New thread, 8x58RD Remington Rolling block on the way to me.

[koger]

I finally broke down and bought a nice one off of Simpson Ltd, and they came down $75 on the price. It has a excellent bore, pretty nice case hardening for the most part, great bluing and a stock in good shape, looks like the forend needed a quick sanding and refinishing. I have been wanting one for over a year, but the cost of reloading dies, brass etc, held me back. Thanks to MOA and others on here, I cut the cost in half on the reloading end of it. I found Privi brass, annealed for $79-100ct for fire forming. It should be here by Friday, shipping out Tuesday.

[Jedman]

Sounds good ! I looked today at their website and seen a couple I would like to have myself but I have so many rifles now that some I may never get to shoot due to hard to find ammo.
I seen a SXS double with hammers that is reasonably priced and has Damascus barrels that I may order when they open Tuesday. Of course it needs firing pins so it will be another project gun but if that’s all it needs it should be fairly easy to get in to shooting condition soon. I have never owned a double with hammers and this one has a real elegance to it that I think I need it.
Good luck with your rolling block rifle !

Jedman

[RustyReel]

Koger, don't keep us in suspense, give us the rifle number from their site.

[Shawlerbrook]

Congratulations ! How did you manage to get them down $75 ?

[sharps4590]

Congrats sir!!! Now the fun begins!!

I have always thought the rolling block one of the ugliest rifles conceived by the mind of man. Even so, I have THOROUGHLY ENJOYED working with that old Husky I bought. If simply shooting for unadulterated fun, I grab that rifle with considerable regularity. I still think it's ugly as sin but I do enjoy shooting it.

[marlinman93]

Like all guns, and gun owners, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I personally think Rolling Blocks are a beautiful design, and aesthetically pleasing to my eyes. But I hope I don't step on too many toes when I say I think big side hammer Sharps are ugly to me.

I avoid some rifles because of caliber, but avoid more Rolling Blocks that Simpson has at great prices simply because they're military rifles, and my interest is in Rolling Block Sporting Rifles. But Simpsons has a fair number of Swede and Danish Sporters that do tempt me often!

[corbinace]

Great, please keep us up to date on your progress.

[koger]

Shawlerbrook, I just told them I was interested, asked them what was the bottom dollar, and they came down $75. I found it hard to believe also, but a member on here told me to try to dicker with them, and it worked out.

[Shawlerbrook]

I guess it can’t hurt to ask . I was able to dicker down my Savage 1899 from Kittery Trading Post .

[RustyReel]

I asked one of the guys once (Fred if I remember correctly) if they ever dickered on price and he said sometime, but I never pursued it. I seem to always be after something that just came up on the site and there are five other guys on hold waiting to get a shot at it. May try it if I find something that has been there a while. I can't count how many times I have called in about something as soon as it came up and by the time I got thru another salesman had it in his hand selling it to the customer he had on the line. Gotta be quick on some of that stuff.

I need to break my Simpson's addiction. Along about this time on Mondays I start suffering withdraws. !!!!

BTW I always offer less at pawn shops and at gunshows.

[koger]

If you want to look at it online, the item #C44931, it is a sporter.

[sharps4590]

Koger, looks just like mine except for the rear sight. I think they're a birch or beech stock. I just stripped mine, put a light walnut stain on it then 3 coats of varnish. Your stock has a LOT more finish than mine did. Others know better than me but I believe they're all converted military rifles.

Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder, marlinman. Just because I think the rolling block is clumsily ugly, military or sporter, doesn't mean I don't like it. I do, and I enjoyed the heck out of working up the brass and loads for it and now enjoy shooting the heck out of it. On the other hand, in my view the 1874 Sharps is an attractive rifle. It isn't elegant like my Vierordt double rifle, Peterlongo or Brenneke Mauser or Bartles stalking rifle. I'd call the 1874 masculine. And I've enjoyed working up the brass, loads, hunting with and shooting the heck out of all of them.

[koger]

Correct they are sporterized, with flip up express type sights. I have 5 rollers, this one will make 6, a 1874 Sharps, 3 trapdoors, 2 of them originals, 2 Hi Walls, a Winchester 38/55 and 45/70, a H&R Buffalo Hunter, and a couple of more I think. The Buffalo Hunter is the ugliest one I own, but the dang thing will shoot with any of the other high dollar rifles I have. I sure would like to find one in 38/55.

[marlinman93]

That's a nice gun, with lots of finish left. It's one of the sporterized military rifles that were sent back to the factory to be reworked. They use the same original buttstock, and the forearms I believe were replaced, not reworked military forearms. They usually have those Express sights, but usually 2 leaf, not the 3 leaf style. Should be a great gun to play with, and tough to beat at the discounted price.

[MOA]

Nice roller Koger, that one looks to be in great shape. Nice to get one with lots of case color left on it. Have fun.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Good for you !! Always nice to start with a decent barrel. Another roller is always a welcome friend at our door.

[marlinman93]

Sent you a PM. everything you need to reload the 8x58RD is available from C&H4D. Die sets, shell holder, etc. And at just over $100 it will save a lot of messing around and grief.

[koger]

I got the rifle today, and they way undersold it. Case colors are very nice, with the bottom tang, and bridge of the action being the only part that has faded case. Bluing is 90% or so, tow tiny specs on the barrel. The wood is very nice with some figure in the forearm. Great finish on all the wood except for some rash on the right side of the forearm. The bore is bright and shiny, no pits, and the rifling is still squared off. Now if my mold will get here and some dies, i will be in business. I am a happy camper, and will be doing more business with them.

[MOA]

Great Koger. You must get some pictures of this puppy. Let us know how it shoots too.

[Texas by God]

Koger, you are living right! Here are your pics. I need to start a Roller fund because I like them but have never owned one- yet.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200613/07df725817e9942236818787a0746c56.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200613/df8b0e695910f906ccc5aea2e30f1700.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200613/9bbcd1d81fa050ee2c62343e4289af23.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200613/f669fcad2435d329068406d07795f695.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200613/9a6b55518a416b7c19aaf16adc6c2efc.jpg

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[17nut]

Did you know that the original load was 72½grains of black under a 227grain jacketed roundnose bullet?
A 65grain compressed pellet with 7½grains of 4f for starters. The pellet was inserted into the straight case and then sized.
263537

[sharps4590]

Wow Koger!! Compred to the way mine looked, your is new!! Well done sir!

[17nut]

Did you know that in 1888 the Danes tried the 8x58RD in converted RB's and found that they lasted less than 500 rounds?
Thus the reduction of max. pressure from 2600bar~37.7kpsi to 1600bar~23.3kpsi.

263551

[marlinman93]

That's a truly exceptional Rolling Block! Rarely see one with so much finish left on it!

[koger]

thanks guys. I am looking forward to shooting it, when everything gets here. I could see one of those 225 gr cast bullets poking daylight thru a deer here in KY. We can only take 2 deer here locally with a rifle, but in other zones, you can buy as many doe tags as you want where they have a problem. About an hour away, I am thinking of going over there and try to take one each with 3 or 4 different rifles. If I do, and I have a surplus of meat, I will donate one or two to Hunters for the hungry, a program where you can donate a deer for $10, and a processor will grind it all for homeless soup kitchens. The wife and I usually kill 6-8 here locally, which 2 of your 4 deer limit has to be does with a bow/crossbow. We depend on the meat as part of our self sustaining lifestyle.

[MOA]

Well Koger, good luck on your hunt. Anywhere from 10 - 13 grains should work fine. Great what you're doing for the community too.

[marlinman93]

We can only take one buck here, unless we apply for and get lucky enough to draw a doe tag for certain units. I began hunting with my old firearms back about 20 years ago after numerous decades of hunting with bolt action high power rifles. I originally was using old Marlin lever actions from the 1800's, but eventually went strictly to single shot rifles. Nothing I ever hunted with previous to going to old firearms was as rewarding, or as much fun. It takes a lot more effort to get closer, but the reward is a much better hunt.

[koger]

we can only take one buck, per year, but can harvest 3 does here locally. I can drive45 minutes, to another zone, where i can use my 2 doe only tags, for rifle instead of bow. Several land owners will let you hunt for free, due to crop damage by the deer. I usually take the land owner a country ham sliced for Christmas. Like you did in the past, I have been primarily a long range shooter, hunting with a 6.5 Swede and 6.5x284, both rifles I built. Last year I enjoyed the one shot I took with an original Trapdoor, more than I have anything in long time.

[MOA]

We can only take one buck here, unless we apply for and get lucky enough to draw a doe tag for certain units. I began hunting with my old firearms back about 20 years ago after numerous decades of hunting with bolt action high power rifles. I originally was using old Marlin lever actions from the 1800's, but eventually went strictly to single shot rifles. Nothing I ever hunted with previous to going to old firearms was as rewarding, or as much fun. It takes a lot more effort to get closer, but the reward is a much better hunt.

I have to agree with you on this too.

[marlinman93]

we can only take one buck, per year, but can harvest 3 does here locally. I can drive45 minutes, to another zone, where i can use my 2 doe only tags, for rifle instead of bow. Several land owners will let you hunt for free, due to crop damage by the deer. I usually take the land owner a country ham sliced for Christmas. Like you did in the past, I have been primarily a long range shooter, hunting with a 6.5 Swede and 6.5x284, both rifles I built. Last year I enjoyed the one shot I took with an original Trapdoor, more than I have anything in long time.

I recall using my high power bolt action rifles and being pretty happy with taking bucks at 350-400 yds. across draws, or open grasslands. I never thought much about it then, except to think I was lucky to have a flat shooting long range deer rifle. My hunting partners all shot guns with more drop, and when I first started using small caliber flat shooting cartridges they questioned if they would bring down deer well. But it took just one deer dropping at 365 yds. to convince them it worked. Within a few years they'd all switched to similar rifles and calibers.
But after a dozen deer taken at long range I began to become bored with "sniping" deer at distance, and wanted to use my old guns just to see how they performed. The first gun I took was an 1889 Marlin in .38-40, and I'd drawn a doe tag, so since I already had a buck I figured I didn't need the extra meat if I missed a doe. We headed out opening morning, and my nephew and I came across 3 does within the first hour. I took the largest at about 85 yds., and was surprised how hard the .38-40 hit her. She was looking at me as they'd spotted us, and I waited with my finger on the trigger, for her to turn. As she began to move I touched off on her left front shoulder and she reared up, and landed on her back, stone dead.
For 3 or 4 years I used various old Marlin lever guns, and then used single shot Ballard rifles from that point on. Didn't have but one year I didn't bring home a buck, and after all the long range hunting, I was able to take deer at mostly around 100 yds., with one exception that was about 140 yds. ranged after I brought him down. That buck was my first with an old Ballard in .38-55, and my biggest buck ever.

[sharps4590]

17nut, thank you for those bits of info. I have not done much research on the cartridge and it origins and am grateful for the info.

marlinman, your experience echo's mine. Whacking a game animal at 200-400 yards with a flat shooting, scoped rifle doesn't compare to seeing one collapse at 35-65 yards through a cloud of white smoke....if you shoot BP or go down immediately with a cast bullet over smokeless. Either is simply grand.