Anyone shooting Maynards out there?

[moodyholler]

Here are mine.
top - bottom, 32-35, extra barrel 32-35, 20 g. smooth, 35-30, and .64 smooth.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h199/moodyholler/MAYNARD912010003.jpg

[xtimberman]

I've posted photos of this .32-35 here before. I've had it for ~30 years and take it out to shoot every 6 months or so. It must be the closest thing I have to a "safe queen" because I'll run for the truck at the slightest indication of rain. ;-)

http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj439/xtimberman/DSCN0451-1.jpg

All I've ever shot in it are BP duplex loads behind breech-seated bullets.

http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj439/xtimberman/DSCN0450-1.jpg

I have a heavy .40-70 express barrel for it and a .64 cal shot barrel with identical wood. The other barrels seems stupid with the Swiss buttplate - so there must've been another flat buttplate at one time. Anyone know where I can find one?

Top-of-the-line Maynards are my favorite single shots. They were very expensive at the time - because of all the handwork and attention to detail to make them shoot superbly. As a result, they won the lion's share of matches in their heyday. The best ones were provided with a mould perfectly-matched in length and diameter to the bore, and with a bullet seater perfectly-matched to the chamber. Any Maynard with a perfect bore and bullets from the proper mould can be made to shoot superbly in short order!

They were sold in multi-barrel sets, but most of these I've examined have been put together from gun show finds. Mismatched SNs on the barrel usually tell the true tale. Quite often these made-up guns from mis-matched parts will come together OK, but will exhibit excess headspace in the gap between the breech face and the rear of the barrel - very dangerous, but can be cured by having RMC make up some custom cases to accomodate that excess gap.

xtm

[moodyholler]

xtm that is a super nice #16. It is my dream to own a nice #16 soon. I am working my way into one. I am looking for one in 38-50. Thanks for sharing. moodyholler

[STP22]

Wow! :shock:

The 1st Model cased set I received a few years ago still sits unused. Still researching it, and hoping to meet someone locally for some assistance before it`s fired for the first time in some 60+ years.

Scott

[xtimberman]

Wow! :shock:

The 1st Model cased set I received a few years ago still sits unused. Still researching it, and hoping to meet someone locally for some assistance before it`s fired for the first time in some 60+ years.

Scott

I wish you'd post a photo of the set and tell us what cal. it is. .50-50 Perc. rifle and .62 shot?

Not much to getting an old Maynard up and operational once it's been cleaned up, swabbed out and checked over. If you have the mould, then cast some bullets with 1:30 alloy and lube 'em with some SPG. Get some fresh new brass from Dave Casey at RMC - http://rockymountaincartridge.com/ - charge the brass with some real FG black powder, leaving enough room for a card wad punched from a Dr. Pepper carton and the lubed bullet - chamber the round and shove a musket cap onto the nipple.... and you're good-to-go! [smilie=w:

[SmuvBoGa]

Who needs a Maynard - pahg !!! Give me a Smith carbine !

Those (the Maynards) ARE so SWEET ! My poor little Smith can shoot but it lacks the LOOKS of the Maynards !

[xtimberman]

Who needs a Maynard - pahg !!! Give me a Smith carbine !

Those (the Maynards) ARE so SWEET ! My poor little Smith can shoot but it lacks the LOOKS of the Maynards !

What are you sayin', a Smith is every bit as lovely as a Maynard! :roll:

I like Smiths a whole lot more now that there are several sources for good brass. Before that, they were a real pain to get operational.

xtm

[STP22]

xtm,

Pics? No can do....

One barrel is 35-30, the other is the "unusual" .55 shotgun. Both are 26 inch.

My concern is that with either barrel, the effort in pulling the lever "up" seems pretty stiff to me. Is this normal??? Also, the barrel wedge in the receiver...how is this feature properly adjusted?

I do need brass for the 35-30, but need someones perspective as to my concerns above before I consider going to the range with it.

Regards,

Scott

[xtimberman]

xtm,

My concern is that with either barrel, the effort in pulling the lever "up" seems pretty stiff to me. Is this normal??? Also, the barrel wedge in the receiver...how is this feature properly adjusted?



Not normal. Usual cause for this is trying to fit a barrel made for one rifle to another receiver. If the SN on the barrel matches the SN on the receiver, then the problem could just be a heavy accumulation of crud - causing the barrel lug to fit tightly in the receiver cut. A toothbrush, some solvent, and a lot of scrubbing should clear all that up to where it will fit properly without binding. Once, on one of the barrels, I noticed that the screw holding the case extractor in place was turned in a bit too far and stuck out on the threaded side - causing a bind with the inside of the frame and making it hard to pull the lever into the closed position.

None of the barrel wedges on my M-1873 example have any adjustment - they were all made to perfectly fit the cut in the frame and lock up with the proper amount of headspace gap between the rear of the barrel and the breech face. The only ways these could be adjusted would be to change the diameter of the hinge bolt that the barrel lug rotates on - or to machine the curved surface on that lug that rotates around that same hinge bolt.

xtm

[STP22]

xtm,

Both barrels are serialized to the frame. (36XX) No visible crud as you describe...the whole thing is very clean. I see no interference evidence on the hinge pin or on the bottom of either barrel nor the face of the receiver. This was amazingly clean when it was gifted to me. The receiver`s case colors have survived the years as depicted in the pics you posted.

Other than the few web forums that I can count on to mention the Maynards, my only other reference is Geo. Layman`s 2nd edition 1998 from Pioneer Press that I bought from DGW a few years ago. I`ve asked others...even some "knowledgeable" sources at the Syracuse gun shows, but no joy.

Just don`t want to make any mistakes...ya know?

Scott

[Bret4207]

Wow! I never knew how much I wanted a Maynard till now....

[SmuvBoGa]

Xmt,

Both are fun to shoot. Neither are as pretty as a Sharps. GLAD to find out of other sites with Smith brass (not Dixie Gun). I've been buying used brass from NSSA shooters. Starting to "hear" some talk of New Plastic tubes available for the Smith that hold up better than the old black plastic.
But for looks, the Maynard whoops the Smith (tho the Smith isn't as fussy :veryconfu ).

Thanks again - shall go over to Rky Mtn url & see.

JMc

[STP22]

Some other Maynards...

http://www.pbase.com/halp/root&page=all

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I have a Marlin Ballard in 38-50.. was a 38-long. has the duel set firing pin..
But antway It prefers a short .382 boolit. I wouod think the twist of a Maynard would be about the same. The lyman 37583 works well. There is also a "Discussian" down in GROUP BUYS for a slightly shorter .383 that will be even better in these 38-50´s. I will be in on that one.

[sailor]

Good morning
I have a #15 Maynard 1882 in 38-50, and when the former owner tried to shoot it with std 38-55 boolits, it went 5" groups. The bore was pitted, so I lapped it; brought the group down to 3 1/4". Then I slugged the bore and found it was .382, not .375! So I made a cherry and cut an old Lyman .357 mould to fit the bore. I though I had a strange bore, but now it seems there may have been a different standard for the 38-50. Also I recently found an original case, and the rim was .075 which fits perfectly in what I thought was just excessive headspace. It now shoots 1 1/4" groups. Of all my single shots, it is the sweetest to shoot, and is the only one I shoot with BP, since it is so easy to clean.
Later I acquired a .40-40 with a rough bore in .429- very pleasant to shoot with 240 gr.
Now I cut the end off a really poor .40-40 (gasp!) and I am in the process of stubbing in a .257 cal Douglas barrel 1 in 12 twist, which will be in .25-20 SS.
I told my wife, when I die that rifle will still be in my possession. "If you haven't shot a Maynard, you haven't shot the best." - as said to me by an old timer at an Ohio gun show, as he held a Schoyen barreled highwall.

[xtimberman]

This is a M-1873 #12 Mid-Range rifle that I used to have. It is chambered in .40-60 and came with all the tools and moulds:
http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj439/xtimberman/scan0058.jpg

a shot of the whole rifle with the proper sights out on the wood pile:
http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj439/xtimberman/scan0049.jpg

Some others - most are multi-barrel sets:
http://i554.photobucket.com/albums/jj439/xtimberman/scan0057.jpg

xtm

[Tom-ADC]

Who needs a Maynard - pahg !!! Give me a Smith carbine !

Those (the Maynards) ARE so SWEET ! My poor little Smith can shoot but it lacks the LOOKS of the Maynards !

I just bought a Smith yesterday (replica) looking forward to shooting it, will be asking for more info first.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Xtimberman, and Muddy holler,

Thanks so much for posting these pictures, Maynards are the neatest of rifle and so cool looking. Indeed from what I can garner in information they were-are very well made and were quite accurate rifles.

Thanks again for sharing,

Drooling

KW
The Lunger