Uberti Springfield Trapdoor Carbine opinions

[Doug.38PR]

I've largely decided that my next gun is going to be the Uberti Springfield Trapdoor Carbine .45-70.

I've handled it in a Houston gunshop and it is nice!  Nice finish, wood stock. 

The only thing is...it's so dang expensive.  Around $1100.   And for a simple single shot rifle.

Still it is a nice gun. 
I was just wondering if any of you gentlemen in here have one, have shot it and what you think of it.
Thanks
Doug

[Drydock]

These are made by Pedersoli, not Uberti.  I  have a limited edition one thru Cherrys,  I consider it an excellent weapon.  New prices  seem to run $1200-$1300.    Not knowing the condition of the one you're considering, I cannot comment on the price.  Fit and finish on all that I've seen has been excellent, with superior milspec 3 groove barrels.

[Doug.38PR]

I'm impressed    You have a nice gun there.
What it lacks in capacity (compared to the 1873 Winchester) it makes up for in power (.45-70 vs. 44-40 or .45 LC) and reloading, with some practice, can be achieved pretty quick from your reenactment scene. 

I guess because it looks so much like my favorite 20th century patrol rifle (the M-1 Carbine) is one reason I like it so much.

BTW, your reenactment scene reminds me of a scene from "The Searchers" with John Wayne and Jeffrey Hunter where the U.S. Cavalry are returning from a raid on a Comanche village in the snow.

[Drydock]

Thats  not me.   Some  U-tube footage I searched up of fellow GAF members and their Trapdoors.  The demonstration is by  Rowdy Fulcher.  The snow  scene is Texas Sarge at our 2009 Grand Muster. (Thats me laughing in the backround)  My usual weapon is a Krag-Jorgenson.    

You can see me toward the end of this video: 

[Doug.38PR]

  the first video in that first post of yours looks just like you in the profile picture here. 
The snow trooper Texas Sarge, looks smiliar with his back mostly turned but I can hear from the voice they are two different men.

[Major Matt Lewis]

I have both the Officer's Model and the Carbine.  The Officer's Model is a better shooter hands down.  On mine, the front sight post is too dang high.  The Officer's Model is a dead shooter at CAS distance by putting the front sight bead on the target and making sure you don't see any post.  But as all opinions go, milage may very.

[Doug.38PR]

can the modern replicas handle modern .45-70 ammo? or only black powder or "cowboy action" smokeless powder (smokeless powder lowered to 19th century pressures)?

Can the Springfield Trapdoor feed and fire a .45 Long Colt in the same way that a .357 magnum or .44 magnum will came the .38 and .44 Special?

[SGT John Chapman]

The Trapdoor will not F&F 45 Colts you can how ever work up "Gallery"  or reduced loads useing a .457-8" ball,
You will have to be careful as to the loads you use to stay within the pressure constraints of the Trapdoor.


I think the ammo has to be under 18,000 PSI but look it up yourself to be sure.....

[Pitspitr]

can the modern replicas handle modern .45-70 ammo? or only black powder or "cowboy action" smokeless powder (smokeless powder lowered to 19th century pressures)?

Can the Springfield Trapdoor feed and fire a .45 Long Colt in the same way that a .357 magnum or .44 magnum will came the .38 and .44 Special?

Yes modern ammo is completely safe through the modern repros. In fact most say NOT to use them with BP however most of us do. The .45 LC probably isn't a good idea in a 45-70. The LC uses a smaller bullet (.452 as opposed to the .458 in the .45-70) and has a significantly smaller rim. If you reload you could download, I'm not real sure why you would want to though.

As to the quality of the Pedersoli's, I have one of the Long Range Models. I love it. Very accurate shooting, (not as a reproduction) and well made. I did take a file to the front sight so that it was the contour of the originals.

[Doug.38PR]

Only reason I brought up the .45 LC question was because I was thinking it might be cheaper to shoot than .45-70.   Kinda like .44 Special in .44 Magnum gun

[Drydock]

Apples and hand grenades.  Two completely different genre's.  The .44s are both straight case revolver cartidges.  The 45 LC is a straight case revolver cartridge, the .45-70 a tapered case rifle round.   Don't even think it.

[Niederlander]

Apples and hand grenades.  Two completely different genre's.  The .44s are both straight case revolver cartidges.  The 45 LC is a straight case revolver cartridge, the .45-70 a tapered case rifle round.   Don't even think it.

Thank you, Drydock!
      Bad things can/will happen if you try to use a .45 Colt in a .45-70.  Reminds of when my cousin fired some 7.62 NATO rounds out of a 7.62 X 54R Soviet SVT-40.  He said flames shot out of places he didn't think they should.  I imagine they did!  I'm just glad he wasn't hurt, and yes, we had a little class on caliber nomeclature, with emphasis on using ONLY the proper ammunition in your guns!

[Doug.38PR]

Don't worry. I always try to seek good advice before trying something like this     Thanks for the healthy advice!  I'll take it.

.45-70 is a pretty tough load isn't it?  Didn't the buffalo hunters use it to take down Buffalo?

The scene in Lonesome Dove where the Kiowas, halfbreeds and Comancheros have Augustus MacCrae pinned down behind his horse with a long range buffalo gun comes to mind  

(on the side, I don't know what Larry McMurtry was on when he decided to make the "prequels" and "sequels" to this....not to mention Bareback Mountain....or maybe he had a dang good ghostwriter when he "wrote" this

[Trailrider]

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE .45 LC AMMO IN A .45-70!  The base diameter of the .45 LC is significantly smaller than that of the .45-70 case!  Modern factory loads in .45-70 ARE set to SAAMI standards for the Trapdoor Springfields, Sharps rifles, etc.  Reduced loads can be assembled BUT...the large capacity of even modern solid-head brass requires careful development for reduced loads.  Faster-burning powders might seem to be the way to go, but they take up very little room in the case, leaving the possibility of the powder shifting around in the case as it is handled, which, at best won't help accuracy.  I would look at published load data for powders such as 5744 and Trail Boss.  Even these will have lower charge limitations, and DO NOT GO LIGHTER!  Fillers can sometimes be used, but in a single shot rifle, you are probably better off to tip the cartridges nose up prior to loading.  The powder will probably shift some when you insert the round in the chamber, but as long as you are reasonably consistant, so should your velocities from shot to shot.

Another thing to insure proper ignition of the powder is to FIRMLY CRIMP the case mouth into the crimp groove, or whereever you seat your bullet.  The myth that a crimp hurts accuracy is just that!  A firm, but not excessive crimp will help retard bullet motion until the pressure has built up enough to insure ignition of especially smokeless powders.

NEVER attempt to reduce black powder charges unless you use a filler wad to completely take up the powder space between the base of the bullet and the charge!  The Army did exactly that to reduce the 70 grain charge to 55 grains in the carbine loading, rather than shorten the case.  Of course with very reduced gallery or SASS loads, this might become problematic.  I don't know!

Ride careful, sir!

[Professor Marvel]

the .45 Colt cartridge dimensions vs the 45-70

[Windy City Joe]

Yesterday I was at Cabela's in Kansas City, Kansas and they have a Springfield Trapdoor Carbine .45-70 made by Pedersoli for $899. It looks brand new and never fired. It is in the gun library.
Windy City Joe

[Grapeshot]

I have one of the Trapdoor Rifles.  The Front Sight is to high, but I can fix that.  The ejector Spring is WEAK.  It kicks the shell out of the chamber but not clear of the rifle like an original does.  You have to either pick out the fired case or elevate the muzzle as you open the tap door so gravity helps the ejected round to fall free so you can load another round.  Othe than that, it shoots well.

[captmack]

I shoot an H&R Trapdoor Carbine and it works great and is not near as expensive as the Pedersoli models.

[captmack]

Thats  not me.   Some  U-tube footage I searched up of fellow GAF members and their Trapdoors.  The demonstration is by  Rowdy Fulcher.  The snow  scene is Texas Sarge at our 2009 Grand Muster. (Thats me laughing in the backround)  My usual weapon is a Krag-Jorgenson.    

You can see me toward the end of this video: 

Yes, I filmed the video of Texas Sarge at the 2009 Grand Muster.  And he is shooting an H&R Carbine just like mine:

[captmack]

Here is my video with the identical model H&R Cavalry Carbine.