The left-right barrel firing order is unusual but it makes sense. The first round's recoil will come more or less straight back and then the second round's recoil will tend to pull more to the right for right handed shooters. I have to say, though that I, too prefer double triggers IF the gun is fit...

My grandparents, too! My "Gram" used 3-in-One a lot, including in her old Singer "treddle" machine and also when SHE cleaned the farm scattergun. (Quite the lady, that one!) Yep! I'm old, too!

The Remington rolling block action has a reputation for being a strong one. Would I be very far offbase to assume that the actions of Pedersoli's would have a strength rating that would be similar to that of an 1894 Winchester when chambered for .357 Magnum or .45 Colt cartridges?

"Banging" is hardly the word. I have had best results using one or two very light "taps". One usually gets "an educated hammer hand" after a short time using the tool. Even so, there will very likely be a fair number of "too much of a good thing" cartridges as...

I am sorry to hear this. Keep us posted on future opportunities, though. The dates for this hunt fell on a busy time for some folks.

Bruce, Thanks for sharing your horn making with us. Here are a few pics of a goat horn blowing horn carried by my Great-grandfather from Pittsburgh, Pa., to the gold fields of California in 1849. The screw tip mouthpiece has long since been lost, but I'm having a horner make a new one for me. Also,...

Very nice!

FWIW a variation I like has a tool handle (e.g. a file handle) attached to one end. It makes the rod a lot easier to use.

One hates to think in these terms but a m/l smoothbore just might be the best "bug out"/long-term survival gun of them all. The old-time Indians may have had it right, all along. Gauge: 10 and 12 gauges tend to be more versatile and effective than smaller gauges. Smaller gauges, i.e. 20 to...

A well set up flint can be as fast as a cap lock. A cap lock has to fall all the way before anything happens, a good flint starts sparking before the hammer reaches the bottom. Not to much prime in the pan flashes instead of burning, through an open flash hole it soon reaches the main charge. Nath....

Getting a flintlock "off the peg" can be a hit-or-miss proposition. Flintlock locks can be very cranky when they are not assembled/tuned just right. Add this to just about any "flinch lock's" inherent reliability issues and one ends up with a gun that can be very much of a challe...

There is alot of information out there on "Gallery Loads". you just have to dig a little bit to find it. I ended up using Red Dot and round balls for my gallery loads for my 45-70. Accuracy is very good out to 40 or 50 yards. And I have shot several grouse and other small game animals whi...

Has anyone made up and used "gallery loads" in .45 and .50 caliber rifles? It seems to me that being able to shoot big bores like the various 1876 Winchester cartridges, for example, in indoor ranges (where permitted) might be an advantage to those of us who live "in the Frozen North&...

Ken Kempa's article about the Uberti 50/95 1876 Winchester clone, in the January issue of Guns and Ammo , has occasioned a lot of criticism. From what little I can tell, the criticism might well be valid. One thing that interested me about the article was Kempa's use of 450-grain jacketed bullets. I...

The Buffalo Bore 158-grain LSWCHP is a good-looking load. I like the fact that it features a gas check. Some other versions of this load tended to be "leaders". In fact, Winchester made the bullets of their version "harder" in response to this problem, thus possibly compromising ...

Hobie, My little buddy was well named. I had another name picked for him but he was such a funny little guy, and I called him "a Dingelfutz" so often, that he started to answer to it. The Mooars had one of the most successful buffalo hunting operations. See James Winfield Hunt, Buffalo Day...

KirkD, since I wrote last, I had a chance to read your piece, "In Praise of the 45/60". It is an impressive piece and one which addresses some of the questions that I asked. Your direct responses to my questions have helped even more. You might enjoy a article on the 1876 that I wrote. Yo...

Now that's not normally an earth-shaking event. This is a kitchen knife that's used every day, at most every meal. It slices sandwiches, carves turkey, de-bones country ham, and trims beef/pork. It's even been known to open a UPS package from time to time. Why this is so unusual is that this knife ...

First, O.S.O.K, I don't have "my rifle", yet. I am still deciding what I want it to be. I suspect that there will be a "my rifle", though. Not long ago, I had a chance to handle a few original 1876 rifles at Turnbull's, including a NWMP piece. Big mistake! More recently, I got to...

Oh. About the "handle": Dingelfutz was my orange tabby buddy for 17 years. "Ding" and I went through a lot, including two divorces (OK! I'm a slow learner!) and two life-threatening illnesses. The handle was taken in his memory.

Thanks, guys. I get the impression that I kind of stuck a stick into a beehive. Sorry about that! I appreciate the welcome, though. I also appreciate the information. I have not seen the new Lyman manual and I did not make the connection for Venturino's book? (What's the deal with Mike and submachin...

THERE IS A VERY GOOD REASON WHY ONE CARTRIDGE IS CALLED "45-60" AND THE OTHER IS CALLED "45-70". NOW, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS ?? THERE IS TESTED LOADING DATA AVAILABLE FOR THE 45-60 CARTRIDGE AND IT IS ALWAYS BEST IF YOU PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO IT UNLESS, UNLESS, YOU HAVE ACCESS...

I am a "newbie" when it comes to the 1876 Winchester. As a general rule, would it be a safe practice to use "Trapdoor" 45/70 loads in the 45/60? As I understand it, both Uberti and Cimmaron .45 caliber 1876 rifles have 1x20" rifling twists. Is it practical to use 405 grain a...