Sporterizing Military Rifle

[tiriaq]

There isn't anything new about commercial sporting of ex-service rifles. Here is a Model 1873 US Rifle that was sported by the Meacham about 140 years ago.
Meacham acquired assets of the Sharps Rifle Company. This M1873 has been fitted with a Sharps .40-65 Straight barrel, and the stock restyled in sporting configuration.

 

[Alonzo]

There isn't anything new about commercial sporting of ex-service rifles. Here is a Model 1873 US Rifle that was sported by the Meacham about 140 years ago.
Meacham acquired assets of the Sharps Rifle Company. This M1873 has been fitted with a Sharps .40-65 Straight barrel, and the stock restyled in sporting configuration.

View attachment 541032
View attachment 541035

That is a beauty. Looks like an early 1873 to 1878 era receiver, most likely a "high Arch" variant. If marked simply US Model 1873 that would narrow the date of production for that piece...earlier variant were stamped Model 1873-eagles head-crossed arrows-US. Of course serial number always says a lot. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tiriaq]

I'll check the serial number.
It needs a rear sight. The piece stuck in the dovetail is just a M70 forend barrel screw lug - used it to check the size of the dovetail.
I have some .30-40 Krag cases which have been redrawn for length, which chamber correctly.
Once I get a sight on, I'll load up some rounds and try it out.

 

[tiriaq]

The breech block is marked MODEL/1873/eagle/US. Serial number is 5410.

 

[hawk-i]

There should be a law making the ruination of fine military service rifles a high crime punishable by many years in the Hoosegow!!!

 

[tiriaq]

Well, this one was sported about 140 years ago...
Probably one that had been sold off as condemned.
Research on the 'net indicates 1874 manufacture.

 

[ArtyMan]

Beautiful Rifle! I have been doing a lot of reading lately on this period of American History, and commercially sporterized 1866, 1868, 1870 and 1873 Trapdoors certainly saw a lot of use. George Custer carried a sporterized 1866 Trapdoor for a while - not all sporters are "destroyed" pieces of history. Many of these rifles did a lot of heavy lifting during the Westward expansion through Montana / Wyoming / Texas / Arizona / The Dokatas / Colorado / Utah etc... I'd be very happy to have a rifle like that!

I have Al Frasca's two volume set on the Trapdoor rifles, and there is quite a bit of information dedicated to sporterized rifles and their use.

 

[tiriaq]

With the Sharps octagon barrel, the rifle has a bit of weight to it.
The forend has a neat little piece of ebony inletted to finish the tip and hide the rod channel. The buttplate has a sliding trap door.
I'm considering options for a rear sight. The M70 piece that is in the dovetail now is a good fit. I could fit a folding leaf to it. Even something like a Ross rifle leaf could be adapted, and would give elevation and windage adjustment.

 

[bearhunter]

There should be a law making the ruination of fine military service rifles a high crime punishable by many years in the Hoosegow!!!

If people hadn't done something with them, when they were quite literally a dime a dozen, they would all have gone to the smelters and to this day, only the very wealthy would have been able to own a firearm or hunt.

In their original configurations, they are unsuitable and to some unsightly, overly heavy, etc.

When done properly, they make great sporting rifles that built our hunting traditions and even served as a base for our match platforms.

If all of them were still around they would be valueless.

Sporterizing them actually saved most of them from the smelters.

 

[tiriaq]

There isn't anything new about commercial sporting of ex-service rifles. Here is a Model 1873 US Rifle that was sported by the Meacham about 140 years ago.
Meacham acquired assets of the Sharps Rifle Company. This M1873 has been fitted with a Sharps .40-65 Straight barrel, and the stock restyled in sporting configuration.

View attachment 541032
View attachment 541035

According to a table I found, serial number 5410 indicates production during the first quarter of 1874, so the rifle was an early one.

 

[saskbooknut]

There should be a law making the ruination of fine military service rifles a high crime punishable by many years in the Hoosegow!!!

Nothing is ruined here.
A rifle was customized to suit the needs of its owner, 140 years ago.
I think the quoted statement is offensive. Who gave you the right to tell someone what they can or cannot do with their property.
You don't have to like it. It's not your rifle.
I like it a lot.

 

[Rwilco]

Nothing is ruined here.
A rifle was customized to suit the needs of its owner, 140 years ago.
I think the quoted statement is offensive. Who gave you the right to tell someone what they can or cannot do with their property.
You don't have to like it. It's not your rifle.
I like it a lot.

Agree 100%. Nothing wrong with customizing a rifle to your needs. If the next guy doesn't want it after you are gone - don't buy it. None of these surplus rifles are rare. If you want one, save your pennies & stop whining.

 

[purple]

The 1950s-60s were a golden age for sporterizing military rifles. Hunting was very popular, the old lever guns were done and commercial sporting rifles were quite expensive ($150 for a Model 70 Win vs $18 for a Lee-Enfield).

It was a matter of necessity and economics, and it became very popular. I sporterized an as new No5 JC which I bought for $18 in 1962. Then it was a M1903 Springfield and a M98 Mauser in 7x57. All were scoped with sporter stocks and they did a lot of freezer filling over the years. I've owned a lot of sporting rifles, but still like these three guns; reliable, accurate enough and hard hitting with well proven military rounds at sensible hunting ranges.

Would I sporterize one today? No way based on the comparative costs. That said, I have a D&T M1903 receiver on hand which I'm going to build as a sporter for a project this winter. No fear of profaning a nice collectible MILSURP there. I have an already shortened military barrel to install. I just wish the commercially made trigger guards with hinged floorplates were still available.

 

[RifleDude]

Purple is 100% on the money. I sharpened my amateur gunsmithing skills on a variety of milsurps. Back in the 80s I bought a dozen M38 Swedish Mausers for instance for $65.00 each. I kept the worst looking and the best looking ones and sold the others for a small profit a couple of years later. I kept the best one, looked unissued, in the original condition for my collection. I sporterized the worst looking one for hunting.