Flobert Parlor Rifle

[Ickisrulz]

I have an old Belgian made parlor rifle in a Flobert chambering. My father had this rifle for probably 50 years sitting without use in an attic. He said his cousin found it in a house he bought and gave it to him. He didn't know anything more than that.

The rifle is marked "Belgium" and FL 6 m.c. with a proof marking. So I am thinking it is chambered in 6mm Flobert, although the barrel looks a little smaller than .22 to my eyes. Maybe it's an illusion since I don't see any rifling.

My internet research has led me to believe that 6mm Flobert is the same thing as .22 BB Cap and .22 CB Cap. Can anyone verify this? I'd like to shoot this thing as I have been looking at it since I was a little kid. It is in good condition for a 120+ year old cheaply made rifle.

[PHyrbird]

Try connecting with Sarge on the Great Model 8 forum. He's a well spring of knowledge on these overlooked target guns....
Carl

[NoZombies]

Most of the flobert guns I've handled have been designed for what we call the .22 BB cap, the 6mm flobert was "usually" interchangeable, but not always. But there were a LOT of variations including 4 and 5mm versions, smoothbores, .22 longs and .32's and even 9mm's and some others. A local gunsmith should be able to verify the chambering, and if you're not confident in your own ability to do so, I would strongly suggest having someone look at it in person. No point injuring yourself or an heirloom for lack of knowledge.

[John Boy]

My Belgium Flobert is barrel stamp 22Long

[Bwana John]

The 22 caliber BB and CB caps I used to buy (RWS) were marked "6mm Flobert"

Shorter case than a 22 short, but chambered and fired fine in both inexpensive and target grade 22 lr bolt guns when fed single shot.

[pietro]

I have an old Belgian made parlor rifle in a Flobert chambering.

So I am thinking it is chambered in 6mm Flobert, although the barrel looks a little smaller than .22 to my eyes.

Maybe it's an illusion since I don't see any rifling.

I'd like to shoot this thing as I have been looking at it since I was a little kid.

It is in good condition for a 120+ year old cheaply made rifle.

The rifling is most likely clogged with the lead boolits of the day, and could most likely benefit from a serious cleaning.

Two things to keep in mind:

1) 100-year old steel is nothing like modern steels, and...… who knows what the metal went through before it came into your possession.

2) Flobert actions are not really locked closed when in battery - most were held closed during firing by the mainspring pressure.

If it were mine, I'd hang it in a wall display and find something better to shoot. (YMMV, of course)

.

[Ickisrulz]

I appreciate the responses.

I need to clean the barrel to make sure there are no surprises before I buy ammo (it is expensive). From what I can see there isn't any rifling (vs clogged with lead).

I am not worried about firing this rifle at all. The hammer spring is very strong and I'm willing to bet it will seal the breach just fine considering 6mm Flobert cartridges are fired with just the primer or a very small amount of powder.

[KCSO]

CCI 22 cb caps should work if the bore is OK.

[Bent Ramrod]

The old Flobert parlor rifles used cartridges that propelled the round balls with the priming charge alone. Primers of the day were a witches’ brew of chlorates, metal peroxides and ground glass.

Almost all the parlor rifles and pistols I’ve seen have no trace of rifling in the bores. You may get lucky after cleaning, but if I were you, I would plan on a reline job. But do stick with CB and BB cap chambering. A regular chamber would probably work with Kolibris (Regular and Super) but someone will inevitably put a “real” .22 RF in there, and wind up with the hammer/breech block/firing pin stuck in his eye.

[KCSO]

If the bore is shot the gun can be relined and if the breech block is good a=can be made into a nice 22 lr. I have done several of these as we have single shot rifle matches in the summer.

[Ickisrulz]

Oddly enough my local gun store had one container of 6mm Flobert BBs on the shelf. The lady sold it to me for $10 which is a pretty good deal.

Unfortunately, the rifle won't fire. The extractor that holds the cartridge while the hammer hits the rim is too big to to properly position the case. The case just gets knocked into the chamber. I'm not sure what can be done about this. I suppose I'll have to take the action out and see if the extractor can be shimmed up or if another one can be fabricated.

I tried to post a couple of pictures, but for some reason I cannot upload them.

[skeettx]

Watching
Good luck on getting her to fire
Well done
Mike

[toot]

I have one, and shot one CB cap, that goes 710 FPS.it was smooth bore and it blew the hammer back jamming the case in the action blowing it completely back and the lead bullet stuck half way up the barrel. after shot a 6M/M FLOBERT ACORN in it and not a problem. so be careful with what you out in them.