Just inherited an EIG-Italy .44cal percussion Rifle

[piwo]

This rifle has an ornate patch box lid so what little I’ve been able to find suggests this one one of the better quality of their production. However, I have not fount any specs. I slugged the barrel and the groove to grove measurement is .441. I haven’t yet figured out barrel twist (for potential conical’s), and just ordered a .435 Lee mold.my friends dad bought it like 40 years ago and hung it on a wall: told him I’ll get it set up for late season BP Whitetail hunting for him and we’d put it in action.

Anyone know anything about these rifles? Do they even make a conical that will stabilize in such a rifle in this caliber? Never owned any muzzy that didn’t start w at least .500….

[KCSO]

First you need to measure the twist. Should be from 2-48 to 1-60. A 48 twist may or may not work with a 45 maxi ball. A 60 twist is best with round ball. If the rifling is not to rough a round ball and from 40 to 60 grains of black powder should get you started. You can measure the twist with a tight patch on a solid ram rod. Run the rod down the bore and mark the end with a dot of paint. Pull the rod out slow and let it turn and follow the grooves. As soon as the dot has made a 1/2 turn that is 1/2 of the twist. Measured from the dot to the muzzle. These are not high quality guns so no heavy loads! Pm me if you need help.

[KCSO]

Eig or maybe elg in an oval? Could be An old Dixie made in Belgium. What is the barrel across the flats? A 441 barrel seems tight for an Italian gun.

[piwo]

The measurement accross the flats is.787”. I misspoke on the groove measurement, it is .444”. The stampings are EIG-Italy on the left, as well as the Gardone and Brescia proof stamp and other details on the right.

Ps: I guess I can’t upload pics from my iPhone: I tried but they wouldn’t attach:-|

[pietro]

.

IDK the twist rate, but that early of manufacture might indicate a slow, patched round ball twist IDK, you'll have to measure the twist rate.

IIRC, those rifles were made by Luciano Giacosa from Brescia (Italy).

[piwo]

Ya, going to measure the twist this evening. It’s got a 35” barrel, so a 1/2 turn is about what I’m expecting. This one’s well made, parts fit is excellent. Hoping to get this locked down for my buddy, and I’ll use one of my flinter’s.

[piwo]

Just measured the twist rate. A half turn on the reloading rod was a hair under 24”, so that would make it a 1-48. That’s the good news.

This thing hadn’t seen a patch or bush in at least 40 years so I decided to do a little cleaning and using a brush w a patch on it (for snugness) while pulling out, the cheap brush came apart! The part that threaded into my rod is still in my rod, but the brush is at the bottom of the barrel against the breach plug! I Never in the 53 years I have been shooting and cleaning firearms had a bush just come “undone”. And it was snug, but not terribly: same setup I used to check the rifling twist. I now have a major project ahead. Try and dismantle the rifle and remove an almost 60 year intact breach plug, send the rod back down w superglue on the piece still connected to the rod(I tested this, I can get the stub to go back into its previous recess, or find someone w the mother of all air compressors and see it it can be dislodged w air through the nipple hole.

It ain’t easy bein me…….

[dondiego]

I was always told to NEVER put a brush down a ML barrel or what happened to you will happen. The brush bristles have to reverse in the bore in order to be removed and that is a tall order for brush and ramrod fittings even off the highest quality. What you need to do now is find a metal tube that will fit the bore and go over the brush bristles and you will be able to extract the brush while it is encapsulated in the tube. Good luck. From now on, use brass jags and cloth patches.

[45workhorse]

Find a grease fitting that will screw into the bolster. Pump full of grease, brush will come out. Point barrel into a big garbage can, remove zerk fitting, get an air gun with a rubber tip, blow out grease. 5-10 patches and it will be back in working order. Or pull breach plug!

My son got a M-60 receiver brush stuck in a 50 cal. CVA Kentucky. It worked for me!

[waksupi]

As KCSO says, these are not good quality. Stick with round balls.

[piwo]

Definitely worth a try. Thanks for the input!

[piwo]

As KCSO says, these are not good quality. Stick with round balls.

Ya, not even sure a conical mold w a dimension to fit this barrel exists anyway

[piwo]

I was always told to NEVER put a brush down a ML barrel or what happened to you will happen. The brush bristles have to reverse in the bore in order to be removed and that is a tall order for brush and ramrod fittings even off the highest quality. What you need to do now is find a metal tube that will fit the bore and go over the brush bristles and you will be able to extract the brush while it is encapsulated in the tube. Good luck. From now on, use brass jags and cloth patches. Boolit Master
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Nov 2006
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I actually thought of that very thing about 10:30 this morning while making an apple pie and using an “apple corer”.. this will be worth a try once I can find an appropriate “tube” to attempt this. The small bore is limiting

[eastbank]

i shot a ball loaded with out powder in a tc .50, by taking the cone out and put 4ffff powder in and then putting the cone back in and firing. it took three attemps to shoot the ball out. it did not take very much powder, maybe 5-8 grains.

[piwo]

Epilogue:
I first tried removing the nipple and adding 4f into the hole and firing it. This did the trick! Very thankful for everyone’s input: all great ideas.

Since my buddy didn’t believe his dad ever fired this rifle and no one with first hand knowledge could vouch for its integrity, I fired it using a gun vice w a string on the trigger and me safely tucked away. I didn’t use the “double powder double ball” method recommended to me many years ago when I built my first flintlock, just a single charge and ball. Both firings were successful so I’m gonna consider it functionally sound.

Gotta cast a bunch of round ball now and get to the range and see how she shoots.

Cheers guys!

[45workhorse]

That works also!!!:bigsmyl2:

Glad you got it out!