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71's were single shots, the 71/84's were rapeeeters.
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I shot with a Hillbilly who had a mauser 71 that was rechambered to 45/70 only whoever did it got the chamber too long and it wouldn't go off, so I explained to him how he was going to pull the barrel and I would rechamber it for him. next time I see him at a match he's got a whole handful of ''o' rings from Harbor freight and some souped up loads to try. I shot at the other end of the building, never seen him since.
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Gopher- I love 1885's. I don't think there is a better looking more functional rifle anywhere than the 1885.
Here are three of mine. The top one is a Ballard action that has since be upgraded from double sets to a single set. .45-70
The middle one is an original action that is fitted to run both flat and coil spring at the same time. It has two hammers, two buttplates and many different sights and a few other accoutrements for use on it depending on application. .22 rf
The bottom one is a .38-72, original action and wood.
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessi...esters%203.jpg
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Gopher,
The .45-70 is one of my 2 main match rifles that was built on an action made by the Ballard Rifle Company in Cody Wyoming in the 1990s before they moved to Michigan and before they went broke. It currently has a titanium hammer that falls less than 1/4" and runs on two springs - flat and coil - at the same time. The double set and Helm lever were traded out and I replaced them with a single set and a standard lever. Less sexy, but more targets in the dirt. BTW, it has a 15.25" LOP- not many people besides me would find this rifle comfortable.
I didn't know Dupont used the 85 for a test gun, but I do know that Winchester did. That was well documented by Campbell in his first book "The Winchester Singleshot".
The low wall swaps parts with the highwall from time to time. It has a 17" Lilja barrel sleeved inside that 28" #2 octagon. If you look closely, you will see that it has an underrib to give it back some of the weight that it lost in the hollowing of that last 11" of barrel. The top flat on that rifle is matted, which looks cool, but I'm not sure it ups my score. The nearl 1" of cast off does however. It might be my favorite rifle off all time.
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My 1870 Swedish rolling block now wearing a .38-55 barrel.
Attachment 136717
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Brent, I stand corrected, [actually I am sitting] It was Olin Matheson who used the action and of course we know they owned Winchester. I remember the Ballard rifle company now. Stay tuned for more exciting stories complete with pictures.
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Here is another fake gun that I like. A model 1877 Axtell Sharps - also a .45-70 with a 16 twist barrel. This is also a dedicated target rifle.
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessi...harpssmall.jpg
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Here are two of my older .22 rifles. One is a military training rifle and has the flaming bomb stamped on the tang. It is of course a Winchester Low Wall. At some time the chamber was enlarged to long rifle, which it will not stabilize. It will however shoot Mini Mags very well. I suppose because it has a light bullet. The other rifle is a Stevens model 404 and is built on the 044-1/2 action. The bore is bright and shiny. The tang sight is a Lyman 201 and is adjustable for windage. Brent, that Axtell Sharps is a beautiful rifle. Brent, if you offered to give me one of rifles as a birthday present it would be difficult to make a choice. My birthday is in October by the way.
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Brent that top highwall sure is a beauty. I've always admired the pictures you've posted of it. The fact that it's chambered for PP bullets makes it all the better.
You are the only person I know that upgraded a from a double set to a single set :-). I've got a couple of highwalls with double sets and like them. I can guess why you went with the standard 1885 lever though. I've got a Meacham highwall in .45-70 with double sets and the lazy S lever (the one with the larger opening for the double sets). It is harder shooting prone to get the right grip with that lever than on my standard lever 1885's.
I think the close coupled double sets are a really good setup. I've got a .45-70 with CC double sets and the standard lever and it's really nice. Unfortunately someone ran a throating reamer into it and it was a poor match for the existing chamber. The leade has a nice little ridge in it to collect lead. It's a nice original so I've decided to never mess with it. I use a Crossno .22 liner in it now.
Chris.
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This is one probably my favorite original. It's a Special Single Shot ( a precursor to the later schuetzen rifles ). Interestingly it's a left handed rifle which makes it pretty rare. It's got a #4 barrel and is chambered in .32-40.
Interestingly one day after I'd bought it, I was reading Campbell's second volume and found my rifle in there. That was kind of neat.
Attachment 136851
Chris.
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Chris, the reason to go from wide double sets to a single trigger is simply to kill more targets. the Helm spur lever on a highwall is the sexiest thing this side of Kate Hudson. But I realized after a couple of years that that set up on my low wall was costing me points. And it was even worse on the highwall. I believe a lot of folks handicap themselves with that set up, and I sure can see how it happens. But once I made up my mind that targets were more important that sex appeal, those triggers were on the market immediately. Only the straight grip 85 still uses the helm lever, and it is not a serious target rifle.
I've got a fourth '85 that has a straight grip (at the moment) single set trigger group. I'll either bend that to a pistol grip or trade it off for a plain jane trigger. Now that I have messed with a bunch of triggers I'm confident that I can make a better trigger out of a plain trigger set up than can be had with any of the set triggers. I have to say, I have not shot the close coupled however. But I have heard that they are both the worst trigger of the 4 and the best trigger of the four. I have a friend with one, but he no longer sets it at all.
I really like that Special Rifle! That is basically the same as my .22 lowwall. Small Swiss plate, cast off, cheek piece. Great rifle!
Brent
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I've heard others curse the CC double sets. Mine are as nice as any trigger on any of my rifles, however I haven't put more than 400-500 rounds through it, so trouble could be just around the corner :-)
I know what you mean with respect to practicality vs. beauty in a rifle. To me a prime example is the benchrest CPA rifles. Those stocks take away from the classic beauty of the original design, but they are going to be easier to shoot well for sure.
I do agree that there are few things more beautiful than a fine Winchester single shot with a helm lever.
Chris.
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I have a run of the mill Pedersoli Sharps sporting rifle replica, but most here have seen one of those. Here is something a little different. The 'other' Vetterli, the M1870 Italian Vetterli Moschetto (cavalry carbine). It is a bit historical for my family since I have some ancestors that probably used one of these back then. Here are pics with the bayonet extended and stored, and what it shoots(10.35x47r, currently using 60gr Fg):
Attachment 136880 Attachment 136881 Attachment 136882
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Carl Gustaf 1871. Rebarreled to .40-65. The wood was UGLY, so I stripped it, steamed and sanded, fitted pad, and put MANY hand rubbed coats on it after staining with a reddish brown stain. Had 8x57 on it when I got it. The wood really surprised me.
Attachment 137049
Attachment 137047
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Here is a Farmer Sharps - so not an original, but a close copy - in .45-100 in Namibia. Of all my cartridge rifles, sans .22 rf, this rifle has killed more game for me than any other. That's a lot!
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessi...06%20small.jpg
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessi...06/Warthog.jpg
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Now THAT is nice. Tell us about that Borchardt, who built it? What caliber? What do you shoot with it?
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The Borchardt is in 45-90, wood by me and metal by John King. The Helm highwall is a .22 LR, wood by me and barreled by Steve Baldwin. 1881 Deeley and Edge is in .450-2.4" Rigby Match, wood by me and barreled by John King. The Hepburn is in 38-50, wood by me and barreled by John King. Brent, you can see the Borchardt up close and personal in about 3 weeks. Bob
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I bet I have seen that Borchardt before, but I didn't recognize it. There is always so little time to BS and ogle other rifles at that match. But I do look forward to it - for sure!
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Hey guys I thought I had some nice rifles, but they don't rate like yours. Fine rifles for sure.
Several years ago I stopped at Ruses gun shot in Madison Wis and there was a very nice panel Borchardt for 6800. I looked at it for quite a while and put it back in the rack and paid for what I picked up and drove home. Shortly after I got home I called the shop to put a deposit on it to hold it till the next day and I was told I just sold it.
