I am not forgetting - its just buried in a container that has to be tidied up (and truth to tell I don't actually recall packing it and there are two chocka 42l ammo tubs)
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I am not forgetting - its just buried in a container that has to be tidied up (and truth to tell I don't actually recall packing it and there are two chocka 42l ammo tubs)
I will bring this post back to the top for those members wanting a special collectors thread
This is my new 150 year old Alexander Henry side lock falling block rifle
500-450 no2 Musket
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Elegance and simplicity, it's certainly less decorated than other Henry's I've seen but looks in excellent condition. As a shooter how does that compare with a Hollis 500 BPE for example groupwise?
Yes it's a bit of an enigma of an AH
It's in the AH ledger as a Best Rifle.
Has some best rifle features.
But also has some 3rd grade features.
I think it's in the ledger wrongly.
And is really a special order that was strictly a Jungle Rifle. What we would call a Bush Rifle.
I points and shoots like a fine shotgun.
7 pounds even so a very nice thing to carry and shoulder.
@Marty Henry AH vs Hollis Martini
It's not a fair contest really
The AH easily has the best trigger on any of my vintage single shot rifles.
The cranked back action lock is made by Josef Brazier Henry's preferred best lock maker.
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The lock includes a Fly which is unusual in a single trigger lock.
Henry put locks with a Fly on best rifles to be able to safely have a very light trigger pull weight without risking accidental damage to the sears and particularly the half cock
No collection would be complete without a sequentially serial numbered 140 year old pair of Marlin Ballard no4 38-55s
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Very nice @akaroa1 , nothing not to like there , nice bit of wood as well by the looks , 7lb ….. that is a very light rifle for its type surely , the sliding safety on the hammer is marvellous and so simple .
@Lucky Yes it is very light for its caliber
But it's stock geometry is very good and the sights are perfectly at my eye line, so recoil is really mild to unnoticeable
Amazing how they could get all that so right 150 yrs ago , all you need now is a Fields patent …wink wink
Antidote to the winter blues
The Sporting Rolling Block family
Baby Carbine 44-40
No1 50-70
No5 303
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That little carbine is very neat.
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A nice group of rolling blocks! My very first .22 was an octagonal barreled Remington Rolling Block that I bought in Standard 4 from my primary school caretaker for 10/-. The barrel was pretty poked due to a lack of cleaning with black powder ammo in its early days but the action was tight and tidy wood. I managed to get some rabbits and a magpie with it, more by luck than good shooting. I wish I still had it as it would be a prime candidate for a reline.
now this .25/35..... what is it???? looks very much like 30/30 parent case necked down to 25 but body taper is skinnier...is it/does it sit in between 30/30 and .22hp Savage perhaps
@Micky Duck do you live under a rock or bridge ?
You've never heard of the. 25-35 WCF !
A can see I'm going to have to treck back out to the workshop and find one
30-30
25-35
303-25
30-40
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Came out in the 1894 1:8" twist from day one
The original fast twist quarter bore
I have everything to build one except a high wall frame
Dies
Brass
Bullets
Chamber reamer
Barrel
so rim is same as 30/30 uncle Wiki spilt the beans on this one...the specs arent too shabby either,could do much better reloaded for strongish action. seems its been AIed too....
a 7mm waters necked down again to 25 to create a .25/30 in effect would be more in between the two and rather useful too I suspect ..could a fella run a neckless 30/30 into the .25/35 chamber and create a monster????with a sharper shoulder to headspace on.....
the options are endless if you have capability to also make dies with chamber reamers.
@Micky Duck anything can be done if you're mad enough
I believe the 25-40 krag is also a thing
Yep the 25 krag appeared in 1905 Charles Newton of 250 savage fame and a whole range of other proprietary flash cartridges supposedly came up with it.
I had a bit of down time in the workshop while I wait for my 222 Rimmed projects retaining compound to cure
So I ripped into this Stevens 044 1/2 32 Long rimfire.
Converted the breech block from RF to CF. Not so easy on this model but a good result and for the location perfect.
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I had to re cut the 32 RF chamber to 32-20 CF.
Pretty weird reaming out rusty swarf, but it cut a nice enough chamber.
Tested the firing pin strike and protrusion.
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I had to make a new lever pivot pin, New barrel location screw stud, re shape the extractor tip and fix the ejector spring and plunger.
But the first test fire was a great success considering the bore is not great.
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But sadly at this point I ran out of ammunition and I loaned my dies to someone who's currently out of the country.
I think @Tedz50 has some ammo aside for me.
Turns out it was a cool little filler project that filled in a wet day.
Now I can get back on to the 222 Rimmed tomorrow
man do I have a place just taylor made for that rifle....... where my short trebly goes for walks,wallabies under 50 yards is the norm...the mighty .270w is a bit overkill and small quietish rifle is nice.
awesome work as always.
@Micky Duck Yes it's an ideal walking vintage rifle for inside 50m
Only problem is it doesn't have any sling mounts on it. Typical of a lot of USA vintage rifles.
So I will need to make a no drill sling for it
bump......
My Field's Patent 450 no1 Express got a new roller bearing main spring fitted today
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Fantastic circa 1880 rifle and everything you would want and need in a decent stalking rifle EXCEPT it has an over 10 pound trigger pull
So rather than play with the sear surfaces I decided a lighter main spring was the answer.
So I made a new one by hand from spring steel.
Thinned down all the main sections by about 50% thickness
Added a micro roller bearing instead of the plain bearing on the original.
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Refitted it into the action which means a full strip down and build up
Trigger pull is now well under 6 pounds and reasonably smooth and crisp.
Ideal for a fast 450 BPE
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That’s the best thing I’ve seen on this forum all year.
Well you need to be able to make decent flat and folded main springs a new firing pins if you are going to own these old rifles.
Very few worth while rifles don't need one or both of those parts replaced.
That's the reason most cheaper guns aren't worth fixing.
If both are broken in a cheap rifle it's just not worth the effort.
Here are a couple of classic Remington rifles
A circa 1870 Rolling Block no1 Sporting Rifle in 44-77
This is a genuine Buffalo Rifle ( Bison for @Marty Henry )
A caliber that well pre dates the 45-70 and would have been responsible for shooting a lot of buffalo/ bison
A very tricky caliber to feed but I have shot it today and promising results.
9 lb 8 oz so nice to shoot but pretty powerful
The other is a no3 Hepburn 40-70 Sharps Straight.
Side lever falling block circa 1882.
A very nice example and again a very challenging cartridge to reload for.
Getting closer to shooting it and dies coming from Australia.
Rifle is in excellent condition and has a very good bore.
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I do like the stock on the Hepburn, that checkering is still so sharp.
And neither has even been cosmetically cleaned yet
They will both scrub up better when I have time