1 Attachment(s)
Feeding and Firing the 1882 Steyr "Mystery Martini-Henry"
We were discussing this gun http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...KA-WR-500-450) and it's unusual chamber dimensions, lack of any military markings or serial number, extraordinarily fine condition, and theorizing on the possibility that it was a tool-room special, maybe for an experimental cartridge development. It's basically close to the WR #2 Musket (11.43 x 60R Romanian), but with a body that's .050" smaller than standard. Indeed, the only marking on the barrel breech under the forend besides the house proof mark is " - 05 " (for -.050" ??? ). No markings except the Steyr logo and date on the left side of the receiver. Unmarked anywhere else on the receiver. If the gun was not unfired, its condition gives a mighty good impersonation of that status!
Anyhow, after much study, the closest thing I could come up with for parent brass was a box of .43 Basic Brass from Stevi Machine that I had on the shelf for maybe 30 years. Rims run about .082" thick, body about .518", and plenty of length. After searching through a bunch of oddball dies, I found that a C-H .44-95 Peabody-Martini die would form a shoulder and neck just a bit undersize. I trimmed to 2.375" with a C-H power trimmer based on the chamber cast, allowing for about .250" freebore before the very short leade and Henry rifling. The case neck is just thin enough to allow a bore diameter (.449"-.450") bullet to seat in the chamber, so I used some paper patched 450 gr .441" swaged pure lead hollow base bullets from Buffalo Arms. Patched with 9# onion skin they run about .448"-.449" and are basically a press-fit in the bore. I expanded the first half inch of the necks with a .450" expander so I could seat the PP bullets without marring.
I used Federal Magnum 215 primers, and 78gr bulk Swiss 1.5F topped with a lubed felt wad. Pressed the bullets on top of the wad and then seated to uniform depth with a .44-77 die that fit the bullet nose. Chamber neck is quite tight even with a bore diameter bullet, so I used the .44-95 P-M sizing die to squeeze the neck of the loaded cartridge just enough to allow it to chamber (basically removing the small amount of expanding that I did to seat the bullets.
I set up an N-SSA 100 yd match target (8" black bull for scale) at 100 yd. Shooting off the bench with 10 rounds.
The warrior that never went to war.
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The only markings at all on the receiver of this gun.
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Note Romanian-style rear sight with ladder extgension
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Getting ready...
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THIS puts the cartridge more to scale.
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Chambered (but unfired and extracted) round alongside a fired case. Note case formed in die has a bit sharper shoulder.
I set the die so the case would headspace on the shoulder in case rim thickness was inadequate, getting a slight interference fit upon closing the breech.
I won't size at all from now on due to the chamber dimensions.
Fired cases chamber and extract beautifully, with what I'd call a "brush-fit" upon closing the breech.
Also note that at this seating depth, the patched bullet lightly bears on the lands for approximately 1/4", wiping off a bit of powder fouling from the throat.
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Here's the target. Point of aim is 6 o'clock on the black. First three fired with blow tube between shots, without checking target. I started checking the target after the first three, and was noticing a bit of vertical stringing with continued blow-tube-only use, so after shot 7, I wiped with 3 spit patches, then continued to shoot the remaining three shots. I had also realized after shot 6 that the butt plate was on my shoulder joint, rather than in the "pocket", so I adjusted my hold. That pretty much moved the shots to the center of the target (left/right), with the last four going into a roughly 2" group. I bet with further load development I could shrink that, but that's a pretty pleasing result for a first outing with an unknown cartridge, cobbled ammunition, and essentially a full military load.
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It shot well enough, and fired cases look good enough, that I ran back in the house and formed and trimmed the other 10 cases from the box so I'll have 20 to mess with.
Now I've got a bunch of bullets to paper patch... :groner: ;) :smile: