No, if you look closely in the last photo you can see it has your name on it.

Doh!

The Force is powerful, Obi Wan!

Have you asked yourself WHY you need that caliber in New Jersey? You can kill the NJ bears with a .243.

Africa, Mexico, Canada, Alaska, Idaho, Texas....my travels take me elsewhere!

Aaah, come on and just admit that you like guns.

No, I LOVE guns...rifles at least :-)

28" barrel? wonder how much it weighs?

Bill73,
since my 1886 .45-90 with 26 inch octagon barrel weighs 9.5 pounds unloaded, I would guess the 71 weight close to 10 pounds which is probably a good thing to help absorb recoil from heavy loads.

Where will you be getting brass?

The .348 had a bit of a comeback for a while because Browning re-introduced the Model 71 in 1987 but they didn't exactly make truckloads. Winchester also reintroduced the Model 71 a few years ago. But they didn't exactly make truckloads either. I would not be surprised if most of the reproductions are safe queens and most of what's left are shot very little or not at all. So, there isn't much an a calling for brass or ammo, not much at all.

Do yourself a favor. Try to find brass or ammo, .348 or .450 Alaskan, before you decide to buy the rifle.

Waning availability of so many of the older lever rifle cartridges is one of the reasons I based my wildcat on the 7.62x54R case.

oh go ahead and buy it - bring it up here to minnesota and i'll take you on a guided mosquito hunt Just make sure to bring enuf ammo

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
Where will you be getting brass?

The .348 had a bit of a comeback for a while because Browning re-introduced the Model 71 in 1987 but they didn't exactly make truckloads. Winchester also reintroduced the Model 71 a few years ago. But they didn't exactly make truckloads either. I would not be surprised if most of the reproductions are safe queens and most of what's left are shot very little or not at all. So, there isn't much an a calling for brass or ammo, not much at all.

Do yourself a favor. Try to find brass or ammo, .348 or .450 Alaskan, before you decide to buy the rifle.

Waning availability of so many of the older lever rifle cartridges is one of the reasons I based my wildcat on the 7.62x54R case.

Actually you can find 348 brass pretty easy,Buffalo arms co has in stock,348 win on gun broker & if you are forming anyways? you can do so from the 475 Turnbull as well.

quote:

28" barrel? wonder how much it weighs?

DRSS.

I love long-barrel leverguns. That's what drew me to it.

450 alaskan and 50 alaskan cases are available from starline.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:

quote:

28" barrel? wonder how much it weighs?

DRSS.

I love long-barrel leverguns. That's what drew me to it.

Long barrels are ok but I don't know if they belong on a quick to the shoulder lever action repeater? I have two levers with 26" barrels, 45-90 & 416-348, love em both but wonder how they would fare in heavy bush & up close hunting?

With such long barrels, I wonder how many cartridges it takes. It certainly should be steady offhand when fully loaded.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill73:

Actually you can find 348 brass pretty easy,Buffalo arms co has in stock,348 win on gun broker & if you are forming anyways? you can do so from the 475 Turnbull as well.

Buffalo Arms indicates they are out of stock

Captech International (was Jameson) is out of stock.

MidwayUSA shows 348 ammo "Out of Stock, No Backorder"

Yes, GunBroker has some brass at auction. Half of what's offered is fired cases. Still, there are some new, unfired, some as old as 1956 vintage.

If one is to depend on old shelf stock and fired cases at auction for the brass to fire-form into .450 Alaska cases then I guess you could say brass is available. You would have to bid and win an auction to buy a box from one guy, then another auction to buy a couple from another, etc. Or just wait for the next special manufacturing run, however long that takes. But I wouldn't exactly call that easy to find.

Difficult as brass is to find now it will only get more difficult and expensive to find in the future. Many folks don't care about such stuff. Heck, I shoot .375 NE 2-1/2". But it is something to consider before purchasing a rifle that could get you into an ammo and brass pinch.

It sure is not like buying brass for your 45-70,that is for sure,but if you want to shoot the big 450? you will find brass,I shoot 5 win 71's & they are all based of the 348 win case,I never got stuck without brass.Buffalo arms has 200 cases in stock if anyone is looking,I just called & verified this.

BTW,
I have really enjoyed reading about the .405 Grenadier.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:

quote:

28" barrel? wonder how much it weighs?

DRSS.

I love long-barrel leverguns. That's what drew me to it.

Biebs buy this get brass then sell it in a couple of weeks for a loss and you well be just fine.

That would be Deja Vous all over again! :-)

I wish I could intervene on your behalf. Unfortunately, the yearly arms procurement budget has been allocated.


Buy it and sell it to me for 75% of purchase price in 2 years.

quote:

Unfortunately, the yearly arms procurement budget has been allocated.

Pretend you're the government...emergency funding!!!

Just quit talking and buy it. It's like women, most are good, some are better. Can't lose, except money.

I would really like to buy it, but I think it's sold.

Bieber: did you buy her?

Hopefully you did.Clears your mind. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde,"The best way to avoid temptation is to give in to it."I think he was referring to another gun but the point still remains. BTW I think that Bertram has 45 basic cases + possibly some other suppliers.Loading for these obsolete ones is more than half the fun.Please post if you bought it.

crshelton, largest black killed in NJ was upper 700lbs veryi close to 800lbs, how about in texas? Plus the fact that you cant use a rifle, shotgun or black powder only....

I.learned from.last ammo ,brass shortage don't by anything you can't find ammo ,brass or bullets for or you will be just looking at it one day !

No, I persevered and let it pass.

TAKE IDAHO OFF THAT LIST, IT WOULD BE GREVIOUS MISTAKE TO SHOW UP HERE WITH SUCH A RIFLE. PEOPLE WITH SUCH HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO DISAPEAR, THEY TELL ME THE YETI GETS,UM..

Besides the last one and the only one I shot, I thought the yeti has got me..whew!!

Mr. Biebs: I am both happy and sad for you.

Yes, can't have them all.

Couldn't prove that by me.

quote:

Dominus Praedatoris

You have a point, as there is no legal hunting of bear in Texas.
Black bear were common in the eastern and southern parts of the state back just after statehood, but now they are seen only in the Big Thicket, far northeast counties adjoining OK, Ar, and LA and along parts of the Mexican border. The last ones that I heard of being killed were shot by deer hunters down along the Rio Grande.
They are making a comeback in the piney woods, but the game department still keeps the season closed; so we have to go out of state to legally shoot bear.

quote:

Originally posted by crshelton:
Have you asked yourself WHY you need that caliber in New Jersey? You can kill the NJ bears with a .243.

No, you can't because NJ is a shotgun only state!

My hunting buddy bought this rifle. Working up loads for the beast. It actually balances pretty well. Weighs around 10 pounds stoked with ammo. Gun is going on a cowboy safari to Zim.

quote:

Originally posted by LB:
My hunting buddy bought this rifle. Working up loads for the beast. It actually balances pretty well. Weighs around 10 pounds stoked with ammo. Gun is going on a cowboy safari to Zim.

Now that is really cool,what game is he after?

quote:

My hunting buddy bought this rifle.

Wow, small world, huh?

His plan is to hunt buff and maybe a tuskless. He's still working up loads. Hopes to get 2100 with 400 grain bullets.