Old Falling Blocks

[LngRngShtr]

Currently making a new firing pin for this Marlin-Ballard
Forged not cast action the barrel is off a different rifle but the breechblock matches the action numbers.

Was a .40 cal then got sleeved to .22LR and the Double Set trigger is still amazing for a135 year old or so rifle.
The scope is an RA Litschert 12X SpotShot

 

[Booner1334]

Currently making a new firing pin for this Marlin-Ballard
Forged not cast action the barrel is off a different rifle but the breechblock matches the action numbers.

Was a .40 cal then got sleeved to .22LR and the Double Set trigger is still amazing for a135 year old or so rifle.
The scope is an RA Litschert 12X SpotShot

Real nice! Real hard to find wood like that these days! I hope it shoots as good as it looks.

 

[LngRngShtr]

Real nice! Real hard to find wood like that these days! I hope it shoots as good as it looks.

It shot OK but I have been led to believe a 2 piece firing pin is not good for Ballard’s and finally after searching for one gave up and picked up a file.
The two pieces at 10 o’clock or so in the dish should be a one piece unit and look like a funny upside down U

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Very cool... swing on up to the Vintage section sometime... you and @buffalowinter will hit it off great!

Nice work! Those old Ballard’s are fantastic rifles.

Cheers, Sirhr

 

[Booner1334]

It shot OK but I have been led to believe a 2 piece firing pin is not good for Ballard’s and finally after searching for one gave up and picked up a file.
The two pieces at 10 o’clock or so in the dish should be a one piece unit and look like a funny upside down U

Well, if you get tired of that rifle, you'll send me a PM, won't ya?
I've got a reproduction 1874 Sharps in 45-70, and a 22LR liner that slips into the barrel, turning it into a 45-70/22LR. It gets some funny looks at the range.
I do like the old guns though.

 

[LngRngShtr]

Starting to look like a firing pin, a little bit of Dremel, a lot of filing, and soon some stoning.
Then a mild heat treat I think.

 

[LngRngShtr]

Well, if you get tired of that rifle, you'll send me a PM, won't ya?
I've got a reproduction 1874 Sharps in 45-70, and a 22LR liner that slips into the barrel, turning it into a 45-70/22LR. It gets some funny looks at the range.
I do like the old guns though.

Not sure I’ll ever tire of it but will keep you “on the list” ?

 

[Booner1334]

Not sure I’ll ever tire of it but will keep you “on the list” ?

Thank you.
I have a repro of an 1874 Sharps in 45-70 with vernier sights which I bought years ago to shoot in BPCR, but it seems that interest in BPCR has fallen off. I also purchased a 22rf liner that slides down the bore and enables me to shoot 22 rf out of it, turning it into a 45-70-22. At the time I shot it with the .22 ammo available at the local stores so I was never impressed with it's accuracy.
For the last two years I've been shooting the better quality rimfire ammo in a RPR and a 455 CZ, and learning as much as possible about that round. I brought the Sharps out a few weeks ago to try some SK match ammo in it. I'm impressed with how well it can shoot. 3/4" at 50 yards and under 2" at 100. I consider this to be pretty excellent shooting considering the aperture sights and the age of my eyes. It's certainly "minute of squirrel" if you don't mind hauling a 10 pound rifle around in the woods.

 

[jharms80439]

I own a Pedersoli Remington 1895 Rolling Block in 40/65 with a Mike Neuman Goodwin style rear vernier that he made for me, a Lyman globe front and a barrel level in the midrange dovetail - all purchased over 10 years ago. Rifle shoots great at 100 yards and further with smokeless 400 grain Snover bullet reloads - haven't ever run BP in it.

However, right after I bought the rifle and finished the .40 cal load development, I bought a 22 LR sleeve for it (along with the paper scaled down BPCR targets) thinking it'd be a great trainer for getting into BPCR. Funny/Ironic - I've never shot the 22 LR through the sleeve yet, however recently i've been getting the itch to shoot it more.

I think the old girl and the 22 LR sleeve are going to get a workout soon!

John

 

[Booner1334]

I own a Pedersoli Remington 1895 Rolling Block in 40/65 with a Mike Neuman Goodwin style rear vernier that he made for me, a Lyman globe front and a barrel level in the midrange dovetail - all purchased over 10 years ago. Rifle shoots great at 100 yards and further with smokeless 400 grain Snover bullet reloads - haven't ever run BP in it.

However, right after I bought the rifle and finished the .40 cal load development, I bought a 22 LR sleeve for it (along with the paper scaled down BPCR targets) thinking it'd be a great trainer for getting into BPCR. Funny/Ironic - I've never shot the 22 LR through the sleeve yet, however recently i've been getting the itch to shoot it more.

I think the old girl and the 22 LR sleeve are going to get a workout soon!

John

When I first started shooting .22rf out of my 45-70 Sharps, I used Walmart .22's and the groups were, ok, but nothing to get excited about. The .22 insert was just something amusing. But for the last couple of years I've become more involved shooting .22 and have been buying the better quality ammo. So about a month ago I decided to try SK Rifle .22 in the Sharps and have been pleasantly surprised. I'm getting pretty consistent 3/4 inch groups at 50 yards with the Vernier tang aperture sight. If I mounted a scope of the rifle, I'm sure my groups could get tighter. The limiting factor to my shooting with aperture sights is my 66 year old eyes; I can't get a finer sight picture at that distance. The target I'm shooting at is 3 inches in diameter, and my front sight just covers the bottom 1/2 of it. Perhaps I need to use a different front sight insert?
I've got to use a wooden dowel to finish inserting the round into the chamber, as the bullet is being engraved by the lands, and then use a small flat bladed screwdriver to extract the case, as the extractor of the sharps can't engage the .22 case. The chamber on the liner is made out a modified 45/70 case. The interesting thing is, the liner barrel isn't straight. The liner has what looks like to me as shrink wrap at various points along the liner to center it into the 45 caliber bore, then a long piece of shrink wrap that covers the whole length of the liner. I say shrink wrap, but it's that plastic that you put over electrical connection then heat it to shrink it for a tight fit. I use silicone grease to help slide it into the bore. I think the liner is around 22 or 24 inches and my 45/70 barrel is 30 inches. When I get done shooting I slide the insert out and clean the bore of the rifle barrel as I don't want to take a chance the .22 powder pitting the bore of the rifle. So since the liner is shorter that the barrel of the Sharps, shooting .22 is really quiet. Not suppressor quiet, but noticeably quieter than a normal .22 shot.
I'm really happy I tried better quality ammo, it's a ton of fun to shoot, and I have no doubt that it'll do well at extended ranges.

 

[jharms80439]

Boomer,

Mine appears similar to yours. Down to the screwdriver as the extractor. Mine has a rubber O ring on the muzzle end too, but a 40-65 case instead of your 45-70. Because my roller has a center hammer, it requires me to slip the action down a bit to insert the sleeve.

As for a front sight, I’m using one that was a “+” with an open square center. I ended up cutting off both the top and bottom legs and using the side bars only. Because it clear on top and bottom, I can even do hold overs with a half a bar if needed.

I’m currently working on getting 3 rifles serviceable. Adjusting a gas block and re-sighting in the scope on an AR-10, chronographing .308 & 22LR out of 3 rifles, sighting in 2 rifles - and hopefully spending some time with each, but we’ll see All are supposed to be done this Sunday. But, I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my 22’s in a few weeks!

Oh, and I get you on old eyes too. Previously near sighted with bad astigmatism in both eyes. Corrected with LASIK about 10+ years ago. Now the readers just keep getting stronger, though the great distance vision I once had after LASIK is starting to fade. Currently only my roller is non scoped. For now the front sight with the 30” barrel is still crisp with good light. Dim or evening light not so much...

John

[edit] If memory serves, my sleeve is a David Crossno version and not a Lee Shaver version. If I recall correctly, I bought mine from Buffalo Arms.

 

[Booner1334]

Boomer,

Mine appears similar to yours. Down to the screwdriver as the extractor. Mine has a rubber O ring on the muzzle end too, but a 40-65 case instead of your 45-70. Because my roller has a center hammer, it requires me to slip the action down a bit to insert the sleeve.

As for a front sight, I’m using one that was a “+” with an open square center. I ended up cutting off both the top and bottom legs and using the side bars only. Because it clear on top and bottom, I can even do hold overs with a half a bar if needed.

I’m currently working on getting 3 rifles serviceable. Adjusting a gas block and re-sighting in the scope on an AR-10, chronographing .308 & 22LR out of 3 rifles, sighting in 2 rifles - and hopefully spending some time with each, but we’ll see All are supposed to be done this Sunday. But, I am looking forward to spending some quality time with my 22’s in a few weeks!

Oh, and I get you on old eyes too. Previously near sighted with bad astigmatism in both eyes. Corrected with LASIK about 10+ years ago. Now the readers just keep getting stronger, though the great distance vision I once had after LASIK is starting to fade. Currently only my roller is non scoped. For now the front sight with the 30” barrel is still crisp with good light. Dim or evening light not so much...

John

[edit] If memory serves, my sleeve is a David Crossno version and not a Lee Shaver version. If I recall correctly, I bought mine from Buffalo Arms.

I'd have to check, but I think mine is a Crossno too, it sound familiar. Did it ship in a white PVC tube from Oklahoma, or was it Texas?
As far as sights, I got mine from Montana Arms or Montana Vintage Arms? I'll have to look for a better front sight insert in the 8 or 10 I got from them. Perhaps a small circle in the front so the target isn't partially covered, it'll be sort of like shooting an aperture within an aperture.
The best thing that happened is that as I found my elevation for 50 yards, I kept on raising the rear sight by 2 increments with each 5 shot group. So from a 16 to 18 move on the staff the impacts were just under 4 inches. I kept on going hight to like 28. And all the groups went up vertices on the paper, which tells me I mounted the vernier sights level! I got a bubble under the front sight so no cant.

It sounds like with all your gun work you're either a gunsmith, or like me, retired. My eyes are still pretty good for distance, All I have to do is squint a little to bring everything into sharp focus. In my earlier years my eyesite was 20-10. It's too bad good eyesight, amoung other things, are wasted on the youth.

 

[jharms80439]

Yep, white PVC too.

Not retired yet, former US Army (calibration technician and armorer), now I am self employed. Guns are a hobby only (but I am a certified gun nut).

I tried a bunch of inserts a while ago. Couldn’t get the circle/circle to work for me though. Tried a down hanging post, vertical up post, crosshairs, etc. Side by side posts did it for me, and small hold-overs are doable - otherwise I dial elevation.

You may find (like I did) that black fronts fade into black targets and bracketing a target while sighting is more effective. Good thing as individuals we have choices to find what works for each of us!

John

 

[Booner1334]

Yep, white PVC too.

Not retired yet, former US Army (calibration technician and armorer), now I am self employed. Guns are a hobby only (but I am a certified gun nut).

I tried a bunch of inserts a while ago. Couldn’t get the circle/circle to work for me though. Tried a down hanging post, vertical up post, crosshairs, etc. Side by side posts did it for me, and small hold-overs are doable - otherwise I dial elevation.

You may find (like I did) that black fronts fade into black targets and bracketing a target while sighting is more effective. Good thing as individuals we have choices to find what works for each of us!

John

I'll try your insert modification.
I first purchased the Sharps to take part in BPCR shooting. Worked up the loads and discovered a few things. The first was that Pedersoli chambers are a tad long in 45-70. I ended up purchasing 45-90 cases and trimming them back so the case in just off the lands by a 1/1000 or so. The bullet liked to be jammed into the rifling only 1/2 way into the first driving band. My best loads were 68 gr. of 3f Goex compressed 3/8," fiberwad and a Lee 500 grain 30/1 lead/tin bullet and a magnum rifle primer. The recoil was rather stout, to say the least. Accuracy was about 1 1/2" at 100 yards. I never did try different bullets, lubes, etc. but if I had continued to shoot in BPCR I would have as I learned more from other shooters. I shot in competition maybe twice then my job changed and after that I could only shoot in competition at best 4 time a year. And about this time a friend took me on a prairie dog shoot and my interests in shooting changed from competition to "reactive" targets. I purchased the .22 liner because, well, because I could, and the Sharps is still one of my favorite guns so why not? I did take it once on a PD shoot and hitting a dog at 200 yards is doable, but just too expensive. And it seams to me that there are a lot of similarities between shooting black power cartridge and a .22lr; tight chambers, jamming bullets into rifling, and fouling control, low velocity, just to name a few.

I think I may do a write up on the conversion from a 45-70 to a .22 and post it here. Perhaps It'll give someone the idea that instead of buying an after market barrel, they could have their barrels re-lined? I don't know the price differential between an after market barrel and having one re-lined, but it doesn't appear anyone thinks of it. Perhaps it's because a relined barrel just isn't that accurate, but I'd be interested in hearing what a gunsmith would have to say.