Trapdoor carbine trigger bow

[John Sukey]

I am a bit curious. That trigger guard appears to be on backward.

[5MadFarmers]

I am a bit curious. That trigger guard appears to be on backward.

That's quality marketing.

It was sold as Confederate capture. Without the gun being akimbo it's less believable. So reverse the guard and maybe the sight too. Make it look like something done carelessly. Emergency arm.

Quality marketing. Could only be improved by notching tally marks on the stock and maybe adding a bayonet gouge or two.

[Dick Hosmer]

I am a bit curious. That trigger guard appears to be on backward.

"Appears" ?? Ya think?? No sh*t, Dick Tracy!!

Not "quality marketing", just plain old garden variety stupidity on the part of the assembler.

[mr.j]

Hello You guys got some insane information on this type of stuff, but anyway my observation is that I notice carbine bows with a shallow groove at the back inside bar and carbine bows without it or its just not as defined. Why would this be and would this be the difference from new made bows to remade bow?

[Dick Hosmer]

I'm not clear on what you mean. How about a couple of pics? Thanks.

[5MadFarmers]

Hello You guys got some insane information on this type of stuff, but anyway my observation is that I notice carbine bows with a shallow groove at the back inside bar and carbine bows without it or its just not as defined. Why would this be and would this be the difference from new made bows to remade bow?

Could be.

In order to tell a number of samples would need to be reviewed. They'd then fall into two groups or they'd just be multiple variations. If they fell into two groups it'd be useful to compare one against a Springfield made musket and against a later trapdoor rifle. The rifle compare reason is, if your theory is correct, it'd be possible, likely even, if the newly made rifle bows showed the same basic variation in some degree.

So yes it's possible.

[Stephan]

Earlier this week I toured the Panhandle Plains museum in Canyon Texas....lots of firearms and quite a variety of Trapdoor rifles and carbines(also a Ward/Burton carbine!)

Anyhow all the TD carbines I saw had the milled-off sling swivel part of the trigger guard towards the rear....

[5MadFarmers]

Earlier this week I toured the Panhandle Plains museum in Canyon Texas....lots of firearms and quite a variety of Trapdoor rifles and carbines(also a Ward/Burton carbine!)

Anyhow all the TD carbines I saw had the milled-off sling swivel part of the trigger guard towards the rear....

Rarely in life does such an opportunity present itself.

Next time you go, mention to each and every one of them that the guard bow is on backwards. Be assertive. When they give you a questioning look mention that the guns were used on the plains where it gets cold and snows. Winter gloves. With the vertical part on the front there is more room for the gloves and thus it should be at the front.

The next time you go after that they'll all be that way. Bring one with it on the back. You'll have a stream of people coming to tell you it's on backwards. Be ready for it.

Tell them that, yes, that's true for Winter but they were expected to reverse them for the summer. Target shooting competitions. They way they were told to shoot was to have the middle finger in front of the trigger and the ring finger behind the trigger ensuring they didn't prematurely pull it. Assert that also. See what they do.

[Stephan]

Rarely in life does such an opportunity present itself.

Next time you go, mention to each and every one of them that the guard bow is on backwards. Be assertive. When they give you a questioning look mention that the guns were used on the plains where it gets cold and snows. Winter gloves. With the vertical part on the front there is more room for the gloves and thus it should be at the front.

The next time you go after that they'll all be that way. Bring one with it on the back. You'll have a stream of people coming to tell you it's on backwards. Be ready for it.

Tell them that, yes, that's true for Winter but they were expected to reverse them for the summer. Target shooting competitions. They way they were told to shoot was to have the middle finger in front of the trigger and the ring finger behind the trigger ensuring they didn't prematurely pull it. Assert that also. See what they do.

Well?....at least all the rifles had the trigger-guards on the right way!....I did see a tomahawk with the head on the handle backwards though...

[5MadFarmers]

Well?....at least all the rifles had the trigger-guards on the right way!

No, no, no. If they had the more vertical part on the back they had it exactly backwards. You see, most of the service for those carbines was on the western plains. Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, etc., It gets very cold there. Muskrat gloves were issued to the troopers and they found that the vertical part of the bow needed to be on the front as it was on the rifles. Elsewise they couldn't get their trigger finger in it.

Too soon?

....I did see a tomahawk with the head on the handle backwards though...

No, no, no. If that handle appeared to be on backwards he had it right. While most people assume that it should angle forward towards the bottom that's exactly backwards. You see, the tomahawk was designed as a throwing weapon, not a chopping weapon, and the centrifugal force is wrong with it angled forward. With it angled backwards the handle itself acts as a counter weight, like is found on a crankshaft in a motor, and that ensures predictable rotation rate - which is essential for getting the blade to hit based on experience of revolutions per minute and distance.

Off the top of my head the M60 machinegun, Ross rifle, and M1 rifle all have parts that can be easily installed backwards where it's bad; either bad things happen or the gun won't work bad. There are probably others. The trigger bow on the trapdoors doesn't really matter unless it's a rifle - where sling connection can be a bit tricky with it on backwards.

Go with the trigger finger thing. Makes more sense than the picket pin scabbard being the cavalry bayonet scabbard so I at least have nonsense logic going for me on it.