Peabody rimfire

[Lostinidaho]

I enjoy bringing old rimfire rifles back to life. I have a line on a Peabody in .50 rimfire.

Has anyone shot a rimfire Peabody, especially in .50 RF? How as this accomplished. Different firing pin shapes are easier than others.

I don't want to alter the rifle, but use reloadable rimfire cases.

[ndnchf]

Is that a .56-50 rimfire? That was the most common .50 rimfire in the immediate post war period. I have no Peabody experience. But I make my own .56-50 cartridges by converting Starline .56-50 centerfire brass to rimfire. I have several videos on my youtube channel showing me shooting these in a Remington split breech carbine, including this one.
https://youtu.be/WmIgXCcZSPU

[Lostinidaho]

Yes it is in .56-50 rimfire. This is Gene from the rimfire facebook group.

The ones I have made myself on .50 cal, work in some rimfires but not others. Due to firing pin design and of course how far out you can place the acorn primer.

[ndnchf]

Ahh, ok. I didn't get the connection. I know what you mean about working in some, but not others. The ones I make, oddly enough, won't work in my Spencer rifle. But are just fine in my Remington split breech carbine.

[Lostinidaho]

That's why I haven't pursed a Spencer. I saw a used case that had been shot in a Spencer, the firing pin just nicks the very outside of the rim. i know that there are center fire blocks too but they are hard to come by also.

[BP Dave]

I have not had success getting the .22 blank-loaded Spencer rounds to fire in a Spencer. The firing pin in a Spencer is relatively thin and wide, and it strikes at the very edge of the rim of the cartridge. On the ones I have tried, the firing pin missed the edge of the .22 blank and struck the edge of the rim next to it. Other rimfires have wider firing pins, such as the round one in a rimfire Gallagher. I would think a round or larger firing pin would strike deeper toward the center of the case and should reach a .22 blank set in the edge of the case.