Well I couldn't resist and I bought one of these rifles.  It is not here yet, but I want to convert it to a CF.   Does anyone know what breech blocks will work in this action.  I have heard that the Swiss Martinis are smaller than the Henry model.  Can a Cadet size block work or.... I am open to any ideas or suggestions.

thank you,

It's in 41 Swiss caliber, I don't know who made it but it looks like a custom.  It does luckily have a breech block  I was just looking to see what may fit, or at least be close enough so that it could be fitted and make the conversion.  It is coming from Switzerland, I expect it early next week.

I think refitting the breech block to centerfire will be a WHOLE lot more possible than finding a workable replacement.

Rich, was the block you got for a Peabody or a Martini?  The Swiss Peabodys were military rifles, with pretty good consistency on their parts dimensions.  If Garra's rifle is military, he may luck out, if it's a civilian Martini, it might be easier to alter it to centerfire than to find a block in the right size.   

David Kaiser (spelled the right way!)

that sound like something that would make a beneficial article for the Journal   If you do it, be sure to take lots of pictures of the work as it progresses

Garra, the front of the block can probably be bushed with a dovetailed plate, like the military Martini conversions to .303 British, and a hole drilled into the firing pin channel from the front for the pin tip.  The pin body can then be drilled off center 1/2" deep for a new tip which is held in place with either a high strength Loctite or soft solder, depending on dimensions of the pin body.  That's how I would approach it if it were in my shop.

David

The original tip on the firing pin body would be amputated, and the pin body would be drilled for a new tip, which would be off center by the difference between the original on center location and the new hole in the breech block, which would match the center of the bore/chamber/primer hole in a cartridge case.  (I've left out a few steps needed to get to the finished product... )  The firing pin channel in the breech block should not need any modification, and the front end of the firing pin/striker is the only part of it that would be worked on...so the tumbler's upper arm would not be affected.

David

Went to the trouble a assenbling the rifle and rigging up a method of determining the location of the new firing pin.  Used a cartridge, with the primer drill out to accomidate a shouldered screw with the tip sharpened.  Worked really well and made a nice center punch mark on the face of the breech.  Some initial measuring indicated the the new firing pin would have to be mounted on the top of the existing striker, no hole support or anything.  There is some clearance in the inside of the hole for the striker, and I do have a couple more firing pins coming.  Maybe they have a flang large enough to support a firing pin.  I may end up using a MH breech block and forget about the original block.  The distance between the firing pins hole is .280, but the diameter of the flange of the striker is .525.  Half the distance will be .2625, so as you can see I am .018 shy of reaching the right spot to mount the firing pin.