Rolling block project
Rolling block project
I just picked up a two band No. 1 in 50-70. I think it was rebored from a .43 Spanish because the twist rate is 1:30. It's missing some parts and needs some TLC but the action is nice and crisp with no looseness anywhere. It's missing the rear sight, ejector, retainer for the pins and the cleaning rod is wrong. The stock has a chunk missing by the top tang. It has no bluing and not much patina. I've located the parts the I need but haven't ordered them yet. There is some minor pitting in the bore but the rifling is sharp. I think if it shoots good I'll replace all the wood and cut the new forend off in front of the barrel band and pour a pewter nose cap. That way I'll have the original wood if I want to put it back. My question is did they make any No. 1 sporters with round barrels? All the pics I have seen have octagonal barrels. Also how is the forend attached? If I can find an original sporter forend at a decent price I might go that route.
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marlinman93
- Posts: 407
- Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2004 10:47 pm
Re: Rolling block project
If your top tang and lower tang are the same length your gun is a military. Sporting Rifles have a longer lower tang that has a wood screw in the hole of the longer lower tang up into the stock.
Sporting rifles were made in octagon, half octagon, round, and even round with just a few inches of octagon over the chamber area. Forearms on Sporting Rifles were usually fitted with a lug dovetailed into the bottom of the barrel, and a single screw threaded into the lug. But I've seen some that simply had a hole drilled and tapped into the barrel and the screw went into the threaded hole. Sporting forearms used a steel tip mostly, but some later had ebony inserts instead, and some deluxe special order could have almost anything the customer wanted.
Forearm on my very early Creedmoor:
Sporting rifles were made in octagon, half octagon, round, and even round with just a few inches of octagon over the chamber area. Forearms on Sporting Rifles were usually fitted with a lug dovetailed into the bottom of the barrel, and a single screw threaded into the lug. But I've seen some that simply had a hole drilled and tapped into the barrel and the screw went into the threaded hole. Sporting forearms used a steel tip mostly, but some later had ebony inserts instead, and some deluxe special order could have almost anything the customer wanted.
Forearm on my very early Creedmoor:
Re: Rolling block project
Thank you for the info. It is military. I'm not restoring it, I just wanted to turn it into a sporter if it wasn't too difficult. I'd rather have a sporter forend than the military length. It does have a lug in the barrel but it's not threaded and it's not dovetailed it's held in place with a screw. It might be possible to remove it and just use the threaded hole in the barrel. As for the nose cap it's easier for me to pour a pewter cap than to fit a steel cap.
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marlinman93
- Posts: 407
- Joined: Sat Aug 14, 2004 10:47 pm
Re: Rolling block project
The screw that holds the lug wont really work to attach the forearm as once you remove the screw the lug will come off. I guess you could put some epoxy under the lug and apply grease to the screw threads and epoxy the lug to the barrel. Then once it set up the screw could be replaced with a longer screw that held both forearm and lug to the barrel at the same time.
I think there's enough material in the military forearm to remove some to shape it more like a Sporter, and delete the barrel band. The steel forearm tips are available for around $22-$25 and aren't too hard to inlet for. They use a screw from the inside out into the steel forearm cap. But a pewter would also look nice.
I think there's enough material in the military forearm to remove some to shape it more like a Sporter, and delete the barrel band. The steel forearm tips are available for around $22-$25 and aren't too hard to inlet for. They use a screw from the inside out into the steel forearm cap. But a pewter would also look nice.
Re: Rolling block project
I was thinking just run a screw through the lug and into the barrel. I have the steel cap but I suck at woodwork, especially inletting. It's much easier for me to pour a pewter cap.