44 Colt

[StrawHat]

That's quite an interesting rifle you have, there. I was wondering if you started with a whole barrelled action, or if it went as far as adding a breechblock to a replica musket. But I might have had a hard time getting myself to convert a Missippi rifle, that's my favorite among the military replicas.(wish I could afford one)

I remember waaaayyyy back when I was younger, they used to sell kits to convert a trapdoor 45-70 to a .45 cal muzzle loader. New barrell that fit in the origional stock, maybe a different hammer, too. Wonder how many of those converted rifles are floating around still, worth about a fourth what it would if un-molested!...

I started with the barreled action and wish I had a dozen of them!  Either caliber would work up into a nice rifle.  I have even seen some worked into Gove style Hawkens and English styled rifles.  A gun shop by me has a 45-70 stock ed in a modern style, nice shooter but not for sale..

Those kits were sold by Numrich, "...turn your tired old trapdoor into a muzzle loader...", wish I knew where some of the cast offs ended up.

As for the Mississippi, any musket would have worked for me by that point.  I was looking for something cheap and that fit the bill.  I was even contemplating converting my cherished 1803 Harpers Ferry and at some point I may build such a rifle with a trapdoor action.  I have a fondness for the trapdoor and enjoy all I have owned or shot.  At some point I hope to build a CF variation of the 1865 that blazed the way for the later centerfire models.

[pony express]

I'll have to keep this in mind, if I ever see a trapdoor barrelled action for sale. And also, if I see any cheap repro muskets.....but I haven't seen any of those, or I'd have it already.

Wasn't the 1865 model in .58 caliber? You'd almost have to just fit a trapdoor breech to a modified repro barrel to make that, and chamber it for something like a .577 Snyder. But if, as you say, the repro barrell is larger diameter, it would make fitting just the trapdoor breech a challenge.

[StrawHat]

I'll have to keep this in mind, if I ever see a trapdoor barrelled action for sale. And also, if I see any cheap repro muskets.....but I haven't seen any of those, or I'd have it already.

Wasn't the 1865 model in .58 caliber? You'd almost have to just fit a trapdoor breech to a modified repro barrel to make that, and chamber it for something like a .577 Snyder. But if, as you say, the repro barrell is larger diameter, it would make fitting just the trapdoor breech a challenge...

yes, the 1865 was a 58 Rimfire.  I have several 58 caliber round barrels of varying outside diameters.  Not a lot of variance but some.  I have considered the idea of treading one and fitting it to the 1873 or later action.  I have also given thought to cutting the breech end and fitting a trapdoor, like the way they were done in 1865.  The cartridge would be as close to the 58 RF  (58-60-500) as I can make it and still be easy to reload.  (No custom reloading dies.)  Currently, this is all just pipe dreaming.  Temperatures in my shop are under freezing and I don't run heat in it.  No heat = no me!  And I have more than a few projects ahead of this.  but I still need something to occupy my mind so I think about what I might make someday.  Restocking an action is relatively easy.  So I do that but building a 58 may happen someday.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Mr. Google told me this;

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_3_52/ai_n26738487/pg_3/

And this!

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=118478

[pony express]

Sounds like tou could just use shortened .577 brass, or use what some Snyder or Martini-Henry shooters use, a 24ga brass shotshell. (I have no idea where they find them, I never heard of a 24ga shotgun before). Maybe Snyder loading dies might work, too, id the snyder case isn't tapered too much.

[StrawHat]

Thanks for the link to the custom Lee dies, I was unaware of that source.  Not too bad a price.  I checked the main list and found a few good ones.

Still this is a back burner project.  Two years without work in my chosen field, puts a big crimp in "hobby" money.  Someday...