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Green_Frog
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Another Maynard Thread
Mar 26th, 2005 at 12:30pm
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Well, it seems like my interest has taken a turn for the earlier.  Readers of early cartridge era match results will note that there was a lot of successful use of the Maynard from the 1870s on up until nearly the turn of the century (20th.)  As a result of my own Maynard purchase, I am just now beginning to delve into this and have discovered that a gentleman in New York, Larry Romano, is reproducing the rifles and parts for them, another gentleman in Virginia, John D. Bly, is making barrels, modifying modern shells to fit, etc, and of course that Dave Casey (Rocky Mtn Cartridge) is making the oddball brass via CNC.  Does anybody have any other trails they would like to put me on or any personal experiences with these or other vendors they would like to share (either with the board or by PM?)  I smell an article for the SSR Journal coming on, so get your input in now!   Grin

TIA, Froggie

PS  It looks like I will be trying to get the .40-40 (1873 type) shooting for over-40 w/ irons this year...since I am now over 40!  Grin
  
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ken_hurst
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #1 - Mar 26th, 2005 at 1:06pm
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Miss Julie says "an old frog is better than no frog"   Ken
  
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joeb33050
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #2 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 6:10am
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I've written to Mr. Romano twice without result, I'm looking for another barrel for my #16-don't want to put scope blocks on the present barrel.
Would you send the address for John C. Bly in Va.? Maybe a barrel from him is possible. 
I do love Maynards.
Thanks;
joe b.
  
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40_Rod
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #3 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 8:16am
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Gernne One
This sounds like the start of a great article. Maynards have been long ignored in the ASSRA. 

40 Rod
  
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PETE
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #4 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 10:52am
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Froggie,

  No personal experiences with Maynards, other tha nwhat I read and hear from one of the guys in our club who's a collector of them.

  Reading the reprints of  "The Rifle" magazine and seeing the lithographs of prominent shooters of the day using them, it always struck me that they shot them altogether differently than later Schuetzen era shooters did. Instead of holding the left elbow into the body they extended the left arm, partially or, all the way out along the barrel.

  Always wondered why they did it this way. About all I can figure is that the light wgt. of the guns made this position better. Anybody ever read a good explanation on this?

PETE
  
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Green_Frog
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #5 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 1:29pm
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JoeB, I was given Larry's website address and found it to contain (at present) only percussion vintage Maynards, BUT when I called him at the number given on the website, we had a long chat and he said he is just now up and running on the production of the later 1882 version. He also does repairs and restorations, and sells reproduction parts.  Grin   He further stated that his new improved webpage with much of that information should be up within days or at most a couple of weeks...he was hoping to put finishing touches on it this weekend.  Anyway, here is the URL for Romano's Rifles;

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Meanwhile, I was able to get in touch with John D. Bly via the phone number posted elsewhere on this board (540 869-2411.)  Once you reach him, you can probably get an email address to stay in touch.  He is making both replacement barrels and adapter rings to make modern cases usable in the 1873 Model rifles.  He is sending me a brochure of his products and prices which should reach me by about mid-week as he only lives about 150 mi from my home.  He might be your best bet for the barrel you are seeking as they are a regular part of his activities.  FWIW, it seems that evenings (EST) are the best time to reach John.  I found from John (to my disappointment) that you can't just put a Model 1882 barrel on a Model 1873 frame and shoot thin rimmed cases Cry but I am still hopeful that some sort of custom barrel is able to be made.  Both Bly and Romano are active in the North-South Skirmish Ass'n and I am hoping to meet them both face-to-face at the May event here in VA.  Cheesy

What I am still having a problem with is the nominal .40 cal bullets for the Maynard, as the 1873 Models use a real oddball .424" bullet that no one seems to make a mould for.  I am now trying to track down an original Maynard mould that I saw sold in hopes it is the right size. 

I am assuming that all interested parties have seen the posts about Rocky Mountain Cartridges (Dave Casey) for newly made exotic shells that the Maynards require, but just in "case..."  Cheesy

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Sorry for the length of this post, but I am summarizing a bunch of information from a variety of sources. 8)

Regards,
Green Frog
  
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leadball
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #6 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 3:29pm
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Frog;
        I've been wondering why I knew so little about the Maynard rifles, one reason is their not in Single Shot Rifles & Actions by Frank de Haas. I haven't gone through his other books maybe they are in a later book.   leadball
  
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Green_Frog
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #7 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 3:38pm
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Yes Paul, deHaas seems to have ignored them,  but they ARE in the Grant books.  That's where I got most of my historical info, along with the Geo. Layman book, of course.  Still looking, though!  Cheesy

Froggie
  
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #8 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 4:04pm
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Don't forget your raisin' boy.(ala Winchester) These break open shotgun thangs ain't gonna stand the test of time. Don't get too enamored with a rifle that's got to come apart every time you fire a shot. On a more serious note, I'm leaving town for the week. When I return we'll make a sizing die for that thang and at least get you started with some pistol bullets. Sounds to me that a sized down 44 cal pistol bullet would at least get you shooting. What do you think?
  
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THX1138
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #9 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 4:27pm
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I'm glad you got your Maynard where you got it.  I was hoping most of the stuff would go to good homes, and this one surely has.
  
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Green_Frog
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #10 - Mar 27th, 2005 at 8:29pm
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Stevens52, I was wondering about the possibility of sizing down a 240 gr Keith bullet to the necessary 244 max diameter...My mould throws the bullet at about .230 or so, and I wonder whether it would be too much of a downsize (with attendant smearing and grease groove distortion) if I were to do that.  It IS an interesting proposition, though and I would like to discuss it further.  Meanwhile, "I ain't lost sight of my raisin' " 'cause I still have a rack of 'walls on the wall, and there's even a Ballard or two around for contrast. Grin

THX1138, as I said there, I really wanted something significant to remember the good times there at the shop.  The Ballard was the real target for me and my new opportunity to get into the Maynard thing was a real bonus.  Yes, I think I may be kinda hooked on this strange little rifle.  BTW, I think I have figured out where the bullet mould I need MAY have gone (if he had one in his collection.)  A bunch of the old moulds got sold as one lot and I know the man who bought them.  Stay in touch and watch the board for further progress. Cheesy

Regards, Froggie
  
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #11 - Mar 31st, 2005 at 8:53am
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The next chapter... 
     I finally slugged the bore and found that my .40-40 barrel has a .416-.417 groove diameter... 
     apparently this barrel was a rebore (@ Mass. Arms?) when it was upgraded to 1873 configuration. 
     Now I am looking into buying a mould specific for this more common bore size rather than the oddball .422".  This could be a real boon.  BTW, I will ask the on the Buy/Sell board if anybody has such a mould available.

Froggie

PS  to DWS, the article on this project is shaping up nicely!  8)
  
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #12 - May 3rd, 2005 at 1:58am
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Quote:
not in Single Shot Rifles & Actions by Frank de Haas


They are covered in his second volume, More .... Both his second and third volumes (A Potpourri of ...) are worth having.  Neither is quite as detailed as the original volume, but there are many interesting actions covered. (The dear fellow sure liked Ballards -- they are covered in all three volumes.)

I believe all three volumes are still being sold by his son Mark.

The Romano site has in the past listed the 1882 cartridge version of the Maynard as "coming soon," but this was removed many months ago.  I just checked but found no mention of the 1882.  I'll keep watching, though.
  

Karl
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Green_Frog
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #13 - May 12th, 2005 at 8:12pm
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Well, since last I posted on this thread, my mail man has been busy.  I have a dozen of Bly's adapter rings to make my brass and about 60 or so bullets in 5 shapes and varying diameter to try and get this thing shooting.  The new mould making operation of B&D is hoping to have my custom recreation of the exact mould ready to deliver at Etna Green.  If I can just get my new firing pin and the 2 screws I need to replace I will be a happy camper!  I would still like to score a few of the Maynard accessories for loading and I will probably order a bunch of the lathe turned brass from RMC, but the project is proceding apace.  Thanks to all who have provided support and suggestions.

Froggie
  
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First_Shirt
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Re: Another Maynard Thread
Reply #14 - May 13th, 2005 at 10:14am
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Mr. Frog,

There is an original Maynard tang sight on eBay right now, item #7155234651.   

Greg
  
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