.43 Spanish roller questions.

[koger]

Ok, so I know where 2 43.Spanish rollers are, one a rifle, one a carbine. Both appear to have been rearsenaled. Both have been blued, great wood, pristine bores. He is asking $350 each for them. How hard is it to make brass, how expensive the dies might be. Is it more trouble than it is worth.

[RustyReel]

Can't answer your questions, but I'd buy both, that way you have two reasons to buy/make brass.

[TNsailorman]

.43 Spanish brass is still available at a few location, Track of the Wolf, etc., however it is not cheap.

[mazo kid]

Those prices sound very reasonable!

[15meter]

Lee makes die for a reasonable price, brass isn't cheap but it is available.

There is a technique for making brass from 300 Win Mag, using e-clips in the extractor groove for a rim but it's a bit involved. There's a thread under the brass forming forum that details it.

And Lyman makes mold 439186 for the Spanish.

Good luck.

For what it's worth, I paid $500 about 5 years for my rifle, if I had a chance to snatch a carbine for $350, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[NyFirefighter357]

Package deal $600! Track of the Wolf: 40 cases with tax & shipping is going to be $156, Lyman mold is $80, sizing die $32, set of Lee dies $40 another $40 for incidentals.

[marlinman93]

Graf's has .43 Spanish brass for $67 per 20 pcs. Still not cheap, but available.

[koger]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have decided I don't need another cartridge to reload for, but I think they would be worth the price for donor actions, what say you guys?

[1Hawkeye]

Track of the wolf has brass but 100 pcs will run you the same cost as one of the rolling blocks. I've been down this road myself and wound up selling the rifle because I would have had more in the loading supplies than the 175 I paid for the rifle. But that's just me.

[marlinman93]

For a donor action I've found them much cheaper than the $350 price, so I wouldn't pay that. But if they're more expensive in your area then I'd say go for it. I have never paid more than $225 for a complete gun, and less for an action to use as a donor. But as a donor I only care what the action looks like, so bad barrels or bad wood don't bother me.

[Eddie Southgate]

Buy the Rifle for a donor and pass the Carbine off to 15meter if he really wants it . Seems like the neighborly thing to do .

[jonp]

When I bought mine I looked into forming the brass from something else and quickly dropped the idea as too much trouble. The action is very nice and would make for a great donor. What do you have in mind?

[koger]

JonP I am a big fan of the 45/70, but have a boat load of them. I guess I would like to have something in the .40's like a .40/65 or 38/55, but I have two of the later. The .40/65are supposed to be very accurate, have not checked on brass and dies $ for that caliber.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Brass for the 40-65 is 45-70 necked down to 4o caliber. I paid $52 for Lyman cowboy actin three die set in 40-65 from Midway.

[marlinman93]

.40-65 can indeed be an accurate combination, and not expensive to get brass or dies. I have several .40-65 Win. single shots, and they're not abusive on my shoulder either, if reasonable loads are used.

[Boz330]

Just got off of Simpson's sale sight and while they had quite a few rollers mostly Swedish the cheapest going price seemed to be in the $395 range for something that would shoot.
I got an 8MM a number of years back when they were plentiful for $225 and rebarreled it to 40-65 and have taken a number of deer with it. I had the barrel as a take off so not much involved other than the wood. It is a fun gun to shoot with reasonable recoil and could be used for mid range competition with a decent set of sights.

[bigted]

43 spanish is a cake walk to get runnin. Lee dies, RCBS mold, bertrim or track for ready made headstamped brass.

They are a treat to load and shoot. Plus the history they possess. The military version of Remingtons 44-77 of the Buffalo wars ... exactly the same brass and just .003 or .004 difference in bore diameter.

Were I faced with your dilemma ... Knowing what I know now ... I would have already shelled out the coin for the both of em. The 43 is a grand shooter ... AND ... when blowing black powder clouds at the range ... upon questions, you can proudly exhibit your historic and fun rifle and vintage cartridge.

Buy em ... come on, ya know ya want em ... just do it! You can scarcely lose anything as resale is pretty much a snap if you decide later on it do not blow yer skirts up.

[TNsailorman]

I have a .43 Argentine roller that my wife bought me for Christmas in 1963 or 64(I can't remember exactly). She paid a grand total of $30.00 + $5.00 shipping for it. I have been shooting it since and I love to get it out and chuck some lead down range with her. Black and Trail Boss both give good accuracy at 100 yards and it is a soft shooting rifle. It is in really nice condition. I may try to put up some pictures later. james

[Boz330]

I have a .43 Argentine roller that my wife bought me for Christmas in 1963 or 64(I can't remember exactly). She paid a grand total of $30.00 + $5.00 shipping for it. I have been shooting it since and I love to get it out and chuck some lead down range with her. Black and Trail Boss both give good accuracy at 100 yards and it is a soft shooting rifle. It is in really nice condition. I may try to put up some pictures later. james

Don't you just long for those days when you could order through the mail, and get great prices to boot. $20 M-1 Carbines in the grease, $18 1911s. I remember 3 WWII surplus rifles for $39 shipped to your door. Trapdoors for a song and a dance.
Even as recently as the early 90s I picked up a MK2 303 for $59 and it was arsenal rebarred and shoots very nice.

Bob

[brstevns]

If you enjoy reloading and doing things yourself , like I do. Besides bragging about how you make your own brass and lead bullets I would get one of those. I make my own brass from 300 ag, 7mm rem mag. etc all the time. Best part is it last longer then the 43 spanish brass I have. Seems today alot of shooters or reloaders are just to lazy to from there own brass. I always thought it was part of the fun!