Questions on a carbine acquisition

[EO1]

Trapdoors are new to me and I have never owned one until the other day when I purchased a 1884 carbine for $130 and it's missing the band and buttplate.
What are the correct replacements for these ?

[mr.j]

You need the barrel band with large "U" and butt plate with door. Does your carbine have a hole in the butt stock? It should. Post pictures for a more accurate answer. $130 is very good price basically free for what you got if it is a real carbine and not cut down.

[Dick Hosmer]

Yes, if real, that's ten cents on the dollar! Even if it isn't, it will be cheap fun.

[EO1]

Initially it appears to be the real deal.
I'm more familiar with the Krag and the cut down ones and the Bannerman guns, so a cut one is quite evident to me.
What carbine specific marks am I looking for ?
Somebody screwed up in a big way at the local Cabelas when it was priced.
I don't know jack about digital cameras and such so no pic will be forthcoming but, yes, there is the hole in the butt, about 80% finish, tight action and bright bore.
I'm away from home at the moment, but will inspect it more thoroughly tomorrow when I return.
Sometimes even a blind dog gets a bone.

[mr.j]

good deal for you, when you get home check to see if there are numbers where the butt plate would be, From my experience, and not much I might add there is always numbers in the wood where butt plate is. what these numbers indicate I do not know and im curious myself what they indicate. Maybe dick can help with that part. I heard he knows a little about this stuff and may have a few rifle and carbines himself,

[EO1]

1884 breech block & SN puts it made in 82 with a star. What is the meaning of the star ?

[Dick Hosmer]

It denotes a second-class arm, to be issued to the militia, or held in reserve. Appropriation for manufacture was paid out of a separate account, and the arms were not counted as new production, in the annual running totals. A block of about 20,000 numbers was allocated to this usage, and no duplicate numbers (star/no star) have ever surfaced. The arms used a lot of non-critical parts from the recall of 1879. Many star carbines will have early dated lockplates and coarse checkered "criss-cross" hammers, etc. They are "interesting", but not rare. An 1884 block would not be original to the gun. Sorry - cannot help on the "numbers by butt-plate" issue, other than to guess that they would be some sort of manufacturing code, possibly having to do with piece-work count for payment?