What should I reline and chamber a Remington #2 RB?

[texassako]

Old #2 rolling block with no matching parts, cracked buttstock, and nasty bore with 3 loose spots where the lead slug fell a bit. Metal is pretty nice and I like the 26" octagon barrel with the beech sight on the front. I have piloted liner drills already for the smaller calibers. I can offset the firing pin for .22 LR or .22 WMR without boring the breech block, just drilling the offset hole for the tip and turing a new pin. Centerfire looks tough with the pin needing to go up at a funny upward angle and close to the top of the small breech block, maybe someone has converted a #2 and has some tips. I could not find long enough liners for .17 rimfire; so I left it out fo the poll.

[Reg]

There are so few of the old #2's out there rather than convert, I think sell it to someone who will restore it and buy a small Martini action. Better, stronger, easyer to convert to either rim or center fire and there are still a few parts left for it out there.
You might get enough out of it to actually buy 2 Martinies depending on condition.

:coffee:

[MBTcustom]

Seriously, +1 on what Reg said.

[texassako]

It is really that rare to not even reline? Even with 3 different serials on different parts and a buttstock nailed together and missing 1/3 the wood at the wrist? I did allow for the option of relining and chambering in .32 rimfire since 4D has the reamer for rent.

[John Taylor]

There's nothing wrong with making a shooter out of it. Collectors don't go for guns that are in pore shape. The action is strong enough for any of the pistol calibers that were available at the time it was made. I have one in 22 LR and another parts gun that will be a 44-40 someday. If a reline is done properly it will not show.

[Bent Ramrod]

I relined one to .22 WRF and have another one that will be some kind of centerfire when I get around to it. In the condition your gun appears to be in (and mine are in) converting them to shooters will only enhance the value.

[Mk42gunner]

They make into a dandy .32 S&W Long. I am using mine as a .32 Long Colt because I didn't want to do anything that was irreversible.

The firing pin is a bit of trouble, I think the best way would be to completely fill the firing pin and retainer holes and drill new ones. On mine it looked like by the time I got the c/f pin in place the retaining screw would have cut the firing pin in half.

When I converted mine to centerfire I used a breech block from one of the RB Pistols; because they were supposed to interchange. Don't believe it. They are thinner and won't actuate the extrator right. Also a bit shorter.

I found one place on the net (in OK IIRC) that had rough forgings of new breech blocks, but I got my replacement block to work.

If you look for parts, be aware there may be two different extractor systems. The sliding one that I have seen referred to as the rimfire type, implying the rotary was used for the centerfire versions. Never having seen an original centerfire No 2; I can't say for sure.

I wouldn't chamber it for any of the magnum handgun rounds, Frank Dehass didn't recommend hot .32-20 loads be used in them.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

Robert

[texassako]

2 lines of thought to restore or make a shooter, and lots of lookers who did not even weigh in on the anonymous poll. I think I will let the reline decision stew a while during repairs to the oil rot and missing wood from the buttstock. I like working with wood to much to let a 100 year old piece of walnut go to waste.

[bob208]

well i have a low wall in about the same shape. it too is a .32 rim fire. i am going to conmert it to center fire. i am thinking of a reline to .25-20.

[Reg]

I like working with wood to much to let a 100 year old piece of walnut go to waste.[/QUOTE]

If you think about it, you just answered your own question.