TH44
.375 member
Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 740
Loc: West UK
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Hi Guys, Bought this before Christmas at a good price
Usual 3 leaf backsight
Put a .360 case in it, dropped down 1/2"
Tried other .360s only one that fitted was the 400/360 2 3/4", so I thought it was an early version of that - so cut it down and fitted a bullet from the mould
Old mould came with it
First Problem, a 4.5mm hole drilled in the bottom so it could not be used!!
cut a 4.5mm drill off to plug hole and cast 10 bullets with difficulty
Now have 2 cartridges as display
Something was not right so I did what I should have done first, took a chamber cast
Oh dear !! in the past, someone had drilled/reamed the chambers so they wold not take a cartridge GRRRR
Thsi must have been done years ago in the UK when there was no exemption for early cartridge arms which would have had to be put on a Firearms certificate, also the reason for drilling the mould
Anyway, I have my first Purdey, in a nice little calibre but the damage/desecration takes the edge off it
Bonhams sold it as an antique not to be fired
Comments welcome but I am aware of the poor gun legislation in this country but I cannot change that
TH
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27665
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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YIKES! Nice rifle, but?
Could a chambered sleeve be made for the chambers?
Almost looks like a .450 Express chamber has been cut (without throat, of course)
If this is so, perhaps a .450 case with liner could be used?
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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TH44
.375 member
Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 740
Loc: West UK
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Hi Daryl
If I was in the U.S. I would get an insert chambered for the case I made up 400/360 2 1/4" as the extractors are cut larger so I could not fit the original .360 2 1/4"
The new "chambers are parallel and 90 degrees at the front so would fit easily. To save major re-soldering epoxy would probably be ok
But it looks like a collectors piece only unfortunately
Hope you guys keep the anti-gun crowd at bay to prevent this happening
In the UK now it would be legal as original and put on certificate to shoot
Tony
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27665
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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You are saying it would be legal or illegal, Tony?
Shameful to do this to it.
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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TH44
.375 member
Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 740
Loc: West UK
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It needed a firearm certificate until 1990s as a cartridge rifle
Now it would be an "obsolete calibre" and legal to have without restriction (which is what I thought it was) unless you wanted to shoot it then it would need a certificate
Nothing is easy and straightforward here!
Tony
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Huvius
.416 member
Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3612
Loc: Colorado
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I'd get the chambers sleeved and chambered back to the original 360 and shoot black powder only in it.
May become a 360 3" of sorts though since it looks to have been reamed longer than 2-1/2"
If you can't find a smith there willing to do that, I bet a buyer could be found in the US whom would be willing to have it done here.
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He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.
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NitroX
.700 member
Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40618
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
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Nice wall hanger. If nothing better can be done with it.
I hope you didn't pay too much for it.
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John aka NitroX
 ...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"
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eagle27
.400 member
Reged: 24/01/09
Posts: 1204
Loc: Rolleston, Christchurch, New Z...
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Could a modern rimmed case such as 470NE be sized/trimmed or whatever to fit the chamber, the chamber cast looks quite similar to a 470 case but if not maybe other cases around that could be used to fit the chamber.
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27665
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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Quote:
Nice wall hanger. If nothing better can be done with it.
I hope you didn't pay too much for it.
My thoughts exactly. He can't "fix it" to shoot it as it no longer can be licensed for shooting. It was purchased as a non-shooting wall hanger.
Those laws are stiff.
Now, if someone here or in the States had it, it could be salvaged to shooting condition.
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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CptCurl
.450 member
Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5318
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...
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I believe the chambers can be sleeved by a qualified gunmaker. I would choose the gunmaker very carefully.
Curly
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RoscoeStephenson.com
YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.
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TH44
.375 member
Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 740
Loc: West UK
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Thanks for the input guys
As Curly and Huvius have said the ideal would be to rechamber to the original .360
I will try to find a good smith who can make an insert (it is 12mm x 54mm parallel [.470 x 2.13"])
so would be relatively straightforward for the .400/360 2 1/2" without re making the extractors but will take advice on that and whether a simple chamber insert would be OK
I would only shoot BP in it anyway
Tony
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DarylS
.700 member
Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 27665
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
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It would be so nice, if you could make it work, again.
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Daryl
"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V
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93x64mm
.416 member
Reged: 07/12/11
Posts: 4391
Loc: Nth QLD Australia
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Quote:
It would be so nice, if you could make it work, again.
Amen to that, it really is a very pretty little gun indeed.
It would be a criminal waste to see it turn into just a wall hanger 
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lancaster
.470 member
Reged: 06/05/08
Posts: 9489
Loc: There's a lighthouse in the mi...
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I see no problem to change the extractors by tig welding a piece of steel on this.
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Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
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bringing civilisation to the barbarians
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tinker
.416 member
Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada
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A restoration of the extractor should not cost you much money
If that rifle was on my bench I'd have a hard time resisting doing whatever it took to get it running again
It looks like it will handle like a magic wand
I look forward to seeing how you do with it
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--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--
"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...
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TH44
.375 member
Reged: 21/02/09
Posts: 740
Loc: West UK
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I now find out that it was rechambered for a .410 x 2 1/2" case, to make it legally a shotgun (with no intention of it being used as a shotgun) which in the 1960s/70s was not uncommon in the UK at that time to prevent it being classed as a firearm for which a certificate was required GRRRRR
I am chasing a guy who has made cases for me in the past to see if he can make an insert
I have also talked to another guy who, as Lancaster says is able to TIG weld the extractors to fit the correct cartridge
Many thanks for your input
TH
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