My 1861 Colt Artillery carbine

[Buckshot]

It is a very handsome rifle and nicely made, so far as fit and finish go.



I don't know which one of the Italian reproduction companies made it. One of my shooting buddies had had it for quite awile before he'd ever brought it out to shoot during our MLing matches, so I asked why I'd never seen it before?



He said he'd had it for years but hadn't shot it much because it wasn't very accurate. I agreed that a gun what wouldn't shoot wasn't very interesting, so we discussed what he'd been shooting out of it, the twist and etc. He'd been using the Lyman 575213 and had brought some along. They were fairly wobbly in the muzzle and I asked what the bore was. He didn't know and I suggested if he found out and then got a Minie' that was a snug fit it might surprise him.



I forget now how he found out the bore measurement, but he bought a mould for it from Raphine and also a sizer from them. After awile he'd cast up a bunch and said that the next Tuesday he'd bring the rifle and Minie's to the range so we could see what it'd do. The Raphine Minie' mould dropped a slug just about perfect for the barrel. You could easily thumb it into the muzzle but it didn't drop down the bore.



After a bit of fiddleing around we shortly had it printing 2 - 2.5" groups of 5 rounds at 50 yards. While this isn't exactly earth shattering accuracy, but compared to how it'd shot previously it was absolutely match grade. I forget the time frame now as this had been some years back, but it seemed we'd finally gotten some positive progress when he asked me if I'd be interested in buying it?

He named a price I thought was very reasonable for it, plus he threw in the Raphine mould and sizer outfit, and the bayonet which I didn't even know he'd also bought along with the rifle. As most I have no real world use for the bayonet but it originally was an accessory for the rifle and it's kind of neat having it. One of these days I'd like to dismount it to check the bedding & etc. Even though I've had it for a few years now I've never cast up any Minie' boolits for it yet and am interested to see if they'll make a difference. Not to say his weren't good, but while checking each one before loading I didn't find any with obvious voids in the base cavity, the sharpness of the bands wasn't all they really should have been.

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

[357maximum]

WoW that sure is purdy Ric


...you gonna put some krylon on that so it do not spook the deers?

[StarMetal]

Buckshot,

Is that picture new on your rotodex? Sure is nice.

Joe

[shooter575]

Buckshot,If you were on this side of the country we would make a "Skirmisher" out of ya!
My guess is .001 under bore,Good BP lube,and 45-50 gr FF. Your will need .080-.100 added to front sight for 50 zero

[Buckshot]

357maximum, "...you gonna put some krylon on that so it do not spook the deers?"

Nah, maybe just wrap it in some camo tape

StarMetal, "Is that picture new on your rotodex? Sure is nice."

Thanks Joe, it IS kind of gaudy though. What's a rotodex?

shooter575, "Buckshot, If you were on this side of the country we would make a "Skirmisher" out of ya!"

That would've been fun but on my job for the past 12 years I worked weekends. EVERY weekend! There was a lot of stuff I would have liked to do, but it was mostly all on the weekends.

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

[Nobade]

Wow, that is really neat! I have wondered if the replica manufacturers made any '61 carbines. From what I'd seen if you wanted a short one you had to cut down a full length rifle yourself. For some of us long necked people, an Enfield just doesn't fit and a Springfield is so much more comfortable. Thanks for sharing with such good pictures!

[StarMetal]

357maximum, "...you gonna put some krylon on that so it do not spook the deers?"

Nah, maybe just wrap it in some camo tape

StarMetal, "Is that picture new on your rotodex? Sure is nice."

Thanks Joe, it IS kind of gaudy though. What's a rotodex?

shooter575, "Buckshot, If you were on this side of the country we would make a "Skirmisher" out of ya!"

That would've been fun but on my job for the past 12 years I worked weekends. EVERY weekend! There was a lot of stuff I would have liked to do, but it was mostly all on the weekends.

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

Rick,

A rotodex are those old fashion things secretaries kept phone numbers and addresses in that sat on their desks. It had a dial on the side you turned and the addresses, on cards, spun by until one was selected. It's a joke Rick. When someone mentions a gun that you happen to have, along comes the pictures of such gun from you. They are old pictures and always the same. Thus this recent carbine we haven't seen so I was asking if it was in your Rotedex.


At any rate I do think it's a pretty cool looking carbine. I reckon the stainless enhances it's looks. Gee just think if they had used stainless back in those days. We'd have a lot more of the original guns around today, huh?

Joe

[Buckshot]

..............Joe, ah okay I gotcha now. I do believe it's called a Rolo, or Roladex. I've had a few sitting on my desk(s) over the years. It isn't stainless either so far as I know. It may be stainless as some stainless can and WILL rust. That has had a bit of rust around the cone. When I first saw it I thought it was nickle plated but my buddy said it was steel and advertised as 'polished armory bright'.

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

[shooter575]

Buckshots Colt is technically a rifle. ie a 33" barrel. As are the Zouave,Mississippi,Enfield two band and the 1855 rifle w/ 33" barrel
There were no federal carbines made on the 1855-1863 platform
Now the Rebs made a real nice version of their own with the Harpers Ferry factory that Ol Jackson moved lock,stock and barrel making machine down south. Do a google of the
CS Richmond Carbine. They got rid of the maynard tape priming system lock and made a simple high hump lockplate to replace it.
Nobade, There are Italian repops of that one made. I have one about 3/4 made out of a old Fladerman shotgun [a 1863 Springfield chopped into a postwar shotgun]
Hope top get that one finished this winter along with a hundred other projects.
Here is a link to the N-SSA firearms list http://www.n-ssa.org/NATIONAL/SAC_091709.pdf

[pietro]

I wondered, too - Until I remembered they're named Rolodex's

[jim4065]

............ obvious voids in the base cavity................

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

Tough to see, but they're there, all right.