A friend came over today with a pile of guns. The first thing he pulled out was a new BFR 45-70. All I can say is WOW! It was drilled and tapped, had a base and came in a great padded zipper case. The gun was perfect except for the trigger.
I took it apart and put the hammer on my grinder, stoned and polished it, bent the trigger spring and came up with a nice 2# trigger with no creep. Then I mounted his Bushnel red dot. I cleaned the bore of any copper. I loaded a bunch of my 378 gr WFN boolits and we went to sight it. I would shoot 2 at 50 yd's and adjust. Each 2 shots were always 1/2" apart. My last shot was dead center. It only took 5 shots.
I had a liter root beer bottle full of water on the 100 yd rail. I blew it up with the first shot. I also had a spray paint can top on a stick that had been shot before so there was only about 1-1/2" left showing. I aimed too high the first time so I set the dot right on top of it. It just vanished. What a tack driver!
He can't do it and I caught him flinching, I need to carry a billy club to get his attention!
I also had a gallon jug of water to see what the .475 does at 100 yd's with my WFN. I shot off hand and the thing blew up as violently as they do at 20 yd's. Quite revealing for the hitting power. The plastic was blown at least 20 feet with a huge shower of water. That big boolit doesn't lose anything with distance.
He also picked up a Mauser 7mm Weatherby caliber at a pawn shop cheap. It had a great custom blanket curl maple stock on it. I had to reset the scope, bore sight it and when I started to shoot it, the trigger would not go. It took 20# to pull it off.
We took it up so I could pull it down. I found the rear of the stock was too deep and the rear screw pulled the reciever so deep it forced the upper edges of the trigger tight against the inside of the trigger guard. I steel bedded that part and set the screw so the reciever was right. The trigger is now about 3#. I might bed the rest of it later.
I tried some of my revolver loads from his 45-70, stainless Marlin guide gun. They didn't do so good but his cheap cowboy loads are super accurate.
I did more gunsmithing today then I did in the last year but he brought one of those small Heineken kegs, 6 bottles of stout and 2 dozen fresh donuts. So it was another great day. Except for my belly of course!

Got to love that BFR in 45-70. I have one with a 10 inch barrel, and it is a tack driver.

Dang, you are a cheap date! Need any gunsmithing done, all you need to bring is a some beer for payment!!

Yeah, I too am taken aback with BFR's .45/70. The damn things are just plain accurate and really there is no better bang for the buck.

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
Dang, you are a cheap date! Need any gunsmithing done, all you need to bring is a some beer for payment!!

Yeah, I too am taken aback with BFR's .45/70. The damn things are just plain accurate and really there is no better bang for the buck.

Is that your BFR 45-70 he work on Whitworth?

No, it was my friend Bill. An aircraft mechanic I worked with before I retired. He fell in love with mine and I was surprised that he bought one. Both of our guns shoot exactly the same.
Marko, you know I am cheap for my friends, I am always happy to help.
Know something funny? I have offered to ream .45 cylinders for $10 plus shipping both ways to several guys and only one sent me his cylinder, the rest never responded. Was I too cheap? All I want to do is recover the reamer cost by doing enough, not get rich.
The one that sent his cylinder is happy as all get out and we E mail each other all the time.
Another sent me WW metal and wanted boolits made. I cast 500 for him, used all of my gas checks and told him just to replace the checks and I would send the boolits. Free labor, postage and lube but I never heard back so I am shooting the boolits.
Some guys are strange!

That some folks are strange is an understatement of epic proportions.

Not my .45/70. The only .45 I own is my SRH in .454, and that is being sacrificed to the conversion gods........

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
That some folks are strange is an understatement of epic proportions.

Not my .45/70. The only .45 I own is my SRH in .454, and that is being sacrificed to the conversion gods........

So what are you having done to it?

I am going to have a shorther barrel fitted (6-inch), and a 5-shot cylinder installed in .500 Linebaugh. I don't really need one, but what does need have to do with this obsession of ours??????

But this one will remain open-sighted......

quote:

Originally posted by Whitworth:
I am going to have a shorther barrel fitted (6-inch), and a 5-shot cylinder installed in .500 Linebaugh. I don't really need one, but what does need have to do with this obsession of ours??????

But this one will remain open-sighted......

Sounds like a great choice. It's fun to have a big fifty...

Just as my 510 GNR will remain open sight's.