This is one of the fun parts of these guns, the research.

Josmund · 12-24-2011, 02:41 AM

Cool. Thank for sharing your early Christmas gift.

gregrn43 · 12-24-2011, 03:22 AM

Thats a good looking rifle, congratulations on your find.

Dutch · 12-24-2011, 06:24 AM

Rafsob,

That is a very nice carbine. Congrats on the find. I have a friend that has an original Spencer carbine used by some yankee during the war. Unfortunately someone got the idea 40 years ago that it would make a nice lamp. So...they mounted it on a mill and bored the nicest, cleanest, professionally done hole through the left side of the action right into the chamber. It still makes me want to hurl when I think about it.