Wanted a Rolling Block for Over 50 Years, and Now,...

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Send it off to Bobby Hoyt in Fairfield Pa and have it RELINED to a small caliber with available brass. $200?

38-55 with blackpowder loads are powdepuff

Seriously? $200?

I'm watching a 38-55 Contender Carbine barrel (which I have no business doing) that I know will go for a LOT more than that - already is more than that.

I found his number and called but he couldn't pick up, so I'll call again tomorrow.

"Powder-Puff," black powder loads in 38-55 are still quite capable of poking holes in paper OR deer.

Thanks!
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Another option is re-line to something like .30-30. Very accurate caliber. Easy to find brass. .30 cal bullet choices are endless and recoil is minimal...

Yes, Sir! This is exactly why my "main" centerfire rifle is a 30/30 again after many decades of playing with other stuff. It might weigh 6#, 6.5# scoped - another Contender Carbine. I already have dies, moulds, etc. and it shoots cast well enough for head-shots on squirrel at 50 yards.

The brass commonality, the 30/30 being a descendant of the 38-55 was one of my rationalizations for my semi-guiltless infatuation. This would be superfluous to my NEEDS, but I can't shake the the idea.

I'll try to talk to Mr. Hoyt this week and see what he has to say.

As far as recoil goes, this elegant beast has considerable mass - probably on par with my muzzle-loader at 10.25#. 249 grain bullets at about 1300 fps shouldn't be too bad, but the 30/30 is appealing as well. I'm quite fond of the old round.

This is getting dangerous.:oops:

EDIT: I'm no fan of recoil. A 40+ year-old neck injury has made it intolerable, so I don't really load any shoulder-fired arm which generates much recoil at all. A shot or two from a 20 gauge will make me cuss my stupidity for having done so for two weeks.
 
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300BLK

Well-Known Member
Seriously? $200?

I'm watching a 38-55 Contender Carbine barrel (which I have no business doing) that I know will go for a LOT more than that - already is more than that.

I found his number and called but he couldn't pick up, so I'll call again tomorrow.

"Powder-Puff," black powder loads in 38-55 are still quite capable of poking holes in paper OR deer.

Thanks!
Try calling before 8am, or around noon. Once he's in the shop and machines running, he might not be able to get to the phone. Do verify price as EVERYTHING has gone up. Rebore/re-rifle on TC MLer barrels was $125 IIRC.

He's highly popular with the NSSA guys for relining CW muskets. He makes muzzleloader barrels and relines and rebores modern barrels as well. I think his limit is 1-13" for quick twist, but 1-16" would be more appropriate for a 38-55, 32-40, or 32WinSpl.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Try calling before 8am, or around noon. Once he's in the shop and machines running, he might not be able to get to the phone. Do verify price as EVERYTHING has gone up. Rebore/re-rifle on TC MLer barrels was $125 IIRC.

He's highly popular with the NSSA guys for relining CW muskets. He makes muzzleloader barrels and relines and rebores modern barrels as well. I think his limit is 1-13" for quick twist, but 1-16" would be more appropriate for a 38-55, 32-40, or 32WinSpl.

Certainly expect things to be more and he's the one doing the work, so I won't hold you to that price.;)

You had to go and mention the 32 Winchester Special,... There's another one I've never had but always thought would be a gem. I don't buy bullets, so I don't shoot any jacketed, except for the 223 and I only shoot that when I HAVE to, so I have enough of those forever.

I'll try to catch him again tomorrow.

Thanks for the head-up on time.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
.........I'm not particularly bright! :angry:

HEY! We could start a club! We'll be members 001 and 002.;)

Took me 50 years, from the time they came out until I finally bought one - day late/dollar short, just like I always do. I noticed them in an ad in one of the gun pubs of t he day - '68 or '69. Weird, spacey, racy-looking thing but sorta cool. Always though they'd be a neat carbine, as I drooled over all the smaller,obsolete straight-wall cartridges in COTW. Too dumb as a kid to not be affected by the blather about how the 38/357 just werent enough for "big" game and WAY too much for small game.

Smith had just discontinued the G2 and they were scarce and expensive, so I ended up with a nice, blued original. When I got that little action out of the Small Flat Rate Box at the FFL's shop and held it in my palm, I fell completely for them.

I could write a BOOK (which few would want to read) about why everyone should own at least one in some economical cartridge (357 Mag is my personal favorite) to hang onto until the bitter end. Eminently useful, light, compact, simple,...

I will shut up now, or I'll have a 1200-word post, but they're still out there and, today, one must just close one's eyes and fork over the dough. I've not made any screaming deals myself, but I have a few now and that's what matters.

Haven't heard boo about the SSK-50 in a year now, but if that ever ends up flying, there will be a source for original Contenders again. Tried to prod TC for info on whether anyone has shown an interest in buying them and starting back up, but got a benign, but polite "line" in reply.

Yeah, I DID say I'd shut up now.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
LOL!

I started feeling guilty about dragging some guy's thread off topic and remembered it was one I started.:rolleyes:

Hmmm, a Contender Carbine thread,...

One of the most compelling reasons this platform unseated the 92 lever action for me (which I still wish I still had anyway) was that it has so few cast bullet restrictions attached. I hit a wall with the 357 lever and bolt-actions, which is not even a wee bit of a concern with the TC (or a Handi, for that matter).
 

Rick H

Well-Known Member
I have a TC Contender carbine....3 barrels. Factory 22Hornet, Virgin Valley (now MGM?) 22 lr. and a Bullberry 7x30 Waters. Probably all the rifle I need for hunting here in Michigan. Accurate, a pleasure to carry, and probably one of the very last guns I would ever get rid of.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I have a TC Contender carbine....3 barrels. Factory 22Hornet, Virgin Valley (now MGM?) 22 lr. and a Bullberry 7x30 Waters. Probably all the rifle I need for hunting here in Michigan. Accurate, a pleasure to carry, and probably one of the very last guns I would ever get rid of.

That sounds like a combination ripe for a great article on subsistence-living. Couple LEE Loaders, couple pounds of powder, couple moulds,....

I only have one "loose" barrel, which an unfired, 20" 357 Max, for some day, if I ever get time to hunt deer again, otherwise, the 357 Mag gets 99% of the attention. The 30/30 is that "inextinguishable ember of hope," that I may even have a chance to hunt out of state again, plus it's fun to shoot and assures not all my eggs are in one (357) basket. The 223 is obligatory, the only thing I still use jacketed in and doesn't get used much at all. I almost resent that one - an action tied up for what I consider a mandatory round for anyone and everyone. Great cartridge - I just like others better.

Four barrels, three actions. Sure, they're quick and easy to swap barrels, but that convenience only benefits one based on at least SOME level of prior planning and premeditation. Having ore than one action is like having one (or more) complete spare parts kits you can simply swap, in total, if one develops a limp.

I have no desire to own a bunch of barrels, though I know many derive great pleasure from that. I'd pounce on another action if it came aloing cheaply enough, and I'd surely not be saddened by the addition of a 38-55 (or 375) barrel, mostly for fun, with a noticable tint of practicality, but it's not "necessary" and I could live without it. Sure would be an easy way to get into one of the old BP cartridges, and in a platform I have come to respect and appreciate a great deal.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Send it off to Bobby Hoyt in Fairfield Pa and have it RELINED to a small caliber with available brass. $200?

38-55 with blackpowder loads are powdepuff

After you posted this, I looked him up on the 'net and wrote his contact info on a post-it and slipped it into the credit-card slot on my phone cover.
It occurred to me today that I better transcribe it into my little brown book of important stuff to remember and discovered I already HAD his contact information. Now, I remember that a fella at a gun show, about five years ago, shared this with me. It was written down in HIS little brown book of important stuff to remember.

No, I don't keep this stuff on my phone. I've dropped my phone in the basement sump, the toilet (heavily infused with bowl cleaner at that moment, which, over the course of a week, ate the glue that held all the buttons on it), into an 18" post-hole while power-augering and, for my encore, MOWED one with a 26HP, 54" mulching mower. I've never broken the screen on my notebook, it's never "died" on me and I can read it in bright sunlight.

Anyway, I'm not sure what daydream I was chasing at that moment, but I'd thought seriously about it at that time to write down his contact info.
 

4060MAY

Active Member
Jeff
I have installed Set triggers in 4 RB, not an easily done
i have worked on more than 8 RB over the years
my first BPCR rifle is a Danish/Swede RB I barreled in 40-60 Maynard, converted to CF, and SST
One thing I can assure you, DO NOT let anyone grind the hammer to trigger geometry, the results will be daunting
the trigger pull can be made better with a spring made from piano wire, look on the ASSRA site there are instructions for the diameter and process to make the spring

is the action sliding or rotary extractor, if the bore is not too bad, brass can be made for it, see Cheatin Charlie on the ASSRA site, if it's not there let me know and I'll have him contact you, I think he was using one of the belted mag cases with a snap ring installed, with some minor lathe work

Easier to install a barrel than line one, regardless, the extractor fit is the hardest part of the job
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Jeff
I have installed Set triggers in 4 RB, not an easily done
i have worked on more than 8 RB over the years
my first BPCR rifle is a Danish/Swede RB I barreled in 40-60 Maynard, converted to CF, and SST
One thing I can assure you, DO NOT let anyone grind the hammer to trigger geometry, the results will be daunting
the trigger pull can be made better with a spring made from piano wire, look on the ASSRA site there are instructions for the diameter and process to make the spring

is the action sliding or rotary extractor, if the bore is not too bad, brass can be made for it, see Cheatin Charlie on the ASSRA site, if it's not there let me know and I'll have him contact you, I think he was using one of the belted mag cases with a snap ring installed, with some minor lathe work

Easier to install a barrel than line one, regardless, the extractor fit is the hardest part of the job
Thanks for that, Sir. All very useful and helpful. I've had numerous Mausers and Ruger M77s rebarreled for the princely sum of $100 by a gunsmith who liked me. Looked at McGowen's site for a datum point (my guy gave up) and Mausers were $200, RBs $500! Without the cost of the barrel.

That said, any tips such as yours are welcome.

I don't have a budget for this rifle, meaning NO MONEY, not NO LIMIT! So, I am interested in any way to make use of it. 20 years ago, this would already be sitting in someone's shop awaiting a rebarrel and I'd be sitting here scraping and sanding a couple pieces of wood for it.

I sincerely appreciate the note on the trigger and it validates my own misgivings about such work. There ARE triggers I'll work on, but the direct interface on this one is, as you note, not conducive to too much tuning. Yes, the trigger spring could be lighter, but I will wait on that until I know I can swing a way to shoot this (as) cheaply (a possible) and your thoughts are encouraging.

I recognize your handle from somewhere and am glad to see you here.

My quandary is thus: descending into a new rabbit hole with a 50" long musket. Each time I think about this prospective project, I have a vision of the innumerable video clips of some poor mutt trying to carry a stick cross-wise through an opening in a fence.;)
 
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Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
If you have a wet spot for a .32, you might consider a .32-40 over a .32 Spec. The Schuetzen guys love that little cartridge. And we have several guys at Wilton shooting it out of Win or Browning Traditional Hunters (Japanese High Walls) with some amazing accuracy. And although the rumor mill says the accuracy falls apart after 300 yds, guy shooting them at Wilton would have to differ. I've seen some amazing groups shot at 500 yds with the .32-40. And after their success, two members built Hepburns in the same caliber.
 

4060MAY

Active Member
Jeff
What shape is your RB in
rusty, pitted pristine ?
wood rotted or solid
this winter a friend asked me to barrel one in 22lr
just a challenge for me, a reason to get out in the shop
I did it using a barrel stub and offset the barrel for the firing pin, it worked, didn't cut the extractor yet
he then decided not to do it, then asked me to install a 30 cal barrel in 30-40 Krag
delivered it to him at the Ridgway match, Winchester 1-10 barrel take-off originally 30-06
no sights on it, offhand he come really close to 2 chickens, happy camper

I did it to see if I could still cut square threads, my friend the tool maker made the cutter for me
I se you are in NW OH, how close to Akron?
Chuck
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
That sounds like a combination ripe for a great article on subsistence-living. Couple LEE Loaders, couple pounds of powder, couple moulds,....

I only have one "loose" barrel, which an unfired, 20" 357 Max, for some day, if I ever get time to hunt deer again, otherwise, the 357 Mag gets 99% of the attention. The 30/30 is that "inextinguishable ember of hope," that I may even have a chance to hunt out of state again, plus it's fun to shoot and assures not all my eggs are in one (357) basket. The 223 is obligatory, the only thing I still use jacketed in and doesn't get used much at all. I almost resent that one - an action tied up for what I consider a mandatory round for anyone and everyone. Great cartridge - I just like others better.

Four barrels, three actions. Sure, they're quick and easy to swap barrels, but that convenience only benefits one based on at least SOME level of prior planning and premeditation. Having ore than one action is like having one (or more) complete spare parts kits you can simply swap, in total, if one develops a limp.

I have no desire to own a bunch of barrels, though I know many derive great pleasure from that. I'd pounce on another action if it came aloing cheaply enough, and I'd surely not be saddened by the addition of a 38-55 (or 375) barrel, mostly for fun, with a noticable tint of practicality, but it's not "necessary" and I could live without it. Sure would be an easy way to get into one of the old BP cartridges, and in a platform I have come to respect and appreciate a great deal.
I'm currently trying to get my old partner to sell me the Contender I steered him to. He doesn't reload and the barrels are a 218 Bee and 30 Herret. I see I can get a 25/35 Win barrel, 21", for enough moola. That would make me very happy.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Chuck, I did that eccentric thing to a rotted out .32 rimfire #4 takedown with a badly mangled barrel tenon so I wouldn't have to modify the breech block after putting in a .22 rimfire liner, worked great and got it shooting again.
 

Mowgli Terry

Active Member
The real bear working with the old single shot has to do with bullets. The best solution with out doing serious backflips comes from Lee Bullet mold # 459-405-HB. That's a hollow base bullet designed for 45-70 trapdoors. Cast from unalloyed lead bullets come out .462. I lube the bullets with SPG lube. The hollow base bullets work great in TD and in the Danish Remington, These old guns shoot very well with ammo that fits. Both my old guns had bullets enough larger than our .458 to be crazy making. Slugging the bore with three lands and grooves is not so easy. I did not shoot my 1869 very much. The Lyman 50 cal. bullet mold worked OK in that particular rifle YMMV, On this projects it's always good to check out the Buffalo Arms website.

I was hunting for a bridle for the 1863 Springfield lock that Bubba had dry fired. It was a short look. It was the same as the part that was found on 45-70 TD's, The difference was the peg the located the bridle was shorter for the thinner 45-70 lock plate. Got the lock fixed. I understand that TD socket bayonets were reworked from those for the 1861-1863 muskets.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
Jeff
What shape is your RB in
rusty, pitted pristine ?
wood rotted or solid
this winter a friend asked me to barrel one in 22lr
just a challenge for me, a reason to get out in the shop
I did it using a barrel stub and offset the barrel for the firing pin, it worked, didn't cut the extractor yet
he then decided not to do it, then asked me to install a 30 cal barrel in 30-40 Krag
delivered it to him at the Ridgway match, Winchester 1-10 barrel take-off originally 30-06
no sights on it, offhand he come really close to 2 chickens, happy camper

I did it to see if I could still cut square threads, my friend the tool maker made the cutter for me
I se you are in NW OH, how close to Akron?
Chuck
Pretty decent shape other than aesthetically. These shipped in the white, so any rust was very light and no pitting. Internally, under the petrified gunk, really nice. Wood is very dry and shrunken and checked.

I'm on the other side of the state from Akron.
 

Jeff H

NW Ohio
I'm currently trying to get my old partner to sell me the Contender I steered him to. He doesn't reload and the barrels are a 218 Bee and 30 Herret. I see I can get a 25/35 Win barrel, 21", for enough moola. That would make me very happy.
Well, I managed to watch THIS for five days without jumping on it:

Too many irons in the fire as it is, even though I've pared things way down so I DIDN'T have so many undone projects. Still don't have all my final choices all tuned up and "dialed in" and shooting perfectly, so I sweated this one out.

Not being able to focus for too many years got me in a spot where I had a bunch of stuff in need of this or that. I managed to pull it off this time. I'm sort of pleased with myself over that, but still kicking my sad self in the butt over it too.:(

EDIT: And if it hadn't been for the RB falling into my lap, I would NOT have had the will to pass on the one in the link, which would have meant looking for another action, stock set, dies, moulds, brass, but I'd have saved a bit on the scope, rings and base, because it would have gotten the Williams target peep I've been saving for something like that. I'm still weighing options and scrutinizing costs on the RB.
 
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Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
32-40, 38-55, both those are great old cartridges that are under appreciated today.