TRAPDOOR NEWSLETTERS by Al Frasca

[John S.]

Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 1 is available at:
https://armscollectors.com/trapdoor/TDNL/TDNL1-1.pdf

At long last, I have figured out a way to make these available. The first five have been converted to .pdf format and are uploaded to the main trapdoor site. I have not decided exactly how to integrate individual links for all of them all onto the traditional TrapdoorCollector.com main page, but should have that done soon.

The amount of new information Al provided in these is amazing, and they are valuable additions to the massive information in Al's "The .45-70 Springfield" Books One and Two. It is good to make this information permanently available to all collectors and historians via this website.

There are Nine Newsletter volumes with 37 individual Newsletters, published from the Summer of 1998 to the Summer of 2007. There is also a Composite index of ALL the articles, and another Composite Index of ALL the illustrations & Photos, and I will get those posted very soon.

I plan to post a new issue every few weeks, to encourage people to read each issue carefully instead of dumping them all at once where people may skim thru them and miss important details.

Enjoy!
Don't thank me, I just did "monkey see-monkey do" stuff to get it on line.
Thank Al Frasca who did the magnificent research, writing and publishing to make this info available.

[Dick Hosmer]

Sorry, gonna thank you whether you like it or not! Al surely did the work, but you have preserved it!!

I'm very thankful that I have all of the originals in their binders. I browsed through the one issue you posted, and noticed something that may or may not be of note, possibly depending on the intended destination of the crate enumerated. I copied the numbers into a spreadsheet and sorted them in order.

The first three are the "old model" having the narrow receiver aIthough the block was filled-in by that point, while the other 17 are the later model with wide receiver. . Now, even though those three were "different", they are clearly above the 50,000 recall, so apparently we are to assume that SA considered them first line and fit for issue.

It is pretty well assumed that, - unless there was overlap (which I VERY much doubt) the change took place between 95271 and 96309 - I've always used the round number of 96300, which may or may not be precisely correct. I have personally handled rifle 95271, and discussed loose receiver 96309 at length with "The Stoneman" an old-time parts dealer from PA. There is NO question about the features of either one.

Over the years, others have said they had conflicting info - to which I have always said "send me a photo." No one ever has. Been years since I asked, but has ANYONE seen a wide receiver with square hinge cut, or a narrow one with rounded cut?

The newsletters are a treasure trove of info, and far harder to find than the books. In addition to Al and John, a tip of the hat to the late Pete Nelson who made the indices.

[FrankD]

Thank you the newsletters it contains a wealth of information I have them all in a pdf. I refer to them and the books by Mr. Frasca and Mr. Hosmer on a weekly basis. I am grateful to have all this knowledge available.
Best,
Frank D.

[Tom Trevor]

When you read all the newsletters it actually becomes another book.

[FrankTrost]

Awesome thanks!

[John S.]

In addition to Al Frasca's great work, some of the frequent visitors here were were also contributors to the Newsletters, and should share in the appreciation for what has been preserved.

Some names I noted in converting to new formats, included: Tom Trevor, Dick Hosmer, Don Harpold, Pete Nelson, John Gross, and Tony Beck. I undoubtedly overlooked others equally deserving, but those were just ones I recall seeing in passing.

THANK YOU ALL!