Mentioned this rifle earlier, but now here's a photo:

[Linked Image]

It's a .50-70 Springfield 1866, one of the "trapdoor" conversions of the .58 caliber muzzleloader Springfield used by the U.S military. They had zillions of them on hand after the War Between The States, so decided to convert them to cartridge rifles. The Allin conversion was first used with a .58 caliber rimfire round, which did not prove satisfactory. So the barrels were relined and rifled to .50 caliber, and chambered to the .50-70 centerfire round. That was the standard U.S. military round until 1873, when an "improved" version of the trapdoor Springfield was introduced, with a separate action, rather than a conversion of the muzzleloading rifle.

This rifle is a little worn on the outside, but the bore is shiny. Am in the early stages of handloading, partly because opportunity for actual shooting has pretty much sucked for a long time here in Montana. But will report later.

“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck