The firearm thread

[jono035]

I was talking to my mate from the UK about your planned project.

He has made 3 cannon already.

Smallest has a 36" barrel.

When he gets back to the UK in 2 weeks time he is going to send the plans along with instructions for manufacture.

He cast the brass around a 1" seamless pipe

36" barrel sounds like fun.

Casting it around a seamless pipe as a barrel sleeve sounds like the way to do it, saves having to cast extra brass and then machine back. Would be very interesting to see those plans.

I quite like the idea of trying to cast it from left over cartridge brass from .22LR casings, makes it a recycled cannon... Not sure if the material is particularly appropriate though, but with a steel barrel sleeve that may not matter...

[JDK]

Intresting ya say about melting down fired cases for brass the old brass spurs of the horseman were made from brass taken from the battle feild hence enlisted men with brass spurs had been in battle IE earn yer spurs ..

as for chaps ummmmmmmmm worrying thing being a cowboy shooter outsiders think YMCA or brokeback mountain

[The Pastor]

36" barrel sounds like fun.

Casting it around a seamless pipe as a barrel sleeve sounds like the way to do it, saves having to cast extra brass and then machine back. Would be very interesting to see those plans.

I quite like the idea of trying to cast it from left over cartridge brass from .22LR casings, makes it a recycled cannon... Not sure if the material is particularly appropriate though, but with a steel barrel sleeve that may not matter...

this is starting to sound really good!

[jono035]

this is starting to sound really good!

Yeah. With a bit of space I'd still be keen to give building a furnace a shot. Could make a small one to start with for cleaning up the brass and making ingots then a big fucker for casting from...

Just need somewhere to set fire to...

JDK: Brokeback mountain must have made your guys lives that much harder I'm guessing...

[The Pastor]

Yeah. With a bit of space I'd still be keen to give building a furnace a shot. Could make a small one to start with for cleaning up the brass and making ingots then a big fucker for casting from...

Just need somewhere to set fire to...

JDK: Brokeback mountain must have made your guys lives that much harder I'm guessing...

yeah space is an issue, dead keen on learning to cast tho. custom bike parts here i come

[Mr Merde]

Well after much talking about it my Springfield Trapdoor Cadet rifle is here.

It is a beauty.

I have been all over it with a magnifying glass and a reference book about these rifles and it is genuine. Not a put together bitsa.

The wood work has a few dings and dent but it is 126 years old. Made in 1883.

The blueing is 90% still there. There are a few places where it has worn off but to be expected.

The bore is perfect and the action is very tight. Lockup is great. Trigger a little on the heavy side but crisp with a supprise break to it.

Sights are original and are going to take a little getting used to. Sighted to 1100 yards but in reality only a 500-800 yard max shooter.

Picked up the shell holder last night so tonight I will be loading my first rounds for it.

I took it to the CAS event last Saturday to show some mates and they were drooling over it.

As said yesterday, I am taking it hunting on Thursday. 45-70 is enough for any porker or deer I comne accross and I shouldnt need more than one shot with that load.

Indy got to view and handle the rifle on Saturday and I know it did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for single shot rifles. Quite the opposite.

Chris

[The Pastor]

that reloading book you lent me chris is pretty spot on, so easy to read and understand.

my reloading gear will be sent when the items from backorder arrive, funny how before i paid everything was "instock and ready to go" >_<

[Indiana_Jones]

Indy got to view and handle the rifle on Saturday and I know it did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for single shot rifles. Quite the opposite.

Chris

She is a beauty Chris

And I love single shot rifles. Got a certain air of class about them.

But saying that I think a Semi-Auto wouldn't go missing from my collection.

-Indy

[jono035]

She is a beauty Chris

And I love single shot rifles. Got a certain air of class about them.

But saying that I think a Semi-Auto wouldn't go missing from my collection.

-Indy

Norinco M14 perhaps... Or a Tigr

[wbks]

Norinco M14 perhaps... Or a Tigr

Are tigrs the same as used in Vietnam? They look a little similar to the AK. Are they?

[jono035]

Are tigrs the same as used in Vietnam? They look a little similar to the AK. Are they?

The Tigr's are the hunting variant of the Dragunov, which looks like it was a quite new rifle around the Vietnam era. Probably a bit too expensive/specialist really... Don't know much about it though...

[wbks]

Just out of interest, what is glass bedding? There are a few sporters (should be getting something soon, Allah willing) advertising that, and I was just wondering?

[jono035]

Just out of interest, what is glass bedding? There are a few sporters (should be getting something soon, Allah willing) advertising that, and I was just wondering?

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/gunsm.../bedding_0304/

Bedding is basically just fixing the barrel more firmly to the stock so that it doesn't move when fired. Personally I don't really see what the point is but then I have no experience with it. It seems to me that as long as the barrel and scope are firmly attached to the action in such a way as the 2 cannot easily move out of alignment (10/22s would seem to be brilliant for this) then there is no point. My guess is that to a certain extent it dampens barrel harmonics but that in itself can be a blessing or a curse given that these harmonics change drastically with different loads. The bedding could easily make it shoot one type of load slightly better at the expense of other types of load.

[frogfeaturesFZR]

Most 'out of the box' rifles today can be improved with a basic bedding job, and floating the barrel. It all depends what degree of accuracy you need. A rifle that shoots 2" groups at 100 yards/metres is usually ok for deer. On the other hand for a 'varmint' rifle anything less than 'minute of angle' ( 1" groups at 100 yards)
is not good enough. 1/2'' groups would be better. Personally I enjoy extracting
increased accuracy from my rifles, but then that's just me. You do need a good starting point, you'll never get amazing accuracy from a Lee Enfield for example, it was designed as a battle rifle, and 2'' groups was 'acceptable'.

[wbks]

So stopping the barrel touching the stock compared to bracing the barrel with the stock... In theory that means that a light barrel would be better bedded, and a heavy one floated? And suppressed rifles more accurate with bedding?
Another random question to bother you guys with: Do many people in NZ have pattern 1853 Enfields, maybe shoot them?