Gibb's 45/70 conversion

[buckshot&brass]

Anyone have one?
How do you like it.

For those that don't know it's a 303 Enfield converted to 45/70.
My buddy is thinking of parting with his and I'm thinking about giving it a home.
Looks like new with maybe a box of ammo run through it.

[Bret4207]

Mines pretty decent. The gun needs a receiver sight, the factory rear is way too high to work with your face anywhere near the stock. Mines feeds okay, some hangups but not bad. The limited shooting I've done shows it to be decent there too.

It's a workable setup. It'll never be a Siamese Mauser (much nicer rifle) but it will work. I gave around $300. for mine IIRC.

[Jim]

I have one that I bought when they first came out. Like Bret said, it can be a little fussy on feeding, but mostly I load and shoot it single shot. I do like being able to shoot 500 gr. RNBRs in it.

[mtnman31]

I've got one that I fully enjoy. Mine has a black stock. It looks like it is plastic but is actually painted wood. The paint is very tough and drawn deep into the woodgrain. I have yet to scratch or scuff it up. I think I picked mine up for around 300 as well. It was a purchase I have no regrets over. I've shot mostly 300-400 grain loads through it but recently tried the Lee 500gr GC design it it. It had to be single loaded but shot well. I'd say get it - it is a fun gun, and fun is what shooting is all about.

[JSnover]

Grab it! I love mine, even with the cheap barrel-mounted leaf sight. It does not like to be single-loaded, yours may not mind it.

[Jim]

..... It does not like to be single-loaded, .....

I don't understand.


"It had to be single loaded but shot well." Mtnman31
That's odd. I don't have a problem chambering the long 500 gr. RNs in mine.

[Bullshop]

We re chambered one to 45/90 and still have plenty of room in the mag for heavy boolits.
The boolit profile will make a difference. Not all 500's are the same.
BTW we still have several of these available from our shop. They are all factory new from Gibbs. We have them priced at $300.00 plus shipping. They will ship parcel post for about $20.00 to $25.00.
Sorry we already sold the 45/90.
I have been looking at converting one to 50 Ak. The only issue there is the mag width is too narrow (the folds). I plan to make up a new mag and give it a try. We are waiting on the 50 Ak reamer we ordered from Pacific tool.
BIC/BS

[JSnover]

The way it feeds, the rim slides under the extractor as the bolt pushes the cartidge forward and the magazine spring pushes it up. So the claw doesn't have to spread all the way out to get over the edge of the rim. If I drop a single cartidge into the action and close the bolt it's a lot tougher to close and lock it.

[KCSO]

I didn't like the stock on mine and put on a Boyd's pistol grip buttstock with a nice recoil pad. Then I chambered it to 45-90 and then some fool offered me a ton of money for it and another fool sold it. I may have to talk to Bullshop! I replaced the rear sight a cheap williams with a good peep and with handloads I was getting groups under 2" at 100 yards with 400 and 500 grain bullets. I also worked over the feed lips on mine and got it to hold 4 in the mag and feed perfect.

[Dframe]

The way it feeds, the rim slides under the extractor as the bolt pushes the cartidge forward and the magazine spring pushes it up. So the claw doesn't have to spread all the way out to get over the edge of the rim. If I drop a single cartidge into the action and close the bolt it's a lot tougher to close and lock it.
As good a description of "Controlled feeding" as I've ever seen.
I'm going to have to think this one over too. I'd sure love to have one. Even though money is scarce right now.

[mtnman31]

I don't understand.


"It had to be single loaded but shot well." Mtnman31
That's odd. I don't have a problem chambering the long 500 gr. RNs in mine.


The cartridges I was using were too long for the magazine. They were black powder cartridges that I already had loaded up for another rifle. I don't recall the length and don't have my notes infront of me but, if I remember correctly, they were engraving the rifling when I loaded them as well. Also, loading them singly does take some positive effort as JSnover described.

Mine has the Williams ramp sight on the barrel. I have looked off and on at getting a better rear sight. It has just been one of those lower priorites on my ever expanding to-do list.

[Jim]

Got it. Thanks!

[Dakoma]

Been looking for someone to rebarrel one for me,I want to shoot and oldy called the 40-70 Maynard that brass can be formed from 303.Have not located a barrel yet but it should hold 10 cartridges since it is a 303 blowed out straight and a cast boolit.Got 2 Enfields for $140.00 and they are the singleshot 410ga.shotguns converted from rifles one is complete the other needs some small parts and a triggerguard.Anyone here rebarrel Enfields?;-)

[Ron B.]

Man alive, isn't the 45-70 a versatile cartridge? And, matching it with the Enfield was brilliant.
I'll have to eventually find me one of these. Don't tell my wife. :)

BTW; here's an article some of you may enjoy reading.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/kingandcountry/index.asp

[Multigunner]

As good a description of "Controlled feeding" as I've ever seen.
I'm going to have to think this one over too. I'd sure love to have one. Even though money is scarce right now.

The Mausers have true controlled round feed, but unlike the claw extractor of the Enfield the Mauser extractor usually has to be ground with a bevel in order to snap over a rim when single feeding.
I've run into a number of milsurp Mausers that had been altered while still in service as training rifles, mainly being used single shot on the rifle range. One was a otherwise unaltered 1895 Ludwig Lowe 7mm which probably served in the Boer Wars.

The prescribed method of single loading with an unaltered Mauser extractor was to press in on the integral spring with the fingers of the left hand while pushing the bolt home, a very awkward manuver at best.

The Mauser type extractor has always been considered the most positive, and prefered for dangerous game rifles, but the Enfield claw works better for single loading. Before the stripper clip was adopted earlier Marks of Lee Enfields used the magazine cut off to hold a full mag in reserve and were loaded one round at a time until they needed the ten rounds (six and then 8 with earlier mags, and a short lived 12 rounder) in a hurry.

I obtained and fitted a Mag cut off to my 1915 MkIII specifically because I plan to use it mainly as a single loading target rifle.
The mag cut off would have come in handy when using blanks and a cup discharger for grenade launching.

PS
Has anyone tried firing .45 Colt revolver cartridges in their .45-70 ?
I ask because the US Calvary were said to fire revover cartridges in their carbines when ammo ran short, and I may use this in a story I'm working on.

A friend had a Infantry Springfield trapdoor in .45-70 that he fired .410 shotshells in without any problems.

[Mk42gunner]

With all the talk of converting .303 rifles to .45-70, has anyone tried using a magazine from one of the Remington-Lee rifles? I don't know if it would work or not, but if they were available it seems to me it would be worth a try; since Lee designed them just before Britain accepted the basic Lee action with I believe Metford rifling.

Numrich doesn't show any magazines available for any of the Remington-Lee rifles, so it may be a moot point.


Robert

[Tazman1602]

Man I bought one of Bullshop's Gibbs and it just shipped now, can't wait to shoot that thing, I"ve wanted one since Gibbs started making them. I've got lever 45-70's but the bolt should be FUN with 500 grain bullets! The whole Bullshop family was great to deal with!

Can't wait to get my hands on it!

[Bullshop Junior]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/bullshop/P1010018-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/bullshop/P1010019-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/bullshop/P1010020-2.jpg

[Tazman1602]

Dan,

When you did the 45-90 conversion on this was there anything other than rechambering you had to do? Just curious. I know you posted those pics so I can look more like a little kid at Christmas than I do right now waiting for that thing..........<grin>

Art

[MtGun44]

Hey, Junior -

Good sharp pix. How'd you get them to load?

Bill

[Bullshop]

Just a simple chamber ream to increase the length from 2.1 to 2.5"
Very simple and worked great.
BIC/BS