The downtrodden

[Kevin Peacocke]

Still, my favorite rifle that you used to own ... will be that Springfield Model 1903A3 in .458 Winchester Magnum. Never saw a more beautiful looking rifle.

Please can you post a photo?

 

[xausa]

Double heat treat Springfield 1903 action, metal work by Harry Creighton, stock by Hal Hartly, Lyman Alaskan scope in Griffin & Howe side mount, Lyman 48 receiver sight, Redfield banded ramp with Sourdough front sight. The rifle was built in the early 1960's, with an African hunt in mind. It is one of a three part set, differing only in caliber and scope. The other two were .375 Chatfield/Taylor (.375/.338) and 7mm Remington Magnum. None of them actually made it to Africa while in my possession. I ended up taking three other calibers to Africa in addition to my .505 SRE: A Krieghoff O/U double rifle in caliber .458 WM, with interchangeable barrel set in .375 H&H, and a pre-War Model 70 Winchester, caliber .300 H&H. Two of my original caliber choices did make it on my trip.

 

[Jay Kelley]

Winchester Model 12 in 16 gauge. Rescued her from 60 years in a closet. Cleaned up most of the rust, but I can't get the shell stop to work. Going to have another go before I take her to the gunsmith.

 

[Jay Kelley]

Winchester Model 12 in 16 gauge. Rescued her from 60 years in a closet. Cleaned up most of the rust, but I can't get the shell stop to work. Going to have another go before I take her to the gunsmith.

Apologies. I can't get the picture to load. Anyway. If I can get her running. I plan to take her to Kansas for my annual pheasant hunt

 

[robtattoo]

I broke ground on my own Ugly today. Old Remington 721 I just got back from reboring. I've cut the barrel down & recrowned, sights & barrel band sling mount are on the way. I've pre-stripped the bluing to prep for the soldering.
I cut 4" off the forend this afternoon.

I'm not trying to make this an ugly gun in purpose, but I'm definitely a form-follows-function guy & I'm not going to try & make it pretty either!

 

[Josh P]

Looking forward to updates. Please continue to distract me from my own projects, *cough*purchases*cough*.

 

[Newboomer]

Looking forward to updates. Please continue to distract me from my own projects, *cough*purchases*cough*.

Yup. Form follows function. Who cares what it looks like as long as it shoots a decent group. In fact, I prefer one like that. I feel more comfortable in the bush with that rather than a real pretty one I'd be afraid of scratching or dinging.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

This hard working enough for you? I make it a point not to batter, bruise or abuse any of my possessions (if you take care of things, they will last forever). But my Churchill Gunmakers Model Deluxe 7x57mm Mauser has been downing game in six of the world’s seven continents from 1989 to present.
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@Hunter Habib
Nice rifle in a classic caliber but I think you need a new recoil pad

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Here's my entry: I designed the cartridge, got the barrel from John Buhmiller, had the reamer made, had the dies made, had the rifle made around a P14 Enfield action. I tested the rifle and the cartridge.
I loaded a supply of ammunition, took it to Africa and killed rhino, elephant and Cape buffalo with it.
Strictly no frills. The cartridge, which I dubbed the .505 SRE (Short Range Express), is the one in the middle.
View attachment 485190
View attachment 485189
I

@xausa
How bout a bit more info on the .505 SRE, sound interesting.
It's a great achievement when you design your own cartridge and it woks as expected or better.
It was like that with my fast 25.
Those old P14s and M17s make up intoning rifles that you can't beat to death with a big stick. They just keep on working.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

View attachment 485672
I broke ground on my own Ugly today. Old Remington 721 I just got back from reboring. I've cut the barrel down & recrowned, sights & barrel band sling mount are on the way. I've pre-stripped the bluing to prep for the soldering.
I cut 4" off the forend this afternoon.

I'm not trying to make this an ugly gun in purpose, but I'm definitely a form-follows-function guy & I'm not going to try & make it pretty either!

@robtattoo
What was it originally and what did you rebore it to.
Please don't tell me it was an original 721 in 257 Roberts that you did the job on. That would be absolute sacrilege.
Bob

 

[robtattoo]

@robtattoo
What was it originally and what did you rebore it to.
Please don't tell me it was an original 721 in 257 Roberts that you did the job on. That would be absolute sacrilege.
Bob

Yes & no. It WAS an original 721, but in .30-06. I believe it was a 1949 model. I got it in trade for a cheap AR upper & figured "why not!" It had no sentimental value to anyone in aware of & it was in very well used condition.

Looked like a great candidate for the old hacksaw treatment!

 

[C.W. Richter]

Hunter habib, just change recoil pad, and it will be like new!

+some oil.

 

[xausa]

@xausa
How bout a bit more info on the .505 SRE, sound interesting.
It's a great achievement when you design your own cartridge and it woks as expected or better.
It was like that with my fast 25.
Those old P14s and M17s make up intoning rifles that you can't beat to death with a big stick. They just keep on working.
Bob

I had originally intended to use bullets for the .505 Gibbs with my cartridge, but learned too late that the Gibbs cartridge was propriatary and the componants not available. Barnes did make a few, using copper tubing for jackets. John Buhmiller used to say that Barnes solids made good soft points.

Fortunately, i was able to locate a supply of Kynoch .500 NE 570 grain solids, so I changed my ambition to replicating .500 NE ballistics instead of .505 Gibbs. At first I had the .510" NE bullets turned down to .505" in diameter, but then discovered that the bullets could be swaged down using bullet sizing dies.
Eventually I gave even that up, when I found that, given enough neck clearance, the .510" bullets could be fired unaltered with no ill effects.

I was able to propel the NE bullets at 2150 fps with ease, and that was the load I used in Africa. I loaded primarily solids. I never used what few soft point bullets I took with me. I did take some 600 grain Barnes "solid" loads and tried one out on a wildebeest at 100 yards. The animal went down at the shot, got up and took a step or two, then went down for good. The bullet had shattered on the shoulder blade, but had the desired effect despite its theoretical failure.

I later had an identical rifle made using a .510" groove diameter barrel. It performed well on the range, but I never took it to Africa. It has found a home with Buckstix.

Designing a cartridge and bringing it to fruition in Africa did give me a sense of achievement. I know John Buhmiller had done the same with his alteration of the full length .378 Weatherby cartridge to take .458" and .510" diameter bullets, and it gives me a lot of satisfaction to be in such illustrious company.

 

[colorado]

This rifle isn't beat up but it was born ugly ...

The one on the bottom is my 50 year old BDL in 270 that's seen well over a thousand hunting days. It's still pretty.

Finally my bear without my ugly rifle in the picture .

 

[John the Electrician]

I inherited this 1897 Winchester 12 gauge. In my life it had been my grandfather’s however I am confident it was owned by an even older family member before him. Really no blueing of any kind left on it. I will need to have it checked out before I dare to fire it. It was kept in the open wall pocket at the top of the stairs to the basement at grandpas house ever since I can remember.
I’m sure the open sights were added some time between the middle 50’s and late 70’s. As this area was “shotgun only “ for deer, attempts were made to accurize the gun.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

I had originally intended to use bullets for the .505 Gibbs with my cartridge, but learned too late that the Gibbs cartridge was propriatary and the componants not available. Barnes did make a few, using copper tubing for jackets. John Buhmiller used to say that Barnes solids made good soft points.

Fortunately, i was able to locate a supply of Kynoch .500 NE 570 grain solids, so I changed my ambition to replicating .500 NE ballistics instead of .505 Gibbs. At first I had the .510" NE bullets turned down to .505" in diameter, but then discovered that the bullets could be swaged down using bullet sizing dies.
Eventually I gave even that up, when I found that, given enough neck clearance, the .510" bullets could be fired unaltered with no ill effects.

I was able to propel the NE bullets at 2150 fps with ease, and that was the load I used in Africa. I loaded primarily solids. I never used what few soft point bullets I took with me. I did take some 600 grain Barnes "solid" loads and tried one out on a wildebeest at 100 yards. The animal went down at the shot, got up and took a step or two, then went down for good. The bullet had shattered on the shoulder blade, but had the desired effect despite its theoretical failure.

I later had an identical rifle made using a .510" groove diameter barrel. It performed well on the range, but I never took it to Africa. It has found a home with Buckstix.

Designing a cartridge and bringing it to fruition in Africa did give me a sense of achievement. I know John Buhmiller had done the same with his alteration of the full length .378 Weatherby cartridge to take .458" and .510" diameter bullets, and it gives me a lot of satisfaction to be in such illustrious company.View attachment 486645

John Buhmiller was 100% right. The old Barnes copper jacketed lead cored solids were made by pinching copper tubing over a lead core and then cutting off the excess tubing at the end of the bullet base, leaving behind a pin hole. This pin hole turned out to be the bullet’s undoing. When these solids used to be employed against elephants for frontal shots … the lead core used to squeeze out of the back of the bullet base like tooth paste. And bullet distortion was inevitable. Did you encounter the same problem, @xausa ?