There's a few items a person finds now and then that cause internal unrest and butterflies - I found one of them.  I now have another part time job as another piece of history followed me home this last weekend.  As we say - we purchase these firearms and we think we own them, we are just the caretakers and guardians of these items for a duration in time.

I stumbled on a Farrow rifle at the Sioux Falls gun show this last weekend.  Thought I'd share a picture or two of it - the rifle appears to be a 32-40, I haven't done a chamber cast nor have I slugged the bore to check size yet - a sized 32-40 brass fit and it popped a primer with fairly well centered strike.  It is a 14 groove and appears to be a gain twist - the bore appears to be pristine.  The tang area of the frame has a minute crack coming in from each side but the rest appears solid.  The rear sight appears to be a Ballard and it's loose in the base, the rear mount has a shim under it  and brings the staff to the right vertical position, so it's not originally cut to fit this tang.   The front sight is a Beech with an ivory bead attached.  The serial number on the face of the action is... 100.   

I will shoot this rifle but I will take care of it also so that maybe others can enjoy it later in time.  I was informed that there may be some provenance that goes with this gun is one of James Grants books, I thought I had all of Grants books and I scoured what I have.  I do not have book number five, Single Shot Rifles Finale.  If someone has this book, would you check and see if there is any mention of this and send me a PM.
Regards,
Greg

I'm glad you bought it! I looked it over and was very tempted.
 

Very Very Nice! Congratulations the Farrows are not easy to come by and I have always had a soft spot for them and you have found a very charming one. Congratulations again and please let us know how it shoots if and when you have the time.

GT, congrats. RGlenz and I looked it over closely and as Rick says it was tempting. Hope you enjoy it.

marlinguy wrote on Feb 11^th, 2019 at 8:27pm:


I was thinking about that but I have a Ballard that needs one too.     
Was looking for the Farrow copy I made a couple years ago, can't remember what I put it on and it's not showing up in all the places I'm looking- need to quit looking in the same places hoping for different results too - ever have that problem? 

Very interesting Farrow, Greg. Different from most of the pictures I have seen.
Have a lot of questions about how it works. Very nice acquisition.
Chuck

Rodney, if you have anything in your notes that would really be appreciated!  and yes with the way this thing works and the intricacy of how everything goes together it is easy to believe that the stories about Farrow being a watchmaker/jeweler in his early life.   
Chuck, I intend to get a few measurements and compare them to some of my drawings and the ones I currently have in process.  It'll be interesting to compare notes with you on the one you built.

Vall, if only these things could talk... The barrel right in front of the action has a dovetail cut in it and the fore end has a slot in the same place like there was a palm rest of sorts there originally.

Regards,
Greg

And to my support group out there when I first discovered this - A BIG THANK YOU!

40_Rod,
I finally did a quick slug of the first 4 inches, I didn't have anything on the bench that fit the bore nice so I quickly bumped up a .316 slug of some sorts and drove it in.  I'll do a little more thorough job of it later but initial dimensions are:  .325" major diameter???? and groove of .320" and it is 14 groove.

Upon closer examination of the slug,(under a scope) it wasn't bumped up enough for the major OD - there's insignificant OD rubbing. 

Greg

I tried to finish a replacement sight for this acquisition over the weekend but best laid plans...  have to talk to that boss of mine     
Attached a few pictures of the project, with any luck I'll finish it before the shooting season begins - outside now - I don't think it's ever going to get here.   

It's my version of Farrow's sight, from 10 feet away it resembles one... somewhat...

Like many of my sights, things change a lot as I progressed - the ball on the end of the screw will be modified so it doesn't turn, but allows oscillation.  If you notice the screws, the bottom is LH and the upper is RH so it operates like a turn buckle permitting extension.  For the detent, I plan to copy the spring method like the sight on a Phoenix a while back.

Greg

I made a tracing attachment for the mill but by the time I get it in and set up lamp black and a file is about as fast.

Greg, very nice. What sight picture is in the background? If I get to PO tomorrow I will mail the spring winder. I tried it out and made several so it works.

Greg,
  I thought it might be a Carver. That was shared by another fellow . The music wire needs to be .055 I get the 12” lengths from MSC . I tried .062 and it will work but is more difficult to in stall in the Breech block, any way .055 was per the original.

Skalkaho wrote on Feb 19^th, 2019 at 8:48am:

Thanks, 
One eye piece I got right side up when I formed the dish the other I must have been dozing... the figure isn't in the cup it's on the back- not that it matters that much but I notice out in bright daylight cross lines in the cup give me clearer picture than none or circles- may be a mental thing too.   I have found about 3 eye pieces out of about 20 that I really like... need to try these.   
Maybe somebody that knows more than I will comment?

Rodney,
There was an outfit here that works on pianos and they had spring wire by the spools- we use to use it for an alignment method on some equipment I'll see if they are still around and what sizes they have.  I made some interesting compression springs with it once.

rkba2nd wrote on Feb 18^th, 2019 at 1:10pm:


You are not mistaken, the first variant #5, as indicated by the shape of the ivory bead; later, 5A & 5B variants were added, differing in the shape of the post or bead.

Thanks guys! I go mostly by design in my name calling so clarity is nice. (still call an adjustable wrench a crescent)
When somebody in later years stumbles across one of my sights that has a Robbins style base and a Sharps upper, a Carver detent, but everything is just tad bit off, I'll chuckle.

Vall,
Thanks for the info.  I did find a few rolls I had stashed - there was a .055" roll - brand was Roslau so it should be good.  I'll soon have another diversion in the mix 

GT wrote on Feb 19^th, 2019 at 1:07pm:


I have two boxes I use for various springs. .045" and .055". I use mostly .045" for trigger return springs, so it goes faster than the larger diameter.