Out Of The Vault After 22 Years

[fourfive8]

Good gravy, a project I guess! Very impressive. I see Mic once in a while and I'll tell him "yo" for you next time I see him. He seems to be doing really well and in pretty good spirits after having some knee work done and getting through his wife's passing.

 

[John P.]

Good gravy, a project I guess! Very impressive. I see Mic once in a while and I'll tell him "yo" for you next time I see him. He seems to be doing really well and in pretty good spirits after having some knee work done and getting through his wife's passing.

I had heard his wife passed. I did not want to disturb him in his time of loss.

Plus way back when I was working on the project things went little south between Mic and myself, due to my health problems and a divorce. I basically gave up on all shop projects and went into reclusion. But that is water under the bridge, I solved the health issues and finally am back to good health and back to long overdue personal gun projects.

 

[John P.]

Dies made with the chambering reamers. First resize/roughing reamer was tich too large so I sent it back to PTG for a regrind. Thus the two resize dies in the photo.

The throat checker is reamed with the finish reamer and duplicates the chamber throat. Lets me check the bullet seating depth.

The crimp die crimps the case mouth into the bullet. A heavy crimp is required for good feeding and securing the bullets/cartridges in the magazine during recoil.

Note I was trimming the 510 Woodleighs way back in 1999 for use in the tube magazine and shortening the COL.

All made in my shop.

 

[John P.]

Heck of a project! I notice you used a small ring Mauser for the test barrel. What make was it?

In what part of the PNW are you?

My error!! I pulled the proof gun out of the vault today and measured the receiver ring. Ah Ha!
1.372" OD. Other wise it is a full size 98 with the 98 threads. Overall a nice looking action and it has a 3-1/2" magazine cut out, with no redneck grinding on the lower lug. Tempted to use it for another 400 H&H build.

Receiver ring is marked Model 98/85 with the Eagle crest.

Side of receiver is marked Federal Ordnance So El Monte CA USA

 

[John P.]

Some of the bullets test fired

View attachment 388322

THE!!! Bullet is the 500 grain Woodleigh. Anxious to test fire some. Note the cannelure, in the correct position for the big lever gun.

View attachment 388323View attachment 388324View attachment 388325

Edit:

Weighed the bronze bullet today, it is 445 grains, not 375 as shown in the photo.

 

[sestoppelman]

Well, glad to know I aint crazy or going blind! LOL. Thanks for that update and clarification.
That you used a receiver marked Fed Ord for such a project would send many running for the hills. But I imagine that is a German or at least good Euro made Mauser action and not one of their own making.
Fed Ord made a lot of M14 type recievers or had made, in Spain I believe and they were spotty in quality. They also made some1903A3 receivers that most steer clear of.

 

[John P.]

Well, glad to know I aint crazy or going blind! LOL. Thanks for that update and clarification.
That you used a receiver marked Fed Ord for such a project would send many running for the hills. But I imagine that is a German or at least good Euro made Mauser action and not one of their own making.
Fed Ord made a lot of M14 type recievers or had made, in Spain I believe and they were spotty in quality. They also made some1903A3 receivers that most steer clear of.

On close inspection looks like the front ring was ground . Overall the action is very nice, not an investment casting as some of the lesser Springfields by Fed Ord were. Interior of the action is very well machined. Not as bad as the Corona actions!

 

[sestoppelman]

On close inspection looks like the front ring was ground . Overall the action is very nice, not an investment casting as some of the lesser Springfields by Fed Ord were. Interior of the action is very well machined. Not as bad as the Corona actions!

The grinding marks you see are due to removing old markings/stampings so they could put their goofy eagle on over it. No way was it ground down to a small ring from a large ring, it was always a small ring action.

 

[John P.]

The grinding marks you see are due to removing old markings/stampings so they could put their goofy eagle on over it. No way was it ground down to a small ring from a large ring, it was always a small ring action.

Interesting. I do not know much about Fed Ord other than reading their ads in American Rifleman many years ago.

I have a Santa Barbara Corona, was this also sold by Fed Ord?

 

[sestoppelman]

Fed Ord may have sold Corona actions, they sold lots of stuff, some of their own making some not. The Spanish Corona was used mostly in Parker Hale rifles, and some custom guns. Not sure if any other major maker used them but its certainly possible.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I'm very interested in hearing more. Much more.

I love stories about just "making it work" and the project sounds fascinating.

CT

@CharlesT .
+1
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Not the Alaskan. It is Mic McPhersons 510 Kodiak. 348 Win case expanded to take the .510 bullet.

I ran many bullets through the test rifle and the Marlin. Dug out the data today, it is a stack of paperwork about 2 inches high along with a 3 ring binder with the test fire date.

Highest energy load I found in the data was with the 450 grain Hawk. 5265 ft/lbs 2295 ft/sec. Eclipses the 458 Win a bit.

I used some 510 grain Woodleighs, the COL was too long to cycle through the action, had to single load. This is the bullet that exceeded 5500 ft/lbs. I do not remember if I kept the data due to the COL problems, but I am still looking, there are more files on this project tucked away in my archives. Just gotta find it!

Now it was 22 years ago when I was doing this. Combined with my 74 year old memory all the details are not at my instant recall.

I decided to revise this project as it bears mentioning to serious big bore guys. I will be running more test loads in the near future. Especially with the Woodleigh 500 grain bullet designed for the 50-110. This bullet has a very large meplat and carries a lot of weight forward, and the crimp groove is right where it needs to be for both maximum powder charge and cycling through the internally lengthened Marlin.

All the credit for this cartridge and rifle must go to Mic McPherson, he designed both the cartridge and the modifications to the Marlin. I am just a blue collar Machinist and carried out the work under his direction.

I lathe turned some bronze solids but never tested them. Next time!

And I have purchased NOE cast bullet molds for the rifle, I will be casting in a few weeks. Hard lead with gas checks.

There was a third party involved, he financed the project. Sadly I recently learned of his passing. This is what gave me the incentive to bring the project back to light.

Would I take on a Cape Buff with this rifle? You betcha.

@John P.
Mate you would be comfortable taking on a bloody Sherman tank with it. Thank goodness it doesn't have a curved steel but plate.
Bob.

 

[Certus]

@John P. any updates to this?

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

This one has been silently aging in the vault since 1999. 5500 ft/lbs.

Thought I would post some info for others to see before I head to the Happy hunting Grounds. It would be a shame for a gun dealer junky to find it and dispose of it with no history.

The rifle was modified in my shop following a design by one of the lever gun experts. I had fun building it but it was a real chore and sometimes a dog gone absolute pain. A lot of changes and modifications to make the big case work in the Marlin. Still needs a bit of work but it is basically functionally. I gave up on the project due to the combination of health issues, runaway diabetes, and a divorce all at once. Thus it was stashed in the vault while I tried to piece together my future. Think I got on the wrong side of a couple of folks due to the never ending project but that is all history now.

So: A couple of photos then I will wait to see if any of you want the details. All the machining work was documented, along with test fire data using the Oehler M43, so I have actual velocity and pressure data for the loads.

View attachment 387758

The test rifle, a single shot M98. 30 foot lanyard. The big piece of channel iron weighs 100 pounds and would move back about 6 inches for each shot. Note the strain gauge on the barrel at the chamber area.

View attachment 387759

I have you decided on which rifle you want to take with you?

Personally I cannot decide between .470N George Gibbs or .404 Heym Martini express. Not sure on ammo availability? Will there be a HHG Hunting Forum.

 

[AustinM]

Would love to see the 510 KE make it. Mic is a personal friend and he would love to hear it making it as well! Still waiting on mine to be completed by Ben Forkin!