Where to find rolling blocks?

Has anyone ever rebarreled a rolling block? I’ve been toying with the idea of putting a mosin or Lee enfield barrel on an 8x58rd and chambering to 7.62x54r for years. I understand not all smiths are equipped to deal with the “square” threads?
 
I have cut square threads on my 500 Jeffery p14 build.
Any lathe that has the correct tpi can cut square threads. You just use a different insert or ground tool. It's the Ross thread that is hard as it's like 3tpi and most cheaper smaller lathes won't do below 6tpi. The last shop I worked at had 7 manual lathes and even 4 of them would do down to 3tpi and the biggest one (28x120)would do below 1tpi. It was neat to cut 6 start 1tpi
 
conor_90 said:
Has anyone ever rebarreled a rolling block? I’ve been toying with the idea of putting a mosin or Lee enfield barrel on an 8x58rd and chambering to 7.62x54r for years. I understand not all smiths are equipped to deal with the “square” threads?
Click to expand...

From what I saw on some other forums, some of these rolling blocks arent exactly the strongest things out there, so you gotta be careful what you set it up as.

Other than that, i think your question is better suited for the gunsmithing forums.
 
I have re-barreled a RB #1 milt action to 45-70 and as Evan says cutting the square threads is a snap. First threads I cut on a lathe were for this barrel...just grind a small piece of HSS to fit the space between the treads on the old barrel and get to er'.

I only shoot smokeless loads in this rifle but religiously adhere to BP velocities no matter what bullet weight I use. The rifle has a 32" Malcom style scope mounted to it & it is one of my "never gonna sell" outfits.
 
CL2000 said:
That's all good to know, but I don't have access to a drill press.
And doesn't answer how they would at least neck size it to reload.
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Buy a drill press then. You can get hand held reloading tools (search 310 reloading tool) that will neck size only. If you can find one in your caliber.

Y'know, if you really cannot afford anything but cheap stuff, maybe you are looking at the wrong guns and cartridges.

45-70, 40-65, and 38-55, are all available from Lee, as dies. Molds too. The dies will fit a normal reloading press, too.

Harrington and Richardson (or their successors with the same design) made a series of break open single shot guns in 45-70, for sure, IIRC.
 
Basically it seems your desire to buy one of these guns out weighs your pocket book which means you’ll end up buying something that will probably disappoint you in the end.If I were you I would save my money until I could afford something nice in a caliber that is easily found in factory form and one that you can find reloading components for .Your best bet is getting a gun in 45/70 then when you get experience you can get into the odd ball calibers.Getting something more complicated will in the end just frustrate you and kill your desire to shoot single shot rifles.Pedersoli makes a good rolling block and a used one depending on the model can be had for a reasonable price
 
Yes I agree with Chasseur save your coins and get something easy to find components repro roller or sharps would be nice a uberti highwall with really good sights like MVA would be a good combo for a budget shooter. Stay away from the H&R Buffalo classic as they have a slower rate of twist . But you have to pick the rifle for the sport silhouette , cowboy action or hunting . I have seen a lot of new shooters getting into the BPCR and quickly up grade the sights. I would rather buy a bare rifle if it is a uberti or pedersoli and then spend some real cash on very good sights.
 
'I started a thread about reloading for sniders without dies, im not comfortable with nothing but the lube holding the bullet in.'

Seems to work for Rob Enfield of britishmuzzleloading and a goodly number of others, me included.
 
A Rolling Block would be fairly sketchy
with a modern high pressure round.
They were built from the 1860's until about
the early 1910's or so. Later guns were
built in 7x57 and that is pushing
the limits of those guns.
I've heard there were a handful built
in 303 British, but very, very few.
The steel quality is fairly good, and some
makers (Husqvarna) would have built
some decent guns over the years.
Almost all were made for various militaries
around the world, so should be in a standard
caliber of some sort or another.
 
Lionel said:
A Rolling Block would be fairly sketchy
with a modern high pressure round.
They were built from the 1860's until about
the early 1910's or so. Later guns were
built in 7x57 and that is pushing
the limits of those guns.
I've heard there were a handful built
in 303 British, but very, very few.
The steel quality is fairly good, and some
makers (Husqvarna) would have built
some decent guns over the years.
Almost all were made for various militaries
around the world, so should be in a standard
caliber of some sort or another.
Click to expand...

The vastest majority of the Rolling Blocks were simply actions built to sell to Military's around the world to convert their outdated muzzle loaders, into cartridge guns, essentially in direct competition with the likes of the Trap Door and Snider actions.
Cut the stock, fit the action to the cut off barrel, inlet it to the remains of the stock, and order whatever suited your barrels, as far as cartridges goes. There are lots of examples of this recorded. Cheap way to upgrade from ML to cartridges, without the full costs of new rifles.

High pressure smokeless ammo wasn't a worry at the time. Once the repeating rifle came into fashion, on the Military scene, the higher pressure technology was well on it's way too.

Remington wasn't that hot to keep their records of old business, so there is no first hand info available, but still a few guys have scraped up details suggesting that there were millions of those actions made and shipped to various places for the purpose.

I think it'd be tough to guess which were better quality, the late Remington actions, or the Husqvarna ones. It is worth doing a LOT of reading about the Husky ones, as the 8x58RD was loaded in two different power levels, the lower one was considered the max for the RB actions.
One minor down side, depending on your feelings, may be that the Husky guns mostly feature a block opening lever that looks like a half set of Mickey Mouse ears, that stands quite high, rather than the curved thumb lever that Remington used. Apparently to allow function with Mitts on, easier. The Converted to 8x58RD guns also got a new extractor and re-heat treated. FWIW.

One way or another, it's gonna cost. Either you buy someone's project, and pay a bunch, but get a gun that you can get cheap dies and reloading gear for, or you deal with a funky old caliber, learn how to adapt the cases of something else to work, and pay through the nose for a special set of dies. Not gonna get it both ways.
 
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