Totally off the wall!

U.S. Military Krags
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Dick Hosmer
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Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:11 pm

Totally off the wall!

Post by Dick Hosmer »

I have a WAY-out there thought for the membership/readership.

Most of you are aware of what has been for many years, THE absolute PREMIUM "trapdoor" site on the internet - Al Frasca's TrapdoorCollector.com, and you all know there was a time in history where Krag and Trapdoors served side-by-side.

Al has intimated/hinted to his readers over the last couple of years, that all good things must eventually end, and he was beginning to think of someday retiring from the internet. This would leave a terrible void for collectors, as there is nothing else even close. Due to certain technical reasons beyond his ability to control, his board has become quite difficult/annoying to use, and also - very sadly - "membership" seems to be dropping as well.

Now, as to where this is going: How would this group feel about possibly considering - at some point down the road - welcoming collectors of other contemporary US military arms to this group? This is certainly premature - just a wild thought at this time - but I wanted to see if there was any hope at all, or if the group would be dead set against the idea.

The ideal solution would be for someone to take over Al's site, but there have been no offers to do so - and the "structure" could well be beyond fixing - all new software and a lot of tech work would be required. Here, it would SEEM that only a new category heading would need to be added?

Thanks for your consideration, and flame away!
Last edited by Dick Hosmer on Sat May 29, 2021 5:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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butlersrangers
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Location: Below the Bridge, Michigan

Re: Totally off the wall!

Post by butlersrangers »

Dick, I can't speak to the nuts & bolts feasibility of what you are suggesting, but, I don't imagine there will be "flames".

KCA Members regularly display a lot of interest and knowledge in weapons contemporary to and rivaling the Krag.

Lead Snowstorm
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Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:20 am

Re: Totally off the wall!

Post by Lead Snowstorm »

I wouldn’t say I have a great deal of street cred or sway, but I’d be perfectly fine with that (delighted, actually). I only made my first post to the Bulletin Board recently, but have always felt hampered when reading it due to the special character/photo limitations (and, heck, let’s be honest, most of the time I’m smart enough to know I’m not smart enough to have anything to contribute).

I usually gravitate instead to Jouster (a bit slow sometimes), or use a search engine to collectively see if anything of interest has popped up on Milsurps/Gun Values Board/THR/etc. (usually hasn’t), or read the FB group posts, which are fun but which seems to me to be a repository at risk of being disappeared at any moment.

A place really dedicated to, say, the dawn of cartridge/breechloaders up to the antique cutoff, focused on US martial longarms, seems like a niche that hasn’t really been carved out of the internet yet, or maybe better to say it hasn’t really been consolidated out of the fragments scattered about. I for one would like to see it, whether here or elsewhere.

waterman
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Joined: Fri Oct 07, 2011 4:29 pm

Re: Totally off the wall!

Post by waterman »

I don't think it's off the wall. We're mostly a bunch of geezers who like looking back. I have a couple of trapdoors and once had a Navy roller.

We haven't had all that much activity of late and I would be OK with it. I know zero about maintaining a forum. Seems to me the gents who manage this one should make the call. They are the folks who do the work.

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Local Boy
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Re: Totally off the wall!

Post by Local Boy »

Well I kind of like the small home town feel of the KCA.

Some of the bigger sites have so many categories and forums that it takes forever and a day to look over them.

Another thing is the cat fights that often occur on many of the forums. They might be entertaining but most of the time they only detract from the topic.

Not saying I'm against the proposal...but I'm all for it if we can keep it simple and not get too big for our britches. Don't think we need another all-in-compassing firearms website.

BTW: I've purchased Dick's books...now all I have to do is get me a trapdoor! Excuse me, trapdoors! ;)

Lead Snowstorm
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Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:20 am

Re: Totally off the wall!

Post by Lead Snowstorm »

Local Boy wrote: Sat May 29, 2021 6:17 pm BTW: I've purchased Dick's books...now all I have to do is get me a trapdoor! Excuse me, trapdoors! ;)
There you've hit on the real danger. I started with the impulse purchase of a regular ol' 1873 just to have "an example" and now I'm in the process of getting my 5th.

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Dick Hosmer
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Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:11 pm

Re: Totally off the wall!

Post by Dick Hosmer »

Well - an encouraging response so far. Thanks to all who weighed in so far.

I was not thinking of anything grandiose, certainly NOT a transfer of any data or anything like that - just sort of a welcoming oasis on a MODERN forum (where punctuation can be used, and pictures posted, etc.). Perhaps just a dedicated 5th choice under "Firearms"? I would THINK that is a simple modification, but I could be wrong.

Ned will have to decide of course - and of course, this may never come to pass anyhow - just wanted to float the idea IF TC does not survive, in some form, on its' own.

It goes without saying, of course, that I would help carry the question load as best I could, sorta like the EXCELLENT job that Chuck (Butler's Rangers, for those who may not know) has done with Krags. I could also, of course, contribute, heavily, to the photo, and serial number sections if that were feasible/appropriate. Again, just throwing out ideas.

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