I'd like to own that Old Rifle!

Terry

A family member was cutting juniper and found it leaning against a bushy tree barrel down. He said it was 10 miles from any where. Knowing I was into old single shots he brought it by for me have a look. I ended up trading a Randall Knife straight up for it.
The wood is gone but metal is in pretty good shape, only pitting is about 6" on the end of barrel where it was resting on the ground. Tang was broken, main spring and firing pin, also the tumbler. I had great hopes of getting her running again but my wife vetoed that idea. Would be neat to shoot an elk with it.
Its a Meacham conversion, says 40 2 1/2 on the barrel. Some one has reamed it to a 40 70 Winchester, as near as I can tell. A 40 70 win and a 40 65 will fit. Mike

I do wish it could talk, there are some initials scratched into the patch box. My find some day who they belonged to.
There was a fight in that area, Indians and Calvary but the time was wrong. It was in the 1860's and this gun 'was not converted until some time in the early 80's.
I think some kids were playing with it and left it there years ago. It was not shootable at that time.
I have replaced working parts and had John King fix the tang. Was going to have him install a 40 70 liner.My wife wanted to keep it as is, and John agreed with her. She told me if I wanted a new gun to buy one and not mess with it any more. Sure would like to have a Pope High Wall. Mike

That’s a neat rifle and a fine conversation piece. I have a friend who was doing an archaeological survey in the New York Mountains northwest of Needles, California and came upon a ’03-A4 lying in the desert. It had apparently been there for many years, the stock was completely gone, but the action and scope were still OK. I put a used 4 groove Springfield barrel in it, fitted a used sporter stock, and today it’s a nice rifle. The Parkerizing preserved both the action and scope, and of course it doesn’t rain much out there. 

Interesting.  The 40-70 Win was a strange duck actually a shouldered or BN case.  (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links); I do not know when it came to being or when it was discontinued, but you certainly do not see mention of it very often.  This seems to be one of those "in between" cartridges and difficult to find much info on.  If a 40-70 SS will fit (length would be a problem here as it is .100" longer than a 40-70 Win), and it should go easily (dia wise) if it truly is rechambered to 40-70 Win, and a 40-65 will fit, more snugly, then it most likely is a 40-70 Win and not a 40 2 1/2, a general description for a sharps straight, because neither of those cases 40-70 Win or 40-65 Win, would fit in a 40 2 1/2" chamber.  A 40-70 SS could have been rechambered into a 40-70 Win I believe, but there is a significant difference in bore dia for the two cartridges.  The 40-70 Win was most likely for jacketed bullets, not lead so I don't know how that would have worked unless the barrel was somehow rebored.  Meacham was well known for reworking rifles and this most likely could be the case here,  Is there mention of Meacham imprinted on the gun anywhere?
I once heard of a simular find in the juniper and sage lands of eastern Oregon, in the country east of Bend.  Gun was found leaning up against a tree.  Wood was shabby but all there and the gun although rusty was not in to bad of shape. Gotta wonder how they wound up where they did??
Anyway,,,Great piece, great story.
Enjoy
Cary

One reason that it won't work is that you have be be a payed member of LoadData.com and sign in to use it.

Frank

Same guy.  Not many Cary's around.  Hey are they doing any BPCR out at the COSSA range?  I really liked to shoot there.
Cary