Finally found a 43 Spanish Rolling block and reloading stuff at the same time.

[koger]

I found a supposedly unfired Argentine rolling block in 43 Spanish off of a guy I have bought several firearms off of in the past and he was honest about this one as well. Before I bought it, I found a guy who had 100 rds of Virgin Jamison Brass for the caliber at a decent price,$3.00 per case. I bought the brass, lee dies and the Lyman 370 gr mold then bought the rifle for a little more than I had in the reloading stuff. I ruined 3 cases setting the dies, and then started expanding the wit a Lee Expanding die before seating the bullets. The rifle shot good, grouped well but about 9" high at 100 yds. I filed down the short front sight, it was .100 tall and cut a slot in the base. Then I took a old piece of hacksaw blade, and cut it out to where I guestimated it needed to be height wise and JB welded it in the slot let it sit overnight. This morning I shot at a target at 25 yd and It was dead center, 1" low, 3 shots landed in the same hole Then I went to 100 yds and it was hitting about 3.5" low. I went back into the shop, took a little off of the top, and the first shot landed dead center at 25 yds. I went to 100 yds and it hit 3 in a row on a 3" spinner with a 6 o'clock hold on the bottom edge of the spinner. I am a happy camper. The gun had been rearsenaled some time in the 1960's I guess, which involved knocking the rust off and hot bluing it. Blue is about 95% and the bore looked like it had never been fired, pristine in all aspects. I was using 31.9 gr of IMR 4198 which is a trapdoor load for the same bullets weight in 45/70, the data I was referred to using in about 7 different online articles and posts on here. The wood is in great shape, just rough finished and soaked in oil like most of the rollers were that were made for military's around the world. I have a decent collection of original rollers and a couple of new ones, just thought I would share.






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[ascast]

Sounds like a great deal all around. I finally got a similar gun after years of fighting with 2nd rate stuff, some C&H dies, reworked 348 brass and all is good. EXCEPT now I am on the lookout for a replacement for 4198.

[K43]

We would appreciate pictures of this oil soaked, almost virgin, historic, relic.

[smkummer]

These guns are fun. I’ve got a 43 Egyptian which is harder to find brass. The outside looks like it rode on a camel forever but the bore is so nice. I was just shooting it sunday with unique and a cast bullet “tinging” steel at 120 yards. Love the bang “pause” and ting!

[Mk42gunner]

.43 Spanish rifles are fun to shoot.

One bit of advice if you have a Lee shellholder-- Pick up a spare. Maybe Lee had a bad batch when I was playing with the .43 Spanish, but I pulled the very thin top off of three different shell holders when loading mine.

Once I found an RCBS shell holder (#22 IIRC) I had no more problems.

Not knowing about Lyman M-dies, but knowing I needed a bit of flare to seat the bullets, I gently bumped the case mouth with the expander from a set of RCBS .45-70 dies. Was it the right thing to do? Not really, but it worked.

I need to work with my 1879 Argentine some more, it is feeling neglected.

Robert

[marlinman93]

I bought one of those refinished hot blued Rollers some years back at a local gun show. Four of us were together at the show and by the time we met up later one of my friends talked me out of it before we even left the show. I planned to rob the action, but the whole gun was so nice I figured it was better to sell it to him, than for me to tear it apart.