1888 Trapdoor

[ssgross]

Found this at the Virginia Gun Collector's Association show in Prince William county.
...the rifle, not the pup, although she had a great time there too.

It's missing its front sight cover, and rear swivel on the trigger gaurd. but everything else seems to be there.

Shouldn't be too much work. Looks like a layer of varnish or several coats of tru-oil over top. The original cartouche is 1890 and barely visible, but when I strip of the top layer of added finish, it should pop out again.

Only one spot around the lock plate is chipped. all else is intact very nice.

For my first trick...did you notice the barrel bands are upside down?


So, how to remove the ramrod catch to get the bands off and reversed? There seems to be a taper pin through a block, that fits in a groove milled across the barrel. But the ramrod catch seems to be floating on top of this?

It also appears the front sight blade may have been replaced, and it seems to be soldered in place.

But first things first, let's get the bands on correctly, add the missing parts, and go shooting. The bore is pristine. It may be a while before I get to finish this since I just added 4 new gun projects, plus a redoing a flooded kitchen. House and shop are all in chaos.

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