The 1964 Gun Digest

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Roy

This post looks at firearms history by examining an old copy of the Gun Digest.

The Gun Digest has always been a favorite source for articles covering all aspects of guns and shooting activities and I have always looked forward to the annual appearance of a new edition. I have a copy of the 18^th Anniversary “DeLuxe” 1964 edition, now 50 years old. Having a look at it may give us some perspective and an idea of how far we have, or have not, come in 50 years. The Gun Digests of the nineteen sixties have a lot of content and the1964 edition is one of the best volumes of that publication ever to appear. Looking at something like this is as good as having a time machine. Note the price of $3.95.

Return with Us Now To Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear….

“The Lone Ranger Rides Again!” Well, not really. The Lone Ranger and other stars of the western TV craze were gone by 1964. Gunsmoke and Bonanza, however, were still alive and healthy and enjoyed by millions. If one wished to emulate Marshal Dillon with a Colt Single Action Army .45 with a 7.5-inch barrel like his, the 1964 GD shows that Colt could satisfy that need for a mere $125.00.

Maybe, however, you were a Smith and Wesson fancier in ’64. The matchless Model 27, .357 Magnum, had been around for quite a while, but the monster Model 29, .44 Magnum, had existed for less than ten years. The 1964 Gun Digest lists both as available, the .357 for $120.00 and the .44 Mag for $140.00. Dirty Harry (of movie fame) had not yet come along to boost the demand, and the price, for the Model 29.

Smith and Wessons: Foreground, Model 27; Background, Model 29

Hunters and other centerfire rifle enthusiasts did not have anything close to the number of choices we have today, but arms of high quality were available. A Winchester Model 70, just coming to the end of its pre-64 classical phase, could be had for $139. A Remington Model 700 BDL required about the same outlay of cash. Those a bit less flush could choose a Savage 110-E for $99.50, or even, gasp!, a Savage Model 340 for $63.95. Lever action admirers would have to put up only $83.95 for a Winchester Model 94 carbine.

Bird hunters would be pleased with their Browning A-5 Auto for $139.75, or their Winchester Model 12 pump at $109.15. No, you didn’t get a ventilated rib for that dough. That was extra.

For Those That Like to Read about Guns

This edition of the GD had 55 useful articles spanning 353 pages. As usual, there were historical articles, hunting articles, gun tests, and technical articles covering guns and ammo. The lead article dealt with one of gun history’s miserable failures, the Marlin Model 62 lever action in .256 Winchester Magnum. Not a bad little cartridge, a .357 Magnum case necked down to .25 caliber, but sales never got off the ground and it was soon gone.

There were two articles covering shooting and hunting with one of gun history’s greatest successes, the Remington’s Model 700 7 mm Magnum, that had been around just a short while in 1964. One author described taking eland, greater kudu, wildebeest, and impala in Africa. We all should be so lucky. The 7 Mil Mag killed the small and medium plains game like lightning.

An article on the Guns of Lewis and Clark describes the armament of the famous expedition, their main shoulder arm for hunting being the Harper’s Ferry .54 caliber flintlock rifle. They used it to kill the largest game of the west for meat on the trail. Yes, they also faced the previously unknown grizzly with these flintlocks until they decided it was better to stay out of the mammoth bear’s way. Other historical articles dealt with the Snider rifle, the Remington 7 mm rolling block, the 9.3 x 72R, and the Peabody sporting rifle, a real potpourri of old iron.

The “Testfire” section, a regular feature of GD editions, tested eight rifles and shotguns, among them a lowly Savage Model 340c .30-30. Test shooter Ken Waters was freaked out because the rifle repeatedly fired five-shot groups of less than 1.5” at 100 yards! With only a Weaver K3 scope installed! As mentioned earlier, the catalog section listed the 340c for $63.95. You may have read of the Model 340’s admirable qualities in other posts on this site.

My favorite article was “Half-Minute Rifle” by Warren Page. Page, a very successful gun editor, hunter, and firearms experimenter, was also a champion benchrest shooter. He wrote many articles in his career and I read a lot of them at the time they appeared. I liked his breezy, matter-of-fact style. He wrote with authority, because what he wrote was always based on his personal experience. One finds a number of articles by Page in the Gun Digest issues of the 1960s and 1970s, and, like many of the good gun writers I read when I was young, he is long deceased.

In this article Page discusses what needs to be done to get a rifle that shoots half-inch groups, or better, at 100 yards. In his opinion, it has to be a bolt action with a cylindrical steel receiver, because that shape has greatest stiffness. Then, you have to have a really good barrel, probably a custom, and a very light, crisp trigger and fast lock time. You could put custom parts together, but if you just wanted to buy a rifle that had a chance at half-inch groups, the Remington Model 40X might do it. I can’t do justice to this, or any, article in one paragraph, but maybe you get the flavor of it.

Nostalgia

Nothing creates nostalgia for a gun nut like looking at what guns cost in the good ol’ days. All of those lovely Smith & Wessons, Brownings, and Winchesters, I should have bought one of every model, but, of course, I did not. Like many folks now looking back, I was afflicted with youthful poverty when this stuff, and everything else I would like to have purchased, was available at now seemingly attractive prices.

However, what did catch my eye, and what I did purchase, was a sleek little single-barrel shotgun. It was a Hawthorne Model 110 single barrel, break-action shotgun with a .410 bore. The Hawthorne name adorned some guns sold by the Montgomery Ward chain, often known in my neck of the woods as Monkey Ward’s, a direct retail and mail order firm that was actually older than Sears, Roebuck and Co.

A Hawthorne Model 110, .410 Bore, sold by Montgomery Ward in the 1960s

I really liked the streamlined looks of this little scattergun, a rather modern design for the time. Its main feature was that it was hammerless, quite unusual for a single barrel shotgun in that or any other time. References state that the Hawthornes were made by Savage Arms Co., and Savage sold an identical Model SB100 with the Savage name on it. Over the years the same gun was sold by other outlets under the Jefferson and Western Field names. The Hawthorne sold for a bit more than $30.00 in 1964.

This one has never drawn blood, but there was a time when it drew a lot of clay target dust. I think it might be time this tube had another workout.

Fifty Years of Progress

Some things, like the Marlin Model 62, are long gone. Other things, like .410 shotguns and the 7 mm magnums, are still with us, and probably will be for a long time to come. Nothing we like better has come along. Many good things do seem to last in the shooting sports.

One final observation: The 1964 Gun Digest has not one article on the AR military style of semi-auto rifle and no such are listed in the catalog section. Likewise, there are no articles on small, plastic semi-auto pistols or on concealed carry techniques, things you will find so thoroughly covered in more recent publications.

This does not bother me. Doting on vintage guns as I do, I could live quite comfortably in the shooting world of 1964. In fact, I do!

Old editions of Gun Digest may sometimes be found at gun shows or listed on eBay.

Posted in Personal History | Tagged 1964 Gun Digest, Gun Digest | Leave a comment

Hornady’s American Whitetail Ammo for the .30-30 Winchester

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Roy

This post describes Hornady’s American Whitetail ammo for the .30-30 Winchester and compares it to other cartridge lines.

We know that the deer population in America has never been higher. We also know that there are more than ten million deer hunters in the country. Predictable result: Selling ammo to deer hunters is a money-making proposition.

Hornady’s American Whitetail (AW) line of ammo is aimed (oops! pun) at this market. The line includes nine cartridges that include the usual suspects from .243 Winchester to .300 Winchester Magnum. These loads use the Hornady Interlock bullets in weights appropriate for whitetail deer hunting. That, in Hornady’s view, means 150 grains for all four of the thirty-caliber entries in the line. They enthusiastically announce that the AW ammo “….combines generations of ballistic know-how with modern components and the technology you need to take the buck of a lifetime!” (from Hornady’s website)

Just looking at the box this ammo line comes in might cause a deer to give up and fall over dead. With a clever AW logo nestled in a rack of antlers and bold white lettering on an American flag background, it is just about the spiffiest factory ammo box I have ever seen.

Packaging beauty

Interesting to me is the fact that the AW line includes a 150-gr loading for the .30-30 Winchester. Well, you could hardly have such a line without including the grandpa of all deer cartridges, now, could you? Nope. The ballistic performance, which you can actually find printed on the beautiful box, is identical to “standard” specs, namely, a muzzle velocity of 2390 fps for the blunt, 150-grain bullet. Same as such loads have given for years, regardless of make.

Four deer cartridges loads, L to R: Federal 150, Remington 150, American Whitetail 150, and LEVERevolution 160

Four deer cartridges, L to R: Federal 150, Remington 150, American Whitetail 150, and LEVERevolution 160

Pulling a bullet from an AW round reveals 36.0 grains of a dark gray, ball powder with flattened grains. Of course, we can’t hazard a guess as to the identity of this powder. The bullet has a round nose and a flat base.

American Whitetail Load Disassembled

We will want to compare this load with the .30-30 LEVERevolution 160-gr load introduced by Hornady a few years ago and touted to be the last word in a safe and effective cartridge for lever action rifles. The LE gives 2400 fps at the snout with its slightly heavier bullet. That is not hugely greater, but the big news is what happens down range, as has been now reported many times in many places. The LE bullet, with a ballistic coefficient of 0.330, arrives at 200 yards still making 1916 fps and 1304 fp of kinetic energy. The pokey AW, like other standard loads, will arrive at that distance making only 1581 fps and 832 fp of kinetic energy because of its lower ballistic coefficient of 0.186. . It is certain, therefore, that LEVERevolution powder is not being used in the AW shells. They are totally conventional, and that is not a bad thing.

Déjà vu

Famous before the appearance of the latest cartridge lines, Hornady’s Custom ammo series was the former home of the standard 150- and 170-grain loads for .30-30. The Custom line still exists and is quite extensive, including nearly 50 loads in various calibers. It uses Interlock and SST bullets and still seems to be the “standard” centerfire line but it will probably be superseded by the Superformance line that is using more modern powder tech and offers improved ballistics, albeit for a bit more money.

The Custom line still includes a 170-grain load for the .30-30 at the standard velocity of 2200 fps. The 150-grain load, however, is no longer in the Custom list. It seems to be in the American Whitetail list, only. Could we assume that this 150-gr load is the former Custom load in a purty box? Well, yes, durn it. Or real close, anyway. That is exactly what I would do if I were making whitetail medicine.

The LEVERevolution ammo is undeniably superior in ballistics but the standard .30-30 loads have successfully taken deer for years at reasonable ranges. We do not need to plow that ground again. Hornady is keeping all bases covered with its .30-30 American Whitetail load. The quality has always been there, regardless of the name of the line.

Will It Perform?

Now that is a silly question, really. It is too cold and snowy to go to the range right now, but, over the years, I have tested a lot of Hornady Custom ammo at the bench. In a test of .30-30 factory ammo conducted some time ago, the Hornady Custom 150-gr load averaged a muzzle velocity of 2346 fps in five different rifles. My 22-inch Remington Model 788 gave 2326 fps and a 24-inch Win Model 94 gave 2369 fps.

For accuracy the Hornady Custom 150-gr load averaged 2.02 Minutes-of-Angle for the five rifles. This was the best performance of six different 150-gr loads from various makers. In the Remington Model 788, the average was an outstanding 1.19 MOA, in the Model 94, 2.85 MOA.

If I were to take some American Whitetail .30-30 to the range today, this is exactly the performance I would expect to find.

Two four-shot groups, Hornady Custom 150-gr load, Remington M788

Anything Else?

I will say that I have no connection with the Hornady Co. except as a customer who always pays retail for their products. It has been fun to keep an eye on what they are doing and to test as many of their products as I have resources to acquire and guns to use them in. I really have no other expensive vices. Really.

As a group, the factory cartridges offered for the .30-30 are uniformly excellent. If you want to use a standard load, I would especially recommend the Federal Fusion line. Its 150-gr .30-30 load gave 2364 fps and 2450 fps in my Remington Model 788 and Win Model 94, respectively. Accuracy was outstanding, averaging 1.10 MOA in the 788.

Posted in Rifles/Thirties | Tagged American Whitetail .30-30, Hornady's American Whitetail | Leave a comment

My Goose Gun

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Roy

This post describes an Eastern Arms double-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun and gives additional information on guns sold by Sears, Roebuck and Co. in the early twentieth century. The suitability of using such an arm to hunt waterfowl with non-toxic shot is considered.

A few weeks ago the geese were sunning themselves on the bank of the bay here at ATOTT headquarters. Now they are sunning themselves on the snow covered ice and trying to keep a pond of open water going. Click on the picture to enlarge it. Yes, that little bag hanging from a bare branch in the upper left corner is the nest of an Eastern (Baltimore) Oriole.

Canada geese enjoying their winter swimming pool

I am able to observe the Canada Geese in every season, from nesting time through the winter, and have come to enjoy it immensely. My feelings are not shared by everyone because a significant increase in the goose population, and their consequent occupation of residential yards and public facilities, causes some people to view them as a nuisance. Nevertheless I am glad to be in such a place, for the geese are not only interesting to watch, they have things to teach us and are among God’s favored creatures.

ATOTT is in an area in which a few geese are permanent residents. I understand that non-migratory birds are more common these days in places where the winter is not exceptionally cold and some open water may persist through the season. So, our area is not a normal breeding area, but every year we have a few nesting pairs near our domicile.

Geese tend to be monogamous and to stay with their mates for the long term. The female chooses a site near water, makes the nest of grass and reeds in a depression, lines it with down and appropriate stuff, and deposits 2 to 9 eggs. The pair watches over the nest until the goslings hatch out in a little more than three weeks. These little yellow-tan fuzz balls are immediately able to walk, swim, and find their own food, but they are family oriented and they will stay with their parents for a long time. For migratory birds, the young geese stick with ma and pa goose until their return to the nesting area in the following year.

Very shortly after the hatch, we will see the family travelling in single file, one adult in front, one in back, and the goslings perfectly lined up between them. The lead adult leans its head forward rhythmically, as if to urge the group in the right direction. I don’t know if the lead is ma or pa goose, or if they trade. Although males are usually a little bigger than females, they tend to choose mates of similar size, and their marking is very similar so they are a little hard to tell apart.

Sometimes two or three broods hang out together while the goslings are growing. In 40 – 70 days the young will fledge and begin to fly. The adults often go through a flightless molting period while this is happening, so they all are then able to zoom through the sky together and will be ready for migration when they want to move.

This sight of the family group steaming quietly by our dock never fails to make me feel humble, for it is a sign that nature is working as it should, and in wondrous ways. No one takes care of these birds, except in the general sense of human conservation efforts. They take care of themselves. They find their own food, grasses and grain, and some aquatic organisms. They have no health insurance. They have no unemployment benefits. If one gets weak and is taken by disease or by a bald eagle, that is part of the natural order. No complaints. Having progeny and taking care of them is the prime concern.

My Goose Gun

If you have a suspicion that I really am not an enthusiastic, accomplished goose hunter, I must admit that you are correct, so this writing ought to be seasoned with a grain of salt. Growing up as I did in the flat, waterless farm country of central Illinois, I did not enter a family tradition of waterfowl hunting. Rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, pheasants, an occasional bob white, crows, and predator pests were my favorite targets. Nevertheless, if some geese had put down to feed in our cornfields, I would have been mighty interested. Today, with good populations of Canadas and generous seasons, I think goose hunting could be very interesting and rewarding. Best for me, I think, would be a blind with some decoys and a good goose call in a cornfield near a sizable body of water.

The gun I would use would be a family heirloom, a double-barreled, twelve gauge shotgun handed down from my dad. We got it out on the farm whenever the big medicine was needed. It is a plain shotgun with 30-inch, fluid steel barrels separated by a grooved rib. The barrels are probably choked full and full, or full and modified. It has 2-3/4 inch chambers, double triggers and extractors.

Eastern Arms double 12-gauge

There are few markings. The name EASTERN ARMS COMPANY appears on the left side of the case-hardened receiver. Near the breech of the left barrel is found “PROOF TESTED 12 GA.” There is a serial number on the bottom of the right barrel near the breech and that is all.

Inscription left side of receiver

This appearance shows that the gun is one of the thousands and thousands of utilitarian shotguns sold by various retail outlets in the first part of the twentieth century. Research revealed that the Eastern Arms name was used by Sears, Roebuck and Co. Sears sold a prodigious number of guns under various brand names in stores or by mail order. Names that you might find on early guns are, T. Barker, Sam Holt, Meriden, Norwich, and A. J. Aubrey, among others. Later, you will find Eastern Arms, J. C. Higgins, Sears, and Ted Williams. The guns were generally manufactured by such reputable arms companies as J. Stevens, Savage, Ithaca, High Standard, and Marlin, among others. Quality was therefore good, and, although the buyer may not have known the actual maker of the gun he was purchasing, he trusted Sears’ reputation for value, and prices were lower than any smaller, competitive merchandiser could manage.

Top view of breech

A reprint of a 1908 Sears, Roebuck, and Co. catalog of sporting arms is included in the 1964 edition of The Gun Digest. (John T. Amber, Ed., The Gun Digest Co., Chicago, Illinois). This catalog has 19 pages of shotguns for sale and has hundreds of lines of high-flying prose in praise of the merits of the various models. Most are side-by-side doubles but there are a few single barrels and pump guns. There are both hammerless guns and guns with external hammers. They generally are offered with Damascus barrels. During this time period external hammers were disappearing and Damascus barrels were being replaced with stronger, fluid steel barrels. This evolutionary process took some time. I think the Sears offerings in this catalog give a good picture of what the hunter or farmer of the time wanted.

Further poking around in my firearms references resulted in a positive identification of my gun as being made by J. Stevens of Chicopee Falls, New York. It is the equivalent of a Stevens Model 330 dating to the 1920s. I made the identification by visual comparison

Breech open. Pretty large holes there!

after finding good pictures of a Stevens Model 330 in my copy of the 2013 edition of the Standard Catalog of Firearms (Jerry Lee, Ed., Gun Digest Books, Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin).

Stevens was noted for sturdy side-by-side doubles, the later Model 311 probably being the best known among modern sportsmen, so I felt pretty good about this ID. Reasonably up-to-date references value the Model 330 in good condition in the $400 range. More importantly, the gun should be safe with moderate, modern loads and would probably handle loads of 3-3/4 dram 1-1/4 ounce equivalent. The shells must be limited to 2-3/4” in length. No 3-inch magnums should be allowed to creep in by mistake.

Non-Toxic Shotgun Ammo

However, these tempting waters have been greatly muddied by the 1991 outlawing of lead shot for waterfowl hunting. Everyone agrees that steel shot, the most convenient and economical alternative to lead, should not be used in a gun of this vintage. It is likely to damage the choke and that would really be sad. Ammo companies have frantically worked on development of other alternatives and some would appear to be effective and safe to use in a vintage shotgun. A common feature of all of these alternatives is high expense. You must expect that you will have to bring your goose down with shells costing several dollars apiece.

A rundown of available, non-toxic shells at this point would make this post even more boring, so I will simply say that Cabela’s web site has a good description of the available alternatives and they sell a lot of them. Visit there if you are really interested.

For my part, I think the best choice would be the “tungsten matrix” shells loaded by the Kent company. The shot is fabricated from tungsten powder mixed with plastic. It has nearly the same density as lead and is soft enough to use in guns that might be harmed by steel. Kent has a 2-3/4 inch shell that launches 1-1/4 oz. of No. 3 shot. That should do the trick to at least moderate range. The cost is $28.37 for 10 shells at Ballistic Products, Inc. (They have a nice web site). Hoo Boy! Two shots to check patterning and eight to fetch a couple geese. Not too bad, I guess. If you would like to load your own, BPI will sell you nontoxic shot, 7 lbs. for $153.90. Hooo Nellie!

When am I going goose hunting? I will let you know.

Posted in Personal History, Shotguns | Tagged Eastern Arms 12 gauge, Eastern Arms Company, Sears 12-gauge double, Sears and Roebuck shotguns | Leave a comment

Black Plastic for a Remington Model 788

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Roy

This post describes the bedding of a Remington Model 788 action in a polymer stock.

Nature Quiz: What do geese and people have in common? Answer: They both like to sun themselves next to the water, as these Canada honkers were demonstrating on this sunny, late fall day.

Down to Business

My favorite plain rifle, the Remington Model 788 was produced from 1967 to 1984 in a variety of calibers. In those days your average plain rifle came equipped with a “hardwood” stock. Walnut was rare, but a few Model 788s were produced with walnut stocks.

Common hardwoods for gunstocks, other than walnut, are birch and beech. Both have been used as a substitute for walnut in military rifles. Beech is a very hard wood with small, dark, elongated pores that give it an appearance similar to oak. Yellow birch does not have this quality. I believe that yellow birch, which is used also in furniture, is the wood most often found in the Model 788 and other sporting gunstocks.

The following picture shows a Model 788 .222 with a birch stock. A birch stock is often fairly light in color and has plain, straight grain, although a bit of figure is sometimes present. It may be stained for a darker effect.

Birch Stock on a Model 788 in .222 Remington

Stocks of synthetic material replaced wood for military rifles years ago and the plain, sporting rifle production has followed suit. Go to a rifle range today, and if twenty guys are blazing away on the line, you may not see one stock of wood. In Fact, that was my experience. One day I looked around, and I was the only guy on the line with a wooden handle on his boomer. I immediately thought I was probably perceived as being over the hill and not cool, and, while that is true, I figured that I could do something about it without getting rid of my beloved Remington 788s.

Some years ago, in fact, I had bought a black, plastic stock made by Ramline for my .308 and had never gotten around to try it out. Now, I knew the time had come to put it in service.

There are different ways to fabricate a synthetic stock. The simplest is by injection molding. A thermoplastic material is used. That is a plastic that can be heated to a molten state, then injected into a mold. Upon cooling, the plastic, in original composition, solidifies in its new stock shape. The technique has been around for years, and all kinds of solid plastic objects are made by injection molding. Another method is to use modern composite polymer materials, building them up in layers to form the stock. This produces a lighter, stronger stock that is considerably more expensive, thus appealing to the elites that must have the best, and are willing to pay multi hundreds of dollars.

The Ramline stock is of the injection molded type and is very economical. That was my way to go because the Ramline quality is good, it is sturdy, and it is just as black as any other product. Choice made.

The Ramline Stock

Doing the Work

The actions for which the Ramline is made will drop right in with a good fit. Put in the action screws, go hunting and forget worrying about the weather. This, however, was too simple for me. I wanted the best possible fit and support around the recoil lug, so I decided to glass bed the action and put in pillars for the screws. I used Acra-Glass Gel from Brownell’s and pillar tubes for a Mauser action. These have the right diameter but have to be cut for length to fit the Remington action.

Interior of Stock Before Glass Bedding

The bedding process proceeded without difficulty. I used modeling clay to fill cavities around the recoil lug area and followed the usual directions for using release agent and mixing the glass gel. I routed the inside level area of the front action screw surface down a bit and cut the front pillar tube to position the action at the right depth when the gel was applied and allowed to set. The fit of the tang at the rear of the stock seemed good and solid, so I did not glass bed that area, but I did cut and glue in a pillar tube for the rear screw. The finished job is shown in the next photo.

Bedding Completed

The barrel floats in front of the bedding. Some rifle workers would use a shorter bedding support in front of the recoil lug than I did. A rule of thumb is to have no bedding support past the point where the barrel begins to taper, so I think I am OK. Because the plastic stock is really about the same weight as the wooden one, the handling qualities of the gun were changed very little, and the final product looks very much like most of the new, plain, plastic jobs offered by the major firearms companies. The difference, of course, is that this one has the 788 action, which we know is capable of fine accuracy. Will the new stock maximize the accuracy performance? That will have to show up in accuracy testing at the bench.

At the Range

For an accuracy check I fired twelve groups at 50 yards using three different factory loads: Federal 180-gr Soft Point; Hornady Match 168-gr A-Max; Winchester 180-gr Power Point. Two groups of each are shown in the pictures.

Two Groups, Federal 180-gr SP

Two Groups, Hornady 168-gr A-Max

Two Groups, Winchester 180-r PP

The average fifty-yard group size for the 12 factory load groups was 0.56,” or, 1.1 minute-of-angle.

Two handloads were tested. Hornady 180-gr spire points pushed at 2352 fps by W748 gave four groups averaging 0.68″ (1.36 MOA). Best performance was found with 42.6 gr of Varget pushing a Hornady 165-gr flat-base spire point at 2320 fps. Six consecutive groups averaged 0.39″ (0.78 MOA). The smallest measured 0.29″, the largest, 0.46″. This consistency shows that the rifle is happy with is bedding job. There was very little tendency toward fliers with any of the tested loads.

I rate this performance good for a plain rifle, but more experimenting/shooting would give even better results. Handloading is still the best way to get maximum accuracy, and I need to use a wider range of bullets, including some of the Sierras that have given good results in the past. They need to travel a bit faster than the loads tested above did. Hodgdon Varget and IMR 3031 powders will do the trick, I think.

Is it worth the trouble to stock a rifle this way? Maybe not, from the standpoint of pure accuracy. The 788 action well bedded in a wood stock would do as well. However, for the frequent hunter, the bedded Ramline would be extremely stable over a period of time in all kinds of weather.

Oh, I almost forgot why I did it in the first place. The cool image of the black plastic, of course.

Posted in Rifles/Other, Rifles/Thirties | Tagged Ramline stock, Remington .308, Remington Model 788 | Leave a comment

More On the Remington Model 788 .44 Magnum

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Roy

This post describes shooting results with factory loads and handloads for the Remington Model 788 .44 Magnum.

Remington 788 with Burris Compact 2x-7x scope

Remington 788 .44 Magnum with Burris Compact 2x-7x scope

My post of September 18, 2012 gave a cursory description of the Remington Model 788 in .44 Remington Magnum. The passage of time has allowed me to complete several range trips accompanied by this rifle. I am now able to give a good account of the shooting ability of this interesting, big bore rifle.

Two Muzzles: Right, .30; Left, .44

If you want to blow .44-caliber holes in your target or quarry, there are not a lot of choices. There is the ancient .44 WCF (.44-40), which was fine in its day, 1873 to the end of the 19^th century. There are a number of replica, lever action rifles made in this chambering, but ammo must be held to low pressures. Much later came the .44 Remington Magnum, the star of this post, and then the .444 Marlin, essentially a lengthened .44 Mag for lever action hunting rifles. The best combination of power and economy in shooting is the .44 Magnum.

If you are a devotee of that fine, old 19^th century custom, “Rifle and Pistol Take the Same Cartridge,” you could combine a replica 1873 Winchester with a replica Colt Single-Action Army in .44-40 and you would have a lot of fun with it. A much more powerful combo, however, would have rifle and pistol using the .44 Mag. There are several makes of replica lever action rifles and single action revolvers that could be put together, for instance, a Marlin Model 94 with a Ruger Super Black Hawk.

If you would perhaps like to go more modern with your rifle-pistol pair, that could happen with pairing a Remington Model 788 with a Smith and Wesson Model 29. Check out the picture.

Two .44 Magnums: Remington Model 788 (Top); Smith and Wesson Model 29 (Bottom)

The Remington Model 788 in .44 Magnum

I must begin by saying that this model is scarce on used gun racks. The Model 788 was discontinued over thirty years ago, and then, the .44 Mag was not produced in large numbers. Nevertheless, I found mine, and I still occasionally see one on an internet gun list. If you want one, be persistent and patient.

Design features of the 788, with its rear locking lugs and rimmed cartridge bolt face, have been covered in other posts at this site. The Model 788 .44 magnum rifle rifle has a 22-inch barrel. I wanted to try it out in factory form, so it has had no accuracy work.

Model 788 Action Open. Note bolt face with opposed extractor and ejector

The action makes its strongest contact with the wood in the area around the action screw, just behind the recoil lug. The barrel is not supported just ahead of the recoil lug, but it makes contact with the barrel channel about four inches from the end of the forearm. This is not the best kind of bedding, but it is the way a lot of rifles with wood stocks came to their owners in the days of the Model 788. My feeling prior to shooting tests was that the .44 Magnum might not be as demanding in regard to action bedding as a higher-velocity rifle cartridge. If it shot quite well in original form, then I would want to know that before doing any accuracy work. The trigger pull was very crisp and the bore was excellent.

At the Range With the Model 788 .44 Magnum

Three-shot groups were fired over the Pro Chrono chronograph at a distance of fifty yards. A front bench rest and a rear bunny ear bag held the rifle. Several factory loads and a couple of handloads were tested with results as follows.

Velocity

Winchester factory 240-gr 1866 fps
Remington factory 240-gr 1774 fps
MagTech factory 240-gr 1606 fps
Hornady LEVERevolution factory 225-gr 1759 fps
Handload: 19.6 gr Accurate No. 9 and Hornady 240-gr XTP 1695 fps
Handload: 19.6 gr Accurate No, 9 and Sierra 240-gr JHP 1674 fps
Handload: 20.5 gr Accurate No. 9 and Hornady 240-gr XTP 1758 fps

The Winchester factory load was the velocity champ, very stout, at over 1866 fps from the 788’s 22-inch barrel. Being the velocity champ, the Winchester would also be the energy champ, with 1855 foot-lbs of kinetic energy at the muzzle. The MagTech lagged a bit, but, actually any of these loads would be adequate for deer and black bear hunting at appropriate ranges, and by that we mean up to 150 yards or so. Whilst speaking of hunting, if I imagine that I might meet up with a bull elk at 80 yards, I think I would prefer to be armed with my 788 .44 Mag, rather than a .30-30, maybe rather than a .308. Could be a bit too exuberant there, the opinion not being based on actual hunting experience but rather on the reading of lots of breezy hunting articles in the shooting press. Poking a big hole with a heavy bullet always seems to get respect.

My game, as you know, is tweaking rifles for accuracy, loading accurate cartridges, and shooting small groups. The rifle-launched .44 mag is deadly on targets, as we shall soon see.

Accuracy

The accuracy of the seven loads listed above ranged from very good to superb. Results lead me to believe that the Model 788 is the most accurate of rifle-length .44 Magnums. That might offend some lever action fans, especially since I have never owned a .44 lever action, but it is nevertheless my opinion. If you have a superbly accurate lever action .44 mag, I would love to hear about it.

Among factory loads, six Groups of Remington 240-gr gave an average 1.86 MOA. Four groups of the Hornady LEVERevolution 225-gr averaged 1.78 MOA. Four groups of the MagTech 240-gr averaged 1.80 MOA. There was one group of about 0.8 MOA in each set. The largest group of 2.82 MOA occurred in the Remington set.

The Winchester 240-gr load was the class of the factory loads. Four consecutive groups averaged 1.20 MOA, with a smallest of 0.62 MOA and largest of 1.84 MOA.

Four consecutive groups with Winchester 240-gr

Handloads gave somewhat better accuracy than the factory loads. Four groups using 19.6 gr of Accurate No. 9 and the Sierra 240-gr JHP averaged 1.78 MOA. Four groups using 19.6 gr Accurate No. 9 and the Hornady 240-gr XTP averaged 0.98 MOA. The XTP set also had the smallest goup at 0.50 MOA.

The very best accuracy results were obtained with a handload of 20.5 gr of Accurate No. 9 and the Hornady 240-gr XTP. Four consecutive groups averaged 0.60 MOA! The smallest was 0.32 MOA, the largest 1.08 MOA. This, by the way, should be considered a maximum load of AA No. 9 with a 240-gr bullet. Yes, the .44 Magnum is an accurate cartridge and the Model 788 is an accurate rifle. Results are backed up by the picture.

For consecutive groups. Handload: 20.5 gr Accurate No. 9 with Hornady 240-gr XTP

Rifle vs. Revolver

A good comparison is provided by the fact that the steamy Winchester 240-gr factory load gave an average 1351 fps from the six-inch barrel of my Smith and Wesson Model 29. Thus, the rifle gets about 500 fps of additional scat when compared with the handgun. Did you hear that? FIVE HUNDRED FEET PER SECOND! That is about the same as the difference between a .30-30 and a .30-06.

It is the case that the .44 Magnum gets a much bigger boost when used in the longer barrel of a rifle than does an old cartridge like the .44-40 Winchester. That is the result of operating at pressures in the 30-40,000 psi range. A longer barrel can take best advantage of that pressure level, while a cartridge held to near black powder pressures, like the .44-40, can’t come close. This does not mean that the .44-40 is not an effective cartridge for some uses.

This is good place to mention that, if you just want a stimulating range experience, you might try a few rounds of the Winchester ammo, or a similar load, in a Model 29. It is not the most comfortable arm to shoot with a heavy recoiling cartridge. The grip comes back and smacks the middle of your palm while the rear of the trigger guard bashes your bird finger. Pain often results, and the muzzle will end up considerably above the original level of aim, but the guys shooting 9 mm at the benches next to you will be mighty impressed, that is, if you tightly hang on to your piece.

Bottom Line

Since its introduction in 1953, the .44 Remington Magnum has been considered to be one of the premier handgun hunting cartridges. Handgun guru Elmer Keith loved it. Get a 22-inch barreled rifle and add 500 fps to the performance of this premier cartridge. Where will that put you?

Posted in Rifles/Other | Tagged .44 Magnum Rifle, Hornady .44 240 grain XTP, Remington Model 788, Remington Model 788 .44 Magnum | Leave a comment

The .300 Savage with LEVERevolution and Superformance Powders

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Roy

This post reports the performance of some handloads using Hodgdon LEVERevolution and Superformance powders in the .300 Savage.

But before that, let’s have a nature report. This year the fall color is about as good as it ever gets at ATOTT Headquarters. Looks like one intrepid pontoon owner still wants to spend a little time on the water. He won’t have long as things are beginning to happen quickly, with lots of leaves coming down daily and cold rain in the forecast. Lucky for me the shooting reported here was completed over the last few weeks.

The story begins with Hornady’s LEVERevolution line of factory ammo, cartridges using spitzer bullets that offer enhanced velocities and are safe to use in the tubular magazines of lever action rifles. The .30-30 Winchester is the best example, but there are several others, including the .308 Marlin Express. It didn’t take the Hodgdon company long to offer LEVERevolution powder for reloaders to use in duplicating the factory ballistics.

Then we also have Hornady’s Superformance line of factory ammo, a second, very extensive line of cartridges that also claims higher velocities when compared with conventional ammunition. The Superformance line includes a load for the .300 Savage that uses a 150-grain, boattail bullet. I have chronographed this load in two rifles, a Remington Model 722 and a Remington Model 81, and can vouch for the fact that the claims of higher velocity are true. The load gave an amazing 2752 fps in the Remington 722 (24-inch barrel). That is about 100fps above the velocity of a conventional load.

Again, Hodgdon’s made a Superformance powder available to handloaders fairly quickly. One might be tempted to assume that a reloader could duplicate the performance of the Hornady Superformance .300 Savage load by using the Hodgdon Superformance powder. That is NOT the case, as will be explained in the following discussion.

The Powders

The LEVERevolution (LE) and Superformance (SPF) powders for reloaders are billed as very efficient, progressive powders that give higher velocities when used as Hodgdon and Hornady direct. The two powders have a similar appearance, but the SPF has slightly larger grain size. Oddly, in spite of the grain size difference, they appear to have identical densities. I found the average weight of hand-dipped 2.5-cc charges was 38.9 grains for both powders. Hodgdon and Hornady provide loading data for LE and SPF powders, but not all common cartridges are included, and the reloader is cautioned against using either powder for cartridges that they have not provided data for.

Hornady claims the fine performance of its .308 Marlin Express is due to the excellent characteristics of LE powder. Indeed, this cartridge pushes a 160-grain, boat-tailed, spitzer bullet at over 2600 feet per second. That velocity, together with a decent ballistic coefficient for the bullet, gives the .308 ME real punch at long range.

I note that the .300 Savage is very similar in case capacity and shape to the .308 Marlin Express. Hornady freely provides loading data for LE powder for the Express, but not for the .300 Savage. In addition, Hodgdon’s magazine-style annual loading manual has no entry at all for the .300 Savage. Seems a little strange, in view of the bundles of Savage Model 99s out in the big world in this caliber.

Hornady’s Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (8^th Edn) lists a maximum load for the .308 Marlin Express of 42.6 grains of LE powder pushing the 160-gr FTS bullet at 2600 fps from a 22-in barrel. I pulled a bullet from a Hornady factory load for the .308 MX and found 44.0 grains of powder with appearance identical to that f LE powder. I also pulled a bullet from a Hornady SPF cartridge for the .300 Savage and I found 43.8 grains of powder that also had a grain size and appearance that seemed identical to that of LE powder. It would thus appear that Hornady uses LEVERevolution powder in its Superformance loads for the .300 Savage.

Shooting Results

CAUTION: Results are reported here for loads which are not recommended in any factory information. I make no recommendation for the use of these loads. Shooters who wish to try using LEVERevolution and Superformance powders should start with lower charges and work up while observing the usual precautions.

To focus on this matter, I wanted to prepare loads for the .300 Savage using the two kinds of powder. From studying the above, it seemed that 41.0 grains would be a good place to start. In the following list of results, the Hornady FTX bullet is #30396, the same bullet used in the .308 Marlin Express factory loads. My Remington Model 722 with 24-inch barrel was used for the velocity measurements with a Pro Chono unit.

l. 41.0 gr LE Powder with Winchester 150-gr Power Point: Ave 2586 fps Extreme Spread 99 fps Standard Deviation 32 fps

2. 41.0 gr LE Powder with Hornady 160-gr FTX Ave 2542 fps Extreme Spread 109 fps Standard Deviation 29 fps

3. 41.0 gr SPF Powder with Winchester 150-gr Power Point Ave 2088 fps Extreme Spread 46 fps Standard Deviation 10 fps

4. 41.0 gr SPF Powder with Hornady 160-gr FTX Ave 2074 fps Extreme Spread 59 fps Standard Deviation 14 fps

Here the LE powder gave quite respectable performance with both the 150- and 160-grain bullets. The SPF powder is obviously a much slower burner and the velocity results show it is not appropriate for loading the 150- and 160-grain bullets. Again, I emphasize that neither Hornady nor Hodgdon recommends any loads for the .300 Savage with these powders.

Increasing the charge of LE powder eventually gave the following results:

5. 43.1 gr LE Powder with Sierra 150-gr Round Nose Ave 2646 fps Extreme Spread 90 fps Standard Deviation 25 fps

6. 43.5 gr LE powder with Sierra 150-gr Spitzer (Pro-Hunter) Ave 2764 fps Extreme Spread 91 fps Standard Deviation 23 fps

7. 42.7 gr LE Powder with Hornady 160-gr FTX Ave 2697 fps Extreme Spread 71 fps Standard Deviation 21 fps

Here we see that the .300 Savage really turned in some fine performance with these higher charges of LE powder. These loads showed no signs of dangerous pressure when fired in my rifle, with primers having normal appearance and there being no difficulty with extraction of fired cases. Micrometer measurements showed that case heads of new cases with load 7 expanded slightly less upon firing than did case heads of the factory Hornady Superformance load. Note that, using the 160-grain FTX bullet, load number 7 is the equivalent of the factory .308 Marlin Express.

Accuracy

The accuracy of the best loads was extremely good. Four shot groups were fired at 50 yards during the chronographing of the loads. I have floated the barrel of my Remington Model 722, but it has had no special action bedding or trigger work.

Load No. 6, with the Sierra 150-gr ProHunter bullet, averaged 0.53” (1.06 Minute-of-Angle) for five, consecutive 4-shot groups. The smallest group measured 0.30.”

Five Groups: 43.5 gr LE Powder with Sierra 50-gr Pro-Hunter

Load No. 7, with the Hornady 160-gr FTX bullet, averaged 0.43” (0.86 MOA) for four, consecutive 4-shot groups. The smallest group measured 0.22.”

342.7 gr LE {owder with Hornady 160-gr FTX

Four groups: 42.7 gr LE {owder with Hornady 160-gr FTX

On the same day, factory Hornady Superformance cartridges, which use a Hornady 150-gr SST bullet, gave four, consecutive groups that averaged 0.56” (1.12 MOA).

This outstanding performance attests to the quality of the powder/bullet combinations and to the level of accuracy shown by my Model 722. I could not be happier with the results.

Conclusions

I believe that the Hornady .300 Savage Load, while marketed as a “Superformance “ load, actually uses LEVERevolution powder. At least, factory ballistics can be duplicated by handloaders by using Hodgdon’s LEVERevolution powder. Good loads can be produced using either 150-grain or 160-grain bullets. Superformance powder, on the other hand, is a much slower powder and is not appropriate with 150-grain bullets. I expect it might be quite useful in launching 180-grain bullets from the Savage case, but I did not try that.

The extensive line of Hornady Superformance cartridges includes most calibers currently used for hunting varmints and big game, so it is obvious that the SPF cartridge line does not use a single powder, even though there is only one powder of that name available to reloaders. It appears that LEVERevoution powder is not unique in the Hodgdon lineup, but is a powder located toward the faster end of the spectrum of burning rates used to power this wide range of cartridges.

Posted in Rifles/Thirties | Tagged .300 Savage, Hodgdon LEVERevolution powder, Superformance .300 Savage | 1 Comment

Update On the Ruger No. 1S .300 H&H Magnum

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Roy

This post reports shooting results for a Ruger No. 1S in .300 H&H Magnum.

I have really enjoyed having Cabela’s Commemorative Ruger No. 1S around this year. Great to have an excellent, finely finished arm to gaze upon and admire. Yes, and handle, also. I first described this gun in a post published last February and I then reported brief shooting results that were obtained on a cold day in December.

Now I can report a few more results of shooting this serious magnum. Ironically, these results came from a trip to the range on a day when the mercury crowded 95 deg. The shooting range I visited has a covered firing line and there was a bit of a breeze, so it was bearable. However, burning 70 grains of powder in a medium-weight barrel does cause it to get mighty hot mighty fast, so a leisurely shooting pace had to be maintained.

About the Ruger No. 1S .300 H&H Magnum

For accuracy shooting I installed a Burris Hunter Benchrest scope. The scope is intended for Hunter Benchrest Competition which is limited by rule to a magnification of 6 power. Now, I have never participated in this kind of competition, and 6X is a bit low for my taste in testing accuracy, but the scope is of high quality and it has target turrets, so I thought it would fit my purpose.

Ruger 1S with Burris 6X Hunter Benchrest Scope

The .300 H&H Magnum is a very long cartridge, so long that most rifle actions that are “long actions” and will handle the .30-06 are still not long enough for the .300 H&H. That cartridge takes a “magnum action,” and that makes for a long receiver, indeed.

Interestingly, a falling block single shot, such as the Ruger No. 1, is not subject to this requirement. There is no bolt which must travel back and forth through a distance longer than the cartridge in order to load and eject the ammo. Therefore, the receiver of a No.1 taking the .300 H&H is exactly the same size as that of a No. 1 taking a tiny cartridge like the .22 Hornet. It is a very compact setup, leading to a relatively short rifle, even with a 26-inch barrel. You gotta like it.

Two Ruger No. 1s: Top, .22 Hornet; Bottom, .300 H&H Magnum

Shooting the .300 H&H

My shooting results on this roasty day were a mixed bag, at best. I tried a couple of factory loads and one handload. The factory load choice for the .300 H&H is limited. Remington and Winchester, the usual suspects, appear to have no offerings in this caliber. I really don’t blame them, much (?), for trying to stay in business by catering to the mainstream of shooter interest and ignoring low-volume items. However, Federal, Hornady, and Nosler can help old magnum lovers out, but the number of different loads in each line is quite limited. A box of twenty rounds of the Nosler, using one of their partition bullets, will cost you $78.99 at one of the large online distributors. Yes, math fans, that is more than $3.00 apiece. The Federals and Hornadys are a bit more economical, but an old British name, Kynoch, is producing a couple of .300 H&H loads and they demand about 32 smackers for 5 of them. Yes, just five cartridges. Darn, they are out of stock. OK, that is what I get for messing around with something old and out of date. I don’t care. It is so much more rewarding (for me, of course) than fooling with “modern” plastic, and handloading the big .300 is still an option.

I tried some Federal 180-grain loads with a Trophy Bonded Copper bullet. Eight rounds averaged 2828 fps, with an extreme spread of 101 fps. Accuracy was good. Two four-shot groups at fifty yards gave me 0.75” (1.5 minutes-of-angle).

I also tried some Hornady Custom Ammo with a 180-grain interbonded bullet. This one flirted with 3000 fps. The average was 2949 fps for eight rounds with an extreme spread of only 46 fps. Excellent uniformity, but that did not show up in the accuracy department. The best I could do with this load was about 1.5” at fifty yards (3.0 MOA). That would be marginal for long-range hunting, but I hasten to add that the day was hot, the barrel was hot, and I (also hot) might bear some fault for this result. I would like to give this round more of an accuracy trial on a better day, and I will.

Trying A Handload

I made up a dozen rounds using 68.2 grains of Hodgdon H4831SC and a Sierra 180-grain Spitzer flat based bullet. A Remington large rifle magnum primer was used for motivation. These are quality components. The Hodgdon 4831 is very much at the slow end of powder burn rate, which is appropriate for the magnum case. The SC stands for “short cut,” meaning that the cylindrical grains are shorter than those of regular 4831 and the powder, therefore, measures more smoothly and accurately. This advertising claim holds up in practice.

This load gave me an average of 2689 fps and an extreme spread of 113 fps, in which I was a bit disappointed. Accuracy, however, was not bad with two, 4-shot groups averaging 0.86” at 50 yards (1.72 MOA).

Observations and Plans

I fired 23 rounds of 300 H&H from the bench on this day. I had previously fired about 40 rounds of 300 Savage, so I was beginning to get a might punchy when I got to the H&H. When you launch 180-grain bullets pushing 3000 fps from a sporter-weight rifle you are going to get pounded. In fact, the Hornady rounds kicked the snot out of me. This is something you would not notice in the hunting fields, say, while boinking a large antelope on the plains of Africa, but it is a factor when you are testing ammo at the bench.

I am not terribly sensitive to recoil and I get along OK with the thumpers on a limited basis. But to do the amount of shooting I want to do with this gun, which may mean 50 rounds in one session, I am going to need to find some handloads that are a little milder. My handload reported above at 2689 fps was not so bad, but I think I will investigate some loads with 150- and 165-gr bullets at around 2600 fps. I think the Sierra 168-grain MatchKing should also work well in revealing the gun’s accuracy potential. Powder in the 4350 burning range, either IMR 4350 or H4350 (SC) should work, as well as H414, or maybe even IMR4320. I have a pretty good supply of the necessaries.

While shooting groups I noted that the point of impact walked sideways a bit as the barrel heated up. The fit of forearm to barrel is snug, so heat expansion probably caused contact on one side. I will be investigating this condition along with all aspects of the fit of the forearm to the hanger and receiver. This fit is an important factor in the accuracy performance of Ruger No. 1 rifles.

One other thing I know as a result of this session is that I need more glass for my work with this gun. The Burris 6X is a fine scope, but I need more magnification, at least 12X, for accuracy work. Got to survey my holdings for something that will work.

I have just scratched the surface in evaluating this rifle. I have other Ruger No. 1s, but none this muscular. You have to live with each Ruger No. 1 for a while. They have certain needs when it comes to shooting from the bench, and these must be learned by experience. That is the fun of it. You can expect to see more on this topic as time goes on.

Posted in Rifles/Thirties | Tagged Cabela's Commemorative Ruger No. 1S, Hornady Custom .300 H&H Magnum, Ruger No. 1, Ruger No. 1S .300 H&H Magnum | Comments Off

Test the Remington Model 783, Or Not?

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Roy

This post describes the Model 783, a new, economical rifle from Remington.

This large patch of tickseed sunflowers growing in a swale by the road to my shooting range reminds me that the year is maturing rapidly. August always does that for me. Like last year, we haven’t had a drop of rain at ATOTT Headquarters in weeks, and the temperature, above 90 for days, has hit 101 today. We are told that relief is not far away. The corn has suffered greatly, but the sunflowers don’t seem to mind. My interest in guns stays on the front burner, also.

Readers know that I like the concept of the “plain” rifle and its place in American history. I have studied and done a lot of work and shooting with the plain rifles of the 20^th century, my favorite being the Remington Model 788. I have been working with this rifle in various calibers for at least fifteen years.

It is quite interesting to me that, here in the year 2013, plain rifles are more popular than ever. I suppose it can be attributed to a poor economy that is limiting the disposable income of the middle class, but it is also due to the good populations of deer that are present in most parts of the country. So, we have offerings of centerfire rifles in the $400 range coming from most of the major American arms manufacturers.

As a devotee of the plain rifle, I have felt that I really should have a look at one of these newer editions. As a devotee of Remington, I thought the recently-introduced Model 783 looked like a good bet. I was really curious about the question of how well one would shoot for me, and since they are available in .308 or .30-06, and I have plenty of trading stock, I could find out how a new plain thirty worked for not much outlay of pelf. The major concern, actually, is that it would take at least $100 worth of ammo to get the job done.

The Remington Model 783

I understand the “7” relates the rifle to the famous Model 700, the “8” relates it to the respected Model 788 of yore, and the “3” is from 2013, the year of its appearance. Pretty complicated.

Design of the Remington Model 783

The rifle has a rather handsome appearance and would invite you to guess “Remington” even if you had never seen it before. Looking for internet info, I found the best description at http://www.realguns.com/articles/476.htm The article has plenty of good pictures of all parts, including comparisons with the 700, and a nice written description.

Noteworthy features are: A substantial, cylindrical receiver with minimal cutout for ejection port, a feature that stood the Model 788 in good stead. There is a staggered type of magazine, so the bottom cutout will be larger than one would like, but, all in all, the receiver should be rigid. A barrel nut, a la Savage, is used to attach the barrel with proper headspace, and this gives Savage lovers a chance to hoot and holler. There is pillar bedding, consisting of a metal tube for each action screw, and Remington’s version of a safe, adjustable trigger, called the Cross-Fire trigger. There is a double-lug bolt that departs from 700 practice by having a sliding, claw extractor, and, finally, there is a black, polymer stock. No sights.

Real innovation is not in evidence, here. There is nothing on the features list that is not found on many other rifles of different makes. What we have in the 783 is Remington’s version of mating standard, economy parts with minimal finishing. If the parts work well together, the rifle will be a good performer and successful in the market. That this may be the case is shown by a later shooting report on the 783 on the Real Guns site linked above. Sub-minute-of-angle groups were obtained with 150- and 180-grain factory ammo, at least for three, 3-shot groups, each. Hardly a substantial test, but encouraging, nevertheless.

We might say, parenthetically, that among the more than thirty variants of the Remington Model 700 listed on the Remington website, there is the model SPS (Special Purpose Synthetic) which has a black, plastic stock and matte metal finish. I am not sure what is special about the purpose of this arm, but you could satisfy your craving for black plastic and dull finish and still get the authentic Model 700 action, if you can spend a little more moola than you would lay out for a 783.

Ho Hum……Energy waning….. Others describing the Model 783 and getting some encouraging shooting results….. I would probably find about the same…… Guess I am not going to go there.

Instead, I think I will embark on another Model 788 project. Since the popping public thinks that “Wood is OUT! Black polymer is IN!”, I can see that I need to fit a black, polymer stock to one of my Model 788s if I want to be real cool on the range.

Luckily, I have a head start because I bought a Ramline stock for a .308 some time ago and have never, ever got around to using it. Now, destiny calls and I can see that the time has come. The Ramlines have been among the least expensive of synthetic stocks for years. They are made by injection molding, the fastest, least expensive plastic fabrication process. They seem to be well-shaped, well-molded, and tough as nails.

Ramline Stock for a Remington Model 788

The Ramline stock for the Model 788 is a simple, drop-in job, but, of course, that would be too easy. I have to get some tinkering and craftsmanship into the project. One thing I notice is that the stock support at the front action screw is FLAT, but the 788 receiver is ROUND. Going to need some glass bedding to take care of that. Got to have the action well supported and the barrel floating, I think. Who knows what else might be needed?

Action Area of Ramline Stock

Yup…..Energy returning. I am going to do it and I am going to find out how it shoots when finished. Will it be as good as a Model 783? I will report at a later date.

Posted in Rifles/Thirties | Tagged Model 788 Ramline Stock, Remington Model 783 | Leave a comment

The Savage Model 340: An American Classic

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Roy

This post describes the design and shooting characteristics of a Savage Model 340 bolt-action rifle in caliber .30-30 Winchester.

The plain rifle is an American invention, born of necessity in the days when trappers, explorers, soldiers, and pioneers settled the land and eventually pushed the boundary of the country all of the way to the Pacific shore. The plain rifle thus became a tool of survival in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. As such, it had to be a tool accessible to everyone who needed it. Indeed, that is why it had to be plain.

Among the many examples of plain rifles that have appeared over the years, there is none plainer than the Savage Model 340. It appeared in 1950, a couple of years after the action was introduced by a rifle bearing the Stevens name. The .30-30 Winchester and .22 Hornet were popular early chamberings, but later on the .222 Remington and .223 Remington were added. A few were made in .225 Winchester. The .30-30, however, was the only medium game chambering ever offered. All of them disappeared in 1985 when the model was discontinued.

We will call it a cheap rifle for the time being. My copy of the 1964 Gun Digest quotes a list price of $63.95. The newer and more respectable Savage 110 was listed at $109, and a layout of about $139 would have been needed to procure the admirable Winchester Model 70 or elegant Remington Model 700 in that year.

Members of the “Get what you pay for” crowd have never spent much time with plain rifles. The late Frank de Haas, in his review of the 340 in his book Bolt Action Rifles,” 3^rd Edn. (DBI Books, Inc., Northbrook, Il, 1995) had this to say:

“There is nothing fancy about the M340, and unless it is your very first centerfire rifle, you won’t want to show it to your friends.”

In spite of this, Mr. de Haas, who was a rifle expert of the first rank, gave the 340 a fair evaluation and pronounced it serviceable for deer and varmint hunting.

My Savage 340

It is very far from being my first centerfire rifle, but I am going to show it to my friends anyway because there are some things that need consideration. I found mine at a gun show years ago and bought it because I wanted to shoot some .30-30 in a bolt action rifle. The wood and metal were good and the bore was excellent. I think it dated to the 50’s because it had no tapped holes for scope mounting. Not to get ahead of myself, but it has always performed just fine.

Savage Model 340 with Side Mount

Let’s take a look at Model 340 design features.

Starting at the barrel, there is a barrel band and nut that is inletted into the middle of the

Barrel bedded at barrel band position

forearm and fastened by a short bolt. This band provides a second point of attachment of the metal, after the action screw that is in the normal position behind the recoil lug. There is no action screw in the tang. This barrel band practice can be criticized because it secures the barrel in a way that could be affected by changes in the wood. I note that on Model 70 Winchesters there was a circular boss on the barrel that was tapped for a bolt that fastened the barrel to the forearm. I have never seen any criticism of this feature in reading about M70s. I glass bedded the inlet in my 340’s stock to provide a secure seat for the banded barrel section.

Moving toward the receiver, we encounter a barrel nut. This is a convenient, innovative method for attaching the barrel to the receiver while setting proper headspace. We have become used to seeing this on more modern Savage rifles in the 110 series. For them, the feature has usually been enthusiastically accepted and some commentators have even stated that it plays a role in the M110’s excellent reputation for accuracy. The Model 340 was the first Savage to have it.

Showing the barrel nut and extractor on open bolt

In the photo of the receiver you can see the extractor at the end of the bolt. It is a stamped steel ring that grasps the cartridge head on opposite sides. The photo shows that, as the bolt pushes the cartridge forward, it rises and is captured by the extractor in the recess of the bolt face. Well, what do you know? CONTROLLED ROUND FEEDING! Shades of Mausers and Model 70s. I can safely take my 340 after dangerous game! Wrong! If you double clutch the bolt, it will try to pick up the next round and the action WILL jam. Oh, well, the capture does guide the cartridge well and contributes to reliable feeding.

Extractor captures the cartridge. Note bolt seat/safety notch

This does not show in any picture but measurements reveal that the chamber is very long. It has a good 0.30” of free bore, more with some bullets. I do not know if this is a general feature of Model 340s but it sure is present in mine, and it results in velocities being somewhat lower than expected. Another rifle that began life with this free bore feature comes to mind – the Weatherby. The long chamber keeps pressures in check with heavily-stoked ammo. I suppose I could safely use some heavy handloads my 340 if I wanted to. I do not.

Notice that the bolt also has a single locking lug. If any pundit writing about a bolt with a single locking lug ever failed to call the strength of the action into question, I have not seen it. Don’t worry, guys, bolts are not going to blow back into your handsome faces. The 340’s lug is very substantial and safety is added by the bolt handle fitting in its notch in the receiver, which is, by the way, thick.

The bolt, showing extractor, gas shield, and lots of tool marks

The bolt picture also reveals a long steel strip that is attached longitudinally to the top of the bolt. When the bolt is operated, the single locking lug lines up with this strip and the aligned strip and lug pass through the split receiver ring as the bolt is drawn to the rear. Thus, the strip acts as a bolt guide. Savage, however, calls it a “gas shield” and I guess it would also serve that function in the event of a case failure. This arrangement brings to mind the Krag-Jorgensen, the U.S. Army’s rifle adopted in 1892. The Krag had a long, strip steel extractor that guided the bolt through the gun’s split receiver ring. Remember that the Krag is always hailed as having the slickest bolt action ever devised.

At the rear of the bolt the cocking piece shows when the action is ready to fire. It also shows that the firing pin travels just a little more than a quarter-inch when the gun is fired. Lock time is thus very fast, a feature always hailed as being desirable and conducive to accuracy. Reviews of the Remington Model 788 have always mentioned this as a factor in the 788’s reputation for excellent accuracy.

The stamped steel box magazine does its job, but such cartridge repositories don’t get much respect on the plain rifle scene. It is often mentioned that they can get lost. Sure. You can also lose your car keys or your cell phone while stalking a buck in the brush. You need to take precautions against losing things. And have a backup. In spite of any disadvantages, there must be those who prefer clips, because most lines of upscale bolt actions, like the Remington Model 700, include a detachable magazine model. I note that such offerings have often cost more than their “standard” counterparts. Hmmmmmm….

Well, where are we now? Having looked over the mechanicals you can see that a reasonable description of the Savage Model 340 includes references to the features of other, notable arms: The Winchester Model 70, Remington 700 and 788, other, newer Savages, the Weatherby, the Krag-Jorgensen, and the Mauser. Now, how could a rifle with these associations be a bad deal? Yeah, my tongue is in my cheek with these comments, but only partly.

Shooting the Savage Model 340

My friendly, local gunsmith installed a B-Square side mount for me, and I have generally used a Bushnell 4-12X variable for accuracy shooting at the bench.

Being a deer hunting tool, a Model 340 should be able to maintain 100-yard groups in the two- to three-inch range. My 340 has always done quite a bit better than that at the bench. In a test of 13 different factory loads that I conducted some years ago, The 340’s overall average (four-shot groups) with 150-gr loads was 1.80” (MOA). With 170-gr loads it was 1.99”. Velocities were lower than other rifles gave, a result, I think, of the free bore in the 340’s chamber. The 150s averaged 2228 fps and the 170s averaged 2074 fps.

The 340’s two favorite factory loads were the Federal Classic 150-gr, which gave 1.24,” and the Winchester 170-gr Power point, which gave 1.00.” (Yes!)

Hornady’s innovative 160-gr LEVERevolution load is also well digested by the 340. Testing this ammo gave a velocity of 2161 fps, and two groups averaged 1.25.”

Handloading the .30-30 for the Model 340 is not difficult and often produces loads of superb accuracy. Since any bullet that will work in a .30-06 or a .308 (.308”) will work in the .30-30, there are a blue million choices, enough to keep you busy testing for years. You may, of course, use the common, flat-nose bullets always used in lever action .30-30s, but you are not confined to them. The box magazine of the 340 will be safe with any spitzer bullet that you wish to try. I have tended toward the Sierra products and have used their 150- and 170-grain flat noses along with a lot of their 150-grain round noses. They have all proved capable of very good accuracy. You don’t really need to mess with boattails or with target grade bullets, but I will say that this rifle shoots Sierra’s 155-grain Palma match bullet extremely well. Although the chamber of my 340 is long, I set all bullets deep enough that the loads will work through the magazine. Overall length is 2.64,” as compared to a common, factory load OAL of 2.54.”

Powder choices are also numerous, but stay in the middle range of burning rate. My favorite is Winchester 748. It does not give highest velocities, but it launches most any bullet quite accurately. IMR 3031 is an excellent all-around powder and works really well in the .30-30 if you are after higher velocities. Alliant Reloder 12 is another good choice. My 340 likes to have velocities kept in the range of 2100-2200 fps with 150-grain bullets.

In one series of tests of Sierra’s 150-grain round-nose, nineteen, 3-shot groups at 100 yards averaged 1.53.” Eleven of the 19 groups were under 1.5.” Sierra’s 150-grain flat-nose averaged 1.83” in a similar series of twenty-two, 3-shot groups.

A good day at the range. Sierra bullets launched with Win 748 powder, 100 yards.

These results reflect very careful reloading and shooting activity which I am not always able to maintain. Yep,it’s true, there have been mediocre days when a 3.5” group might manifest itself. The best results show, however, what the plain rifle is capable of doing, and also that Savage tightened that barrel lock nut down on some pretty darn good barrels.

The Bottom Line

At this point, I estimate that I have put about 1,500 rounds through my Model 340. I doubt that there are many 340 owners that can make such a statement. There have been no problems; nothing on the gun has ever broken. It has maintained its accuracy and has never been temperamental in regard to barrel heating or other shooting conditions. Bolt function has only become smoother and trigger action crisper as time has passed. What more could a plain rifle do? I call it an American classic.

Postscript:

The concept of the plain rifle has survived to the present day. In modern form it makes big game hunting possible for all who want to go afield, so In these days of hard economic times, plain rifles have surged again in the marketplace. Viable examples are offered by Savage, Remington, Mossberg, and Ruger and they appear to be good values for those who can stand plastic stocks and plain finish. All makers boast good accuracy, but what you get will be mainly up to you.

Posted in Rifles/Thirties | Tagged .30-30 Winchester, Bolt action .30-30, Savage Model 340 | Comments Off

Things That Get Lost: A Colt Police Positive .38

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Roy

Colt Police Positive First Issue, .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W)

This post describes a collector-grade Colt Police Positive revolver, First Issue, Caliber .38 Colt New Police.

Encountering this revolver in the handgun case of a local gun shop was totally unexpected. It is a Colt Police Positive, First Issue, in caliber .38, that is, .38 Colt New Police, which is Colt’s name for the identical .38 Smith & Wesson. S&W brought this cartridge out about 1880 and it became very popular, but Colt decided to call it the Colt “.38 New Police” so they would not have to stamp “Smith & Wesson,” the name of their arch competitor, on their guns.”

Outstanding features of this revolver are its finish, factory nickel, and its factory mother-of-pearl grips. The condition is mint! It was manufactured in 1915 and, obviously, has seen very little use in the nearly 100 years of it existence. Most interestingly, there is a name engraved on the right side of the frame. More about that later.

The Colt Police Positive

The Colt Police Positive is a double-action revolver and is a successor to the Colt New Police Model that first appeared in 1896 Appearing in 1905, the Positive Model was fitted with an internal hammer block that improved the safety of the arm and that Colt referred to as the “positive lock.” It was intended for the law enforcement market, hence the name “Police Positive.” It was offered in .32 and .38 caliber, and a target model was also available in those calibers and .22 rimfire. A very popular revolver, it was continued with several modifications until 1947 and an improved “Police Positive Special” was available until 1973.

Most interestingly, this revolver has the name “A. E. Bargren” engraved on the right side of the frame. A bit of work on the internet revealed that August E. Bargren was a member of the Rockford, Illinois Police Force from 1890 until 1940. He served as Chief of Police in that town from 1894 until 1940, a span of 46 years, and that seems to be something of a record for the tenure of a police chief in view of the stresses of the work and the political nature of continuing in office.

It would seem that good service contributed to Bargren’s longevity in the chief’s chair. He was an effective leader of law enforcement and presided over the department’s modernization as it progressed from horse patrol to police cars with radio communication. He readily adopted improvements in crime investigation involving fingerprinting and other methods of forensic work, and he presided over the department as women were added to the force.

In addition, Chief Bargren was known as a humane administerer of the law who was not above giving a miscreant a second chance if he felt it was deserved. Therefore, there were a number of people very grateful to Chief Bargren when they made a success in life after an early mistake.

The preceding information was taken from Mr. Bargren’s obituary in the May 17, 1942 edition of the Rockford Morning Star, and from a history of the Rockford Police Department written by Lieutenant Allen Peterson and published by the Rockford Police Relief Association

The .38 S&W (Colt New Police) Cartridge

The .38 Smith & Wesson cartridge appeared in the late 1870s when S&W introduced their line of hinged, top-break revolvers. The first models were single action revolvers, but double action models were soon to follow. Arriving when it did, it was, of course, a black powder round, but it easily made the transition when smokeless powder appeared. The cartridge threw more lead than the contemporary .32 S&W and it became very popular for pocket carry and for police work. This helped its popularity to last until well after the more powerful .38 S&W Special appeared in 1899.

For Comparison, L to R, .32 S&W, .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W) and the later .38 S&W Special

Today, most handgun enthusiasts would consider the .38 S&W to be a dead letter, but it is actually a pretty decent little cartridge. When originally loaded with 14 grains of black powder, the velocity of the 145-gr lead bullet was about 750 fps. Smokeless factory loads have since pushed bullets of this size in the 700-750 fps range from six-inch barrels. Four-inch guns are much more common and will give velocities in the 650-700 fps range. The British Military thought enough of this round to adopt it as their standard sidearm caliber in 1922. They used a load that sent a 200-gr bullet out at a bit more than 610 fps. All of these loadings will produce kinetic energy significantly less than 200 foot-pounds.

Handloading manuals always caution against the use of the old top-break revolvers, citing inherent weakness of the frame in such guns. A solid frame revolver, such as the Colt Police Positive and various S&W Hand Ejectors is much stronger and for these you can whomp up loads that will yield 800-900 fps.The usual fast pistol powders will be sufficient. Best accuracy will probably be realized with milder loads. Ease of loading with small charges of powder and economical bullets should make the .38 S&W a rewarding cartridge for plinking and informal target shooting. This is something I would like to try out, so there may be a future report.

Things That Get Lost

Things tend to get lost when ignored over a long period of time. Guns and people get lost. In this case, the gun was recovered because it made its way to a gun shop and I found it. Seems that Chief Bargren would be the more serious loss. He was an important historical figure in Rockford, Illinois, but apparently, not known or important enough for someone to want to hang on to his pistol at this late date. Well, he died in 1942 after all, perhaps without much in the way of descendants. Now, finding his fine revolver has allowed me to find him again and to honor his memory in this post. I wonder where the Police Positive will be 70 years after I die.

I obtained a letter from Colt’s historical department and it verified that this revolver left the factory with a nickel finish in November, 1915, when it was shipped as a single item to a large hardware retailer in Chicago. That would have been the year of Chief Bargren’s 25th anniversary on the Rockford Police force and I am wondering if it was a presentation piece to recognize that service. It is certain that he never carried or fired it. If so, it should be fairly easy to find a reference in the newspapers of the time. That is what I am going to investigate next.

Posted in Handguns | Tagged .38 Colt New Police, Colt Police Positive | Leave a comment

A Tale of Two Thirties

The 1964 Gun Digest

Hornady’s American Whitetail Ammo for the .30-30 Winchester

My Goose Gun

Black Plastic for a Remington Model 788

More On the Remington Model 788 .44 Magnum

The .300 Savage with LEVERevolution and Superformance Powders

The Powders

Shooting Results

Accuracy

Conclusions

Update On the Ruger No. 1S .300 H&H Magnum

Test the Remington Model 783, Or Not?

The Savage Model 340: An American Classic

My Savage 340

Shooting the Savage Model 340

The Bottom Line

Postscript:

Things That Get Lost: A Colt Police Positive .38

The Colt Police Positive

The .38 S&W (Colt New Police) Cartridge

Things That Get Lost

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