Now THIS is rifling

[Bill in Oregon]

I have had a couple of these old Swedish rolling blocks over the years and always marvel at the rifling they used in barrels chambered for 12.7X44 R - similar to but not the same as our .50-70. When I slugged the bore with a .530 round ball lubed with Ballistol, the muzzle cut the star out of the flattened lead before the ball drove on through. My calipers measure the slug at .479 on the lands and .516 in the grooves -- rifling .0189 deep! I have a muzzleloader based on a Civil War musket and designed to shoot a Minié ball whose rifling is only .003 deep! This rolling block was manufactured at the Carl Gustafs Gevärfaktori in Eskilstuna, Sweden, in 1873.

[TedH]

Wow!

[Bill in Oregon]

Ted, it is truly something to see. Disneyland could develop an attraction: "I am a bullet in an old Swedish rifle. Climb in and let's go for a ride -- but fasten seat belts and harnesses kids!"

[TedH]

That's impressive. I've never seen rifling like that.

[Bill in Oregon]

Just a note fellas: If any here feel the call of one of the many Swedish rolling blocks (or any of the Husqvarna rifles or shotguns and older Swiss military rifles) , Simpson Ltd. in Galesburg, IL, is Mecca. Give the boss your credit card before you log on, though. I won't be responsible for divorces.

[450 Fuller]

First rate rifle, Bill.
Reminds me of my 1878 Military Sharps Borchardt with the barrel marked "Old Reliable".
But the Swede RB has DEEP rifling.

The 1878 is accurate and uses 405 gr FP just like my 1915 half-magazine 1886. Fast smokeless or duplex black.

The neat attribute of SS rifles is the emphasis on a careful first shot.

[Sarge]

Just a note fellas: If any here feel the call of one of the many Swedish rolling blocks (or any of the Husqvarna rifles or shotguns and older Swiss military rifles) , Simpson Ltd. in Galesburg, IL, is Mecca. Give the boss your credit card before you log on, though. I won't be responsible for divorces.

Simpsons is indeed a treasure trove of wonderful old rifles, pistols and shotguns.

I've had the itch for an old 12.7X44 R rolling block for a long time, my only reservation being the availability of reasonably priced components. Care to expound a little?

[marlinman93]

Deep rifling might look impressive, but it isn't doing much good for accuracy. There's so much distortion on a cast bullet being forced into rifling that deep that the lead has to go somewhere, and the place it ends up is hanging off the base of the bullets as they exit the muzzle. Those fins off the base have a detrimental effect on accuracy and that's why the great custom barrel makers used very shallow rifling. Guys like Schoyen, Pope, Zischang, Schalk, Peterson, Hubalek, etc. all used shallow rifling to ensure less bullet deformation.

[Bill in Oregon]

Sarge, I am using trimmed Starline .50 Alaskan for brass, slightly modified Lyman.50-70 dies and the Lyman 515141 bullet. But all is not roses. This is a tight chamber and I am thinking of trying the lighter Lee .50 "Improved" 360-grain hollow base Minié for easier loading.
I had another of these a while back and at the time, Oyvind Flatnes of Svartkrutt.net in Norway had commissioned a run of heeled "Jämttången" bullet molds for the 12.7X44 from Lee. There is an image and description of the bullet here, along wth some exceptional groups:
https://svartkrutt.net/articles/vis.php?id=3
I shot some very pleasing groups with that bullet in another Gustaf rolling block, and wish it were still available. I just checked with Lee and they will make another run for a setup fee of $350, which they wave if 40 molds are sold. I ain't holding my breath. When looking at Simpson rifles, I focus first on bore condition. Everything else, to me, is secondary.

[Sarge]

Thanks a bunch Bill, I appreciate the detailed response.FWTW I have read that the 50 caliber Hornady Great Plains bullet also works well in these rifles.

[wvfarrier]

I just finished a William Johnstone book that featured that rifle

[Drawdown]

I must admit from the pic ive never seen anything near that! Idk, but thinking about guiding big heavy lead correctly, deeper grooves likely to be an actual need, its lot further thru the center of all that leads compared to a smaller diameter bullet? Just a thought!
I get on Simpson LTD a lot, and them Husky's are my main focus, itching me death sometimes, I need to quit it. Lotta rifle for the $! I need another rifle about like I need another sinus infection like I jyst recovered from!