The Fifty Comes into its own.

Started by gitano, July 03, 2007, 10:45:45 AM

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gitano

It's been a relatively long trip, but the Fifty is approaching the final stages of becoming what I envisioned it to be several years ago. Briefly:
 
I got the 1878 Martini Enfield a little over 3 years ago. It arrived chambered in .22/.30-30 and dressed out in the most garrish of stocks. Having the .17 Remington, I have little practical use for CF .22s. I have nothing against them, I just don't need one, and my attention was headed in the opposite direction of "small".
 
I was looking for something in a "big" caliber, and Jay suggested a .50-90 "look-alike", the .50-.348 Winchester. There was a lot to be said for the .50-90, and I decided that was what I wanted this rifle chamber in. However, getting a new barrel put on the old 1878 receiver wasn't something I was particularly comfortable having done. There are no gunsmiths in Alaska that I know that I would trust to perform the work. Plus I'd have to find someone to match the bluing on the receiver. So I muddled around for a bit waiting for something to 'break'. Then, Ol' John (AKA LLANO JOHN) told me about a fellow in Arizona that rebored barrels, and had in fact rebored a barrel for him. For $285 I could get the Martini rebored to .510, and chambered in .50-90, (AKA .50-.348 Win, AKA .50 Alaskan). I sent it off for reboring. When it came back, I was very pleased with the results. I started making bullets and working up loads.
 
Hunterbug had invited me down to Colorado to hunt elk with him, and as it turned out, we were drawn for cow elk. The .50 came back from Cut Rifle with little time to work up loads and get it restocked, but I did my best. I didn't have the confidence in the loads that I would have liked to have had, and the stock was the best I could throw together in a couple of days. Still, it went elk hunting. Unfortunately, but not too big a deal, I wasn't able to blood the rifle.
 
When I returned home from the elk hunt, I set to work getting the rifle into the shape I wanted it in. Since my primary purpose for the rifle was to shoot a bison, and since it was a rifle originally made in 1878, I decided that it should look the part. In other words, it should have a "traditional" look. I wanted an express rear sight, banded front sight, and a sort of traditional stock. New England Custom Guns (via Midway USA) supplied the sights. A "traditional" stock would be more difficult to come by. Jay, again, tells me that he has a pattern for the butt of a Martini. (Whooda thunk it. ;) ) I have a good candidate (nice straight grain, aged 20+ years), piece of walnut. We decided to get them together.
 
Last month, I took my family to Idaho for a little vacation, and on our way there, we visited Jay and his wife. Besides having a grand time, Jay and I cut butt and forearm blanks from my board, and drilled the through-hole in the butt for the bolt. None of which would have been possible without the assistance of Jay. Once back home, I started shaping the blanks into their final form. I finished that last night.
 
What you see below is the almost finished product. The front ramp has to be blued and installed in its final position, one more mounting hole needs to be drilled and tapped for the rear ramp, and the rear sight needs to be regulated. (It has 3 folding and one standing blade, and I intend to regulate them at 50, 100, 200, and 300 yds.)
 
This is the first rifle stock I have made from "beginning to end". I have finished many stocks that I got from stock-makers with partial inletting and a "starter channel" for the barrel. I've also re-shaped and refinished several stocks for friends and aquaintances. In this case though, I started with a chunk of wood.
 
I'm partial to "animal parts", and I wanted to incorporate animal parts in the finished product if I could maintain a "respectable" and "traditional" look. I decided to put a sheep horn cap on the forarm. Also, I wanted to put a skeletonized steel buttplate on, but the through-hole for the bolt excluded all of the few of them commercially offered. So... I am making my own. In the interim, I have installed the recoil pad you see. Ultimately, I will install a sheep horn skeletonized buttplate.
 
The forearm of the origninal .22/.30-30 was jerked from the receiver by the recoil of the .50, so I had to come up with another way to attach the forearm to the receiver. Again Jay has the answer. Use "staples" and pin it to the barrel as is done with muzzle loaders. (Again, whooda thought Jay would come up with a solution from the muzzle loading world?:eek: ) So, the two pins you see in the forearm are through pins that pass through staples attached to the bottom of the barrel.
 
Finally, of course I wanted the stock to fit me perfectly, and it does. As I throw the rifle to my shoulder, the sights align perfectly,.. and I do mean perfectly. Elk and bison (and maybe even a moose) beware!
 
This has been a real THL project. Without the help and encouragement of many here at THL, it never would even have been conceived, let alone finalized.
 
Here are the pics. I can relate more details if anyone is interested.
 
Paul
 

 

 
Be nicer than necessary.

Hunterbug

Very nice! Now it's really ready for an elk hunt. ;)
Ask not what your government can do for you. Ask how your government can go away and get out of your life.
 
 
The unarmed man is is not only defenseless, he is also contemptible.
Niccolo Machiavelli

bowhunter 51

Well done, Paul!....Very impressive....................................:biggthumpup: BH51
**********God Bless America**********
>>>>-----------Live to Hunt--------------->>
>>>>-----There is no off season--------->>

RatherBHuntin

Quote from: gitano;63855I'm partial to "animal parts", and I wanted to incorporate animal parts in the finished product if I could maintain a "respectable" and "traditional" look. I decided to put a sheep horn cap on the forarm. Also, I wanted to put a skeletonized steel buttplate on, but the through-hole for the bolt excluded all of the few of them commercially offered. So... I am making my own. In the interim, I have installed the recoil pad you see. Ultimately, I will install a sheep horn skeletonized buttplate.
 
The forearm of the origninal .22/.30-30 was jerked from the receiver by the recoil of the .50, so I had to come up with another way to attach the forearm to the receiver. Again Jay has the answer. Use "staples" and pin it to the barrel as is done with muzzle loaders. (Again, whooda thought Jay would come up with a solution from the muzzle loading world?:eek: ) So, the two pins you see in the forearm are through pins that pass through staples attached to the bottom of the barrel.

Nice lookin piece there THL, ya'll did good.    You too, Paul.  You wouldn't happen to have a sketch or an example of the buttplate look you're going for do you?  How exactly did you attach those staples to the barrell?  Did you make the staple and did you happen to tak ea picture of it before you attached the forearm?  Looks like it would be fun to tote and shoot.
Glenn

"Politics is supposed to be the world\'s second oldest profession.  I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
Ronald Reagan

drinksgin (deceased)

Paul, a suggestion, consider fitting small brass escutcheons around the pins, I had to retrofit some on a ML when the holes started going egg shaped.
NRA life, TSRA life, SAF life, GOA, CCRKBA, DEF -CON

gitano

Thanks all for the compliments.
 
QuoteYou wouldn't happen to have a sketch or an example of the buttplate look you're going for do you?

In fact I do Glen - It's at the bottom of the post. This won't work because:
1) The center is open and would expose the through hole for the butt bolt, and
2) When they can be found they're running in excess of $150.
 
I've got a drawing I made of one I will attempt to make that, while still skeltonized, has a solid center. In fact I'm thinking I'll make a door in the center and put in a bullet trap or opening for take-down field cleaning rod. I'll take a picture of the drawing and post it later.
 
QuoteHow exactly did you attach those staples to the barrell?
 
These staples come from Track of the Wolf - here's a page from their catalog showing them.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(4pupqt3wbayoou55ws1mvs55))/CATEGORIES/PARTDETAIL.ASPX?CATID=15&SUBID=87&STYLEID=322&PARTNUM=UL-104-C
 
To attach them: Using a #34 drill, (~0.108"), I drilled two holes 0.111" deep. These holes were positioned by placing a tool purchased from TotW specially for the purpose of spacing and dimpling the barrel. Here's a picture of that tool:
 
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(4pupqt3wbayoou55ws1mvs55))/CATEGORIES/PARTDETAIL.ASPX?CATID=15&SUBID=87&STYLEID=322&PARTNUM=TOOL-105-P
 
Once the holes were drilled, I tapped the feet of the staples into the holes, and using a TotW staking tool:
 
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(4pupqt3wbayoou55ws1mvs55))/CATEGORIES/PARTDETAIL.ASPX?CATID=15&SUBID=87&STYLEID=322&PARTNUM=TOOL-105-S
 
I staked the feet in.
 
...did you happen to take a picture of it before you attached the forearm? Nope, but I can and show you what the installed staples look like if you like.

QuoteLooks like it would be fun to tote and shoot.
It's a hoot to shoot I can tell you. I genuinely love to shoot these big bore rifles loaded to about 1800 fps. It's difficult to keep the grin off of my face.
 
Don,
 
The escutcheon is not a bad idea. I wasn't planning to remove the forearm any more than absolutely necessary, but an inletted escutcheon would certainly prevent enlarging the hole. I think I'd probably go with buffalo horn instead of brass though. It's the "animal parts" thing again. :)
 
Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

RatherBHuntin

No need for the extra pictures Paul, I can "see" it ok now.  You considered making escutcheons from some more of the sheep horn didn't you?  It would compliment the forearm cap nicely.  
 
Looking at the pics again I can see why you want the buttplate, it will look much better.  Again, beautiful rifle, and for those that didn't see or don't remember, you should throw up a picture of it from 3 years ago.
Glenn

"Politics is supposed to be the world\'s second oldest profession.  I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
Ronald Reagan

Paul Hoskins

Paul, you did an enviable job. I like the idea of the skeletonized buttplate too. It would also look good with a bone or horn buttplate with a hidden hinge at the top and snap closure at the bottom. The stock bolt hole counterbore makes a nifty place to store things. Thanks for sharing your project with us. It has been really intresting. Good luck with the sight regulating............Paul H

gitano

#8
Thanks again Paul and Glenn. Good suggestion on the "before pics". Here ya go.
 
Here's how it looked as received.

 
Here's the butt. Pretty wood, and a decent job. Just too garrish for me.

 
The picture that was here was making it diffcult to read the thread so I removed it.
 
Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

Hunterbug

If I remember right when you brought it out here it had a 2X or 3X pistol scope on it. I can't wait to get to the regulating of the sights.
Ask not what your government can do for you. Ask how your government can go away and get out of your life.
 
 
The unarmed man is is not only defenseless, he is also contemptible.
Niccolo Machiavelli

recoil junky

:biggthumpup: OOH OOH OOH, I wanna play!!  When are you going to bring it down, Paul so's we can break in that barrel proper like. Just bring yer mould an' powder. I've been saving milk jugs and rumor has it there's a doe or two that's needin' harvested.

RJ
When you go afield, take the kids and please......................................wear your seatbelts.
Northwest Colorado.............Where the wapiti roam and deer and antelope run amuck. :undecided:  
Proud father of a soldier medic in The 82nd Airborne 325th AIR White Falcons :army:

gitano

#11
Well RJ, you're one of the few that have shot this rifle. Being part of the elk hunt, you're among the large number of members of THL that has contributed directly to its existence. (RJ can attest to how fun it is to shoot.) Of course I'd love to come down and 'poke around' your place again, this time spending a little more time. I just don't know how things are going to turn out this fall.
 
For those that haven't been following the .50's story, there's more in the following threads. In chronological order I believe:
http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6504 The rebore story.
http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6608 Handmade bullets.
http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6672 Range report.
http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6827 Range report.
http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7189 Elk Hunt.
http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7999 Making cartridges.
http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8462 Range report.
 
Paul
Be nicer than necessary.

kombi1976

Paul, that stock is lovely.
It's exactly the sort of thing I'd like for my Martini Enfield rifle when I rebuild it into 45-70 or 45-90, although I'd be happy without the animal bits.
Who knows.....I may even go crazy and follow your lead to the 1/2 inch!
Getting a nice tradition pattern for a Martini Rifle is very difficult.
All of the silly stock makers want to put bloody cheekpieces on the things! :(
Cheers & God Bless
22lr ~ 22 Hornet ~ 25-20 ~ 303/25 ~ 7mm-08 ~ 303 British ~ 310 Cadet ~ 9.3x62 ~ 450/400 N.E. 3"


gitano

Quote from: kombi1976;64202Paul, that stock is lovely. Thanks Kombi, it's the look I was after.
It's exactly the sort of thing I'd like for my Martini Enfield rifle when I rebuild it into 45-70 or 45-90, although I'd be happy without the animal bits. Don't care for animal parts eh?
Who knows.....I may even go crazy and follow your lead to the 1/2 inch! Actually, the .50 caliber is fine, but beware the "90" lengths. The Alaskan is just barely not too long for easy feeding.
Getting a nice tradition pattern for a Martini Rifle is very difficult. It sure is, and I suspect even harder over here Stateside.
All of the silly stock makers want to put bloody cheekpieces on the things! :( Ain't it the truth!!! These days, if you want something done right, you mostly have to do it yourself. I'm actually OK with that though.

Paul ---
Be nicer than necessary.

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