Quote:
Originally Posted by KC911
Bite yer tongue Higgy....it's OK man 
I have a baby Henry Golden Boy (.22)..smooooth....the Marlins don't mind. |
It's all good... as long as they don't have scopes...
Seriously, though, for someone looking to get into vintage single shots or big bore lever guns, the .45-70 is the place to start. Everything is readily available and of the proper size.
One of the first things that had to be addressed on this rifle was its chamber dimensions. It is a true .40 caliber, meaning a .400" bore and .408" groove diameters. The original chamber would not allow a cartridge to seat if it was loaded with anything bigger than a .403" diameter bullet. This was common in the late 19th century, early cartridge rifle era when everything was loaded with black powder and much of it had paper patched bullets.
This relationship works well with soft, pure lead bullets that are used when paper patching. They "bump up" (obturate) to fill the bore when smacked in the ass with a healthy dose of black powder. Grease grooved bullets of even slightly hardened lead, like 20:1 lead/tin or wheel weights, won't do this as well. Smokeless powder will not do this even with a pure lead bullet.
Well, I had played with paper patching, and long before this rifle showed up had decided I wanted nothing to do with it. The solution, then, was to send the rifle to gunsmith John King of Kila, MT, to have him run a chambering reamer with "modern" dimensions into the chamber to open it up to allow for up to .410" diameter bullets to seat. So, at my behest, my buddy did this. He got a mold that would drop .410" bullets, but never did get another set of loading dies, thinking what he had should work.
Additionally, the rim thickness on the original chambering is a good deal thicker than most any other rimmed cartridge. The brass he had was for a "modern" rim thickness, which was too thin. These things headspace on the rim, so that was a constant problem. Getting the correct, thick rimmed brass back then was still a problem.
That's where it sat for 20 years until he gave it to me. I've got the proper dies for it, a proper mold, and the correct brass. I should have a fighting chance.