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Anyone know anything about the 1873 trapdoor?

timctimc Posts: 6,684 Senior Member
in General Firearms #1
Got a question for you gunsmith guys, Teach or anyone else that may know. How do you disassemble the Breech block on the 1873 Springfield Trapdoor? I want to replace the latch spring and can't find any info on how to remove the latch from the Breech block, it doesn't have the screw holding it in like the
timc - formerly known as timc on the last G&A forum and timc on the G&A forum before that and the G&A forum before that.....
AKA: Former Founding Member
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Replies

  • earlyearly Posts: 4,950 Senior Member
    #2
    Way too late to ask Erskin Allen.
    Good thing this place has the guys who know.
    My thoughts are generally clear. My typing, not so much.
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  • BigDanSBigDanS Posts: 6,992 Senior Member
    #3
    timc wrote: »
    Got a question for you gunsmith guys, Teach or anyone else that may know. How do you disassemble the Breech block on the 1873 Springfield Trapdoor? I want to replace the latch spring and can't find any info on how to remove the latch from the Breech block, it doesn't have the screw holding it in like the

    Video 1

    [video]https://youtu.be/8j9HJBXZH5E[/video]
    "A patriot is mocked, scorned and hated; yet when his cause succeeds, all men will join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain
    Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
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  • BigDanSBigDanS Posts: 6,992 Senior Member
    #4
    Video 2

    [video]https://youtu.be/bE0Tb9_sqsA[/video]
    "A patriot is mocked, scorned and hated; yet when his cause succeeds, all men will join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain
    Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
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  • BigDanSBigDanS Posts: 6,992 Senior Member
    #5
    Video 3

    [video]https://youtu.be/fhkWy9d9RWw[/video]

    D
    "A patriot is mocked, scorned and hated; yet when his cause succeeds, all men will join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." Mark Twain
    Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
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  • Big Al1Big Al1 Posts: 8,818 Senior Member
    #6
    I've got two of them, but never have had to take one apart. Video should help.
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  • timctimc Posts: 6,684 Senior Member
    #7
    Those videos will not help, I have a different design.
    This is the one from the video with the take down screw.
    49545F2B-49CD-4C15-9FA9-C44A3174F3DB_zpscopbldcf.jpg

    This is the one on mine without the screw.
    1A7F5693-4453-49B3-A050-2B72BEA0671C_zpszdbnokq5.jpg
    timc - formerly known as timc on the last G&A forum and timc on the G&A forum before that and the G&A forum before that.....
    AKA: Former Founding Member
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  • Big Al1Big Al1 Posts: 8,818 Senior Member
    #8
    Is that an original 1873 or one of the H&R replicas?? There might be pin holding it in place that was polished and blended in with the other metal!
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  • timctimc Posts: 6,684 Senior Member
    #9
    Big Al1 wrote: »
    Is that an original 1873 or one of the H&R replicas?? There might be pin holding it in place that was polished and blended in with the other metal!

    Its one of the H&R's, I sure can't see any place where a pin was blended in. I think I read somewhere you can replace the Breech block with an original, I may look into that.
    timc - formerly known as timc on the last G&A forum and timc on the G&A forum before that and the G&A forum before that.....
    AKA: Former Founding Member
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  • Big Al1Big Al1 Posts: 8,818 Senior Member
    #10
    Numrich shows a cam latch retaining screw for the H&R.
    Here's a good sight for trapdoor info.

    http://trapdoorcollector.com/
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  • timctimc Posts: 6,684 Senior Member
    #11
    Big Al1 wrote: »
    Numrich shows a cam latch retaining screw for the H&R.
    Here's a good sight for trapdoor info.

    http://trapdoorcollector.com/

    Just won an auction for a complete 1873 dated breech block, no pitting but I will need to polish and blue it.
    I got t for $64 which is a steal. I think this will be the answer to the H&R crap latch.
    timc - formerly known as timc on the last G&A forum and timc on the G&A forum before that and the G&A forum before that.....
    AKA: Former Founding Member
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  • TeachTeach Posts: 18,428 Senior Member
    #12
    In case the original part doesn't work, try prying the latch outward as you rotate it through its range of motion. It's possible that one is retained by a detent ball and spring riding in a groove. Don't get too energetic with it, but sometimes a low-tech solution is all that's needed.
    Jerry
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  • DoctorWhoDoctorWho Posts: 9,496 Senior Member
    #13
    timc wrote: »
    Just won an auction for a complete 1873 dated breech block, no pitting but I will need to polish and blue it.
    I got t for $64 which is a steal. I think this will be the answer to the H&R crap latch.

    Polish, don't blue, at least find out how much it is worth first !
    "There is some evil in all of us, Doctor, even you, the Valeyard is an amalgamation of the darker sides of your nature, somewhere between your twelfth and final incarnation, and I may say, you do not improve with age. Founding member of the G&A forum since 1996
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  • timctimc Posts: 6,684 Senior Member
    #14
    Took some fitting and some cussing but she is installed and works great. Dry loading and ejection is good, empty case with primer test fire good, now I just need to take it to the range for a live fire test. Hopefully all is good and my auto eject issues with the trapdoor popping open are gone. I have always really liked this rifle and had it for several years but never had the nerve to get a Springfield Breech Block and go to dremmeling everything.

    I wish the bluing would come out better but I'll keep working on it and if it never matches completely; well as long as it shoots good I don't really care!

    With the new (Old) parts installed.
    965CC274-3852-4226-9C5C-EE4A5E3D74C7_zpsxofewps0.jpg
    8BF3E61B-426A-4DC0-A05C-8BCE4627BE6C_zpss7upqnpn.jpg
    timc - formerly known as timc on the last G&A forum and timc on the G&A forum before that and the G&A forum before that.....
    AKA: Former Founding Member
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  • Big Al1Big Al1 Posts: 8,818 Senior Member
    #15
    Looks good!
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  • timctimc Posts: 6,684 Senior Member
    #16
    Big Al1 wrote: »
    Looks good!

    Thank you sir, I was getting nervous, I had to cut out way more than I thought I would but the Springfield latch sets a lot deeper into the back of the receiver which was the problem with the H&R latch that was smaller, too shallow and would not hold well under recoil.
    timc - formerly known as timc on the last G&A forum and timc on the G&A forum before that and the G&A forum before that.....
    AKA: Former Founding Member
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