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Jaeger 6
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Farrow rifles
Jun 28th, 2011 at 12:03am
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Looking for data or photos of any Farrow rifles for a project. All help will be greatly appreciated. 

Ben
  
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harry_eales
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #1 - Jun 28th, 2011 at 1:10am
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Jaeger 6 wrote on Jun 28th, 2011 at 12:03am:
Looking for data or photos of any Farrow rifles for a project. All help will be greatly appreciated. 

Ben


Hello Ben,

There's not much available info about Farrows Rifles and few shooters have even seen one example.

Are you considering building such a rifle? I ask because the ASSRA Archive list the plans for a Farrow Action, (model not known) and if it is like other plans in series it will be fully dimensioned, in other words an Engineering Drawing. The plans (several sheets) are A4 size, and are US$ 10.00 per set, any print shop can enlarge them to full size for a few Dollars. 

Now the bad news, the Archive is being packed up for transit to a new Archivist and with plans to get everything catalogued and computerised, it may take some months before they are available again. Someone on this Forum may have a set they could let you have.

The now defunct Frontier Arms Co that produced action castings kits did include a Farrow Rifle in their on line catalogue, and it may be possible that someone has such a kit put away under their workbench. You could try an advert in the Want to buy/sell Section of this Forum. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Milton Farrow published a book, 'How I became a crack shot: with hints to beginners'.  W. Milton Farrow 1882.
This book has gone through several reprints over the years and copies can be found on (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) from as little as US $3.95 upto over US $50.00 

Good luck in your search.

Harry
« Last Edit: Jun 28th, 2011 at 9:33am by »  
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Bent_Ramrod
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #2 - Jun 28th, 2011 at 6:29pm
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Check out US Patents 306,391 and 372,213 on Google Patents.  There's a pretty good chapter on Farrow and his rifles in de Haas' More Single Shot Rifles and Actions.
  
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ole_pizen_slinger
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #3 - Jun 28th, 2011 at 9:09pm
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Farrow rifles were mentioned on the Shiloh Forum awhile back.  Here is a link to a page with some pictures.
ole pizen slinger

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Bnelson
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #4 - Jun 28th, 2011 at 9:32pm
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Here are a couple more pictures of a Farrow rifle.  There is a good shot of the top tang and part of the sight.  There is also a picture of a repro that I put together on the casting sets from Frontier armory.  Didn't come out too bad.  
Bruce
  
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40_Rod
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #5 - Jun 29th, 2011 at 7:30am
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If you are interested in building  a Farrow or have one without sights Frank Zika makes Farrow sights. We put a set on the low wall raffle rifle and the looked and worked great. 

40 Rod
  
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waterman
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #6 - Jun 29th, 2011 at 12:58pm
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I followed the link to the Shiloh Forum.  Amid all the name-calling and other unpleasantness, I saw 4 items worthy of mention.   

First is the photo of the beautiful original Farrow DST rifle with an original Farrow tang sight.  I noticed that the hammer had a rounded hump and stuck up much higher than the (few) other Farrows I have seen.  I am very curious about that rifle and its place in the evolution of the Farrow action.  Ben, you should track that one down and learn about the hammer & DST.

Second was a series of comments about lining the barrel of an original Farrow.  WMF designed the action for those who shot a great deal.  He expected barrels to be worn out.  The action is designed to allow substitution of barrels.  The barrels screw in place and are then held in proper position by a transverse pin.  Why not replace the original Farrow with a modern barrel and preserve the original?

3rd, there was a discussion of the # of Farrows being about 1500 (+/-) and commented on the low # of surviving rifles.  Another person commented that he had never seen a serial number higher than 117 (or about that range).  Another knowledgeable person told me he had never seen an original Farrow with a serial number over 200.  My guess is that Farrow never made more than 250 rifles and probably less than 200.  The originals were numbered on the front of the action and on the side of the rear tang.  The buttstocks and buttplates were also numbered.  I have also seen an original Farrow with no numbers.  My guess is that it was assembled from original parts.

4th, someone wrote about hand cocking the rifle.  The originals I have seen bring the hammer to full cock when the action is closed.  The originals are target rifles only, very sensitive and given to accidental discharges.
  
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waterman
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #7 - Jun 29th, 2011 at 1:04pm
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Bruce,

I am curious about the repro Farrow from Frontier Armory castings. Looks like a nice job.  I noted a much higher hammer spur (good idea).  Does this action bring the hammer to full cock on closing?  Can the hammer be lowered and re-cocked and have the rifle function properly?

Waterman
  
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Bnelson
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #8 - Jun 29th, 2011 at 3:44pm
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Hello Waterman,
     The repro that is pictured is actually one that was marketed as an 1884 patent.  It is very similar to the 87 version, which is what the originals were.  Farrow had several other patents that did not make it to market.  My repro was one that was reverse engineered from the 87 version.  It has a very strange looking main spring, but it works.  It does cock the hammer on closing the action and the hammer can be lowered and re-cocked without loosing functionability.  It does not have a safety, though and does not lend itself well to any type of modification for a safety.  It was evidently designed as a target rifle as earlier posts mentioned and is not easily changed from that design.  Still, a neat action.  I've got another action in the 1887 version that hasn't been matched up with a barrel yet.  A project for the future.   
Bruce   
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MAD MIKE
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #9 - Jun 29th, 2011 at 4:52pm
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Bnelson, Beautiful job on the Farrow build. If you'd like an original buttplate, Ballard Rifle Co. has them, a super investment casting, used for the #8 Union Hill. $35 last time I looked. If you decide to sell that action, I'd be interested.     ...MIKE...
  
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #10 - Jun 29th, 2011 at 11:28pm
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I have an original Farrow coming up for sale on my web site (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) following the Raton Nationals in July.
I don't have any details now but will have it in my possession after Raton and will have pictures available.
Steve R.
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waterman
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #11 - Jun 30th, 2011 at 11:19am
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Is it possible to do some sort of inventory of surviving Farrows through this Forum?
  
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waterman
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Re: Farrow rifles
Reply #12 - Jul 1st, 2011 at 12:18pm
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I am right handed and not particularly strong.  When holding a Farrow action firmly with my left hand, I can pinch the tangs together with my right thumb & index finger.  When that happens, the hammer moves in relation to the trigger assembly.  I have done this with 2 different Farrow actions.  That tells me the machine screw connecting the tangs must be at exactly the proper tension for the action to function as designed.   

I have never tried this with a Winchester or a Stevens.  Maybe it is a commonplace characteristic.  But it tells me that a modern Farrow should have a block between the tangs and a through bolt holding  on the buttstock.
  
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