The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Little H&R 45/70 Deluxe Cavarly Model i enjoy shooting once and a while....She pretty much like new, so i dont shoot the crap out of this one ;) Always liked trapdoors.

Love Trapdoors and that era. ...... dolk

They are nice, I picked up an unfired one back in '97, it's not unfired any more, but I go easy with it.

Mine was unfired too when i got it few years ago, people afraid of them? hehe jk......Got to go easy on them...they not been made sense the 70's, and H&R made some high quality stuff i think ;)

Have you tried loads with 70 grains of black powder yet? I been thinkin about loading a few up, i shot some weak Pyrodex loads a while ago..but no way they was 70 grains.." i got them with the gun" guy said they was weakly loaded and he never fired them or that trapdoor before. i was not sure if he was telling the truth or not, it was like new thou and hardly shot if anything...under the hammer all the blueing was still there " where it would strike the firing pin" always gets worn off right away...it was like new..after i shot 10 rounds thru it, it was no longer like new under the hammer..lol...So he was not lieing atleast..lol

Back in the early 1970's people were buying these as investments and decoration items more than as shooters. They are safe, no issues with them, yu should be sticking to BP loads or very light smokeless ones same as you would the original trapdoor. Mine has never seen a smokeless load. I make 45/55/405 loads for this, easier to manage in a carbine sized barrel.

I load my own and cast my own bullets. But I'm firing a "original" trapdoor carbine, so I keep the loads low like Jim. The new trapdoors can handle a little "push", old ones can't...... D

Not much push, the design is exactly the same as the 1873 original, but uses modern steel. The modern steel is what gives it enough edge to handle some mild smokeless loads like the "cowboy action" loads H&R was a US government contractor, they made the M1 Garand during the 1950's so you could say this trapdoor is closer to being a US milsurp than any repop made since.

Those are awesome carbines. I sold my H&R Officer's model last year.

Thanks everyone!!

Ya great little gun. I heard the Cav used 50-55 grains cause it pushed them around a bit too much while on horse back..and normal load for most was 70 grain " 45/70. 45 cal, 70 grains ff powder.