Undated 1870 Breech block

[Dick Hosmer]

You've got that right. Guy stopped by the store yesterday, wants to sell me a low-grade (and incomplete) rod-bayonet rifle, "you know the square one". When informed that there were two choices, round and triangular, he said (a bit put off at being corrected) that it was the latter. I showed him a picture of mine and he said "yeah, that's it, but I don't think it has those" (pointing to the grooved finger pieces at the rear of the latch).

Hmmm - IF he is right (and the odds are VERY slim indeed) then it is POSSIBLE that he MIGHT have one of the impossibly rare 28" M1882 short rifles, since they are the spitting image of the M1880, save for lacking the thumbpieces!

Stay tuned - all sorts of things could go wrong with this wet dream.

[Tkacook]

Good Luck! Hope it turns out to be short rifle.

[Tkacook]

Might have found an actual non-dated 1870 breech block. I will post pictures if I get it.

[Dick Hosmer]

The one with only the (different) eagle head? They don't show up very often.

FWIW, the guy with the rod-bayonet has never come back - I'm not surprised. After we retire (12-31-18) I plan to finish my M1882 look-alike.

[Tkacook]

This is the best picture I have.

[Dick Hosmer]

That's the one. The screwdriver tip gave me a momentary double-take though!

[Tkacook]

Well it's not my picture. I didn't even notice that! Too busy looking at the missing date on the block.

[Dick Hosmer]

Those are well-known, but infrequently seen, replacement blocks, hence lack of date.

[Tkacook]

I missed out on the eBay auction. Hope it went to someone that knew what it was.