Time to make my first real post!
Last August fate met fortune and I came home from a gun show with a lightly used Farmingdale rifle.
Details:
"D" prefix serial, 1982 production with "Drovel Tool" receiver.
Unbanded carbine length round barrel about 23" if I remember right.
45 Calibre with a 2.1" chamber. Looks like lots of freebore so Navy arms barrel? (no wolfs head just numbers under fore end.
Silver blade front sight with a barrel mounted ladder that looks correct but earlier than the rifle and does not have any elevation engraving.
So, a few questions!
Would this rifle have a 2 piece firing pin?
What should I feed it?
I am torn between the romance of BP and the convenience of smokeless but am set on a 400gr+ cast bullet (PP or gas check)?
Should I stick to Trapdoor pressures or can you venture into class 2 pressures ( I am not a magnum guy just want to know about action strength)?
I plan on using this to hunt Moose and Deer in the rolling hills and swamps of central Ontario and have not shot anything further than 80yds before but there are situations where I could flip that ladder up and reach out.
I am as green as grass here so I look to the pros for any advice you would kindly share.
*I tried to post pictures from my phones gallery but files are too big.
Thanks!
My Farmingdale
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BFD
- Posts: 2789
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:36 pm
Re: My Farmingdale
Wow! What a blast from the past. I have a Farmer too, and I really like the look of them. Mine is a #3 sporter. What is yours? Mine has mutated some, but before it did, I killed elk with it.
What is a Drovel Tool receiver? Got me on that one.
Because you have that incredibly long freebore, I can confidently say that you need a fat bullet. That freebore is larger than the groove diameter of your barrel.
You need bullets that are on the order of .458-460" in diameter. And you need to load them way out of the case.
Because there is so much lead hanging out of the case, you would be best off with paper patching rather than grease groove bullets that will pick up a lot of trash and grit in the exposed grooves.
I shot my elk with a .452" bullet paper patched to about .459". I had a grease cookie under it and a couple of wads, but fouling was absolutely a beast when loading a follow up shot. If you are okay with smokeless powder, that's the way to go. I won't recommend a load because I don't shoot smokeless, but in this case, the bullet issue doesn't change. Your gun is stronger than a trapdoor, but I don't know the upper end that is safe. You don't need high pressures to kill a moose or an eland, so it doesn't really matter. If you want to go with black, figure that you have to leave space (after compressing black powder) for a thin wad between grease and powder, a grease wad that is 0.1 - 0.25" thick, and then a thicker wad, I like 0.06" LDPE plastic wads or similar fiber gasket wads, and finally the bullet. Go fat and load it very long, up to the lands.
if you need a bullet mould recommendation, I can find one for you.
This rifle will have the very fine 1 piece firing pin. It is fat and fine.
It is an awesome moose rifle. Lesser beasts like deer are nonissues for any .45 Sharps.
Welcome to the forum and let us know how that rifle works out. Nothing better than moose on the table.
What is a Drovel Tool receiver? Got me on that one.
Because you have that incredibly long freebore, I can confidently say that you need a fat bullet. That freebore is larger than the groove diameter of your barrel.
You need bullets that are on the order of .458-460" in diameter. And you need to load them way out of the case.
Because there is so much lead hanging out of the case, you would be best off with paper patching rather than grease groove bullets that will pick up a lot of trash and grit in the exposed grooves.
I shot my elk with a .452" bullet paper patched to about .459". I had a grease cookie under it and a couple of wads, but fouling was absolutely a beast when loading a follow up shot. If you are okay with smokeless powder, that's the way to go. I won't recommend a load because I don't shoot smokeless, but in this case, the bullet issue doesn't change. Your gun is stronger than a trapdoor, but I don't know the upper end that is safe. You don't need high pressures to kill a moose or an eland, so it doesn't really matter. If you want to go with black, figure that you have to leave space (after compressing black powder) for a thin wad between grease and powder, a grease wad that is 0.1 - 0.25" thick, and then a thicker wad, I like 0.06" LDPE plastic wads or similar fiber gasket wads, and finally the bullet. Go fat and load it very long, up to the lands.
if you need a bullet mould recommendation, I can find one for you.
This rifle will have the very fine 1 piece firing pin. It is fat and fine.
It is an awesome moose rifle. Lesser beasts like deer are nonissues for any .45 Sharps.
Welcome to the forum and let us know how that rifle works out. Nothing better than moose on the table.
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Kurt
- Posts: 8428
- Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 10:28 pm
- Location: Not Far enough NW in Illinois
Re: My Farmingdale
I had a sharps that the long freebore of .400" and the only bullet that would shoot well was a PP patched to groove diameter with a slight tapered ogive so it would feed in a fouled chamber if a follow up shoot was needed.
Also a GG shaped like this in the photo that has no bore riding step but slightly tapered to the front driving band just ahead of the crimp groove. That bullet will feed in a fouled chamber but you need to have that made by a custom mould maker.
Also a GG shaped like this in the photo that has no bore riding step but slightly tapered to the front driving band just ahead of the crimp groove. That bullet will feed in a fouled chamber but you need to have that made by a custom mould maker.
The reason a dog has so many friends is because he wags his tail instead of his tongue.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery"Winston Churchill
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery"Winston Churchill
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Contaucreek
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:37 am
- Location: Ontario Canada
Re: My Farmingdale
Thank you for the replies. BFD by Drovel receiver I was referring to the marking on the side of the receiver "Drovel Tool Mfg, Farmingdale N.Y." I believe my rifle may be a "Civilian Carbine" as it has a very short barrel that lacks a band. Others will know better than I.
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Lumpy Grits
- Posts: 7679
- Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2003 7:58 pm
- Location: Springfield, Missouri-U.S.A. Earth
Re: My Farmingdale
Welcome to the sic-ness 
The hook has been set.
Can you post pictures of your rifle
I'm sure many here(ME
)would like to see it.
Gary
The hook has been set.
Can you post pictures of your rifle
I'm sure many here(ME
)would like to see it.Gary
"Hav'n you along, is like loose'n two good men"
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Contaucreek
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:37 am
- Location: Ontario Canada
Re: My Farmingdale
Trying a pic of my receiver markings for BFD
Yay I can post pics! Im gonna be on fire now!
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Contaucreek
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:37 am
- Location: Ontario Canada
Re: My Farmingdale
Not a glamour shot but just to confirm it exists. Barrel is 23.25" from crown to case coloured receiver.
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Lumpy Grits
- Posts: 7679
- Joined: Tue Jan 28, 2003 7:58 pm
- Location: Springfield, Missouri-U.S.A. Earth
Re: My Farmingdale
BBL is measured from the face of the breech block, to the muzzle.
Did good on the pictures
Gary
Did good on the pictures
Gary
"Hav'n you along, is like loose'n two good men"
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D. Taylor Sapergia
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2017 2:34 pm
- Location: Prince George, British Columbia
Re: My Farmingdale
Suggestion: don't take pictures of rifles against a white background. The camera sets the exposure for the white background and makes the image of the rifle too dark. Use a background that is a medium grey or blue outside on cloudy day.