Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots 1885 trapper

Well, I went and done it!
Having a spare shotgun around that I have not used in years, I decided to offer a trade to a dealer for a 1885 Trapper in 30/40 Krag!
No idea why and I am not sure what to do with it, but I may fool around with cast bullets in it
it would be a real cool truck gun however with the 16 1/2" barrel. :>)
Eventually I will change out the wood, and possible re-barrel to 6.5Krag, 6.5/303 or possible 30/303.
Cat

Been looking at the closeouts on CDNN for a good while, but that stubby barrel puts me off. 20" is about as short as I like. Some recent futzing around with Trail Boss and 110gr Speer HPs in a .308 have me re-thinking; pretty much a .32/20, with .308 in reserve for the big stuff.

Those are drilled and tapped for mounts, right?

I’m not sure Pappy, my buddy and I were wondering about that as well and I had planned to check today
Cat

There are several good reasons why Winchester made its 1885 "Lightweight Carbine" on the lowall frame and only in "pistol" calibers (the hardest kicker was the .44-40). Those Miroku "Trappers" LOOK cool, but they are very impractical firearms, IMO. For a lot of money. Since they were making replicas, I wish they'd stayed with the Winchester program....

If you can get one cheap enough, the ACTION, however, is excellent, and would be a great basis for most any caliber, just like the original was/is! Find someone who has been firing his Trapper .45-70 with factory loads and you can probably get it cheap.

Yeah I I have owned a 94 trapper in 30/30 and it wasn’t bad so I ron’t Think the 30/40 will be much different with a 150 grain bullet but I would not go near one of those in a 45/70!
Cat

Well, a little update. I had to go a while back , so loaded up a bunch of resized/unfired 303 Brit brass to 30/40, dropped some Trail Boss into the cases and topped them off with some 180 grain cast, powder coated bullets. The idea was to shoot the little carbine at an indoor range inn Red Deer while my soon was at a meeting.
before that happened, II took a jaunt over to visit Ron Smith (( noted Canadian single shot gunsmith and shuetzen looney) to show him my 8.15X46R Haenel.
Well, as it turns out, The rifle carbine was left with Ron, and he is building a gain twist , 26' barrel in 260 for it!
I was thinking of 6.5/303, and Ron's favorite hunting cartridge in 6.5 is actually a variation of the 6.5 Krag, but i happen too have a set of 2600 rem competition dies inn the cupboard, so that was that!
After I get the rifle back I will contact George at Treebone and get some decent wood for it.:>)
Cat

Well, I got the rifle back from Ron Smith the other day and loaded up some 123 Hornady ELDm's and some 140 Chinchaga ULD's with a starting load of 41 grains of H4350 to give it a go.
The rifle has a terrible trigger on it and Ron did his best to get it down to a workable creep and poundage, and being a straight stock and skinny forend , it is a bit tough too shoot well off the bench , but it does shoot well.
The barrel is perfect taper and weight for a 26" hunting rifle ( same taper as on his favorite Highwall hunter so I figured it can't be that bad!)
Shot several 5 shot groups at 200 yards that were 1", barrel does not foul badly either, but I only out 50 through it yesterday.
Bullets like to be touching the lands on this rifle .
it is quite a bit warmer today, so I will head out and try it again with a tad more powder and see what happens- pics later on. :>)
Cat

Wow!

And to think back in the '60s they pooh-poohed the Domino Effect!

What happened to you is exactly why I've restrained myself. Pics would be nice!

Sounds a treat. Ron Smith does exceptional work. I would love to have a .32-40 rifled by him, with Pope-style rifling (if he still does that).

[quote=gnoahhh]Sounds a treat. Ron Smith does exceptional work. I would love to have a .32-40 rifled by him, with Pope-style rifling (if he still does that).[quote]
Oh he sure does, cast bullet rifles have always been his specialty , funny thing is I have owned 9 of his barrels and although I have dabbled in cast bullet rifles and still shoot an 8.15x46R, most of my barrels I had him make are in sort of 6.5 !LOL
Pics tomorrow, promise !
Cat

Okay, got out and froze my butt off in the wind but am happy with the way things are progressing all the same. .
This is defiantly not a bench rifle , it is far more comfortable too shoot offhand.
Top group was shot with 140 grain Chinchaga RBTULD's, the bottom with 107 grain Match Kings.
Scope will not stay on it, this is one that II use for range work
Cat

I then shot a quick 1/2 MOA group with the 140's at 200 but the pic turned out fuzzy so I will try again tomorrow!

Cool!

What's that white stuff all over the ground?

Oh that? Never mind that stuff I live in the Great White North , it will be gone about June or so!LOL
Cat

Turnbull does a beautiful job on these.

Turnbull is great at anything they touch

The only problem with Turnbull that I have is that they are "down there" and I am "up here" LOL!
Us Canucks get so crewed when it comes to stuff like parts,service etc on firearms coming up from the U.S.

Cat

Noted! I didn't notice your location before I responded. Same error once got my lights turned out playing football.

Pretty sure turnbull does international business.

I agree the rebarrel result looks like the best way to go with an 1885 trapper. On my level of funding and enthusiasm a 44/40 trapper would have got my attention where a custom is not going to happen. Unfortunately had the 44/40 been offered, it is not likely they would have needed the same level of discount. Is that a catch-22?

Sounds more like a Catch-44.

But I agree. I bet they would have sold a lot in 32-20 or 357 Magnum too.