.38-50 Hepburn

[Kurt]

Don I need one

Here is a look at the breach block. The block fit in the frame is very tight.

[ian45662]

I got the word than my 12 twist 38 is done. I just got off the phone with baco and have a mould on the way as well. Hopefully I can start playing with mine really soon. I am excited. My wife’s 38 will be done in about a month gail said.

[Kurt]

I think you two will have a fun ride like I'm having with these little .38's

Man it's 11º out and the winds are picking up the light powder snow so hard it's hard to see 100 yards right now.

[Don McDowell]

Kurt I have probably the last one of those that Steve Rhodes built for the Hepburns it comes in handy
May check with Glenn Davis to see if he has any made up for the canoe paddles, he’s using Steve’s patterns I believe

[Kurt]

I just sent Glenn a check this morning.

[beltfed]

Ian,
Which BACO mold did you order for your 12 twist 39-50?
Arnie

[Kurt]

Arnie,
I have the 371-345. 1.4" long.

Made some progress today. Fired 30 cases today with 14 gr of Unique and filled with Cornmeal. Perfect!! cases came out smooth like they were made that way. I only had to trim .045" and the Jim 371-345 just slip fits the case patched with w-55 paper. I can turn it upside down and it stays put.
I will load them tonight with a full load of 3F and see how things work out.
The chamber is 2.237"

[beltfed]

The first BP loads for you. Looking forward to see report on how those 30 ctges shoot.
Too bad we are into COLD weather just now. Supposed to be low twwns tonight, barely teens tomorrow and
5 below tomorrow night and not much above that all day friday.
I wanted to get out again with the 38-50 and try some groups for the bench thing at Shiloh Forum.
But, a waste of time in this cold.
Arnie

[ian45662]

Here is what I ordered. I am having him make the diameter .364 for my paper and bore diameter and I am also having him make it 1.47” long. https://www.buffaloarms.com/361-345-grai...1345e.html

[Distant Thunder]

I really like my Hepburn, .45-70, and it works very well. You just have to realize the limitations of it's design, namely the lack of cartridge camming ability and somewhat weak extraction.

The lack of camming works very well with bore diameter paper patch bullets for which the Hepburn was designed. I did have a fair amount of problems with extraction early on using Starline brass. About 10% of my new cases would not extract. This would require me to get up out of position and use my wiping rod to knock the case out, not something you want to be doing with 1 in 10 cases while shooting a match.
I started separating the cases that stuck and marking them to see if it was the same cases that stuck or something random. It didn't take long to tell it was the same cases over and over again. Eventually I had weeded out all the cases that were sticking, about 30 of my 300 cases. They would chamber just fine and fire as normal, but either would not extractor or would extract with difficulty. I checked the case heads with a micrometer and I could not see any difference between them and the cases that were extracting without any problems.

Because my rifle has a tight paper patch chamber (Danielson design) I had used a .44-100 sizing die for the initial full length sizing of my brass. Made to size .45 - 2.6" brass to more taper for a .447" bullet that die sizes my 2.1" brass to a perfect .452" neck I.D. allowing me to finger seat my .451" PP bullets. The die was made with a minimum radius at the opening.

I took my sticky cases and set them on TOP of a .22 Hornet shell holder having adjusted the .44-100 sizing die to have the shell holder kiss home with a .070" shim between it and the die, that allowed for the rim. I ran the lubed cases up into the die to the rim and just knocked them out with a rod I made for that purpose. That way I was able to size the case heads just a bit.

I then fireformed the cases and all extracted with ease and since then I haven't had any cases stick at matches or any other time.
I figure it was just a combination of tolerance variations in the Starline brass and my minimum chamber that was so expertly cut with Danielson's reamer by Glenn Fewless.
Cartridges properly loaded in brass that fits the chamber are never a problem in a Hepburn action. You just have to load accordingly.