saving a Peabody...
Posted: 13 May 2016 19:50
This Peabody military rifle, .43 Spanish, came out of the swamps of Florida years ago. Original barrel length was 33" (the remaining 14"'s of barrel looked like a sewer pipe inside - yes, it'd had a 3" stub welded on the front end of the barrel, in order to ship this antique lawfully). The original full length military forearm had been cut back to accommodate the 14" barrel. Along somewhere in it's life it wound up in the Florida swamps. Some swamper cut the barrel back to 14", the wood suffered neglect and most likely spent a lot of time in a pirogue chasing alligators? Think of how handy a 14" barreled single shot .43 Spanish carbine would be for shooting gators from a pirogue.
I obtained it a few years ago, with thoughts of having it returned to a usable working rifle. Re-used the original butt stock (wood is a bit 'aged'/work worn) and left the action as it came from the swamps of Florida. The old forearm had seen better days and wasn't workable with the new 28" octagon barrel. A new forearm was added, even splurged for a pewter forearm tip! Of note: since this picture was taken, gunsmith burned the forearm with BP in oil, to darken it more so to match the butt stock color. Trigger pull is still 'infantry rifle' stout, some work remaining to do to reduce the heavy pull.
As the pictures show, the gunsmith did a fine bit of workmanship and it now launches lil' lead pills downrange from a .38-55 Win chamber. Have had it out shooting once since it came back to me. My .38-55 Win ammo loaded with cast bullets is with .379 bullets, whereas this new barrel is a .375 bore, so will load .377 for use in it, keeping the two loads separate from one another. ah yes, there's always a project...
I obtained it a few years ago, with thoughts of having it returned to a usable working rifle. Re-used the original butt stock (wood is a bit 'aged'/work worn) and left the action as it came from the swamps of Florida. The old forearm had seen better days and wasn't workable with the new 28" octagon barrel. A new forearm was added, even splurged for a pewter forearm tip! Of note: since this picture was taken, gunsmith burned the forearm with BP in oil, to darken it more so to match the butt stock color. Trigger pull is still 'infantry rifle' stout, some work remaining to do to reduce the heavy pull.
As the pictures show, the gunsmith did a fine bit of workmanship and it now launches lil' lead pills downrange from a .38-55 Win chamber. Have had it out shooting once since it came back to me. My .38-55 Win ammo loaded with cast bullets is with .379 bullets, whereas this new barrel is a .375 bore, so will load .377 for use in it, keeping the two loads separate from one another. ah yes, there's always a project...