Buckshot
09-19-2005, 04:27 AM
...........I really didn't know where to put this. It DOES have a lever, it WAS a military action at one time (I think), and it's now a sporter, ad was a project. I flipped a mental coin and decided this was the spot for it. I'd posted photos of it on the AIMOO site before.
I have an elderly friend who was divesitng himself of stuff his kids didn't particularly care for, and he had this assembly of parts, but had never gotten them together. Plus there were a couple issues, which I'll mention later. WHat he had was a WW Greener Martini action which was a copy of a MKII type.
Then he had a Westley Richards cape type barrel chambered 577-450, and had bought wood from Fajen before Midway screwed THAT outfit up (not to mention Bishop). He had called and asked if I'd be interested in it for $150. Naturally I said sure thing.
It was somehitng I'd had kicking around for some time, and earlier this year I decided I need to get it at least put together before stuff started getting lost.
http://www.fototime.com/9DC03C642E41F6B/standard.jpg
Here's the completed rifle
http://www.fototime.com/B160E910F6E0995/standard.jpg
Caliber designaiton on the top flat. The barrel has a knoxform, or is tapered round to a flat on top for the 6" or so against the action.
http://www.fototime.com/AD10C587EFC54CA/standard.jpg
The htreaded shank of the barrel was a bit too long for the action, so I had to make a spacer to fit between the barrel's shoulder and the face of the action. In this rather poor photo you can see the spacer in place before it's profiling.
http://www.fototime.com/75D942E2844D619/standard.jpg
In this photo the spacer has been profiled to match the barrel and face of the action.
http://www.fototime.com/F9E56DF8974F0BF/standard.jpg
When I got the parts the fore end had no provision for attachment to the barrel. It's rear end fits into a relief in the face of the action. The underside of the barrel has a lug dovetailed in place and was drilled and tapped for what appeared to be 1/4-28.
At least a 1/4-28 would thread in (just a bit loosely) and bottom out. I took such a threaded bolt, and cut the head off and formed a point, then screwed it in. Then I placed the fore end in place and pressed it down onto the pointed bolt to mark the location of where to drill through the wood.
Once the hole was drilled I chucked up a piece of 3/4" drill rod and drilled then countersunk it for a screwhead and parted it off. Then it got fireblued. I ground down a 1" wood spadebit to 3/4" and drilled the hole in the stock to accept the previously made escutcheon.
Then I put in a bit of 3/8" drill rod and turned and then threaded it 1/4-28. While in the lathe I had it turning and used the Dremel to form a slightly domed head. It was removed, the slot cut and then it was fireblued also.
http://www.fototime.com/{7A750A99-755D-49FE-9F86-407C2CB578D6}/picture.JPG
And here it is in place. I ground bits off the bottom of the screw until I had it's slot clocked to the rifle's long axis.
http://www.fototime.com/{73DE03CC-FB56-4D1B-A1E7-A6D64D15A849}/picture.JPG
The barrel is in very good condition. I can see no pits or bad spots anywhere in it. Barrel walls are farily heavy and the rifle points pretty good. The barrel has ratchet rifling and 7 lands. The leade is a bit shallower then my military Martini (MkIV). I did shoot some of the ammo I had loaded for the other rifle through this one and the breechblock did have to force the cartridges in the last 1/16" or so.
I don't have any photos of the rear sights, but it has one standing leaf and then a ladder with an elevator on it. I don't recall offhand but I think it goes up to 800 yards or such a matter. The standing leaf must be for about a 100 to 150 yard hold. At 100 yards the shots are a bit high and at 150 theyr'e a bit low. This is with my favorite load or 38.0grs IMR3031 + Dacron and the Lee 405gr patched to .470". From the 33" MkIV's barrel it's doing about 1275 fps or so.
..............Buckshot
I have an elderly friend who was divesitng himself of stuff his kids didn't particularly care for, and he had this assembly of parts, but had never gotten them together. Plus there were a couple issues, which I'll mention later. WHat he had was a WW Greener Martini action which was a copy of a MKII type.
Then he had a Westley Richards cape type barrel chambered 577-450, and had bought wood from Fajen before Midway screwed THAT outfit up (not to mention Bishop). He had called and asked if I'd be interested in it for $150. Naturally I said sure thing.
It was somehitng I'd had kicking around for some time, and earlier this year I decided I need to get it at least put together before stuff started getting lost.
http://www.fototime.com/9DC03C642E41F6B/standard.jpg
Here's the completed rifle
http://www.fototime.com/B160E910F6E0995/standard.jpg
Caliber designaiton on the top flat. The barrel has a knoxform, or is tapered round to a flat on top for the 6" or so against the action.
http://www.fototime.com/AD10C587EFC54CA/standard.jpg
The htreaded shank of the barrel was a bit too long for the action, so I had to make a spacer to fit between the barrel's shoulder and the face of the action. In this rather poor photo you can see the spacer in place before it's profiling.
http://www.fototime.com/75D942E2844D619/standard.jpg
In this photo the spacer has been profiled to match the barrel and face of the action.
http://www.fototime.com/F9E56DF8974F0BF/standard.jpg
When I got the parts the fore end had no provision for attachment to the barrel. It's rear end fits into a relief in the face of the action. The underside of the barrel has a lug dovetailed in place and was drilled and tapped for what appeared to be 1/4-28.
At least a 1/4-28 would thread in (just a bit loosely) and bottom out. I took such a threaded bolt, and cut the head off and formed a point, then screwed it in. Then I placed the fore end in place and pressed it down onto the pointed bolt to mark the location of where to drill through the wood.
Once the hole was drilled I chucked up a piece of 3/4" drill rod and drilled then countersunk it for a screwhead and parted it off. Then it got fireblued. I ground down a 1" wood spadebit to 3/4" and drilled the hole in the stock to accept the previously made escutcheon.
Then I put in a bit of 3/8" drill rod and turned and then threaded it 1/4-28. While in the lathe I had it turning and used the Dremel to form a slightly domed head. It was removed, the slot cut and then it was fireblued also.
http://www.fototime.com/{7A750A99-755D-49FE-9F86-407C2CB578D6}/picture.JPG
And here it is in place. I ground bits off the bottom of the screw until I had it's slot clocked to the rifle's long axis.
http://www.fototime.com/{73DE03CC-FB56-4D1B-A1E7-A6D64D15A849}/picture.JPG
The barrel is in very good condition. I can see no pits or bad spots anywhere in it. Barrel walls are farily heavy and the rifle points pretty good. The barrel has ratchet rifling and 7 lands. The leade is a bit shallower then my military Martini (MkIV). I did shoot some of the ammo I had loaded for the other rifle through this one and the breechblock did have to force the cartridges in the last 1/16" or so.
I don't have any photos of the rear sights, but it has one standing leaf and then a ladder with an elevator on it. I don't recall offhand but I think it goes up to 800 yards or such a matter. The standing leaf must be for about a 100 to 150 yard hold. At 100 yards the shots are a bit high and at 150 theyr'e a bit low. This is with my favorite load or 38.0grs IMR3031 + Dacron and the Lee 405gr patched to .470". From the 33" MkIV's barrel it's doing about 1275 fps or so.
..............Buckshot