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KenH
06-11-2015, 03:00 PM
Hello all - First allow me to say THANK YOU!! to all ya'll for having such a great site. I've been lurking for sometime now, reading up. I did a LOT of shooting 40 yrs ago with cast bullets (all I could afford then). I'm getting back into shooting a bit. I'm hoping someone can tell me if this rifle I've got is just a worn out 45-70, OR, if it's a funky case that was used by some of the foreign gov'ments who used so many of these old Rolling Blocks. I understand Remington made LOTS of them for foreign use, and many times they were odd case/calibers special to that country?

I hope this is the right forum for this since I'd LOVE to fire form 45-70 cases to shoot some VERY light cast boolit loads (700 fps range?), but from the dimensions I've got, I don't think this barrel can be used. Maybe I can rebarrel the action and get it shooting.

I acquired this rifle from a person who knew very little about it. He "thought" it was 45-70 but didn't know for sure.

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This image above is the full length image.

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This image above shows the left side of action

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This image above shows the only text on the rifle anywhere. Rest of metal is pretty rough and any text has gone.

Today I did a chamber cast and got the following dimensions:

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Length from end to where rifling starts: 2.55" tp 2.58" (not exact)
diameter where rifling starts: .509"
Diameter at inside of rim: .535"


The cast is pretty much a straight taper from the .509" back to the .535"


Groove at muzzle is .453" while bore seems to be about .438" all the way down as best I can tell. The chamber that holds the rim of brass seems to be about .669" with calipers where 45-70 brass is 0.605"

A 45-70 brass specs at .480 at neck and .505" at front of rim per an old Speer manual I've got. This shows the chamber is at least 0.030" oversized per a 45-70 brass, and the ejector rod just barely clips the rim of case to eject brass.

Thank ya'll in advance for any info or suggestions.

Ken H>

KenH
06-11-2015, 03:25 PM
Follow up post - I think I just figured out what the gun is. It sure seems to be a .43 Spanish. Reading on another sub forum (where this should have been posted?) I found this link:

http://bibliotecavirtualdefensa.es/BVMDefensa/i18n/catalogo_imagenes/grupo.cmd?path=71177

This link gives a good bit of .43 Spanish info and the case dimensions fit pretty close to what I've got. Is there any source for .43 Spanish Brass?

Thanks to all,

Ken H>

rr2241tx
06-11-2015, 03:36 PM
Your rifle is an Oviedo-made rolling block as the stampings indicate. Your chamber is almost certainly for the Reformado cartridge as it shows no bottleneck. Pictures and explanation here: http://www.militaryrifles.com/Spain/Ovid-Rem.htm. More here: http://www.loaddata.com/members/search_detail.cfm?MetallicID=6278. Track of the Wolf has 43 Spanish brass which can be fireformed.

KenH
06-11-2015, 04:03 PM
Thank you for such a fast response. I just called Track of the Wolf and found they only make the .43 Spanish, but not the Reformado brass. They are out now and it will be 3 or 4 months before they make any more. They make these brass one at a time by turning from brass stock. That's why they are so expensive at almost $4 each!

I asked about other brass that could be fire formed, but he didn't comment on that. Do you know of a brass I could get to fire form? As long as it's a rimmed brass with the body and rim of a size, it wouldn't be too hard to cut to length. I used to make all my 25-06 brass from 30-06, so am familiar with the process.

Thank you again for your help,

Ken H>

KenH
06-11-2015, 04:43 PM
OK, we're in business now. I just placed an order with Buffalo Arms for 43 Spanish brass. While it's not the Reformato I'm sure I have, I should be able to fire form to the chamber just fine..... Please don't tell me it won't work!!!

Thanks again for all the help,

Ken H>

John Boy
06-11-2015, 08:39 PM
Ken, it will cost you $85 for 20, but you can order 43 Spanish Refrimado from Rocky Mountain Cartridge Co. All their brass is lathe turned and high quality
http://rockymountaincartridge.com/index_htm_files/RMC%20Product%20List.pdf
Good Shooting with your Rolling Block!

KenH
06-11-2015, 09:45 PM
Thanks John - I'll keep Rocky Mtn in mind. I've already placed the order with Buffalo Arms for an order. Let's see just how well this old gun shoots light loads. Nothing heavy for sure. Now I've got to squeeze down some .458 cast boolits down to size for this 43 Spanish..... Seems like the barrel slugs with a groove of .453 at the muzzle, but at the throat (just where the rifling starts) it's right at .460" - so we'll see where it actually shoots soft boolits.

This site has been so VERY helpful - LOTS of knowledge to be gleaned from the different forums.

Ken H>