Picked this old girl up at the Tulsa show last month. Just got it back together after a deep cleaning and inspection. For a 130 year old rifle it is remarkable condition, a few minor marks in the wood, no rust, bluing is excellent, case hardening faded but visible, tight action and a sharp clean shiny bore. Ran some rounds through the tube mag, cycled and feed perfectly, however the magazine spring is weak and could be replaced. Ordered a Saeco 405 grain flat nose mould but have loaded up some round nose to give it a go tomorrow.
Always wanted a Keene since seeing one in the movie Joe Kidd, this is the first one I have encountered that is what I consider presentable and shootable.

Awesome find.

Beauty !

GTC

Too cool!

Ed

Know nothing of them, but looks to be a neat find. Let us know how it does.

Here is what the rifle achieved today at fifty yards. Once I got the front sight tapped over to the right just a smidge it laid the 10 shots dead on with a sight picture of the red dot on top of blade. Back to the shop to load some more and move it down range a bit further.
The top two holes in the target were with 55 grains of BP and a 535 grain Postel. Think taking an elk with this rifle and BP is in future plans.

405 grain RN 20/1 cast at .461, bore measured the same as my trapdoor .460 so I went with the same load.
27 grains of AA5744 and a BR2 primer.
Just got a call that the FN mould was delivered so I should get to try them out soon!

And yet there are legions of gun guys giving credit to Paul Mauser for inventing the bolt action rifle...

It likes BP. Apparently.

At fifty yards it does! Was suprised with those two shots but those are the only two I had loaded and shot last. The bolt is a pain to remove so cleaning BP during a shooting session will have to be done with a jag/patch on a cord dropped and pulled through from the breech end. Hope the 405 FN bullets with BP shoot that good, plan casting some tomorrow.

Sweet rifle!!

Nathanial, it is common practice to swab muzzle loaders on the line during competition and it is a practice safe to the bore if done properly. Pro Shot and others make rods with muzzle guides (small brass cone) which allow a damp patch to be run thru the bore simply and quickly.

OTOH, if one works the load and bullet properly a fairly large number of shots can be made w/o swabbing. I have a Stevens 44 that just shot a group (10) not unlike your own at 50 yards with no swabbing between shots. .25-20 SS with Swiss 1.5 Fg.

DD,
Not particulary worried about how many shots I can get off without swabbing as
a load can be worked up as you state. However, when it comes time swab or
clean I do not want to push the crude into the chamber and action. Only fired the two BP loads so far but they seemed to be clean enough and the second chambered without resistance.

What I made for swabbing/cleaning my Trapdoor was to solder a brass loop to the threaded portion of a 45 cal jag. Tied on a length of para cord and slipped the other end through a two inch length of brass tube crimping it onto the other end of the cord. Punch small holes in the center of two inch patches and feed them down the cord onto the jag. Once a patch is pulled through they are cut off. Will need to make up another, the Keene only has a 24 inch barrel, don't need the cord length of the Trapdoor.

Clean it like a levergun, open the action and turn the gun over so the opening is pointing down.
If you blow 3-4 breaths in each end of the barrel then push a dry patch thru, all the soft fouling will stick to the patch, might be some fall off but not enough to amount to anything. Then just clean normal and oil.

^^^That^^^

Upside down works on a lot of guns. Should have mentioned that fine point. Do that with my flinter when times come to clean and not a drop of goop goes where it isn't wanted.

Had I a cartridge gun with that geometry I might consider leaving the case in place with swabbing the bore for the reasons mentioned.

BTW, that is a sweet rifle you have there, best of luck with it.

Nathaniel you OFFICIALLY SUCK!!! Uber cool rifle!!!!!

Very nice old rifle! and fine shooting on your part! shoot and enjoy it!

Nathaniel,

I have a "Flex rod" that has been around forever, I THINK it came from DGW. Brass on one end, and the raw black plastic on the other.

Works GREAT for wiping Trapdoors, 86s and 71-84s from the breech.

Delrin's been all the rage for years now, too.

Any reason you cant wipe that peach out from the breech end, using something similar ?

GTC

Have and use delrin rods, gave it go when I first got the trapdoor, just find my method works better for me.

I must be daft having just now stumbled on to this thread..That's a beauty of a find congrats and keep us posted on how she shoots with your cast offerings..