Latest trapdoor - 1886 carbine

[Lead Snowstorm]

As ya'll know, I've been hunting about here and there for trapdoor carbines - thinking, of course, that I'd pick up a starred receiver, or an 1890, or something like that.

But, the universe sent something else my way instead...









There's cracks on both sides of the fore-end above the level of the band spring. Fortunately both slivers of wood, though completely fractured, were held in place by the band spring. Just need to re-attach them.











Another piece of missing wood is next to the tang under the hammer. Someone must have taken the time to smooth it down completely.





At some point in the last 135 years the saddle ring got away.



Grooved trigger (someone was asking about the triggers over on TDC).



The barest hint of a remaining cartouche...really only visible because we know what and where we're looking.













Bore has some corrosion.



Well, I'll get an 1873/1884 carbine someday.

[Carlsr]

Nice!! Congrats.

[Dick Hosmer]

Great find! Happy for you. One question - it may well be camera distortion/optical illusion or how the tape is aligned, but are those REALLY the long 9.25" rods? They don't LOOK like they are, just from a proportionate appearance. The stock is unquestionably correct - CANNOT be faked - so I have to ask about the rod holes, as the usual configuration has the 1882 'plug' style HSE fitted on top of the center rod. That's how mine is, and every other one (granted not all that many) that I've seen. Maybe there is a variant?

Again, a super find; I put the number in the electronic 'working copy' of my book manuscript.

[Lead Snowstorm]

Great find! Happy for you. One question - it may well be camera distortion/optical illusion or how the tape is aligned, but are those REALLY the long 9.25" rods? They don't LOOK like they are, just from a proportionate appearance. The stock is unquestionably correct - CANNOT be faked - so I have to ask about the rod holes, as the usual configuration has the 1882 'plug' style HSE fitted on top of the center rod. That's how mine is, and every other one (granted not all that many) that I've seen. Maybe there is a variant?

Again, a super find; I put the number in the electronic 'working copy' of my book manuscript.

I think it?s the odd camera angle - I?m a little OCD about cropping everything but the backdrop, which leads to some strange angles sometimes! But I will get a much better - 90 degree - shot of them and the HSE a little later today when I get home.

[Lead Snowstorm]

OK, as promised! Let me know if there are better angles that might show something of interest:





In this picture, the tape is higher than the rods so it looks like it extends beyond the white line:



But at the angle, you can see how I tried to align them all on the white:

[Carlsr]

Looks like they cleaned up nicely. Have you cleaned the bore yet? Just wondering how much of those dark spots are just dirt.

[Dick Hosmer]

Sure shows what camera angle and range to the object can do to a photo!! The rods, as shown in pics 1 and 4, are CLEARLY correct, BUT you would never know that from pic 2 and ESPECIALLY pic 3. I got really fussy on stuff like this when taking the pictures for my books.

As an aside, you were very lucky to get the rods - they are missing from many (most?) specimens, and are hard to find (and expensive when you do) on the loose.

[Fred]

Neat carbine!