What is your oldest firearm?

[15meter]

Lyman mold does work good. My Army daughter shot it and when the big cloud of smoke rolled up she giggled like a kid and wanted to do it again

I shoot as cast, Ben's liquid lube over I think 4759. Have to look up the load.


Not too much smoke.

[David2011]

It’s nothing special but it’s an 1893 Ovieda Mauser.

[Idaho45guy]

My grandpa carried this 1939 Remington Speedmaster .22 short when working his trap lines in Wisconsin in the 40's. It's now mine.

Attachment 269453

[LawrenceA]

Oldest ones I use.
Trapdoor cadet
with a gould bullet

And 1830's'40's 14G shotty

[Texas by God]

This "Smoker #3" is as dead as the Sphinx Moth- but they look good in the curio cabinet.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[fatnhappy]

I lied. I completely forgot about my small ring mausers

[kimoleto]

A 1891 Argentine Mauser, I have 20 Norma Bullets for it but I´m scared to try

[firefly1957]

My oldest is a Springfield model 1884 with 1889 on the stock it has take my largest buck .
Next is a 1911 I bought in 1978 it was mixed parts and nickeled the frame is from 1913 it is my EDC I put new slide and barrel on a few years ago .
I have also taken deer with a Winchester 1907 made in 1916 it was my grandfathers gun it shoots great .
Another old one I have is a Stevens model 315 they were made from 1915-1929 I use it for pest control and grouse hunting have shot trap a few times with it . It has 30" barrels and very tightly choke I load spreader loads for grouse hunting.

[John Guedry]

1873 Trapdoor Springfield.

[444ttd]

my oldest rifle is a 1891 argentine mauser made in 1900. my oldest rifle action is a 1898 springfield armory made in 1898. i do not know the "made in" date of my 1895 chilean navy mauser action.

[fcvan]

1891 Argentinian Mauser in 7.65 x 53, serial number puts it in the first run for the contract of 100k units. This model has a pristine bore but some wear on the bluing and stock. The original owner bought it in the 1950s from a catalog or Western Auto. I would ask the owner but he passed. His sister told her husband to gift it to me as we have been friends for 30+ years.

According to my friend, the rifle was like new/un-issued when purchased. This model was the 'engineer's model' having a shortened barrel and turned down bolt. All serial numbers match. According to my friend, it only had a box of 20 fired through it for deer hunting. It will be my cast boolit rifle.

A member here had Bullets, dies, and brass, gifted them to me, all I have to do is pay it forward. I tried to pay forward with 2 sets of dies for which I had duplicates in Swapping and Selling but a mod took it down as I didn't list a price. Swapping does not come with a price, selling wasn't the deal, gifting really was. I still need to get 'er done.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Hi, fcvan-- I also have one of the little 1891 Engineer Carbines. Nice little rifle, but the beastie really kicks with the full power military ammo. Mine is in nice condition, but yours sounds a bit better. About your "pay it forward" problem-- t'wasn't me that deleted your pay it forward attempt, but I hope you can see the logic (and rules) that require something offered in "Swapping and Selling" to have a price. If something is for sale, that is different than something being given away, which doesn't have a price and is a gift. In the case of a "pay it forward" a pay it forward is required of the recipient of your generosity. Anyway, if you click on the "Forum" tab that shows all of the sub-forums of this site, and scroll down to the Commercial Sector (yes, the same one Swapping and Selling is listed in) you'll find a sub-forum specifically for "Pay It Forward". Another option is to list your item(s) as "Helping Hands" back up under "Our Town", but that requires a complete gift and breaks the pay it forward chain. Hope this info helps.....

[Traffer]

1891 Forehand Arms Double action Revolver

[fcvan]

Hi, fcvan-- I also have one of the little 1891 Engineer Carbines. Nice little rifle, but the beastie really kicks with the full power military ammo. Mine is in nice condition, but yours sounds a bit better. About your "pay it forward" problem-- t'wasn't me that deleted your pay it forward attempt, but I hope you can see the logic (and rules) that require something offered in "Swapping and Selling" to have a price. If something is for sale, that is different than something being given away, which doesn't have a price and is a gift. In the case of a "pay it forward" a pay it forward is required of the recipient of your generosity. Anyway, if you click on the "Forum" tab that shows all of the sub-forums of this site, and scroll down to the Commercial Sector (yes, the same one Swapping and Selling is listed in) you'll find a sub-forum specifically for "Pay It Forward". Another option is to list your item(s) as "Helping Hands" back up under "Our Town", but that requires a complete gift and breaks the pay it forward chain. Hope this info helps.....

I can see where rules and such apply. I can post again with an unreal price and/or swapping, I just know that dies are terribly hard to come by and I'm pretty sure a member or two here could use some help. I don't need powder, primers, lead or other things, but the last time I did this I scored an old mold in trade.

A Marine returning from overseas had need, and he had actually 2 old Lee molds, so we swapped. I thought that was the point of calling it 'swapping and selling.' He got a set of 45 ACP dies and a Lee 452-200 SWC copy of the H&G 68 I didn't need any more.

As far as the ARGY, I can refinish the stock to smooth out the dents, and I can even re-blue to make it look new. I decided I will take this old girl and leave it as is. Smoothest bolt I ever pulled, all loads will be cast, boolit is 155 gr, and I will see how she runs at 2000-2250 fps. I have a load I use in my .308 rifles that is mild and low pressure. I might actually shoot j-words in my M1A, AR 10, and Mossberg Scout Rifle. The first 2 were used, the AR 10 saw 1 box of factory, the Mossberg has only seen cast. I have wanted a surplus rifle just for cast, for decades. Pretty stoked that I was given the rifle by a friend, brass, dies, and bullets from a member here. Should be a fun experience.

[lar45]

My oldest is a 70 cal double barrel pinfire pistol. I don't know how old it is, but they started making Pinfire cases somewhere around 1830.
The proof marks say it was made in Belgium.


I make cases out of 16ga plastic hulls cut down to 1.6".
I load 60gns of FFg and a Lee 1oz 12ga slug.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

That's really unique, lar45. I'm somewhat familiar with pin fires, but never saw one that utilizes converted shotgun shells. I see the pin on the edge of the brass, but am wondering when the hammer hits the pin and drives it downward into the shell, what ignites the powder charge? Is the original center fire primer used, or is it already fired and just there to fill the hole? Is there another primer inside the shell sitting sideways?

[lar45]

I take a spent 209 primer and file it halfway down on the inside leaving the lip on the outside to seal the case. I drill a hole right next to the rim that goes down into the primer pocket. After that I take a no.11 muzzle loader cap and set it into the 209 primer open side up. The pins are made from a no 3 bright box nail cut to length. I line the muzzle loader cap up with the pin, push the 209 primer in, then seat the pin down into the muzzle loader cap.
I have a block of wood that is my loading block. I drilled a shallow hole to fit the 16ga rim, then cut a slot in it so the pin won't have any pressure on it while loading.
I measure 60gn of FFg Black Powder only and pour it into the case. I use 16ga fiber wads to form a seal ontop of the powder. I use a wooden dowl to push the fiber wad into place. Next I take a 1oz Lee 12ga slug and push down onto the fiber wad. The elastic nature of the plastic hulls holds everything in place. I store the loaded rounds in a 12ga plastic box with an open slot inbetween each one.
The rear sight has many uses on this old pistol. With 2 rounds loaded, you push the rear sight rearwards until they just contact the pins. This is the Safe position as the rear sight covers the pins and won't let the hammers contact them. To fire, you cock the hammers and push the sight forwards leaving the pins exposed. After firing, put the hammers at half cock, open the pistol with the under lever and push the rear sight all the way rearwards. It will contact the pins and extract the spent shells.

The holster was made by Wes Daems of 7X Leather.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Thanks for that explanation and information. This would make a great write up, especially with some photos of the process, to become a "sticky" in a different area of the Forum. That is a very nice holster.

[chambers]

Winchester 1892 44-40 c 1893

[lar45]

That is a very nice holster.

Wes had me send him a couple of pics along with some basic measurements. He roughed out a holster and mailed it to me with the instructions. I wrapped the pistol in a plastic bag, then wetted the holster down, inserted the pistol and pressed all around to form the holster to the pistol. After it dried, I sent it back. He made the holster in the picture by going off of the impressions left in the roughed out holster. It was a perfect snug fit.

http://www.7xleather.com/