Advice for building Rolling Block

[mdeland]

Lately I've been browning the barrels after case coloring or rust bluing the receivers and the subtle two tone coloring makes a nice effect. Good rust bluing will turn brown any way over time, then it's called Patina !
The little # 4 has this finish on the original, relined barrel. I decided to keep and repair the original stock. You can see the wood inlay around the grip area about half depth that was oil rotted.

[mdeland]

Another nice touch you may want to consider too that is seen on the target rifle pictured is the "octing" of the receiver top as the 1902's come round. I think some of the foreign receivers are octagon on the top though. There is lots of steel in the receiver to work with and no lateral cut outs in the barrel chamber area for the old style extractor. These actions also have the mechanical firing pin re-tractor so you can't stick a firing pin forward and set off a cartridge before the breach is blocked by the hammer fall.

[mdeland]

A few more pictures of the Hawken style trigger guard as requested by PM.

[mdeland]

The rear attachment screw is a threaded plug into the stock, glass bedded and timed threaded into the bottom of the hand guard curl. It is then dressed off to all but make it disappear. The front screw is threaded from the exterior and counter sunk into the hand guard.

[mdeland]

I'd sure like to see some more pictures of you guy's Rolling Block rifles! I get some great ideas from them and after all, they are one of America's great and wildly successful rifle designs!
Might be able to butcher up a few more like the ones posted !

[Michael Johnson]

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Here is a photo of my Dave Higginbotham 50-90 in it's entirety. It weighs 10.5 pounds and has a straight 1.125 inch heavy octagon Green Mountain barrel.

[Aviator]

Here's my 40-65 roller, that I built up from a 1902 action, including cutting the octagon top on the receiver.
It was my first project rifle. First time doing stock fitting, first time doing rust bluing.
Green Mountain #3-1/2 barrel, 32 inches long.

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IMG_20170607_174548781_even_smaller.jpg

IMG_20170607_174457372_even_smaller.jpg

[mdeland]

Boy, I which my first rifles looked half as good Aviator! Nice work, hows she shoot? Are you paper patching or doing the GG's in her?
Mike, that rifle is a work of art. What's the recoil like and how does she shoot? What bullet?
I am a real fan of GM barrels after making quite a few rifles in different calibers and a couple of muzzle loaders using them. There tolerances are very close as I plug gauge and scope every one.
Last 50-90 I shot was a 9 pound Ballard as I remember and it didn't hurt me for the couple of shots I took. The owner sold it though and said he didn't like the pounding it gave him. Nice rifle, I think it was a Cody. Ballard's like rollers usually have a lot of drop and that contributes to felt recoil.
I am going to have to have a 50-70 Roller or trapdoor (if it will work in one) sooner or later.

[Aviator]

Thanks for the kind words!

It shoots very well with a 330 gr grease groove bullet with smokeless loads. Had trouble with stability with 400 gr bullets, even though it is a 14-1/2 twist.

Just getting ready to try black powder in it. I have ten different sample loads loaded, and hope to get to the range soon. I'm hopeful that it will be a good BPCR Silhouette rifle.

[Michael Johnson]

Mike my 50-90 shoots a 550 grain Paul Jones bullet that is basically his 50 Creedmoor with the nose lobbed off. It is used as a hunting rifle. I have shot bison, elk and deer with it.

[SchuetzenDave]

The first .50 calibers came out with a 48:1 twist and we have moved all the way up to the tight 20:1 twist to shoot very long bullets.
Here is a table of the BACO bullets and the gyroscopic stability factor (Sg) for each bullet by twist rate:

Bullet Weight Length 1:36 1:34 1:32 1:30 1:28 1:26 1:24 1:22 1:20
Grain Inches
BACO JIM512450 480 0.970 1.80 2.01 2.27 2.59 2.97 3.44 4.04 4.81 5.82
BACO JIM511500 FN 500 1.010 1.69 1.89 2.13 2.43 2.79 3.23 3.79 4.51 5.46
BACO JIM512515 540 1.100 1.46 1.63 1.84 2.10 2.41 2.79 3.28 3.90 4.72
BACO JIM511600 FN 600 1.220 1.22 1.37 1.55 1.76 2.02 2.34 2.75 3.27 3.96
BACO JIM511650 FN 650 1.300 1.11 1.25 1.41 1.61 1.84 2.14 2.51 2.99 3.61
BACO JIM511670M1 Money 67 1.515 0.75 0.84 0.95 1.08 1.24 1.44 1.69 2.02 2.44
BACO JIM511695C1 Creedmore 695 1.450 0.88 0.99 1.12 1.27 1.46 1.69 1.98 2.36 2.86

[cw50-70]

I sent my 1902 carbine and some wood to Dave Higginbotham and this is the 50-70 I got back.

[mdeland]

Oh my, that is one spectacular rifle!

[mdeland]

Is the front sight on that gun a Beech?

[cw50-70]

Yes, it is. Just looks funny in the picture.