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Longshot, your rifle probably has considerably different steels than an original Highwall. These barrels frequently have large inclusions in the steel that can further weaken them. I would avoid a rebore like this and instead simply rebarrel. There are a gazillion barrel makers out there that make much better barrels in .45 calibers specifically for the Highwall. I would not be setting this up for a .458 win mag however. New barrel or not. Large shank or small. Brent | ||
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Brent, you are dead right. I never stoped to consider the difference in steel over a 100 year span. Still, I have shot with alot of guys who re-bored old ballards from 38cal to 45 cal. Maybe they were pushing thier luck however. Joe | |||
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Longshot, It's not that you can't shoot those old guns. I do it all the time and have an original barrel on it. They made the Highwall up to .50 Exp. I'm not sure what size barrel they put it on, and I don't know what size you have (it's stamped under the forearm. It will be a number from 0 to 5, probably a 2 or 3 from your description. 0 is skinniest, 5 is heaviest, there were a few, very few 6s) The original Highwall was barreled in things like .30-06 too, but it's the reboring that worries me more than the actual cartridge. Plus you do have to worry about shank diameter as well. If you want a .45-70, or similar, just go to www.buffaloarms.com. Find their phone number, call and order up a Badger barrel in whatever profile matches what is on there now, or whatever profile you want, and all you will need to do is thread, chamber and blue the beast. You will be miles ahead of a rebore. Brent | |||
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Try .38-55. | |||
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Call Cliff LaBounty at 360-599-2047 and ask him. There are few better qualified to answer your question. | |||
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Actually, the best person to ask would be John Campbell, author of the two books devoted entirely to the Singleshot. He can be found on the MSN-Schuetzen board. I once asked him about a .38-55 barrel on a low wall and got a very good explanation from him. He's a good guy and knows those rifles like no one else. Brent | |||
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Thanks for the good info. I have some decisions to make here. I could never find the barrel size stamp on mine and always assumed it was a 1 since that was standard for the 32WCF. But last night I pulled off the forend and under the forend there is a small 5 stamped. according to my Winchester book the 32WCF was only offered with 1, 2 or 3 barrel contours. One more question. My gun is a very early gun s/n 3XX, and it has a screw between the hammer and the tang sight plug. I have a diagram that shows it may be the early version of the sear spring screw but the size doesn't corrospond to what Ballard Rifle Co. says it should be. Anyone else have an early gun with this extra hole? Here's a picture. 1885 top tang Or do I have this wrong and the bottom screw is the sear screw and the hole closer to the hammer is the tang sight plug hole? I got to get someone to look this thing over (g) . Rob | |||
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A #5 Barrel would be VERY heavy. Like over 1.25" at the muzzle I would guess. I have not handled a rifle with a barrel heavier than a #4. Look up close to the where the tip of the forearm should be, maybe an inch or two back from the tip. I have a .32 WCF barrel that is a #2 full octagon, but it is currently in Missouri awaiting it's resurrection. It is small shanked. Your screw holes order is the last one you describe. The tang sight front mount is the top hole closest to the hammer. This is from memory of my rifle which has a fourth hole put there after factory.... So, I could be wrong, my other 1885 is in Missouri so I can't check it out. But I think the middle hole is a sear spring attachement. Checking Campbell's first book will tell you for sure. as will pulling the trigger bar - pretty easy to do. Remove the rear tang screw and the wood screw at the back of the trigger bar, and the two screws that hold the trigger bar to the action (on the right and left sides, low and to the rear of the receiver). The trigger bar will slide out to the rear. Rob, where are you at? There are quite a few VERY good singleshot gunsmiths around the country, locating one near you may be easy. Brent | |||
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Rob, I think the 5 on your barrel is an inspection number. I read through that part of Campbells book again and it shows inspection numbers and other symbols like that. The barrels for .32 WCF are listed in his book as #2 (light) to #5 (heaviest). The book also give diameters at the muzzle (across the flats for octagons) and a #5 is over 1" at the muzzle. I don't recall the exact number. The hole nearest the hammer is indeed, the tang screw hole. Last night, I got home and found my new sight bases from Montana Vintage Arms had arrived and I took them downstairs to mount on the .38-55 action that had been just returned from Ballard where it was recolored. The hole nearest the hammer is your hole for the tang. If I'd been thinking, I would have, could have, measured the spacing. Say, given that your's is so early (the second 3-digit serial number I've heard of in the last three months). Is it also an octagon topped receiver - or rather does the top of the receiver have the top three flats of what would have been an octagon? I really like those, but most are round over the top, or round with a groove for some of the light barreled .22s. Finally, about shank size. Campbell mentions that .25-20 and .32-20 WCF were the two most common chamberings among highwalls set up for small shanks. Beware this can complicate your plans immensely. Brent | |||
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Brent, I think you're right about the inspection number. I'm curious as to whether there's a way way to deteremine the shank size without pulling the barrel? BTW we've spoken about this gun before so perhaps this is the 3digit you were thinking of. Thanks, Rob | |||
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Ah, yes, I have crossed up rifles before. This does have the octagon. I'm not sure if you can see what the shank size is from the breech or not. I would bet that it is a small shank from what I've read lately and the fact that I have bought a .32-20 win barrel that was small shanked. But how to know for sure? I can find the dimensions across the threads if you can get a measure. From memory, the large shank is 0.9something inches and the small is 0.8something inches. This is an easy barrel to pull off though. Just stick the flats of the barrel in a vice padded with thin leather or lead then after removing the block, extractor, and lever, fit a block of hard wood, like oak or hickory into the block mortise and turn it off. IF it turns without too much pressure, you are in business. BUT, if it doesn't want to budge w/o a lot of pressure, then get a wrench to fit the outside of the action padded with lead and turn it off. The first method might "spring" the action if you expend too much pressure. Mine comes off quite easily using the first method. But your mileage may very. You will need to take it off sooner or later anyway if you are going to rebore, rebarrel, or reline. Brent | |||
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I'll give it a try this weekend and get back to you, Thanks, Rob | |||
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Good! Just take it easy and if you start getting worried, then just stop. I bet it comes off pretty easily however. Brent | |||
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Well, we've got crossed up again. The barrel is round not octagon. The breech is octagon though. So I'll have to get around to mounting the barrel vise I bought and seeing if I can get a collar to fit. I disasembled the gun tonight and I'm missing some parts like a knock off spring and screw, trigger set adjustment. Once I get the barrel pulled and fid out the shank size I'll decide what to do next. Looks as though some ancient idiot used a pipe wrench on the barrel at one time, some nasty marks under the forend. The money pit begins. Thanks, Rob | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Re: Safely rebore an 1885 High Wall?
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