Need some ideas for a unique single shot rifle for a book

[44minimum]

I posted this elsewhere, but I might get a better response here.

Here is a question for you folks- I need some kind of weird, obscure, or uncommon type of highly accurate single shot rifle that I can have my 50-year-old reformed hired killer use in my next book. I don't want just a plain old Sharp's chambered in .45-90, I would like it to be something rather unique, maybe in an unusual chambering, something that would've been used in 1870s and 1880s. Got any ideas?

[Janoosh]

Cap firing Maynard. One of the first cartridge guns, the brass case had a pinhole in the back. A percussion cap was used on the action. Sort of like a 63 Sharps but with a cartridge.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

A friend has a baby Snider in 360 Rook!

[Driver man]

Martini Henry Mk2, used by the british.

[pietro]

.

How about a Frank Wesson falling block Sporting Rifle ?







.

[44minimum]

This Frank Wesson has potential. I'll need to do a little research on it.

[Green Lizzard]

two trigger frank wesson 44 flat 1858

[45-70 Chevroner]

How about a 45 caliber air gun.

[AlaskanGuy]

+ 1 for the frank wesson lever gun....

[herbert buckland]

Soper match rifle in No 2 musket caliber,a uncommon rifle but highly thought of in the 1870-80s and the cartridge was one of rhe all time top long range BP cartridges

[Outpost75]

Your hero should be using a new, cutting edged, secret technology, a high velocity, small caliber paper patched bullet with SMOKELESS powder! Go into the alchemy of making a colloid of guncotton and extruding tubes of cordite which would be inserted into the case, being held in place with a card wad before the case is necked. Oh yes, a .303 Inch, 215 grain bullet at an astounding velocity of 1950 fps! With great penetration and no smoke to give away the gunner's position.

His task to covertly kill a foreign dictator in Mexico, using his skills as a Scottish deer stalker, lying in his hide to shoot the Hun bastard through the head at 1000 yards, blowing his brains out before anyone even hears the shot!

A single shot Martini in a secret experimental development of Queen Victoria's clandestine service, why, the .303 British, of course!

[357Mag]

.44Minimum -

Howdy !

Check-out the " Jacobs' Rifle ", at " 19thcentury weapons.com ".

It fired an " explosive bullet " out to 1,800yd; and was used to blow-up ammunition wagons.

For most any caliber/bullet, one could make them quasi-explosive in terminal performance.... by filling a central cavity w/ mercury; and the covering w/ a suitable
close-out materiel. One movie where this was used was " Day of the Jackal ", starring British actor Michael Fox ( early -70's ).

In practice, suitable depth and other dimensions of the cavity ( or hollow-point ) would need to be validated, to ensure a stabile & accurate bullet.
But, these challenges are workable.


With regards,
357Mag

[Reverend Al]

Check-out the " Jacobs' Rifle " at "19thcentury weapons.com ". It fired an "explosive bullet " out to 1,800yd; and was used to blow-up ammunition wagons.

I'm a fan of the Jacobs rifles too (mainly because I own one!), but typically they were side by side double rifles rather than single shots, although I understand that there were some single shot rifles made up for testing the Jacobs style rifling and "banded" bullets by Brigadier General John Jacobs himself. (By the way since we're talking about them ... does anyone happen to have a mould for a Jacobs .54 calbre rifle? I don't have one to go with my rifle ...)

[JHeath]

.44Minimum -

Howdy !

Check-out the " Jacobs' Rifle ", at " 19thcentury weapons.com ".

It fired an " explosive bullet " out to 1,800yd; and was used to blow-up ammunition wagons.

For most any caliber/bullet, one could make them quasi-explosive in terminal performance.... by filling a central cavity w/ mercury; and the covering w/ a suitable
close-out materiel. One movie where this was used was " Day of the Jackal ", starring British actor Michael Fox ( early -70's ).

In practice, suitable depth and other dimensions of the cavity ( or hollow-point ) would need to be validated, to ensure a stabile & accurate bullet.
But, these challenges are workable.


With regards,
357Mag

Jefferson Davis owned a Devisme exploding-bullet rifle, now in the collection of the Springfield Armory Museum:

http://ww3.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCG...ABASE=40968253,

Devisme rifles appear to be period-correct, up to about 1875.

The catalog description suggests the Devisme may be the "infernal machine" Davis was accused of possessing when arrested by Union troops.

When you cast exploding bullets for a Jacobs or Devisme, do you put the explosive in the melting pot before the lead, or put the lead first and add the explosive after? :>0

[44minimum]

Those Jacobs rifles sound like fun, but I would like a cartridge weapon.

Pietro, I just cannot seem to find out a whole lot about a Frank Wesson falling block. You know of any online sources you can point me to? I would kind of like to see an exploded diagram of one, and I would like to know if you can take them down for transport in a storage case and things like that. Can anyone point me to anything?

[Green Lizzard]

there always seems to be a couple on gun broker if you just need pics

[EDG]

Peabody in .43 Spanish Remington

Another very obscure is the Lee Vertical Action in 45-70.
I think only about 143 were made.

I think it is a beautiful appearing rifle but kind of a bad idea so far as the action design goes.
http://collectorebooks.com/gregg01/u.../DSC00094b.jpg

more photos

http://www.19thcenturyweapons.com/1010/long/vblee.html

[Lead Fred]

How about a Wesson tip up rifle in 45/70



http://buffaloclassic.tripod.com/

[Norbrat]

Farquharson rifle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farquharson_rifle

[gandydancer]

I posted this elsewhere, but I might get a better response here.

Here is a question for you folks- I need some kind of weird, obscure, or uncommon type of highly accurate single shot rifle that I can have my 50-year-old reformed hired killer use in my next book. I don't want just a plain old Sharp's chambered in .45-90, I would like it to be something rather unique, maybe in an unusual chambering, something that would've been used in 1870s and 1880s. Got any ideas?

check out the Peabody rifle mfg in road island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peabody_action