Guns & Outdoors Forum

Some of you may remember the 7mm pinfire I made a post about a couple of months ago. I bought it from gunbroker for pretty cheap and it was in fair condition except for the bore and other cosmetics so it was a good candidate to modify.

I decided to turn it into a 32 caliber because of the limitations in the bore diameter and cylinder wall thickness. I had previously reamed the barrel out to the land diameter of 32 caliber and then pressed a 32 rifling button through it and ended up with this. Not perfect, but usable.
Today I started back on it by reaming the cylinder bores to .310 and then figuring the length of my brass and reaming the chambers to a thou over the brass diameter. Thankfully I have a bunch of 32acp so I used those to make my brass. Pulled the bullets, dumped powder and removed primers and then faced the rims off in my collet chuck in the lathe. I just soft soldered all of the flash holes closed and refaced them again afterwards. So then I drilled the holes for the pins which I made out of music wire and stuck them into some of my homemade percussion caps that were placed inside the brass. Filled them with 777 powder and used the vice to seat some 50 grain. 310 round balls. They look mostly legit I was surprised at the first one I fired because I was expecting little to no recoil but it had more than a 22lr so I fired the next one through my chrono and got 696 fps. Thatll do! A bit surprising based off of how small they are with such a little powder charge which I didn't weigh but it's as much as a 32acp can hold. I posted a YouTube short of the test fire. Don't mind my confused rambling in the video because I got minimal sleep last night and it's been a long day.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1Eqsy0MLqbc? ... IPyDodS3wc

cool

That is awesome work!!! Of course

Cool project JSD

Kool project

Thanks guys. It was more just to see if I could make this old gun into something usable again. Honestly it's the dumb stuff like this that I get the most joy out of lol.

You define obscure.

I love weird gun stuff, and you just made weird gun stuff. Bravo!

I love weird gun stuff, and you just made weird gun stuff. Bravo!

CPJ 2.0 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 14, 2025 3:57 am You define obscure.

Oh you should see the stupid and weird shìt in my safe. I wouldn't have it any other way

Fun fact: the fed boys don't classify pinfires as firearms so there's no regulation on them. This is the first black powder cartridge gun that I've owned (I guess it qualifies.) They also made a 15mm pinfire gun that was pretty impressive for the time. That's a big honkin bullet!

You are a sick man!! That's my kind of project, it awesome!!

I realized that I could be using bigger and better brass. It'll hold as much powder as I can get in my 1849 pocket revolver and I've gotten 1000 fps using 777 in it.

NEEEEEEEEAT!

With a 70-ish grain flat point, you've got a pretty viable real world option there. Well done!

Now I'm just being silly but I think it would be neat to make a 45 pinfire with 45-70 brass and then build and chamber a rifle for it, just because.

Great revolver made from scratch....well, not SCRATCH, exactly, but a fine and novice execution.

Thank you Gene.

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2025 9:04 pm Now I'm just being silly but I think it would be neat to make a 45 pinfire with 45-70 brass and then build and chamber a rifle for it, just because.
20250115_160259.jpg

Yes. You should!

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2025 9:04 pm Now I'm just being silly but I think it would be neat to make a 45 pinfire with 45-70 brass and then build and chamber a rifle for it, just because.
20250115_160259.jpg

Yes you should!!!!!

Justsomedude wrote: ↑Wed Jan 15, 2025 9:04 pm Now I'm just being silly but I think it would be neat to make a 45 pinfire with 45-70 brass and then build and chamber a rifle for it, just because.

And then we can say, "Justsomedude. . .he's our resident pinhead"

It's pretty good timing because I've been thinking up a simple lever action/falling block that I wanted to build but couldn't come up with what caliber I'd chamber it in. This would be perfect. And I'd keep it a black powder cartridge for the tradition of it. I'm not a hunter but it would be pretty slick if someone volunteered to take a deer with it once it's done. No transfer or ffl needed on pinfires

Hell, you build it, and it can hold 3-4 MOA out to 90 yards, I'll take a deer with it..

I have a stash of 200gr .452" RNFP with a .357" meplat, or as Bigslug calls it "Me-Splat", so a .451" bore would work, plus the internal taper will probable preclude using .458 bullets in shortened 45-70 cases, unless you're planning to ream your cases. Also, I can cast them in 20:1 and get some SPG lube. I can send you the lubed bullets for load development, once it warms up some.
I have already used your creation of my "dream rifle" to take a deer.

I think they'll punch a nice hole in a deer.
I would need a piece of rail mounted to it though, I wouldn't trust myself with irons.I have scopes I can mount on it.

Edited to add: call me, if you wish, and we can talk

I'll try and give you a call tomorrow. I'm going to do some research tonight, mostly on the 45-70 case dimensions because obviously the bullet I choose will dictate what barrel blank I order. I also have a heat treat oven that's supposed to be here in a week or two so I have to order some 4340 for the reciever. It really doesn't need heat treated but it'll make me feel a bit better. And I was already planning on scoping it. My eyes don't do irons anymore, except on handguns.

I'll be waiting

Well, after doing some research and because of overpopulation, 45acp blanks are out of stock everywhere unless I put in a special order and wait forever . But I do have a 50 caliber blank at the shop right now. I reckon I could stick to the plan but make it a 50 caliber and use 50 Alaskan brass. It would actually be a .510 diameter bullet but again, pinfires aren't firearms. I think that would be one helluva thumper.