It appears that McGowan Barrels, (American Gun Co. LLC at (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) ) is going to have their 1885 High Wall out sooner than expected.

Looks like they're shooting for (no put intended) for next month!

It also looks like their prices are a heck of a lot lower than I expected!

$765 for an action, plus a (round) barrel (in the white, two items not attached to each other... just a "kit").
$900 - same thing, but half-octagon barrel.

Basic rifle; ("THe Classic" model) - 1885 complete custom rifle with straight tapered round barrel, chambered, Premium grade walnut butt stock and Forend, steel butt plate, polished blue finish 
$1250.00 


I've emailed them a couple questions about the lower tang (curved or straight) and the dimensions of their .38-55 chambering...
I'm very seriously considering a barreled-action kit in .38-55 around the 1st of December (overtime paychecks willing).   

I'm probably going to be posting a question about who to go to for a lower tang modification if McGowan comes back saying "straight" tang...      

Here's hoping that AGC has as good a quality as them perpetually late Eye-Talians guns that we haven't seen yet!   

Paul F.

PS  I'm trying NOT to get my hopes up... like I did with the Pedersoli...   

Boy at that price they should sell like hot cakes.  Ken

They're not real good at answering emails (I emailed them saturday.. no reply yet), but I'll cut 'em some slack, since I'm guessing they're pretty busy getting rifles together!

As for .40-65, I dunno... but maybe they couldn't decide which set of prints to use for it (I gather that there are a few minor variations).   

If I have time in the next few days during business hours, I'll call them about the .38-55 specs and lower tang.

I WANT ONE.. 


Paul F.

Fred;

Just a guess on my part;  They probably want to get the "basic models" out the door first... before they complicate their lives with additional parts supplies, models, etc.

Paul F.

Cool!

Didn't happen to mention if they do or will have a curved lower tang... did he?


Paul F.

Buggybuilder;

Follow the link at the top of this thread for info about the High Wall specifically, and try (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) for info on their barrels.
Not much in the way of pictures of the High Walls yet.. but like I said, I'll cut them some slack until they're actually shipping some.

Paul F.

ssdave and texasmac;

Great info!  Thanks!

I also got a reply from Jon Frost on my questions...
Yes on curved tang..
Their .38-55 reamer is the "short" traditional SAAMI version (which I kind of expected...).

I am putting together a "request for quote" email this morning...  I wish I could just CALL them, but I don't have phone access from work, and they're closed after I'm off work.

Sure nice to see someone else entering the single-shot market!
Paul F.

Boy, this is fantastic news.  I'm just finishing up a Highwall in 40-90 Ballard (draw filing the barrel today).  

It is built on a C.Sharps action that I was not very happy with.   The sides were ground slightly concave, the top flat is out of square with the sides, and they neglected to finish drill the firing pin hole in the block.  Best part was that they installed the firing pin any way, a process that had to involve a hammer.   Took me 15 minutes of patient tapping to remove the firing pin, which was bent.  But I digress.

I had just about talked myself into building my next one on an Uberti action figuring it couldn't be any worse.

I wonder if they have plans to produce a DST spur lever model? 

Jack

RD,

Don't get me wrong, the C. Sharps based gun is going to turn out nice, but the action shouldn't have had so many the things needing to be fixed, especially considering the price.  

When I talked to C. Sharps about the block and bent firing pin, they told me to send them the original firing pin.  I assumed that they wanted to see for them selves, but nooooo.  They just straightened the original firing pin back out and sent it back to me.   I could have done that myself in about 5 minutes if that was a good solution.  So now I've got a gun that I intend to shoot competitively with that has a firing pin that is likely to fail, and they tell me that they don't sell parts.  What a sack of A-holes.

Stamping their logo and the serial number on the side of the action, instead of putting it on the tang where it belongs also hacked me off.

I'm primarily a target shooter, BPCR Silhouette, Creedmoor, and hopefully next year the Quigley and the Lunger's mile match.  So I consider a set trigger a must.  My favorite Highwall configuration is the double set trigger with the spur lever and a pistol grip.   I'm hoping that by the time I'm ready to start another gun, probably next spring, these folks will have gotten around to building that configuration.  Otherwise I'll probably go back to plan "A" and buy an Uberti just for the action.   The Uberti will definitely need an internal cleanup, but will be about $500 cheaper and probably won't have any unfortunate surprises.

I guess my best other alternative would be to find an original Highwall that someone had bastardized into a varmit rifle and return it to respectability.  Decent originals are out of my price range, as are Ballards and Meachams.

If AGC makes theri projected roll out date, there should be plenty of feedback regarding their quality before decision time next spring.

Keeping my fingers crossed......

Jack

Highwall Jack,

You could do worse than a Uberti highwall action.  I've had one for about 12 years now and the thing I like best about it is that nothing ever breaks or wears out.  I do have a Badger 45-90 barrel on and the rifle shoots very well indeed.

As for the new kid on the block, American Gun Company, I emailed them the other day wanting one in .22 rimfire.  Sorry, they say.  Don't make one.  I guess I'll just buy components, as Richard, and just build one myself.

JDA

The only thing that bothers me is that they are making the frames out of 4140 steel.  Very good, tough steel which is excellent for frames,  but is not ideal for conventional Color Case Hardening.  SAE 4140 steel has .40% carbon, adding any more carbon (Color Case Hardening) could cause the metal to become too brittle. 

I understand that thy are having the frames cast by the Shilo Sharps foundry; Shilo Sharps has the capability to cast both 4140 and 8620,  SAE 8620 is a lot more user friendly when doing conventional CCH.

I e-mailed AGC to see if they would offer the HW frames in 8620, we will see what happens..

Mike Hunter
Hunter Restorations
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ACE

This was covered in another post (which has disappeared)

8620 is more than adequate for a Highwall frame. Shilo Sharps, Ballard, Winchester/Browning all used it for their HW actions.   8620 is also considered a Case Hardening Steel which makes it ideal for Color Case Hardening. 

For firearm frames you generally want steel with a hard wearing outer layer and a softer inner core to absorb shock and reduce cracking/warping. 

4140 is excellent steel, but it’s a thru hardening steel (the hardness goes thru the steel, no soft inner core).  4140 is also an OIL quenching steel, quenching oil quench steel in water, cools the material too quickly.  Problems with quenching oil hardening steel in water can cause non uniform hardening, warping and cracking. 

Since Color Case Hardeing requires quenching in water; 4140 is an inappropriate material for this.  Today’s steels purposely are designed for specific applications, 4140 was not designed for case hardening, 8620 was. 

An example I used earlier:  Bar chain oil is an excellent lubricant, but you’re not going to put that in you family car.  Use the correct material for the job. 

Now 4140 can be case hardened, by induction hardening… but neither you nor I have the money for this, and besides the colors look terrible. 

Considering that Shilo’s foundry can cast either 4140 or 8620,  little if any price difference between the two materials, 8620 casts nicely, easier to machine, and takes blue well, to me its an ideal frame material. 

I’m not quite sure why AG Co. is making frames strictly out of 4140, they really need to consult a metallurgist. They are a barrel manufacturer, they use plenty of 4140 for barrels, more than likely they are used to dealing with it… but they don’t Color Case Harden Barrels. 

A simple check in Machinery’s Handbook , American Society of Metals (ASM) Metals Handbook or quick Google search on quenching 4140 in water; answers will range from “Not Recommended”  to “Don’t do it” 

Mike Hunter
Hunter Restorations
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Knowing it might insult some of you "purest", I hesitate to bring this up, but will anyway.  Winchester is currently offering Miroku manufactured M1885 BPCR and Creedmoor models with color case hardened receivers.  But the color case process is a potassium-cyanide-based technology.  From my point of view they have quite brilliant colors and are very attractive, but I don't know the type of steel used in modern Winchester/Browning receivers.

This brings up a good question for Mike Hunter, the compatibility of SAE 4140 with a potassium-cyanide-based process?  Based on the little I know about the process I'd expect the results would be less dependent on the carbon content in the steel.  But this is a subject I know little about.  By the way, Winchester and Browning use Signal Mountain Gun Works, out of Roundup, MT to do the color case hardening.

Wayne