Rolling Block Dilemma

[Kraschenbirn]

Sometime ago, I acquired a #5 RB with a 'no-name' 40-65 barrel installed that's, more or less, a ***. Barrel has 8-groove...very, very narrow lands...rifling and chamber appears to have been bubba'd (or, perhaps, never saw a finish reamer). I've tinkered with it, off and on, for the past couple years without success and reached the conclusion that it's pretty much a lost cause. Now, I've a bit of a quandary what to do with it...rebore or rebarrel?

Existing barrel can (probably) be rebored to .44-77 or any of the .45 - .50 BP calibers or I can rebarrel to one of the original #5 roller calibers. Right now, I'm leaning toward rebarreling to .30-40 Krag...say, around a .26" half-octagon (to fit my existing wood) with 1-12 twist. Any thoughts? Also, any suggestion(s) for someone to do the work? For a rebore, JES would seem to be the logical choice but since both the guys who did barrel work for me in the past are gone...one retired, one passed away...any recommendations?

Bill

[onceabull]

Perhaps a rebore to 405 Jess would be OK,if that would be enuff to clean up the original "mess",,O'wise how about rebore to 444 Marlin ,with a twist to your spec's. ???? ONCEABULL

[Mk42gunner]

Easiest would be to rebore to .45-70, the extractor will already fit the case. If you go to the .43 Spanish or .44-77 you will need to replace or modify the extractor.

I'm not sure if the .45-70 extractor would work for a .30-40 or not.

Robert

[Kraschenbirn]

Easiest would be to rebore to .45-70, the extractor will already fit the case. If you go to the .43 Spanish or .44-77 you will need to replace or modify the extractor.

I'm not sure if the .45-70 extractor would work for a .30-40 or not.

Robert

Agree that a rebore to .45-70 would be the simplest but I've already got a Heavy Sporter RB (Pedersoli) in .45-70.

Extractors for either the .44-77 or the .30-40 shouldn't be a deal-breaker. RollingBlockParts.com shows the correct (rotary) extractor for the .43 Spanish as 'in stock' and Pedersoli catalogues a replacement rotary extractor for .38-55 that can be modified for the .30-40.

Being as a set of dies and a really nice Dave Mos mould came with the gun, maybe, I should just get another .40-65 barrel and be done with it?

Bill

[Kraschenbirn]

Perhaps a rebore to 405 Jess would be OK,if that would be enuff to clean up the original "mess",,O'wise how about rebore to 444 Marlin ,with a twist to your spec's. ???? ONCEABULL

Thanks for the thought but it won't work. .40-65 base/rim diameter are same the .45-70 (.500/.600) which rules out anything based on the smaller diameter .444 case.

Bill

[marlinman93]

Question on the Bubba'd chamber and rifling? What's wrong with the rifling that setting the barrel back a couple threads wouldn't help? If it's mostly chamber, and lead into the rifling, that would be the simplest, and cheapest fix.
Very narrow lands are usually a sign of a high end type rifling. Many of the famous old barrel makers like Pope, Schoyen, etc. used very narrow lands and higher number of lands/grooves to rifle their barrels. These narrower lands disturbed the bullet much less by displacing less lead. They shoot extremely well with narrow lands. Both of my Schoyen rifles use this rifling, and my Zettler Bros. Ballard is a .22 Short with 9 lands/grooves!

[Chill Wills]

I guess the biggest question that would drive the choice would be; What do you want to use the rifle for? As a plinker, only you know what you might want to play with next.
As a match rifle returning to 40-65 fits in with the "I all ready have a 45-70" but that choice must not be on your list or you would not consider chamberings like 444 or 30-40 Krag.

Me, I like match rifles. Lining it to 40 or getting a GM barrel blank in 16 twist would be the easy path forward. Then you would have a 40-65, a rifle that does not recoil as hard as the 45-70.

[John Taylor]

If it's just the chamber problem, that can be fixed. If the rifling is massed up then a liner or new barrel to keep it a 40 cal. With a liner you could change it to a 38-55 or 30-40. The extractor can be built up with weld but that may run more than a new one.

[bob208]

if the chamber is the problem. it could be rechambered to .40-82