Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com

earlmck

Yeah, I thought that 44 mag was a 44-40 and the 375 a 38-55. Shoulda' known the doc had the more modern versions. But are you sure about that 44, doc?

earlmck

Well there is always the old standby of "10 grains Unique" and any light bullet for a nice plinker. That would make a nice place to start, (and probably stop with the cast bullet, which will likely begin to "spray" a bit at above 1500 fps if it is a plain-base bullet) The jackete...

earlmck

Mighty fine, but I think I'll let you fellows duke it out for ownership. Too much of a pain reloading those rimfires. Otherwise I would be right on that one

earlmck

Wow! Medal of Honor for sure.

Wonder if they didn't "over-medal" in Vietnam 'cause of what was going on at home. And maybe are "under-medalling" now because of what is going on at home?

earlmck

That's great news, Mike! Although the deer might not agree

earlmck

Rube, go ahead and get the barrel length that feels right for the kind of shooting you do: the velocity difference from 20 to 26 inch won't amount to spit. (No, I really don't have a batch of 38-55s in a variety of barrel lengths, but that's my semi-educated guess from playing around with 30/30's an...

earlmck

I'm not buying any "pressure wave" theory. I think it is much more likely caused when a bullet is lodged in the barrel and an second round is fired behind without realizing the first bullet is lodged. I think about 2 times in my life I have had a primer go off without igniting the powder. ...

earlmck

Thanks for the nice thought Stan. Sure, put my name in also.

earlmck

And it seems to me these great finds seem to come in "threes" with me sitting on a "one at a time, occasionally" bank account.

Congrats on the nice "new" rifles, awp.

earlmck

The new American Rifleman has a nice write-up on just that beast. Makes it sound pretty fine.

earlmck

I am glad to see it is quite possible to have a great set of leverguns and with only one being a Winchester...
And for AJMD, that model 64 is a rifle, and would be even if it was chambered for a short cartridge.

I think you got 'er done very nicely, Don.

earlmck

OK mtnhomemgr, don't listen to those fellers advising you to spend money. At least lets figure out if you really need to do it. We surely should be able to make 33wcf out of 45/70 without any expensive "forming dies". So let's get a little more info out of you and figure this thing out. Fi...

earlmck

Now I understand in our disposable society where we gotta' consume consume to keep the economy going 'round and 'round. So we hire bright young engineers to figure out how cheap they can make something so it works just long enough the consumer has probably lost the sales receipt. But what really gri...

earlmck

Wow! That's really a fine find, Oly. I was happy enough with my DD214, but it sure isn't in the same class as that letter signed by General Wood. And thanks for the WWI Museum tip, Cimarron. My maternal granddaddy was "over there" somewhere. I may get a chance to look into it sometime befo...

earlmck

Hornady makes a .312 bullet in 150 and 175 (I think) grains, but they are made for 303 British type velocities and might not expand reliably with your lower velocities. The 150 also has a long ogive and might be a challenge in seating to correct OAL (I don't have any 7.62X39 loading experience so ca...

earlmck

I'll second what J Miller says. If it's reloaded ammo, the primer not seated quite all the way can give you that symptom. New cases, especially, sometimes take quite a lot of primer-seating pressure to get 'em fully seated. Reloads that don't quite chamber 100% fully can also do that. And if you're ...

earlmck

I've shot a bunch of .312 Hornady 150 grain bullets through an old 7.7 Arisaka converted to .308 Win. My regular 308 dies never gave me any problems. I kinda' like to use the Lyman "M" expanding die to open up the neck just a bit for easier seating, but it's not a vital step. So I don't th...

earlmck

I forgot to mention I did just get a .218 Bee (another one I really 'needed' :roll: ). I was wondering what happened to that 218 Bee (you got to it just ahead of me, you know!) If you aren't appreciating the Bee enough to even remember you have it, maybe you should balance up the checkbook by sendi...

earlmck

I hate to be the one to point this out, but you have THREE glaring gaps in your caliber coverage. Shame on the rest of you guys for over looking that omission! Nah, Doc's got just two glaring gaps, and ollogger noticed one of 'em (25/35). The glaring gaps are centerfire 22 and 25. Already fixed wit...

earlmck

I've just started "playing" with this powder. It is an ideal burning rate for our 30wcf and 32 Special cases, giving a case full of powder with the 170 grain bullet when you get your upper-end pressure levels. My one success to date was with a 30 Remington (in the Rem 141 pump rifle) and I...

earlmck

Dang, Owen, I'm having a hard time seeing where you did anything that'd be called a "screw-up". You took a powder of known useful burning rate, reduced the amount in line with the rifle you were going to use it in, and produced a successful load. If us reloaders didn't do that sort of thin...

earlmck

Kirk, much thanks for this great post with all the pictures and the details. I am really enjoying keeping up with the 38-72 saga as you and Shasta work with this interesting cartridge. I've never owned a 38-72, probably never will, so won't be able to take advantage of any specific stuff you fellows...

earlmck

You're going to have to give us a little more info, mtnhomemgr. Terry Murbach is asking all the right questions-- answer those and we can help you out. If the sized case chambers easy but the loaded round doesn't, probably too thick in the neck for the bullet being loaded. But if the sized case won'...

earlmck

Looking forward to your range report and pictures. And you might want to pick up a can of Hodgdon's LVR powder: I'm pretty much getting AI velocities out of the standard old 30/30 using the LVR. I'd be real interested to see what you get with the AI. Anyway, it's always fun to get a new rifle to pla...

earlmck

one ? for ya, when you tried that in your 32 ws was that load crimped ? No, my 32 special loads that didn't look promising weren't crimped. And maybe needed a touch more powder. I will revisit the "special" 'cause there's just no reason this LVR powder shouldn't be the cat's pajamas there...

earlmck

Now this is dang near OT 'cause I did my load developing with a 30 Remington pump rifle and posted my findings over on Bruce Hamlin's pump rifle forum at http://forum.pumprifle.org/. But the case capacity is identical to the old 30 wcf and my 30 wcf levers have generally liked the same loads as the ...

earlmck

you can do it, even girls can do it. :wink: The girls with the crosscuts did mighty fine. But I watched some of those other youtube links -- wow! you've got to be tough to be a girl: no chaps, no hardhats, no ear protection, dull saw. I sure hate to see anybody using a chainsaw without chaps and so...

earlmck

"That hoss, he was usin' his eyes and his ears, I figured right then there was somebody near. He seemed to be watchin' a bunch of pinyone; I shore took a hint from that little blue roan.." Horses been acting as "scouts" for us hoomins just about forever, long as we're paying atte...

earlmck

Shotgun powders make nice pistol powders. I have never used 571, but my Winchester load book from the 1990's shows your 571 useful for 38 Special, 9mm, 10mm, 45ACP. They show a number of different loads for each. What do you have you want to use it for? The ball powders don't get used much for reduc...

earlmck

First off Walt, I think you have already got that bore cleaner than it needs to be. That said, if you just can't sleep at night until your bore is spotless, you need to get one of those foaming bore cleaners before you wear your rifle plumb out by running brushes through it. I have Gunslick's "...

earlmck

earl let us know your test results if ya get out shooting Got out this morning to chronograph those loads with Hodgdon's "Lever" and Alliant's "Varmint" powders: just doing a velocity string thing where you have a series of loads from low to high to see how the velocities shape ...

earlmck

And just in case you have some on hand... I got my most accurate load (so far, and very limited testing) with 29.5 gr. of Alliant RL7 which also appears to be about max in my old (early 1900's) Winchester. I haven't chronographed it yet. At 30 grains the group opened a bit and I could feel a bit of ...

earlmck

I don't have a 7-30 Waters so can't give you any specific loads. You might do what I am planning for working up LVR loads in the 32 Special (also without LVR loads listed by Hodgdon). Use BL-C(2) data as a guide and work up gently, feeling for any extraction resistance. I see why you want to try it:...

earlmck

I've never tried it but have some of you been able to neck size only for your lever-actions? I didn't see anyone tell you this little secret, but I'll bet most of your fellow reloaders are just neck sizing most of the time, especially those of us using low-pressure cast bullet loads. I know I do. I...

earlmck

I recently bought a "REP" 1895C--everything about the rifle is good--no issues to report--lucky? Now that's good news. Maybe they'll get the mfg. figured out and start turning out some good guns. I'm ready to buy an nice stainless/synthetic, 24" bbl Marlin Express rifle. I'm just hol...

earlmck

No use going back to the shop, Perry. That fellow that spun you that yarn just wanted to slow you down so he could beat you to the nice gun.

earlmck

That's Bill Hirschi writ that up, Rusty. Yep, a good 'un.

earlmck

Like J Miller and iceman said, there is no trick at all so long as you are loading bullets manufactured specifically for the 30/30. You just make sure your brass case hasn't grown too long (is still within spec for case length) and then seat to the crimp groove. Gets a bit more interesting when you ...

earlmck

Really fun to read that fine report Kirk, Even though I don't have anything resembling a 38-72 in my "accumulation". Thanks for taking the time to do such a bang-up job of that range report. It'll be interesting to see what you do with that when you get a sight you can really aim with.

earlmck

Yep, on a bit north of you fellows in the middle of Orygone we've also enjoyed the nicest summer in decades. Hit 95 maybe three times this summer and the rest of the time mid to high 80's or low 90's. An occasional thunderstorm to settle the dust and get the firefighters their overtime. May it conti...

earlmck

Needed a few odds 'n ends and went to the Midway site to order. Main web page showed an add for Speer bullets "up to 60% off". That kinda' grabs a gun nut's attention! The 60% deal was just for some .375s that I don't have a rifle for, but they hit a sweet spot for me with one at about 50%...

earlmck

This is as good or better than most standard center-fire rifle bullets. And....you're poking about a 60 cal hole at the base (original dia.) while about a 70 cal at the mushroomed portion. Not much mushrooming, as you can see. These ARE the bear slugs. Great info, getitdone. Between your tests and ...

earlmck

Canuck Bob wrote:Take the 30 cal 200 gr Nosler partition, clip the tip for the tube to say 190 gr, and push it at 2000+.

I think you already have it figured, Bob. But for the 32 Special you'd use the Nosler 200 gr. 8mm bullet. Should be easier to get your 2000 fps with the 32 than it would be in the 30.

earlmck

My old old '94 will do that light-primer-strike thing to me if there is enough resistance to chambering that the lever isn't 100% closed, maybe like only 99.9%. So if those are reloads you are using, make sure you are sizing all the way 'cause you may have a minimum headspace rifle there. If you are...

earlmck

If you're talking Carson City, I already know where it is: that was my supply when I lived in the area. But if you've got another, guard it well! That sounds like about what I was paying him 15 years ago.

earlmck

I was wandering around the local gun show a few months ago, saw a fellow with some Marlin 336A's but just in 30/30. I mentioned I already had that one plus 35, was just missing 32 special (I guess I was keeping an eye out for exactly the one you found, Bill). He sent me toward another booth, saying ...

earlmck

That's a really nice find, Bill. Congrats on your excellent taste! Just happens I have your rifle's bigger and littler brothers over here across the mountain from you. pairofMarlins6476.jpg Top one is 35 Remington, bottom 30wcf, Lyman 66 Receiver sights. Both made in 1950. The 30 came cheap because ...

earlmck

Wow! A really nifty project, and great pictures telling the story. Much thanks for letting us "share" your project!

earlmck

Yeah, since I watched that "End of America" video last winter I've been laying in precious metal also. My preferred precious metal is steel, and must be properly shaped into barrel, receiver, etc. and graced with a little wood for easy holding and pointing. Have also accumulated some of th...

earlmck

If "want" didn't trump "need", most of us would only own 3 guns.

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