A tale of the Wondrous Comblain carbine .........................

[oldphardt]

Buckshot, I seem to have a barreled action like your Cambian - same model. Mine is missing the mainspring and extractor. Where can I get critical dimensions for these 2 parts? I am trying to get this one going for a friend. Just do not know where I will ever get wood and fittings at a reasonable cost. A complete one sold on GunAuction for about $395 so there is no real value in these pieces and therefore not worth sinking much into them.
Dennis::Pismo

[Frank46]

Buckshot, outside of the one you wrote about I have only seen one in real life. And that after almost 40 years fooling around with firearms. Frank

[elk hunter]

Buckshot,

Excellent post, the kind that I like to read.

It appears we have much in common.

Old guns and old men seem to go together.

Keep up the good work.

[sharps4590]

Absolutely outstanding thread and work. Very well done, sir! I can only admire and envy those with that kind of machine skills.

[marlinman93]

One of my big regrets is selling a gorgeous Comblain Rook Rifle years ago. It was a very small little handy rifle, chambered in the .380 Rook caliber. I decided I needed another gun more, so sold the little Comblain. I still regret letting it go!

[Good Cheer]

That's awesome. Are you thinking yet about turning some "ever lasting" brass with a straight inside bore? Or would it be worth while?

[Bigslug]

I then set about to make some kind of case to hold the slug. I ended up originally using a 45-70, 43 Spanish, 45 Colt, and I forget what other size dies and Nazi war doctor tools to fabricate something that would chamber AND would hold a slug.

ROFLMAO! He owns all these different guns so that he can cobble together loading equipment for the REALLY different ones when they come along.

So. . .would it be fair to say you work in the Comblaint Department, Comblaining endlessly?

[Buckshot]

That's awesome. Are you thinking yet about turning some "ever lasting" brass with a straight inside bore? Or would it be worth while?

..........Nope. With the price of plain 360 alloy brass (.750" OD) running close to $80.00 for 6', I think I'll stick with the Mag Tech (CBC) 32 ga shotshells. Heck, with the neck expanding the way it does in that wierda** chamber I doubt it'd last one firing being turned from solid. I have a batch of those MagTech cases that were fired 4 times before I decided to anneal them. Thought that was darn good. Years ago me and 2 other guys bought a bunch of Red Willow Armory turned brass 577-450 cases. The other 2 guys had some cases that had split necks when they got them, brand new! Red Willow was very good and replaced them all, but annealing after every firing is just too much work. I was told years ago that 50-70 brass could be used in my carbine by a guy who had or has 6 Comblains. Once again at that time drawn brass 50-70 cases weren't being given away.

................Buckshot

[M-Tecs]

Thanks for the detailed write up.

[scattershot]

Wow! Nice work! Betcha can't find THAT ammo at WalMart!

[oldphardt]

Here are some photos of the Comblain action that I will be working 'someday' after I finish the '86 and sell it off.

[Buckshot]

Here are some photos of the Comblain action that I will be working 'someday' after I finish the '86 and sell it off.

..............Dennis, It appears that your action has the removable bottom tang? At least I'm assuming so since it has that extra screw on the bottom rear of the action. From what I've read the separate tang was the most common version. It does look like it has the 3 screws in the forward bottom of the action. The bottom 2 for the lever, and the extractor with the 3rd one above the most forward screw would be the Brazilian added, 'Retainer Screw'. The bayonet lug and bar, and the front sight look the same as mine.

Your action is stamped on the right side with the maker's name and serial number. Mine is marked on the left side. Made by, and stamped in one line is EM & L Nagant. Below that is: A Liege. The only number, 98, is stamped directly under that and on almost all the parts. Of course there are also the usual assortment of viewer's, inspectors, and proof marks stamped in various places on assorted parts. What does the bore look like? If you don't have any CerroSafe I'd think you could get a good enough idea of the chamber with a simple wax casting.

If the bore is toast and you're considering rebarreling it, it wouldn't make any difference if the the wood was authentic or not. Since it's a 2 piece stock a buttstock and forend from some levergun, shotgun or maybe a Martini might be made to fit? In any event, I have a few orders to get out and then I'll try to get those measurements for you.

................Buckshot

[Ibgreen]

I have a bunch of 32ga Berdan ready magtech shells (I was going to trim down for my Spencer 56-50).

[Buckshot]

I have a bunch of 32ga Berdan ready magtech shells (I was going to trim down for my Spencer 56-50).

............They're easy to shorten and also convert to the 209 shotshell primer (if you have, or have access to a lathe). When CBC/Magtech came out with the new LP primed cases Graf & Son was blowing out the older Berdan primed stock, so I bought several boxes of it. Ditto the 24 ga I use for the .577 Snider. I still have several hundred of the #56 Berdan primers, but it seemed those things would pierce if you looked at them sternly

...............Buckshot