1868-69 Trapdoor Stock

[Tkacook]

Anyone know where I might find a 1868-69 Trapdoor stock? This is the one for the long nose receiver. I have been looking for almost 6 months and nothing.

TKacook

[Southron]

Lodgewood Manufacturing is probably your best bet for an original stock.Give them a call:

http://www.lodgewood.com/

If you want a replica stock....then get in touch with Dunlap Woodcrafters;

http://www.dunlapwoodcrafts.com/MilitaryStocks.php

Hope you can find what you need!

Good Luck

[Tkacook]

Thanks for the links. I didn't know about the dunlap stocks. A good alternative if I get desperate. I missed two on eBay because I was broke one time and cheap the second. I figured another would come along, but so far nothing. There is a seller named 1bach that has posted most of them. I will keep looking, but I get impatient. Gotten burned that way before, but sometimes I just don't listen to reason. I know as soon as I get a repro stock, another original will come along.

TKacook

[Mark Daiute]

Here's a place to keep your eye on:



http://trapdoorcollector.com/parts.html

[Tkacook]

Mark,

Yep, I keep an eye on Al's site too. He rarely has 50-70 stocks, but I do check it often.

[1mark]

There is a 50-70 caliber stock on ebay.

[Dick Hosmer]

Don't know what grade you are looking for. It's pretty heavily sanded, and has some cracks, but the flats are still mostly present. Good news is that it is still cheap - might do to hold all your parts together until you find a better one.

[Tkacook]

I did see the one on eBay. If it stays cheap enough, I might still try and get it. The last few went between $225 and $275.

I was hoping Dick that you knew somewhere they were hiding.

[Dick Hosmer]

I did see the one on eBay. If it stays cheap enough, I might still try and get it. The last few went between $225 and $275.

I was hoping Dick that you knew somewhere they were hiding.

I wish I did, but seriously, you are almost solely dependant on diligence and luck for that item - there are no known stashes. I do not know your goal(s), but here are some suggestions:

1. Keep looking.
2. Save up your money so that you can strike when the opportunity comes.
3. Consider buying a complete gun with lousy metal but a decent stock and sell any good parts to defray costs.
4. A combination of the above - buy a nicer gun that has no problems and sell the parts you have now.

I had been looking for one of the extremely rare 1868-dated 1868s for 45 years. One showed up on Gunbroker last year, in about 90% condition, and priced no more than a common date. Why, I have no idea since seller presented the correct ID. I was lucky to get it. More recently, a friend bought a $7500-plus .45-80 long range rifle in the same venue, for $1250!!!!! Diligence pays off. I missed that one because I'm not buying any more unless the circumstances are extremely unusual, or a very rare gun is incorrectly described. I missed even looking at the LRR because its opening price - while ridiculously low due to seller ignorance - was above the arbitrary limit I'd set for myself.

[Tkacook]

Thanks for the pointers. I am trying to find a full stock for the rifle I posted a while back. Nothing special, but a good shooter. My goal is to make it look right for as little as possible. I rarely collect complete correct rifles, because I just can't afford them. I have put many many rounds downrange with my collection of parts and have enjoyed them. My budget has been very low lately so complete rifles even in poor metal condition are off the table. I need to check Gunbroker more, but there is so much temptation there. I was hoping someone on here might have something they wanted to get rid of. The guy on eBay has lots of 50-70 parts, but this is the first 50-70 stock he has listed since around Christmas time. I don't feel too guilty buying parts and reassembling them back into working rifles.

[Tkacook]

Well I decided to go with the eBay stock to hold the parts. I'm happy with the way it turned out and can't wait to shoot it again.

Andy

[Tkacook]

I was able to shoot the rifle Saturday and we had a great time with it. I love the looks on people's faces when I bring these old rifles to the range. It held a 3-4 inch group at 50 yards. I was able to hit the 8" gong at 100 yards multiple times. I got the cleaning rod I ordered from S&S today and it looks correct.

[Tkacook]

Here's a picture of my re-stocked 1884 and my re-stocked 1868 with the cleaning rod. The rod is a reproduction, but has the correct single step.

Trapdoors-5.jpg