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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Muzzleloaders & Blackpowder
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TH44
.375 member


Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 731
Loc: West UK
Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle
      #262915 - 30/03/15 12:04 AM

Ash has asked for pics of this so I thought others may appreciate

I bought it at Holt's in December, could not resist the 30 inch octagonal barrel









Signatures do not match, possibly redone when barrel browned, or just faked



Alex Henry or not, still good quality, gold lines, silver escutcheon



Unusual square sling swivel, nice marking of twist



Wood is good, silver insert for the fore end peg



Sight leaves are 50 and 100yds - I take it the first one is OMG



Barrel is slightly "swamped" larger at muzzle end



Hand cut 9 groove rifling, impressive, measures .910 - .919 a full 6 bore

TH44

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Huvius
.416 member


Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3522
Loc: Colorado
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: TH44]
      #262917 - 30/03/15 03:08 AM

Henry or not, that is a great looking gun!

--------------------
He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

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DarylSModerator
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26486
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Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: Huvius]
      #262919 - 30/03/15 04:23 AM

The barrel key escutchens are silver ovals. Nice thumb piece on the top of the wrist, as well. The gold bands are also a welcome addition to this rifle's roots.

Beautiful rifle - if not an Alex Henry, it is still a very well made English, Irish or Scottish rifle of the 1850/60 period. It has a fairly slow twist, too, with 9 grooves, narrower than the lands.



--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Ash
.400 member


Reged: 10/05/11
Posts: 1652
Loc: Australia
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: DarylS]
      #262936 - 30/03/15 06:10 PM

Thanks TH44, that is stunning! I gasped

--------------------
.

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fuhrmann
.333 member


Reged: 04/01/05
Posts: 326
Loc: Switzerland
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: Ash]
      #262972 - 31/03/15 05:18 PM

This is amazing!
Itching to fondle and fire this rifle - what's her weight?

fuhrmann

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TH44
.375 member


Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 731
Loc: West UK
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: fuhrmann]
      #262989 - 01/04/15 09:57 AM

fuhrmann - it weighs 12 lbs 9 oz (5.7kg) I pick it up regularly just for the feel of it, very handleable

I am sure you would know about it firing a .919" Round ball of 1168 grains in front of 12 drams (330 grains) Black powder!

In another world I would love to lend it to Daryl for one of his moose hunts but I doubt if his shoulder would stand it any more than mine!

Due partly to satisfaction with this one and dementia I missed a 34 inch barreled 20 lb 4 bore rifle (nowhere near as good as this) at Holts a couple of weeks ago (don't ask!!)

Tony

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DarylSModerator
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Reged: 10/08/05
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Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: TH44]
      #262997 - 01/04/15 12:46 PM

Tony - It's a deal - come on over - bring her along and we'll go shoot a moose with her.

My shoulder, along with the PAST shoulder protector, would last for a couple sighting shots as well as the one to kill a moose - no problem.

There is a stamp on the barrel about the powder charge being 12 drams? That seems a bit high for the weight of the rifle. I would expect in the 8 or 9 dram range. Much of course, depends on the rate of twist.

What a hunt that would be! Oh my Lord!

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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fuhrmann
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Reged: 04/01/05
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Loc: Switzerland
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: DarylS]
      #263024 - 02/04/15 06:55 AM

Tony,

yes that's not too heavy, and it appears to be well balanced.
I never fired something like this but I certainly would like to!
The nice thing about a muzzleloader is that you can use less powder than normal on the shooting range....
12 drams / 330 grains / around 20 gram / so a regular 1 kilogram can is good for 50 shots

fuhrmann

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BillfromOregon
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Reged: 27/10/04
Posts: 254
Loc: Sweetwater, by God Texas
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: fuhrmann]
      #263062 - 03/04/15 04:11 AM

What a lovely rifle. Congratulations.

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Longknife
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Reged: 17/04/08
Posts: 256
Loc: Illinois
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: TH44]
      #263231 - 08/04/15 01:20 AM

Have you checked the twist yet???

--------------------
Longknife

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TH44
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Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 731
Loc: West UK
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: Longknife]
      #263263 - 08/04/15 08:38 AM

Longknife - I have just put a light down the bore and it appears to twist 1/3rd of bore in 24", so 1 in 72"?

Daryl will know more about twist rates re: conical or round ball, I take it this is for Round Ball

Quite early I think, the grooves appear almost "Hand cut", slightly irregular

Many thanks for the positive comments, always a pleasure with like minded gentlemen

Tony

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DarylSModerator
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Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26486
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Alexander Henry 6 bore rifle [Re: TH44]
      #263273 - 08/04/15 10:14 AM

In the mid 1880's, the Brits ran twists for round balls as quickly as 36" - however they didn't work well, of course, especially as heavy loads were as innaccurate as a smoothbore due to slippage. Again, mid 1800's, the twist in the 3-band ML Enfield rifles was 1 in 78" for the 1851 and by the 2-band 1858, the twist had quickened to 1 in 48" for the conicals of the day- the 560gr. Pritchard or Pritchart Minnie style conical, with the square base, not pointed like the American 505gr. version.

I think I'd be most likely to try round balls first, but at 72", it will probably shoot a short conical just fine.

Conicals really didn't catch on well in muzzleloaders for dangerous game, due to them having to be pure lead. Pure lead did not penetrate well on dangerous game, thus the more prolific use of round balls, even though a 'conical mould' was generally "thrown into the gun case" with the rifle. Once ctg. cases became the 'in deal', conicals of hardened lead could be used and thus "took over" from the round balls of the day. Here, I will note, that hardened round balls could be used, as the cloth patch 'took' the rifling for accuracy. A conical had to expand into the rifling to shoot well, thus had to be soft.

Sorry if this is a bit disjointed - that's how I feel right now.

The moulds being much more cost effective - especially as Jeff Tanner of the UK make splendid moulds to fit standard handles.

Too - a good black powder lube will be necessary - Lyman's Black Powder Gold, or Steve Garbe's, SPG is also excellent.

Barring the availability of a good BP lube, try beeswax/Vaseline - 55:45 mix - or 60:40 for a harder mix that is still malleable. More beeswax makes the lube harder for higher temperatures.

All of these lubes work well with smokeless powder cast bullet loads as well - right to 2,000fps with .45 cal. or .50 - as I tested them.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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