Will I go to antique hell if....

FishDoc

FishDoc

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I purchased a very nice Stevens Favourite takedown in 32RF.... And as I don't like to muck with and reload Smellie's formula 32RFs,

:eek:Will I go to antique hell if I converted this to fire 32 long centre fire ? :stirthepot2:

I would not bubba this rifle but have it tastefully done by a professional smith

Feel free to :slap: me if you think I should just man up and listen to Smellie ( which has never led me wrong)

Dr.Oz
 
not antique anymore, not sure what it would mean under the current law


Rifles:

* manufactured before 1898 that can discharge only rim-fire cartridges, other than 22 Calibre Short, 22 Calibre Long or 22 Calibre Long Rifle cartridges;
* manufactured before 1898 that can discharge centre-fire cartridges (whether with a smooth or rifled bore), have a bore diameter of 8.3 mm or greater, measured from land to land in the case of a rifled bore, with the exception of a repeating firearm fed by any type of cartridge magazine
 
Yes you will burn in hell for this...well, maybe just singed at the edges a bit.
It is your gun!!!! You can do whatever you like to it. Just bear in mind, if you decide to sell it sometime, it would be best to indicate the work that had been done in any conversion. This way you are covering yourself and not hiding any modifications to a potential buyer.
Other then this, have a blast with it!!!
BTW...forgot to mention...you are obliged to submit photos to this forum of your first target after the conversion and or your field trials on gophers or squirrels!!!!!!!
 
Very few Favorites have antique status. The overwhelming majority are post '97. It would be a shame to alter one of the ones made in '96 or '97.
Which .32CF would you be thinking of?
 
i know it is verry easy, basicly all you have to do is either extend of shorten the "block" so the firing pin lines up in the center to hit the center fire primer. then all you have to do is get a bunch of .32 colt (long and/or short colt) brass and load them up with light charges if its a older gun.
and as scianna54 said, if it a old antique stat rifle it would change the class of the rifle to non-restricted. but its no big deal now anyways since the long gun registry is gone now.
 
One suggestion would be to pick up another barrel and breech block so that you could return your rifle to its original condition sometime down the road. There are parts around and I frequently see them at gun shows.
As to chambering, author and gunsmith Frank deHass was of the opinion that a 32 Favorite should go no farther than 32 S&W Short due to the weakness of the action. I would tend to agree with him.
 
Waba said:
One suggestion would be to pick up another barrel and breech block so that you could return your rifle to its original condition sometime down the road. There are parts around and I frequently see them at gun shows.
As to chambering, author and gunsmith Frank deHass was of the opinion that a 32 Favorite should go no farther than 32 S&W Short due to the weakness of the action. I would tend to agree with him.
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Yeah. My two bits. This^^

I'll add that the reason that the Favorite is not a great choice for hopping it up, is that the two cross screws carry the whole load when the rifle is fired.
Any wear or flex, in those two screws, or the pivot holes, is going to result in grief.

In a manner of speaking, the conversion to a suitable centerfire, suitably loaded, may actually mitigate the risks a bit. In theory, anyway. The reason I say that, is because there is very little balloon head brass out there any more, and the heavy brass base of a modern made cartridge will not split out as easily as will say, a 17 Mach 2 or High velocity 22 ammo when the breech block walks back from the pressure.

That aside, my best advice is to pick a better candidate and leave the Favorite alone.

Lots of parts for them at the used gun parts dealers at the shows I have been to. Watch the condition of the holes, watch the variant of the action (there are several changes along the way that interfere with interchanging parts) and pay close attention to the screws for wear.
They have a rep of wearing quite rapidly on anything snappier than standard velocity .22 ammo. They wear rapidly enough on that, as it is.

Cheers
Trev
 
you dont need another barrel, just use .32 colt brass. the .32 colt (short and long) brass is the exact same thing as the .32 RF there was even a old lever action rifle that came with a spare hammer so you could shoot either .32RF or .32 colt out of it. and i did more research and all you need to do if fabricate up a new conector/bushing with conects the lever to the firing block. if i remembor corectly the firing pin on those rifles hit the top center of the cartridge so you would gust take a small piece of sheet steal, trace the original but with the one pin hole 2-3mm?? lower then the original so that the firing pin lines up so it hits the center of the chamber (for center fire ammo). i planed on getting 1 of the non-takedown favorite rifles but the fellow sold it under my nose, but i had like 8 pages printed off all about converting these like i described and also for other cartridges. i wil try looking for the pages and if i find them i'll scan them for you.
 
Strangeday said:
I thought professional gunsmith and Alliston Ontario and threw up a little in my mouth.
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:kickInTheNuts:

REallY??? ha:Laugh2 I know you LOVE this riding :stirthepot2: still... you're right there are NO professional gunsmiths in ALLISTON (that I trust, or know of). R:d:

The truth is, this is a very nice take down rifle and I would just LOVE to pop a squirrel or bunny with it! It is chambered in 32 RF long, which means I would not have to do anything to the receiver to fit 32 Colt Long. 32 S&W is to fat to fit and requires reaming - and that is beyond what I am willing to do to this poor baby (she has a little crack in the butt stock and plate from being dropped - and she is from 1907 - so not an antique per se)

My issue is that I dont have safe queens and I cant get my hands on enough ammo to shoot her regularly (I have some 32 RF but not enough!)

So either I start to reload using the 22rf caps as primers, or I get a little mod made so I can fire 32 Colt in her.

If on the other hand, I am committing a blasphemy on the order of chopping a milsurp (a few of you know how I love to restore milsurps!)
then I am willing to let her go to a proper home where she will not be harmed or altered in any way.

Dr.Oz:D
 
I would be inclined to pick up a spare breechblock, and alter and fit it to the rifle.
All modifications would be limited to the spare breechblock.

As far as altering vintage rifles goes, I have a Remington 1 1/2 rolling block in .32RF. Bore is pitted throughout and bulged in two places. This is a full sized rifle, and I am planning on making it into a shooter. Just haven't decided which way to go. Rebore or reline? What caliber? .22RF? CF antique? CF non-restricted?
 
If I never ever

FishDoc said:
:kickInTheNuts:

REallY??? ha:Laugh2 I know you LOVE this riding :stirthepot2: still... you're right there are NO professional gunsmiths in ALLISTON (that I trust, or know of). R:d:

The truth is, this is a very nice take down rifle and I would just LOVE to pop a squirrel or bunny with it! It is chambered in 32 RF long, which means I would not have to do anything to the receiver to fit 32 Colt Long. 32 S&W is to fat to fit and requires reaming - and that is beyond what I am willing to do to this poor baby (she has a little crack in the butt stock and plate from being dropped - and she is from 1907 - so not an antique per se)

My issue is that I dont have safe queens and I cant get my hands on enough ammo to shoot her regularly (I have some 32 RF but not enough!)

So either I start to reload using the 22rf caps as primers, or I get a little mod made so I can fire 32 Colt in her.

If on the other hand, I am committing a blasphemy on the order of chopping a milsurp (a few of you know how I love to restore milsurps!)
then I am willing to let her go to a proper home where she will not be harmed or altered in any way.

Dr.Oz:D
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set foot in Everett again I am okay with that:D. Many years ago a guy set up a shop on Victoria St. called PULL. I made the mistake of buying the only 9mm rounds he had which were reloads he made.....200 rounds....38 FTF's. I figured that maybe I was being finicky as I was using an HK93 and my 5904 Smith and Wesson...so i figured screw it the Glock will eat them....nope.

I used to buy my guns at The Hock Shop in Barrie from Bill Hockley back in those days.....

I have nothing against Alliston but there are a few people in Angus I'd like to have a few words with.....:D
 
FishDoc said:
:kickInTheNuts:

and she is from 1907 - so not an antique per se)


So either I start to reload using the 22rf caps as primers, or I get a little mod made so I can fire 32 Colt in her.



Dr.Oz:D
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Thats sounds like the way to go. :D


Strangeday said:
I used to buy my guns at The Hock Shop in Barrie from Bill Hockley back in those days.....

I have nothing against Alliston but there are a few people in Angus I'd like to have a few words with.....:D
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Well, ... my mother married Bill's brother Floyd, making me Bill's step-nephew(I think:confused:) ..... please, would you confirm that there are no well hidden familial ties between you and I ??? :rolleyes::pb::evil:

Angus ??, ... has an excellent (& heavily patronized;)) Liquor Store, plus at least one hard core 'Nutter :stirthepot2:
 
Ahhh...the good ol' days... wish the Hock Shop still sold guns - it's right across from my medical office.

There's lots of gunnutz in these hills! LOL!! I keep finding stragglers from the FAC days all the time, and bringing them back into the fold (I've brought at least a half dozen out shooting again in the last year!)

Strangeday - we should have a beer one day - have I got some stories for you!

VViking... any time you want to go for a shoot, I;m a member at BGC (5 mins up the road from you) let me know

Dr.Oz
 
Ah BGC

FishDoc said:
Ahhh...the good ol' days... wish the Hock Shop still sold guns - it's right across from my medical office.

There's lots of gunnutz in these hills! LOL!! I keep finding stragglers from the FAC days all the time, and bringing them back into the fold (I've brought at least a half dozen out shooting again in the last year!)

Strangeday - we should have a beer one day - have I got some stories for you!

VViking... any time you want to go for a shoot, I;m a member at BGC (5 mins up the road from you) let me know

Dr.Oz
Click to expand...


do we get chicken wings with the beer?
 
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