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While I intended to not post any more gun related stuff, it has become that is about the only thing I've been doing lately. One of the recent rifles I've acquired is a Snider Enfield Carbine, a conversion of the older Enfield musket to a breech loading metallic cartridge rifle, a bit like, in concept, to the American "trapdoor" Springfields. But of course, the Snider has its own unique cartridge, both very uncommon and rather expensive. So, I make my own, starting from turning some 3/4 inch brass bar stock into the rim and head of the case, soldering a section of tube to it, then running the assembly through a sizing die for the final shape. As it uses the same .577/.58 calibre bullet as my various muskets and the previously proposed .58 calibre cartridge project, the project is now kind of moot. And now, as I have just gotten a Martini Henry rifle in .577/450, I will be making those cartridges too.
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Once got to shoot a .45-90 Sharps rifle. Quite a poke!
Been looking at a Snider lately but the brass issue keeps me from getting it - picked up an unfired 1963 vintage Replica Arms 1860 Colt Army - in a fitted case. Will be installing a Howell .45 Colt conversion cylinder on it soon. Up to my ears in that brass and .45 Schofield.
Those old tubular Astras are wonderful guns.
And yes, I've had an Astra 400 for a while. It came with 100 rounds of 9mm Largo, but I've fired it with .38 ACP (I'm not stupid enough to try .38 Super). At a friend's suggestion, I tried it with 9x19mm (Parabellum) and it functions fine with target loads. Ejection was about 90%, though.
Prices are really getting out of hand, it's getting so that you have to be pretty well off to pick up anything. I don't think I originally paid more than half this for the scope and the rifle it came with (converted to .308).
Oh if you have any 303 British brass, you can resize it in a Krag sizing die to make 30/40s 2.22" long instead of 2.3 long
Looks like Huntington's has 30/40 in PPU and Hornady flavors http://www.huntingtons.com/store/search.php?mode=search&page=1
I learned to handload that round in the early 80s - inherited my late brother's 1896 Krag - one of the ones cut down to carbine length and fitted with the front sight from an 03 Springfield.
Would have been fun to play with - work up some plinking loads using lead and jacketed pistol bullets of the right diameter...
Got in partial trade, partial cash years ago at a gun show.
Its in pretty decent shape, and according to the books I've bought over the years, its an 1873 thats was upgraded by the arsenal to, I think, the 1885 spec. (It has the fancy sight.)
Its also marked as an ex- New Jersey state militia or national guard rifle. (I'd have to look it up again, I forget which.)
Made up around a hundred rounds with American Pioneer powder substitute to cut down on fouling.
(Yes, its made for the purpose.) And some 500 grain bullets I cast for it, using a mould that gives the original round nose army issue slug.
However, there are no longer any ranges less than 85 miles from my door...
So I've never been able to fire it.
I had an Astra 400 myself, a long time back. Great guns, and surprisingly accurate, given the tiny sights.
It still looks like a cartoon gun though.
-Badger-
I am reasonably sure its still made. But I have over half a pound left, and I only use it for one gun.
So I am fairly well supplied for the time being.
-Badger-
Been making some blackpowder type shotshells at times with century old tooling and messing with shotgun chamber plugs that turn a cartridge gun into a 209 primer fired muzzle loader along with playing with some percussion revolvers, etc. Ended up with a supply of soft lead - roofing lead from a mall I worked at. Place was being reroofed and no one wanted to pay hazmat fees for getting read of the lead. I told the project manager I'd take it off their hands for free
https://sharpshooter-22lr-reloader......sion-cap-maker
Thats been around in one form or another since the late 60s or early 70s.
-Badger-
Edit: OK maybe not. I don’t comment enough to know how this works, lol.
An eventual experiment I plan is turning/spinning my on cartridges, but that's a ways in the future.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/bri.....s-t11880.html.
I myself have a 1884 marked .45-70, with the infamous needle bayonet, and the Buffington sights. Shoots very straight, I just have to get "old load" .45-70. Still purusing my fetish for Japanese weapns, having aquired another type 38 rifle in 6.5mmx 50 Japanese, and may soon acquire a Type 14 pistol made in 1940. Otherwise my collection is the same.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssmDdhaHKaA&ab_channel=britishmuzzleloaders
V.
Another question, silver-solder or regular 60/40?
I have the later model where the trapdoor actually locks... I've seen early types where it does not lock, it is only held shut by its own weight and the dropped hammer (sort of like a rolling block). I'm sure it worked, but they also changed it for a reason...