I have been wanting a single shot rifle and would love to see your single shots. Most of my shooting has been done with Marlin 39TDS and Origional Golden 39M .22s though I did have a Savage 72 Crackshot from one of the runs in the 80s that I used to shoot alot so have used a falling block action some too. Just got a Guide Gun so will probably be looking for another 45/70 when I get that single shot I am dreaming about.
LOL, sure as long as it's a nice pic. I would post a picture of the old Model 72 Crackshot but my sister took it away, she said it was too nice for me to take out in the woods. It's the one that got me hooked on octagonal barrels.
Thanks! I don't own some of them anymore, but have owned and shot all of them at one time, some of them extensivly. The RSI has come and gone a nuumber of times!
They are all fun to shoot however, and some will go 5 shots less that 6" at 1,000 meters ( the one with the deer as a matter of fact). Unforunately I am not a computer savvy guy, so some of the pics are too big. Cat
I have many wants. A stable mate 1885, #3, and Steven's Fav for my #1 are among the top of that list of wants. Falling block, single shots are the quintisential classic.
You have a low wall, and it's likely in .260 - I HATE you!! The "one ton gun" was a cominded effert by V Bull precision and Rangesports Unlimited. They built abbout seven of them, I think, designed for Fclass shhooting. this one is 6BR, I have shhot one in 308Win, and another in 6.5X284. All are lasers! The owner of V Bull put 17 rounds under 2" at 600 meters with the 6BR at a match.
The forend is CNC machined aluminum, and a shrink fit onto the Ron Smith barrel. Triggger is a Moyers, stock bt Rangesports Unlimted. Scope is IOR Valdada. Shot and sold it, just not my bag, I prefer irons and slings ! Fantastic rifles though...
It has since been checkered and case colored but the photo of it in the final condition is huge but you can see it at: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/low%20wall%20left%20checkering.jpg
A flinter I built
a Ballard that I used to own, but also too big to post on the forum directly... http://www.public.iastate.edu/~jessie/Ballard%2022%20right%20butt.jpg
A Borchardt that I've been working on - it is not done yet, but it's shooting.
I have a bunch more, but I don't have pictures handy at the moment.
I never get tired of posting this one. .260 Low Wall with factory gloss finish stripped and oil type finish applied by HK Custom Guns.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Takin' that cannon to Newfoundland this Oct for a moose hunt. I figger it is the first time since 1884 that it will have had appropriate prey. Is your 45-100 a 2.6' case?? Do you use real balckpowder or sub or smokeless??
Be afraid,be VERY VERY afraid ad triarios redisse My Buddy eh76 speaks authentic Frontier Gibberish!
I've got a few originals, and some restorations. All early guns from the pre WWI era. This a Hepburn I brought back from a crusty old receiver. The rest is new:
My Ballard #4 Perfection in .45-70, 34" half octagon.
My original Hi Wall special sporting rifle in .32-40
Thanks folks. It's been a lifetime persuit of these old guns, and I enjoyed every minute of collecting and shooting them! ShootingLady, The Stevens is a Walnut Hill #49. Here's another of my Stevens, a Premier #8 in .32 Ideal, with 30" half octagon barrel, and small swiss buttplate:
And some of my other Ballards:
A Schoyen Ballard:
A Stevens #47, with optional 30" #3 barrel, and #4 swiss buttplate, plus H tang sight, and Lyman 438 scope. Caliber .25-21 Stevens:
The Union Hill at work last fall:
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Here's one that was a bit of a basket case before I finished it. JK Cloward 222 Rem. The lever has since been bobbed a la' Sharps Borchard and now looks better to my eye.
Sum purdy rifles 'round here. I don't believe I have seen a pict of a #3. Someone around here has a dandy side lever #3. I forget who it was, but the picture was taken in Africa with a Zebra I think. I'd love the details on that particular rifle. I wonder how much custom work is required to make that kind of conversion.
Marlinman, I guess what threw me off on the Walnut Hill was the double triggers; I haven't seen too many of the rifles, but the book I'm looking at doesn't mention the 49 having double triggers, but that the 51 does. And upon reading again, I see it says the 51 has a wood insert in the triggerguard action lever. There's a small picture and the lever does look much different than the 49.
Shootinglady, The Stevens 49 was a single trigger as std., but Stevens would build just about anything a customer wanted, and DST's were very popular option. The Stevens 51 was a straight grip receiver, with the wooden insert in the lever. The loop lever on the Walnut Hill was quite different, and never had a wood insert. The 51 also came with a #4 swiss buttplate, while the Walnut Hill used the light swiss. Both had similar engraving as std., but other patterns could be ordered. Mine was ordered with optional scroll pattern. I have a tevens 44 with optional Walnut Hill style pattern engraving.
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Sako, I am familiar with the Dakota 10s. I looked at several at a guys ranch. He is pretty much a single shot guru. He had many rifles built on Peregrins, Ruger #1s, Dakotas and the Hagn. He felt that the Dakota 10 was a decent action but the rifles were over priced. He prefered to start with a Ruger for a custom basis but his newest was a Hagn that was built in the Martini and Hagn shop.
I was at his place looking at his Hagn before I ordered mine. Here is mine:
SS
No words of mine can hope to convey to you the ringing joy and hope embodied in that spontaneous yell: �The Americans are coming; at last they are coming!�
SS, That is one beautiful rifle. Congrats. What chambering?
thanks for the info on the Dakota. They do seem expensive. I think I've also heard somewhere on these threads that some don't like them. I'm trying to remember but it was something like the cartridge couldn't eject straight back or something. I'll hve to look, it was something like that?
A golf course is a sad misuse of a perfectly good rifle range.
Sako, the Hagn is chambered in 300 win mag. I am still working loads up and it looks like the 200 partition is shooting the best right now. Its a good thing too because I leave for Namibia in 9 days.
I am not sure about the ejection problem with the Dakotas. I have heard they are a pain to clean because the cleaning rod doesn't get a clear shot at the breech. If that is the case then it would make sense that ejection could occasionally foul up. On the Hagn, I ordered it with an extractor only and now that I have used it I wouldn't have it any other way. If you tilt the barrel up cases just fall to the ground, if you hold it level they are laying in the loading channel to be picked out.
The Hagn is just a classy operation all the way around.
SS Josh
No words of mine can hope to convey to you the ringing joy and hope embodied in that spontaneous yell: �The Americans are coming; at last they are coming!�
XP, those are some pretty impression short guns. My guess is that you can give most rifle shooters a run for their money. Looking at a couple of them I am reminded how flexible and effective those picatinny rails are for getting the scope in just the right place. That is one of the things I worry about most on an expensive custom rifle, getting the scope mounted in exactly the spot I want it. Ralf and Adolf installed a custom Talley base for the front base on my Hagn and then they milled the rear base right into the barrel shank. It is an amazing bit metal working. They even matted the portion of the bases that is concealed by the rings like the rib on a fine English shotgun. The problem is flexibility in mounting different scopes. The 1.1x4 Schmidt and Bender Zenith Flashdot fits perfectly, I couldn't ask for anything better. The bad news is that the back-up scope is a 6x Zeiss and I can't move it far enough to the rear, the front ring limits the distance back. So now I am in the situation of having to crawl the stock quite a bit to shoot with my back-up scope. Hopefully I won't have any problems with the S&B.
SS Josh
No words of mine can hope to convey to you the ringing joy and hope embodied in that spontaneous yell: �The Americans are coming; at last they are coming!�
XP, those are some pretty impression short guns. My guess is that you can give most rifle shooters a run for their money. Looking at a couple of them I am reminded how flexible and effective those picatinny rails are for getting the scope in just the right place. That is one of the things I worry about most on an expensive custom rifle, getting the scope mounted in exactly the spot I want it. Ralf and Adolf installed a custom Talley base for the front base on my Hagn and then they milled the rear base right into the barrel shank. It is an amazing bit metal working. They even matted the portion of the bases that is concealed by the rings like the rib on a fine English shotgun. The problem is flexibility in mounting different scopes. The 1.1x4 Schmidt and Bender Zenith Flashdot fits perfectly, I couldn't ask for anything better. The bad news is that the back-up scope is a 6x Zeiss and I can't move it far enough to the rear, the front ring limits the distance back. So now I am in the situation of having to crawl the stock quite a bit to shoot with my back-up scope. Hopefully I won't have any problems with the S&B.
SS Josh
Josh, Thanks. The pic mounts are extremely versatile. All of mine have 20 MOA built into them. I hunt with the rear grip MOA and the center-grip XP's. I use both rifle scopes and Long Eye Relief Scopes (handgun scopes) on these rigs, so a pic base is very versatile. Forward for the LER scopes and as far back as possible w/rifle scopes. I don't feel handicapped shooting against the majority of rifles, even at longer ranges, if I can get prone.
A local pawn shop has a BEAUTIFUL Browning single shot rifle with an octogon barrel in .45/70 for sale. I didn't measure the barrel, but it looked long... perhaps 26-inches or more.
It looks brand new, but I'm sure it isn't new. I looked it over carefully and it appears to be in very excellent condition with nice "wood"... I didn't see any marks or scratches in either the metal or the wood.
I'm not sure what it is... (high-wall or low-wall?)... but it has a breech-block like my Ruger #1 that (like my Ruger) drops down when the lever is "cocked".
However, unlike my Ruger #1, the Browning has a hammer. I didn't "dry fire" it, but I "felt" the trigger while holding onto the hammer, and it seems for have a "good" trigger.
They have a price of $999 on it, but I'm sure it could be purchased from less... how much less I don't know.
They also have a Marlin lever action rifle in .45/70 which is in equally excellent condition with decent wood and an octogon barrel.
If you're interested in either rifle, I'll look either one or both of them over again and give you more specific particulars about them if you tell me the specific information you want about them.
Sincerely,
Ron T.
It's smart to hang around old guys 'cause they know lotsa stuff...
Here is an unusual customized rifle - an 1873 Trapdoor Springfield. It was sporterized by a local amateur builder for his own amusement. Stock is French Walnut, lock is altered military, all work done by the builder.
Rolling Block, Black Hills Sporter #1. .44-77 Sharps Bottleneck. 34" barrel, and single set trigger.
More later!
That one looks nice. Does it kick much?
Sorry for the delayed reply! Computer died, lost all my pictures, and also all my "favorites" so just getting back to speed and trying to locate passwords, etc for forums! The Black Hills Sporter doesn't kick much at all. It's a big heaygun, and handles the recoil of the .44-77 quite well!
Here's one I pcked up last weekend at a local gun show. It's a 1885 Win with double set triggers, in .219 Wasp. It lettered as a .32-40 Special Sporting with 30" #4 weight, .32-40 barrel, so I may restore it back to original.
Last edited by marlinman93; 09/01/07.
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Does this count as a single shot? A Merkel 16 ga over 7x57R. I used the rifle last year for whitetail and elk. Passed up a couple of raghorn bull elk, but took an "eating size" whitetail buck at the end of the season at 201 steps.
Here's my new Hagn. This Springbok didn't think much of it.
Josh
No words of mine can hope to convey to you the ringing joy and hope embodied in that spontaneous yell: �The Americans are coming; at last they are coming!�
Sorry for the delayed reply! Computer died, lost all my pictures, and also all my "favorites" so just getting back to speed and trying to locate passwords, etc for forums! The Black Hills Sporter doesn't kick much at all. It's a big heaygun, and handles the recoil of the .44-77 quite well!
Here's one I pcked up last weekend at a local gun show. It's a 1885 Win with double set triggers, in .219 Wasp. It lettered as a .32-40 Special Sporting with 30" #4 weight, .32-40 barrel, so I may restore it back to original.
What a coincidence, I just had my hard drive crash the other week as well; lost tons of pictures, etc. From now on, every irreplaceable picture that goes on my laptop will get a copy safely stored away at photobucket. I found a program called Flock that allows you to Drag and drop lots of pictures at once into photobucket, much easier than putting in one file at a time.
Congrats on your latest acquisition there, very nice!
Marlinman93, your posts have me wondering (again) how I get into this forum for free ... what a treat. Thanks for posting. something in me won't rest until I have a Ruger #1 in .375 ... yeah, I need one.
I do not entertain hypotheticals. The world itself is vexing enough. -- Col. Stonehill
Gotta keep this thread going - so here's another of my singleshots. I'm running out of ammo for this thread though, so I sure hope some others can help carry the load. Keep 'em comin'!
Here's the latest purchases. A Ballard #6, with .22 short barrel, re-rifled by Zettler Bros. of Brooklyn, NY in the late 1800's. Scope is a Stevens 438, which sits in a set of HM Pope mounts. Buttplate is also Pope. It shoots one hole groups at 50 yds. of @ 1/2" with 15 shots.
And a Ballard #3 Gallery rifle, which was special ordered with #6 style wood, gallery midrange tang sight, and Ballard globe front. Also the rear dovetail was omitted. Not quite as accurate, as the bore is a bit less, but itstill shoots 1 1/2" groups at 50 yds.
Last edited by marlinman93; 12/09/07.
Antiue Marlins and single shot rifles! NRA Life OAC Member HAMF Member
Yup, that one is all mine, mistakes and all, but one of my favorite rifles. Frankly, I don't really know that the styles are all that discrete and identifiable. But I tried to pattern the style after rifles by the Volgers and others in the Carolinas just because I liked them. At the same time, I wanted it to be my own design so I'm sure I totally violated many of the features of Carolina rifles and perhaps added features more appropriate to other lineages. But for sure, I like it and that's all that counts with me.
Yup, that one is all mine, mistakes and all, but one of my favorite rifles. Frankly, I don't really know that the styles are all that discrete and identifiable. But I tried to pattern the style after rifles by the Volgers and others in the Carolinas just because I liked them. At the same time, I wanted it to be my own design so I'm sure I totally violated many of the features of Carolina rifles and perhaps added features more appropriate to other lineages. But for sure, I like it and that's all that counts with me.
Brent
I know what you mean about �mistakes and all�. I�ve built a few, and �stuff happens� when working with curly maple. Even the masters make mistakes. They�re just better at covering them up.
I think a man should start with a basic style and idea then make it his own. The rifle is more interesting and reflects the tastes and personality of the man himself.
Wow, what an amazing collection of fine rifles here! I don't have any of the amazing old weapons some have posted, but here is my little #1 RSI 7x57, with a vintage Weaver K2.5 with post & crosshair reticle:
and in case the forum cuts the muzzle off, here it is vertically oriented:
I was rather pleased with the wood, especially as the rifle wasn't hand picked or anything ... just ordered sight unseen, and this is what showed up at the dealer! She's a fun little gun, and I need to run her through her paces in the next year, as I'd like to hunt with her next year. I moved clear across the country from Seattle to Nashville this year, and just haven't had time to do much shooting!!
Here's another that recently found it's way into my safe. A Frank Wesson 3rd variation in .44 Extra Long, with 30" full octagon barrel, deluxe wood, and unusual cased receiver. The plated receivers were most commonly found.
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This is my first time, so hopefully she works... A nice 50" Canadian taken near La Crete, Alberta, and a HUGE bison taken near the Wood Bison National Monument in Northeren Alberta. These probably should be in the hunting forums, but hey, they DO have #1's in 'em!!
The stainless is a 30-06. Bought it off a used gun rack in Havre, MT. The guy had had it for about two years and said the previous owner claimed it wouldn't shoot. I threw together two loads of five shells apiece and went out to the range. 3 shot clover leaf at 100 yards with 180 grain Hornady Interbonds. I don't have the loading data in front of me, but I could get it out to you if you want. Todd
BigSkyGuy, Thanks for the reloading data offer but I don't reload yet. Over on the Specialty Pistols forum they have got me persuaded I need to start since I want a pistol 45/70 barrel for my Contender. My wife's Ruger 30-06 sure shoots good. Josh
Here are my current No. 1's. The top one is a #1 AH in .25-06 with Circassian walnut. The next one down is a .375 H&H built in 1971 or '72. The next one is a .416 Rigby (Elmer Keith prairie dog gun). And the bottom one is a .45-70, which I believe also has a Circassian buttstock. The .375 & .416 aren't too bad to shoot, even with full-house loads, BUT that .45-70 is absolutely brutal and will screw you into the ground with about anything over 1900 fps.
Bring enough gun and know how to use it.
Know that it is not the knowing, nor the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happiest man. - Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)
This is too good to let die!! We need more pictures! Here is a custom stocked #1B .223 that is cut down two inches. Blued steel checkered butt plate, custom pistol grip cap, wrap around checkering on the forearm. Notice the checkering all the way to the pistol grip cap...nice!! Pictures could be better, but you get the idea.
I'm having a couple more done by the same guy that did this one, but with a little better quality wood. I can't wait!!
Here is a picture of my latest Remington 40-XB. It is a single-shot action with thumbhole stock in .220 Swift.
Unfortunatly, due to a slight problem (bleeding retina) the eye doctor does not want me to lift more that ten to fifteen pounds (this qualifies) and not to shoot for a while because of the recoil!
What a georgeous .45/70! That is definitely a "Keeper".
GH
"As you walk thru life, don't be surprised that there are fewer people that you encounter seeking truth than those seeking confirmation of what they already believe!"
What a georgeous .45/70! That is definitely a "Keeper".
GH
Um, so you're saying I shouldn't have sold it?! Argghhh!! LOL, I did sell it, but it's just down the road at my hunting partner's house. I can buy it back whenever I want, but I probably won't. I get to shoot it whenever I want. That rifle is an absolute shooter. It will hold MOA with handloads. Really.
Here's the latest to the collection. A Ballard #3 Gallery, which was a presentation rifle to a US Army Lieutenant from his artillery company. The guys must have liked him a lot, and family provenance shows he went on to serve in Spanish American War, WWI, and made it from West Point Cadet to General!
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I have lurked here for a while but figured I would post a couple shots of a special #3 in 444 Marlin. I have had this rifle for a good many years and it came from a guy in Utah who had Parker Ackley build it for him. She has a beautiful 25 1/2" medium weight Ackely barrel on the owner's action and highly figured wood from I assume one of Parker's sources with a steel butt plate. The gun is a bit heavy by today's synthetic standards but is extremely accurate with full power loads and 300 grain bullets. Never could understand why Bill Ruger never chambered this fine cartridge.
That is a very fine looking rifle! Do you have any problems finding bullets that hold up under full power loads? I know most of the bullets out there in this size are designed for the .44 magnum.
The best overall performing heavy bullet and no longer made was the Barnes ' Original' 300 grain flat point atop 55.9 grains of H335 at 2250 fps. Barnes also made a 250 grain hollow point that was good but the 265 grain Hornady FP with H322 shot better in this barrel. Been a few years since I loaded and shot the gun but took a big old cow elk with a 300 Barnes some years ago and it took out both big shoulder bones and some branches behind. Off the bench the gun is somewhat punishing with the steel butt plate but if I do my part the gun will group sub MOA consistently. If I was loading and shooting her now I would look seriously into some hard cast bullets of more weight and less velocity.
Hi BrentD, The Ballard #3 has a Marbles tang sight, and I'm pretty sure it's original, as the gun has no rear sight dovetail on the barrel. The Rem #4's three barrels are as follows: 26" matted top round, in .22 magnum 24" round in .22LR 22" octagon in .22 short. The scope is a Dixie Gun Works item, with custom built mounts. I didn't like the polished finish on scope or mounts, so I've refinished both now.
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Two more new additions: RB Rodda Francotte patent Martini takedown in .310 Cadet. Factory engraved, with full octagon barrel. Rem. Rolling Block #1 1/2 in .22LR
Antiue Marlins and single shot rifles! NRA Life OAC Member HAMF Member
A Martini Cadet with a tapered octagon with a quarter rib. It was almost in .222 rimmed (short chambered and no throat to chamber), along with a host of other issues. But will be back soon with proper lever detach mounts and rings, trigger work, re-chambered to .223 and a diet to thin the forearm and the butt-stock will be shortened a bit and "de-Weatherbyized". It was someone's project from the '70's I think, and I got to finish it :-) This is the before photo...
new to me. the first single shot i ever wanted was a borchardt think i finally found a keeper. she is in 25 ackley krag the 25 krag is one of the oldest wildcats i'm sure you boys know all about it. this one is very accurate with the right man at the helm.
What you have done is not nearly as important as how you have done it!!! The Old Fart 2008 A.D.
That is a very good looking rifle. You have a Husqvarna model 33 commercial fullstock rolling block rifle. You should be aware that Husqvarna never factory chambered these guns in any US standard chamberings - they were all metric. I would recommend a chamber cast to determine the correct cartridge unless you know for a fact that the gun has been rechambered/rebored for .38-55.
If you ever decide to sell it, please put me first in line.
It's actually (technically) a 33A, as the 33 was straight grip, and the 33A is pistol gripped. Yes, it's the old 9.3x57R that had the rim recut to .38-55 so std. .38-55 brass can be fired in it by seating the bullets out a bit to touch the rifling. It shoots under 2" at 100 yds. with .375" cast lead bullets. Thanks!-Vall
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