Photos: Rusty old broomhandle (and a gewehr 88)

Old pictures from 2012 that I never uploaded when I migrated this blog from WordPress.  This was taken after the last post where I foolishly neglected it. It's all cleaned up now. It still shoots and functions fine. Also pictured: A Bulgarian WW2 helmet and a Gewehr 1888 Commission Rifle that I paid 20 bucks from Old Western Scrounger back in 2004.  Photographed on a cheap Kodak pocket cam.

See also:
-The $250 Mauser Broomhandle
-Shooting the Broomhandle with blackpowder.

Video - Springfield Trapdoor backfire

I thought this should get more attention from Trapdoor owners out there, like me, who reload.  You can see the breachblock fly open and the spent casing jump out.  Not quite as catastrophic as a real 'kaboom,' but I always imagined the shell would go flying backwards like a rocket in such a scenario.  Since the video poster didn't respond to comments I can only guess that he was shooting smokeless rounds reloaded hot.


...And starting now I'll never shoot smokeless through my Trapdoor again!