What a diference a day makes

[Beekeeper]

Had an absolutely great morning at the range today.
Arrived with a 71/84 Mauser and a Gahendra.
Had shot the 71/84 with smokeless before but today fired it for the firat time with black powder.
Had a couple of range officers watching me and invited them to shoot it.
They are both black powder shooters and are getting ready for a Buffalo match.
They had a great time with the 71/84 and so did I.

The Gahendra shot well.
The barrel is close to a sewer pipe but after the first couple of rounds shot very well indeed for something that old.
From a rest was able to hit the steel target at 100 yards a couple of times.
The trigger is abismal, must be 20 lbs., and it pulls you off target just to pull it.
Will have to look into how to get it a little lighter and a whole lot smother.

Now the range guys are ragging on me to get a Sharps so I can shoot the matches with them.
I still have another 71/84 to shoot with black powder and a Snider short rifle.
But who knows maybe someday, a Pederisoli, or maybe a rolling block.

Any way it could not have been a better day for me.


Jim

[HORNET]

Glad things went well for you, Jim. You could always get one of the High-wall copies that are being made...

[Throckmorton]

A good day at the range is a very good thing indeed.We had one last weekend as well,and still talking about it.
now,what the heck is a Gahndra??????

[Bert2368]

A Gahendra is a Nepali hand made knock off of the Martini Henry.

[Beekeeper]

A130 year old knock off of a Martini Henry that did a whoop-A$$ of the British army.
It and the 577 Snider were the main weapons of the Gurkha troops that destroyed 2 British armies and forced the 3rd to seek a treaty

They are a cool bit of history.
They were found in a Palace in Katmando Nepal and brought to the states and sold by IMA-USA and Atlanta cutlery.
It is 577/450 caliber good for 400 yards with sniper capabilities out to 1900 yards if you dare load them that hot.
Original load was 85 grains Black Powder and a 480 grain paper patched boolit.
Story goes it made a thumb sized hole going in and a bucket sized hole coming out.

All in all a Neat old weapon to add to a collection.

Jim

[bruce drake]

I don't see why you can't make the 71/84 your Buffalo Match gun. It was around at the same time as those Hi-Walls.

[Beekeeper]

Not American made and is a bolt action not a rolling or falling block.


Jim