Original 50-70 followed me home.....

[Desert Drifter]

Out doing my normal toodling yesterday and this original Remington No. 1 Sporting rifle in 50-70 Gov't and 2 boxes of Buffalo Arms ammo followed me home.

The barrel has been cut down to 26 inches but has a nearly perfect, bright bore.  The rest of the rifle has nice patina and a ton of honest character.











It might be an ol'mongrel, but I think this ol' dog 'll hunt.

'Drifter

[Bob R.]

Very cool!

There seem to be a fair number like that locally. I went up to a show in Concord, NH, looking for a cartridge Sharps (they had 3 original precussion carbines, and nothing else), and in passing I saw at least 3 sporter Remington RB's, and a Highwall to boot. Absolutely nothing available in the way of repro's though, unless you were looking for over-prioced used leverguns, which everybody and his uncle seemed to be unloading.

There was a high number of Civil War precussion carbines (and 3 Spencers), of about every available flavour, except a Maynard. Smith's Jocelybns, etc.

[Short Knife Johnson]

Out doing my normal toodling yesterday and this original Remington No. 1 Sporting rifle in 50-70 Gov't and 2 boxes of Buffalo Arms ammo followed me home.

Yeah, they'll do that. 

Very nice find.

[Advertising]

[Yellowhouse Sam]

Nice rifle and you'll have a lot of fun with it.  However, it is of military configuration and not a Sporter.

[Desert Drifter]

Sam, thanks for setting me straight.  I could only look at pictures on the web and then make a guess at it.  The barrel and action are very sound, and I know the barrel has been cut to 26".  I think both the stock and forearm are replacements.  But for what I paid it'll make a very cheap shooter for sure.

'Drifter

[StrawHat]

I have a 50-70 trapdoor that is a joy to shoot.  It seems the 50 Gov't is about as easy a cartridge to reload as any other and it seems to be more accurate.  Enjoy the shooting and good luck.

[john boy]

Drifter, in adding to Sam's observation:
Your rifle started it's life as a #1 Musket, full length stock, 3 bands with a 35.25" barrel.  Stock cut down to look like a 'sporting' rifle with only one band left on the wood
Your sight looks to be the 500yd sight, not the M1879 1400m sight.
You might want to look on the metal, including the patent date for any additional stamped marks.  On the wood, any cartouches or a rack number.  This can tell the model year and the country/contract the rifle was produced for.  Forget about the numbers on the upper and lower tang, they are just Remington batch numbers for the receivers.  And the 'P' on the barrel just means it was inspected at the the Remington factory

Here's a couple of recipes you might want to try:

With the military sights and many sighter adjustments, this load produced at 1000yds
* Starline 50-70 Brass, annealed
* Lee 515-450F, 1:20, (actual weight 457gr) 40:40:20 mix of mutton tallow-paraffin-beeswax
* Resized 511 using Lee bottom push lube/sizer. Rifle groove is 507
* CCI BR2 Primer
* 70gr Swiss FFg
* 0.075 Hard unlubed Felt Wad
* 1263 AV with a 13.8 SD

Haven't shot this one yet, so no fps or SD ...
* Lee 515-500-F ... resized to 0.510, 1:20, homemade lube - BC 0.283
* Starline Brass
* Remington 9.5 LR Primers
* 70grs DuPont Fg (vintage pre 70's) or any vendor's Fg powder
* 0.030 Fiber Wad
* 0.040 Mutton Tallow Lubed Felt Wad
Seated out to 3rd GG band