Trapdoor Rifles

Dick Hosmer wrote: ↑Sun Jan 28, 2024 3:49 am Carl, what's your 'radius of error' in orienting the cases in the .58s? Do you have to be dead-perfect or can it be off a few degrees either way? That big hammer and strong spring delivers a crushing blow so I'd guess you have a little leeway?

Dick, with the Allin conversion there’s hardly any room for error. The firing pin comes straight down at 12 o’clock so if you’re slightly off the pin misses the primmer.
On the Miller conversion the firing pin is at 3 o’clock and slides down ward with a longer stroke. The strike mark on the Miller is longer than that of the Allin.

One of the things I like about the ‘68-70 models is that many of the parts are interchangeable with the readily available’73 parts. I’m very interested in the ‘66 conversions but it is completely different than the later models and parts are harder to find.

Texcl2 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 28, 2024 5:46 pm One of the things I like about the ‘68-70 models is that many of the parts are interchangeable with the readily available’73 parts. I’m very interested in the ‘66 conversions but it is completely different than the later models and parts are harder to find.

Not really -in fact I can only think of a very few shared by the 68/70 and the 73.

Buttplate, trigger/triggerguard assembly, tang, firing pin, a few screws, that's about it.

That’s a lot, I also believe the ejector spring is interchangeable. I’m just glad the firing pins are interchangeable, it seems every one I buy is broken lol. The lock of course is mostly interchangeable with the earlier Springfield muskets as all conversions are. Isn’t the early 73 block and hinge pin interchangeable too? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them on an 1870 action but maybe I’m mistaken. Of course many of those parts wouldn’t be “correct” but you could get a gun shooting. 20 years ago all these parts were pretty available, they seem to really be drying up as of late.

Good point. I forgot about the ejector!

I should have also clarified that I listed parts which could be substituted and basically no one would know. You are absolutely correct that nearly everything is interchangeable enough to make a shooter, as witness the abortions we all see from time to time. I have often referred to the situation as being both the "blessing and the curse" of trapdoor collecting.

lol, that’s a good way to sum it up.