Cimarron "Presidio Del Norte" 50/95 Range Report

[ATCDoktor]

I ordered this rifle back in March and my LGS called this morning and said it had arrived.

I went down and looked it over to make sure it was what I had ordered and that there were no glaring issues and as one would expect from Uberti/Cimarron it was perfect.

This model is a saddle ring carbine with a 20" full octoganal barrel and button magazine.

https://i.postimg.cc/3NsZ0wLc/IMG-1352.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Bluing was very good, wood to metal fit excellent, sights were centered on the barrel and tight in their dovetails.

The dust cover slid easily on the top of the receiver, the loading gate operated easily and the bore was bright and shined like a house of mirrors.

The lever operated easily but was noticeably "tighter" than my Chaparrel model 1876 in 50/95.

Trigger pull is not what I'd call light but it was manageable and I'd estimate it broke at about 6 pounds.

After eyeballing it pretty hard, everything looked right so I filled out the paperwork, paid what was owed and about 30 seconds after the register "dinged" I was sideways out of the stores parking lot headed for the range.

https://i.postimg.cc/6TJwTdC4/IMG-1359.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

The ammo I was using is a smokeless load I worked up for my Chaparrel 50/95 so I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised when it turned in groups of about 2" at 75 yards (although it printed 5" high).

https://s20.postimg.org/5d098eq7x/IMG_1347.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Offhand at 100 yards it was easy to wear out a 12" steel plate using a 6 O'clock hold as long as I didn't let the wind push me around too much.

https://i.postimg.cc/bdXwXXJn/IMG-1351.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

The engraving on the left side of the receiver is tastefully done and unobtrusive. The guys at my LGS had no idea that it was even engraved till I pointed it out.

https://i.postimg.cc/s1dc8XRR/IMG-1363.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/yWqcLbCQ/IMG-1362.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/HjGvbzZH/IMG-1361.jpg (https://postimages.org/)


https://i.postimg.cc/6TJwTdC4/IMG-1359.jpg (https://postimages.org/)


I'm extremely pleased with my purchase and am looking forward to working up a load that'll print more closely to the point of aim and it is my plan to take it hunting this fall.

[waco]

Very nice looking rifle you got there! Nice shooting as well.

[00buck]

Very Nice!
That's a large hunk of lead going downrange!

Good shooting. .nice group

[ajjohns]

Very nice! Looks like that one will work for sure. Myself, I wonder if 20" is a bit short? 22 or 24" would look real nice too. No matter what, as good as yours shoots the receiving end will hurt.

[flint45]

Cool I like the looks of that.

[prsman23]

Wow. Very nice rifle!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LSCG]

congrats! that is a fine looking levergun.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Looks like a 1876 with a short barrel should. Very nice when the first loads have a tendency to group and not pattern.
Mike in Peru

[ATCDoktor]

Very nice when the first loads have a tendency to group and not pattern.

This ones a shooter for sure.

I fired this group this morning at 75 yards using a stiff charge of IMR 4198 and a 350 grain bullet (sized .512") traveling 1450 fps:

https://i.postimg.cc/9z3Jf2FB/IMG-1376.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/vDFwwCJJ/IMG-1377.jpg (https://postimages.org/)


The only problem I've had with the gun is that it's shooting 5-6 inches high at 75 yards.

I haven't figured out what I'm going to do about regulating the POI to the Point of aim.

I'm contemplating having the front sight built up and then filing it down to adjust for the point of impact; either that or replacing the rear sight with a semibuckhorn.

Replacing the rear sight is going to be a bit of a trick seeing how the rear sight is mounted so close to the receiver.

I guess I could mount it backwards if I decide to go that way.

[missionary5155]

Good evening
The Buckhorn sight we put on our 76 fit without any issue. Measure the space between the receiver and dovetail. The seller should be able to do the same with the sight.
Mike in Peru

[ATCDoktor]

The distance bewteeen the dovetail and the receiver is less than an inch.

https://s20.postimg.org/9r5ismq7x/IMG_1381.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

No way a standard buckhorn/semibuckhorn sight will fit (without turning it around backwards).

[square butte]

I have been thinking about your rear sight problem ( especially since I have ordered a rifle like yours ) - Some of the repro saddle ring carbine sights may be a bit taller while laying flat ( with the tangent slide folded down ) than what comes on this gun. Browning and Winchester/Miroku SRC ( 1873, 1886, and 1892 ) sights "appear" to be taller. I do like the idea of sticking with a sight that has a tangent slide on a SRC. Just seems right. That being said - There may still not be enough room between the rear dovetail and receiver for a SRC sight. Someone who is good with metal ( soldering or tig weld perhaps ) may be able to raise the height of the rear site blade. If all else fails with the rear sight - A taller front sight should not be too hard to come by, especially if it has a standard dovetail. The good news is that your windage is correct. . .

[Tatume]

Track of the Wolf has a large selection of blade front sights. The last one I installed had an undersized base, which I knew when I ordered it. I simply warmed the base with a 40 Watt soldering iron and added pure tin solder to the bottom. This made it very tight to install, but very easy to fit, as the solder is even softer than the brass. The solder is not visible with the sight installed. The blade was very easy to file to the correct height. I expect it will last 100 years.

Here is just one example:
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/874/1/FS-CA-1B

[ATCDoktor]

Track of the Wolf has a large selection of blade front sights. The last one I installed had an undersized base, which I knew when I ordered it. I simply warmed the base with a 40 Watt soldering iron and added pure tin solder to the bottom. This made it very tight to install, but very easy to fit, as the solder is even softer than the brass. The solder is not visible with the sight installed. The blade was very easy to file to the correct height. I expect it will last 100 years.


Thanks Tatume, I appreciate the info and the link.

[missionary5155]

Greetings ATC
That looks like the sight that was made for the Henry Rifles. Now I understand the issue you face.
Option.. get the Buckhorn and cut a new Dovetail. The longer sight will cover that old hole. Which if you desire you can put a filler in that hole. Not like you are messing with an original 76. I would not hesitate.
Imagine all the original Winchester with "extra holes" here and there because the owner had a need.
Mike in Peru

[ATCDoktor]

Greetings ATC
That looks like the sight that was made for the Henry Rifles. Now I understand the issue you face.
Option.. get the Buckhorn and cut a new Dovetail. The longer sight will cover that old hole. Which if you desire you can put a filler in that hole. Not like you are messing with an original 76. I would not hesitate.
Imagine all the original Winchester with "extra holes" here and there because the owner had a need.
Mike in Peru

I'm going to go to with replacing the front sight first and see if I can regulate the ladder sight out to at least the 200 yard mark.

If I can't get that sorted out then cutting a new dovetail for a different type rear sight may be in order.

Thanks.

[bigted]

Strikes me that 6" high at 75 yds on a hunting rifle is not that bad a thing.

Might try it at 100 and 150 yds before changing anything. Your trajectory is going to be radical and might just be what you need as is sight wise.

[ATCDoktor]

Strikes me that 6" high at 75 yds on a hunting rifle is not that bad a thing.

Might try it at 100 and 150 yds before changing anything. Your trajectory is going to be radical and might just be what you need as is sight wise.

So far I've fired 250 rounds through this rifle and I've shot it at 100,150 and 200 yards.

With the ladder down it printed about 5" high at 100 and just about dead on at 150 with the load I'm using now.

With the ladder sight flipped up to use the 200 yard setting it printed almost 2 feet high at two hundred yards (making the ladder useless as the difference in rear sight height between the up and down positions is enormous)

My personal preference is to have my rifles shoot pretty close to the point of aim at the distance from which I do the preponderance of my shooting (between 100 and 125 yards.

With that in mind, I ordered two new front sights (one from Taylor's that was for a Winchester 1873 and one from cimarron for an 1876) hoping one of them would be taller and (as my luck would have it) all three sights (the one on my rifle and the two I ordered) are exactly the same sight ( heights were within a couple of thousandths).

Wanting to get the POI and POA a little more closely regulated, I took one of the extras that I ordered and (using a soldering iron) I soldered a sliver of soft solder onto the front sight and (using a file) shaped and regulated the front sight to where it prints 2 inches high at 100 yards.

https://i.postimg.cc/hhFjJDxb/IMG_1406.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

That puts me close to dead on at 125 yards and 6 inches low at 150.

I'm gonna try shooting it like this for a while and if I don't like it I'll switch back to the factory front sight and use a 6 o'clock hold.

[David LaPell]

I know this is an old thread, but I can tell you that the more I look at this gun, the more I like them. What a fun caliber to hunt with.

[veeman]

Am I the only one not seeing a picture?

[DW475]

I don't see the picture on my end either.

[ATCDoktor]

There’s an issue with the website that hosts my pictures so it appears for the time being they are not available.

[northmn]

Before you spend a lot of money and everything you can get a set of needle files out of a hardware store like Home Depot or Menards for under $10. I had a Rossi 357 that shot very high and instead of a lot of modification I filed down the rear sight to make it shoot. I later installed a receiver sight and the longer sighting radius seemed to work better. But one can file down the rear sight easily and even cut a notch with needle files. Take it slow and you will get it sighted in. I used to build muzzle loaders and filed the fixed sights in for competition. Most make this complicated when it is very simple. File it to hit off the lowest notch. Touch up blue, which is handy t have around will finish the job. I don't like the true buck horn sights and file a flat in them any way.


I dropped the website (Photo Bucket) as it was a real PITA and went to saving my pictures on the computer and using the insert image app on this site within the response box. Works much better.

DEP

[TNsailorman]

me neither.

[MOA]

No, I can not see a picture either. :-(

[475BH]

https://www.gunsamerica.com/userimages/5263/920472130/wm_11726905.jpg

[ATCDoktor]

Here’s a pic for you guys that wanna see mine:

https://i.postimg.cc/Y9HW8Sfs/FDFC9-F9-F-25-BB-433-A-B8-AE-B799-E1-D5-B0-DD.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Here it is alongside my 22” Chaparral 1876 in 50/95:

https://i.postimg.cc/LsdY6s78/35-F53-C83-B6-BC-4550-880-E-AE42951-CA5-B1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Here’s a hundred yard group with the Presidio (aiming point was the very bottom of the large red diamond).

https://i.postimg.cc/Vvx3smXY/IMG-1347.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[ATCDoktor]

Most of pictures on the first page have been repaired and reposted.

[veeman]

Nice!

[Warhawk]

Reminds me of Paul Newman’s gun in the movie HOMBRE.

[Bigslug]

Well, Son, it's like this. . .when an 1876 meets a Model 71 and the two REALLY love each other. . .

That's a really cool rifle!

[TNsailorman]

Beautiful rifle but the price is well beyond me.

[GL49]

Where do you find brass for that beauty, or do you have to form your own?

[ATCDoktor]

I bought my first 50/95 back in 2012 (the Chaparral in the pics above) and I laid in a supply of brass back when you could buy it ready made (by Jamison) from Buffalo Arms.

I’m still loading the first 50 brass cases out of the lot of 150 I bought.

They’ve been loaded about 16 times apiece and some are starting to split at the case mouth and crack in the neck area.

I’m gonna have to dip into the hundred I’ve got left here before too long and that’s gonna be when I start making my own.