Ammo-Springfield Trap Door

vf24249

Have a Springfield 4570 Trap Door (1884) and would like to hear from anyone that has used Remington 405gr cartridges in their older rifles like mine.

jonk

I would only use cowboy action ammo or my own handloads. Lead bullets only, no copper jackets. These barrels are very soft steel and even a few hundred copper jackets can and will strip rifling.

Edit for b0400879

Yes, it is a cool article too. For those who haven't read it, an author tested a trapdoor receiver by screwing a 30/40 barrel to it, then a 300 Savage, then a 30-06, and finally a 300 Winchester magnum (which finally destroyed the receiver).

This only proves that the trapdoor action is capable of taking a FEW shots with high pressure loads, it says nothing about what repeated battering with high pressure loadings will do to the locking mechanism and headspace. So I stand by what I said- keep pressures mild, use either blackpowder or suitable low smokeless loads.

fordsix

45-70 factory ammo is weak cause the factory do not know what you will put it in

soop

I think you can get black powder ammo for it from Old Western Scrounger.

b0400879

The facts: US shooters frequently use US factory ammo in them (mainly outta lack-of-choices-from Walmart, etc) & the TD's do seem to hold-up. Copper jackets can def accelerate wear n'tear.

These TD actions are stronger than most folks realize:
The CastBoolitforum has a very interesting thread on just HOW strong a beast we're dealing with here - it surprised the heck outta myself.

My own case: an original, 1875-built TD w/ native (not Buffington) sight. I generaly shoot my cast 405gr FPs @ approx 1170-1200fps. A pleasant load. Will occasionaly burn some factory 300gr JSP's, but very seldom 'cuz they always hit 3-4 FEET low @ 50 yds. Same tendencies w/ 290-300gr cast loads.

Per above: OWS, TenEX & others offer SASS-friendly loads as well, but - this is a great rifle/caliber combo to reload your own. My $.02 ....

gruntled

The hinge on mine broke off just from opening it when it was empty.
Fortunately that was back when replacement parts were cheap & easy to find. I paid $5 for the complete breachblock including the firing pin from Dixie Gun Works. That was about fourty years ago, I would hate to think what it would cost now.
That does however give me pause to consider the strength of the action.

vf24249

THANKS EVERYONE...for your input. I will not be using factory loads with copper jackets...Have found BUFFALO ARMS CO. that has lead cowboy loads and thats probably what I'll be using...

ONCE AGAIN - THANKS

b0400879

Re Jonk's: " .... and finally a 300 Winchester magnum (which finally destroyed the receiver)".

Close, amigo. But not quite!
From memory, it was eventually trashed by a single .300 H&H Mag round, which stripped the threads in the cast iron receiver & sent the barrel/forestock/bands downrange as a unit. Sure would have been amusing to videotape .....