Recent purchases

[awp101]

Finally got around to taking some hurried pics of some recent pick ups I've been asking about.

H&R Buffalo Classic .45-70

A real thumper due to it's light weight but not bad with the GOEX rounds. I gotta get better sights or something though.

Marlin 1895CB .45-70

Buttstock has a nice figure (not near as nice as that Treebone stuff I saw though! ) which really hepled me decide I needed it. Jute sling attaches with no hardware but it's not adjustable either. And it's about 2' longer than I need. Trying hard to resist the temptation to scope it until after the Summer Safari even though my eyes need the assist. Might have to pick up a Skinner sight instead. Absolutely the most fun I had at my last range outing!

Smith Artillery Carbine

Made by Pietta, this is the one I bought from Regimental Quartermaster. Looks and feels GREAT! I can't wait to get this one out to the range for some quality time.

An attempted shot of the CCH:


The action opened up:


The brass casing it uses:

It came with 4 of these and I ordered more from DGW this evening as well as the rubber/plastic ones.

The casing in the breech:

Actually the knurled part is all that sticks out but I left the casing out a little so it was obvious what I was taking a picture of.

[RKrodle]

Those are cool. I have a 1895CB also, neat guns and fun to shoot. I have never seen a Smith Artillery carbine, nor have I ever heard of one. What does it fire?

[Jaguarundi]

Nice rifles.I am prejudice towards the 1895CB. How about a picture of the buttstock.

[Pete44ru]

Nice, very nice.

BTW - When I had my early Buffalo Classic, I loved the furniture so much that I wanted to use it for shotgun deer hunting in my state.

H&R had a policy of sending the gun in, for fitting with the extra 12ga barrel @ $70, etc, etc, etc - so instead, I bought an entire, new, Tracker II 12ga rifled slug-gun for $120 (then), put the barrel onto the BC stock/receiver & went shotgun deer hunting.

I later sold the Tracker receiver, stock & forend for $70 at a gun show - giving me the $70 extra barrel for $50 & a little fun.

[Hobie]

I don't consider the Buffalo Classic light, what does yours weigh?

That is a nice Smith. Some are very accurate. I understand that there is a whole list of things the NSSA boys do to tune them up. I hope you'll post about your experiences here and not leave it to another forum... I understand they were popular because they worked, were easy (relatively) to load and unload. Ballistic properties were sufficient. You don't read about them being used in hunting much after the war and I always wondered if that is because they are basically a .50 cal pistol round with a not so good trajectory. I've only shot one, five times. Neat.

[awp101]

Thanks all! I went from no .45-70s to two in less than a month and I hadn't even fired the Marlin when I found the BC. The Smith just got here last week and I have no range time for the near future...

How about a picture of the buttstock.

Well dadgummit, it lopped off my butt! I need some belly lopped off but not my butt! It's in the original pic, I'll link to it directly to see if that helps: http://www.gunsnet.net/album/showphoto. ... puser=5448 Hobie, is there something in the software that limits the maximum width of pics?

I don't consider the Buffalo Classic light, what does yours weigh?

That is a nice Smith. Some are very accurate. I understand that there is a whole list of things the NSSA boys do to tune them up. I hope you'll post about your experiences here and not leave it to another forum... I understand they were popular because they worked, were easy (relatively) to load and unload. Ballistic properties were sufficient. You don't read about them being used in hunting much after the war and I always wondered if that is because they are basically a .50 cal pistol round with a not so good trajectory. I've only shot one, five times. Neat.

The BC and 1895CB both wiegh ~8lbs but for some reason the Marlin feels heftier. Maybe it's the bulk rather than the weight.

Opinions on the Smith vary from excellent to pure junk depending on the unit evaluating them. I'll see if I can find the page again that went into the problems some unit had. I think many of them could go back to improper cleaning and faulty original ammo. I'll have to dig around and see what the NSSA boys have to say about making them "better". IF I decide things need to be changed and use what they suggest I'll let y'all know.

[Griff]

NICE!

[awp101]

Well, I never could find the page that gave specific info from unit evals but IIRC the 1st Mass Cav had real problems even with the ones that passed inspection for cleanliness but I seem to recall they had been issued foil cartridges instead of the india rubber casings it was designed for.

See what happens when you have little short term memory and don't bookmark pages? Let this be a lesson to the younger members out there. I just wish I had a real good reason (or at least had had a real fun time) for the memory loss...

BTW, two quick loading questions on the little beastie. Am I supposed to lube the grooves before loading? How do I seat the bullet in the case? They won't seat with finger pressure, do I use a brass mallet? I saw someone say an arbor press would be handy of loading a bunch but I have no eye-deer what an arbor press is.

OK, so that was something like four loading questions....

[awp101]

Found it! And bookmarked it this time too...

http://www.rediscov.com/spring/VFPCGI.e ... SE=objects,

[shawn_c992001]

Wow!!! 'Em some nice shootin' arns!

[rjohns94]

For the smith, do you seat the bullet in the lands and then insert the case behind the bullet? I had a similar set up on an 1863 Sharps if thats how it works. I used a cork to hold the powder in the case and used a wooden dowel to seat the bullet in the lands and grooves. Looking forward to your range report.

[awp101]

rjohns, they can be but it isn't recommended. Here's a couple of small pics showing what the cartridge looks like:




This website has some load info but nothing on whether or not the bullet has to be lubed:
http://www.civilwarguns.com/9812.html

[Pete44ru]

[I just wish I had a real good reason (or at least had had a real fun time) for the memory loss]

Didn't yore Mother ever tell you that'd happen, iffen ya didn't quit doin' thet ?..............
Or, did she say you'll go blind ?

[awp101]

[I just wish I had a real good reason (or at least had had a real fun time) for the memory loss]

Didn't yore Mother ever tell you that'd happen, iffen ya didn't quit doin' thet ?..............
Or, did she say you'll go blind ?

Uh, yeah...wait....what was the question again?

Actually, for all my years as a metal head I've never done anything harder than booze and tobacco. I watched the other stuff screw up too many around me.

By now I should be blind, deaf and probably on a respirator but I have been Blessed in that my stupidity has been painful but not permanent.

[Noah Zark]

[I just wish I had a real good reason (or at least had had a real fun time) for the memory loss] . . .

Uh, yeah...wait....what was the question again?

I too have the power to cloud my own mind.

Noah

[Ysabel Kid]

Very cool - thanks for sharing the pics!

[awp101]

Well, it looks like I have some range time on the way and that Smith is calling me to play...

I figured out I can open the chuck on my drill press slightly and use it as an arbor press. I have a couple of sticks of SPG lube but here'sthe $64 question: Do I need to run them through a luber/sizer or just smear it on the lube grooves?

[Ben_Rumson]

Go for the unsized & finger lubed first..

[awp101]

'Preciate it!