Buckshot
12-12-2009, 04:38 AM
http://www.fototime.com/43B1C1D0707C59F/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/137FBF478D68268/standard.jpg
It is a very handsome rifle and nicely made, so far as fit and finish go.
http://www.fototime.com/AA5524639C9A5BC/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/F207A69D61D5A66/standard.jpg
I don't know which one of the Italian reproduction companies made it. One of my shooting buddies had had it for quite awile before he'd ever brought it out to shoot during our MLing matches, so I asked why I'd never seen it before?
http://www.fototime.com/4AB7728FB6769DC/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/33D4E44761A4819/standard.jpg
He said he'd had it for years but hadn't shot it much because it wasn't very accurate. I agreed that a gun what wouldn't shoot wasn't very interesting, so we discussed what he'd been shooting out of it, the twist and etc. He'd been using the Lyman 575213 and had brought some along. They were fairly wobbly in the muzzle and I asked what the bore was. He didn't know and I suggested if he found out and then got a Minie' that was a snug fit it might surprise him.
http://www.fototime.com/270C4B8249AB7A5/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/5C802F0C700B80D/standard.jpg
I forget now how he found out the bore measurement, but he bought a mould for it from Raphine and also a sizer from them. After awile he'd cast up a bunch and said that the next Tuesday he'd bring the rifle and Minie's to the range so we could see what it'd do. The Raphine Minie' mould dropped a slug just about perfect for the barrel. You could easily thumb it into the muzzle but it didn't drop down the bore.
http://www.fototime.com/0EAE031D1802E7D/standard.jpg
After a bit of fiddleing around we shortly had it printing 2 - 2.5" groups of 5 rounds at 50 yards. While this isn't exactly earth shattering accuracy, but compared to how it'd shot previously it was absolutely match grade. I forget the time frame now as this had been some years back, but it seemed we'd finally gotten some positive progress when he asked me if I'd be interested in buying it?
He named a price I thought was very reasonable for it, plus he threw in the Raphine mould and sizer outfit, and the bayonet which I didn't even know he'd also bought along with the rifle. As most I have no real world use for the bayonet but it originally was an accessory for the rifle and it's kind of neat having it. One of these days I'd like to dismount it to check the bedding & etc. Even though I've had it for a few years now I've never cast up any Minie' boolits for it yet and am interested to see if they'll make a difference. Not to say his weren't good, but while checking each one before loading I didn't find any with obvious voids in the base cavity, the sharpness of the bands wasn't all they really should have been.
..................Buckshot
It is a very handsome rifle and nicely made, so far as fit and finish go.
http://www.fototime.com/AA5524639C9A5BC/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/F207A69D61D5A66/standard.jpg
I don't know which one of the Italian reproduction companies made it. One of my shooting buddies had had it for quite awile before he'd ever brought it out to shoot during our MLing matches, so I asked why I'd never seen it before?
http://www.fototime.com/4AB7728FB6769DC/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/33D4E44761A4819/standard.jpg
He said he'd had it for years but hadn't shot it much because it wasn't very accurate. I agreed that a gun what wouldn't shoot wasn't very interesting, so we discussed what he'd been shooting out of it, the twist and etc. He'd been using the Lyman 575213 and had brought some along. They were fairly wobbly in the muzzle and I asked what the bore was. He didn't know and I suggested if he found out and then got a Minie' that was a snug fit it might surprise him.
http://www.fototime.com/270C4B8249AB7A5/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/5C802F0C700B80D/standard.jpg
I forget now how he found out the bore measurement, but he bought a mould for it from Raphine and also a sizer from them. After awile he'd cast up a bunch and said that the next Tuesday he'd bring the rifle and Minie's to the range so we could see what it'd do. The Raphine Minie' mould dropped a slug just about perfect for the barrel. You could easily thumb it into the muzzle but it didn't drop down the bore.
http://www.fototime.com/0EAE031D1802E7D/standard.jpg
After a bit of fiddleing around we shortly had it printing 2 - 2.5" groups of 5 rounds at 50 yards. While this isn't exactly earth shattering accuracy, but compared to how it'd shot previously it was absolutely match grade. I forget the time frame now as this had been some years back, but it seemed we'd finally gotten some positive progress when he asked me if I'd be interested in buying it?
He named a price I thought was very reasonable for it, plus he threw in the Raphine mould and sizer outfit, and the bayonet which I didn't even know he'd also bought along with the rifle. As most I have no real world use for the bayonet but it originally was an accessory for the rifle and it's kind of neat having it. One of these days I'd like to dismount it to check the bedding & etc. Even though I've had it for a few years now I've never cast up any Minie' boolits for it yet and am interested to see if they'll make a difference. Not to say his weren't good, but while checking each one before loading I didn't find any with obvious voids in the base cavity, the sharpness of the bands wasn't all they really should have been.
..................Buckshot