Would depend on how original to the gun all the parts are. Good condition ? That can be a vague term considering a gun that's over 100 years old. Is it a rifle or a carbine ? Have any pics of it ?
It has the makers mark I believe it is called on the side.. It is a full sized I think it was really long.. Very thing looked to be original with the quick look I had at it.. I don't have pictures of it.. I never thought of taking any..
A buddy at work got a hold of one a week ago, it had been sporterized and the value was 300$ ish. After a weapon reaches 100 years old I refuse to fire it do to safety concerns.
If you had a chance to buy a Springfield 1884 trap door in good condition for $800 would ya buy it?!
Depending on condition, that is an average price. Does it have cartouches? Is the metal good with no pitting?
I bought this 1873 and it is in pretty average condition. You can see my repair of a common stock check behind the lock plate. The stock has no cartouches. This is probably worth about $600.
What is a cartouche? And do the different parts have serial numbers on them so you can tell if it is all original to the gun or a "pick a part"? I have never bought an "antique" firearm before so this is all new to me.. I do find it interesting that such little details can make such a large price gap in the value from one to the other..
I really like the Trapdoor. There is more to it than first appears, they were the service rifle through some of our country's most defining moments, rifles and parts are fairly reasonable as old martial arms go, and they do shoot pretty well.
I even wrote a little thingy on them, here:
The Trap Door Springfield | Practically Shooting
As they have said, it would take more info to say what it's worth. It could be worth $800...or twice that...or half that.
The Trapdoor was in service a long time, and during the years it was the standard issue rifle, improvements and changes were made regularly. That creates a lot of room for variations.
Also, there was a shooting war of some kind going on most of it's life, so the changes were deemed important and got made when they could. Most could be changed easily. Sometimes, a change would come, but another change (or new rifle variant) would come out before the first change could be implemented on every earlier rifles. And the farther a fort was from Springfield, the less likely the changes would get done on their rifles. That created a lot of rifles that received some updates but not others. An earlier model rifle might have more late parts than a later model.
Trapdoors were often a mismatch of parts when in service, and when they got sold off as surplus it got worse. Nobody cared much about keeping any ex-military arm "correct" then, and they cared less about it with Trapdoors many thought were obsolete when new. They were sold after a period of rapid rifle advancement, so they had little value. It was a real Rodney Dangerfield, even among other surplus guns. No respect.
From reading old hunting articles, a Trapdoor was what you bought if you couldn't afford anything else. You went over to a big barrel full of them in the corner of the sporting goods store and picked one. Before that, they were probably taken apart and piled in a warehouse somewhere, with stocks here, barreled actions there, and the screws scattered all over. When an order came in for a dozen of them, some kid making pennies per week grabbed 12 stocks, 12 barreled actions, and assembled them with whatever screws fit and packaged them up.
This is in addition to the places like Bannerman's chopping them up making fake carbines and budget sporters.
So we ended up with Trapdoors mixed up like they were put in a blender. It seems like we've become accustomed to this fact, so that the "average condition" Trapdoor is one having only a little bit wrong with it. And that's how the values seem to run across a wide range:
-A little bit wrong seems acceptable, where it would be treated like a crime if it was some other rifles.
-Those that are correct are worth a bundle because of it being so uncommon.
-The ones at the bottom end, which would be worth salvaging and restoring if it was another rifle type, get passed over because there always seems to be enough decent Trapdoors for the relative few Trapdoor collectors out there.
If it's any reference point for you, I have an 1884 in about average condition. Mine had some small things wrong, like having the wrong screws in a couple of places, and one larger issue- a crack at the forend cap. Any stock cartouches are long ago worn (or maybe sanded then worn) away. Bore condition was excellent. Overall, it was a nice shooter that could get most things fixed with $10 in screws.
Mine cost $575 four years ago. That seemed about right at the time.
I looked at another 1884 a few months before, that was in better condition outside, with faint cartouches, but a bit dark in the bore. Nicer collector rifle, but not as good for a shooter. It was $625 I think, but that was negotiable and I probably could have got it for the same $575.
This was four years ago, but I don't think the Trapdoor market has changed much.
Depending on condition, that is an average price. Does it have cartouches? Is the metal good with no pitting?
I bought this 1873 and it is in pretty average condition. You can see my repair of a common stock check behind the lock plate. The stock has no cartouches. This is probably worth about $600.
What is a cartouche? And do the different parts have serial numbers on them so you can tell if it is all original to the gun or a "pick a part"? I have never bought an "antique" firearm before so this is all new to me.. I do find it interesting that such little details can make such a large price gap in the value from one to the other..
You will find stamps like this on the stock.
After a weapon reaches 100 years old I refuse to fire it do to safety concerns.