Coincidentally, I just read your piece about the 32 H&R barrel. In 9mm, that could also be handy.Originally Posted by Outpost75
Coincidentally, I just read your piece about the 32 H&R barrel. In 9mm, that could also be handy.
The .32 started it all. My mentor the late Harry J. Archer, was a big proponent of the Rook rifle concept. He had several Brit single shots rechambered to use common handgun ammo for which he had multiple pistols and revolvers, and could exploit " any cartridge that fit."
A case in point is a .45 ACP/.455/ Game Getter shotgun. Green Mountain .45 ACP blank. Chamber roughed with .38-40 reamer to cut Rim seat and form .454 ball seat with 6 degree forcing cone using shoulder of .38-40 reamer to seat .45 lead bullets out. Finish ream with .45 ACP reamer to remove body taper and cut correct chamber with stop surface for .45 ACP case mouth.
Rimless extractor/ejector drops to clear circumference of case body when action opens. As action closes is cammed upward to postively engage extractor groove. The rifle will shoot and eject .45 ACP, .455, .44 Game Getter Shot handloaded in Starline 5 in 1 blank cases. With 20-inch, 0.90" cylindrical bull barrel gun weighs 5 pounds.
Ordinary .45 or .455 ball.ammo is accurate enough for 25 yard small game head shots. With zero 3 inches high at 25 yards point of aim equals point of impact at 100 yards and all hits are in head of Army E silhouette. Mild report is like firing .22LR.
The .44 Shot loaded with 1/3 oz. of 7-1/2 in .410 plastic snot cup is not dispersed by the rifling, but produces even skeet pattern effective on birds or bunnies to 50 feet.
Last edited by Outpost75; 02-05-2024 at 03:02 PM.
Ed,
You & that bunny gun are the reason I just bought this for my pre WW2 .410:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/11605150013...mis&media=COPY
Thanking you in advance!
@BobM… they have them in 9mm too. 😎
If you see something, enable someone. 🤣
Last edited by jandbj; 02-05-2024 at 08:24 PM.
We have an old but tight Iver Johnson 20 gauge single that was bought new by my wife's great-grandfather. It is mildly unpleasant to shoot anything but light loads through it... or WAS, as the poorly-repaired stock - with a lot of drop - finally let go upon setting it down duuring a move. I have toyed with fitting a new stock on it, but a 20 gauge single is something I have absolutely no use for. I would consider turning it into a mild .38 Special rifle, but I have always considered IJ guns to be a bit on the soft side WRT wearing properties.
gn
"On the internet, nobody knows if you are a dog... or even a cat."
Do you have any pictures of your shot loads and any load details you can share?
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Expand 5 in 1 blank case with .44 expander plug.
l
Large pistol primer, 5 grains of Bullseye, must load card over powder to.prevent powder from leaking past plastic shot cup, causing bloopers. Use Buffalo Arms ..45 Colt card, bend into horseshoe to insert past mouth taper, then turn with forceps and spread out to seal larger case diameter over powder before inserting shot cup.
Fill shot cup with shot to case mouth. Insert a .36 cap&ball top card or .390 ball inside shot cup, over shot, crimp in .44-40 Game Getter Long Shot die and then trim off protruding wad tabs.
Pattern from Marlin Microgroove .44-40
Full instructions on USRSOG, Cast Boolits and Marlin users forums. Includes info on making dies.
Last edited by Outpost75; 02-06-2024 at 02:09 PM.
Anyone here familiar with the H&R 1873 Trapdoor models? My friend Mr Google has turned up lots of threads with questions, but very little on the history of them.
Best I can tell, they were made in 1971 for H&R's centennial but I haven't found anything saying if it was a one time limited run of each model (Infantry, Cavalry, Officer) or if they were catalogued as regular production items after the centennial introduction.
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain
Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
That is sexy as hell.Anyone here familiar with the H&R 1873 Trapdoor models? My friend Mr Google has turned up lots of threads with questions, but very little on the history of them.
Best I can tell, they were made in 1971 for H&R's centennial but I haven't found anything saying if it was a one time limited run of each model (Infantry, Cavalry, Officer) or if they were catalogued as regular production items after the centennial introduction.
Ken
BBI: ...”you better not forget the safe word because shit's about to get weird”...
revchuck38: ...”mo' ammo is mo' betta' unless you're swimming or on fire.”
Anyone here familiar with the H&R 1873 Trapdoor models? My friend Mr Google has turned up lots of threads with questions, but very little on the history of them.
Best I can tell, they were made in 1971 for H&R's centennial but I haven't found anything saying if it was a one time limited run of each model (Infantry, Cavalry, Officer) or if they were catalogued as regular production items after the centennial introduction.
I dont recall the production runs, though some were limited numbers like the Officers Model shown, and the Little Bighorn and maybe a Cavalry Commemorative. If you can find a set of old Shooters Bibles it would show how many years they were offered, and the info may say if limited numbers and such. I recall seeing them in the Shooters Bibles back in the day. They were fair shooters, though most didnt have as good of sights as the originals. Original sights used to be cheap and easy to come by, many added original sights to them.
They had one functional issue, I dont recall exactly the part, but I think its the way the block release lever is attached, it sometimes slips or strips. They can be pinned, some people just get original parts and upgrade that way. Like many guns that were in military use, theres tons of parts around. The quirk shouldnt deter anyone from getting one if you want a shooter, the fix isnt that difficult. Ive found info just googling and looking on various forums in the results.
They are worthwhile as shooters, prices have been going up some, but if you shop around they arent crazy priced for the most part, but then, you can often get original rifles or cut down rifles for less money. The Officers Model is probably the one id look for, original Officers Models are extremely rare to say the least.
Edit: This is pretty typical of the info ive found out when I was looking previously. https://forums.sassnet.com/index.php...pdoor-carbine/
Last edited by Malamute; 02-10-2024 at 11:07 AM.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Thanks @Malamute, I’ll file that away for future reference.
I picked up a project yesterday. Jackson Armory had a…cosmetically challenged 1873 with some significant stock damage and a sketchy bore listed for $450. I much prefer the balance of a carbine over a rifle and it would be perfect to rework into someone’s turn of the century working gun. After looking at it I continued browsing and found one in similar condition that had already been cut down. A quick negotiation had me heading out the door with the cut down rifle for $350 OTD. According to this link it was built in the second quarter of 1885.
My plan is to take it apart and clean it up as shown in the Mark Novak video in post 217. If the bore cleans up I’ll slug it and see if it’s shootable. Whether it is or not, I’m already planning to order a .22 liner to use in my other .45-70s so at a minimum this will be a .22. If the bore is decent, light loads of smokeless and roundballs will be on the menu (most of my shooting is at an indoor range). If the barrel is completely toast I’m considering a rebarrel to .38-55.
I don’t think I’ll leave the metal in the white. I know there enough pitting that sending it out for real CCH wouldn’t be worth it. I might try the Steel F/X chemical case coloring or I saw a video from Mosin Virus using cold blue and heat for a similar effect. If the metal turns out decently, I might go with a Treebone Carving sporter stock.
I’ve read a Lyman No1 tang sight for a Savage 99 will fit and work on a Trapdoor. The couple of references I’ve seen have had them mounted with a heavy duty epoxy so I’ll have to think about it. I’m not sure if the posters mounted them that way because there’s no room to drill and tap or if they didn’t want to modify an original rifle.
Enough jabbering, here’s a few pictures:
Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain
Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
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