Rio Grande 45-70 and having it cut to 16in & 31in OAL *Pic*

[bigchelis]

Hi all,
I have a new Rio Grande 45-70 in Stainless and have shot some 325g Hornaday through it and WOW does it kick, but I love it!

I do alot of Dry Camping in the mountains and want something ultralight I can carry around yet still have a lot of punch, hence this lever 45`70. I want the most compact and light 45~70 I can find and California will allow me to legally own.

I will be having the barrel cut to 16in legal lengh and already have the Skinner sights to go along with it. I have some concerns and could use some help!!!

One gunsmith that works on everytype of firearm charges $200 for the shortening job.
One gunsmith that does primarily LeverAction Scout builds similar to this wants $475
With 16in barrel I will be able to fit 4 or 3 rounds in the magazine tube?
Currently; it is said to be 5.8lbs what can it weight once chopped?





This is a standard range bag.

[pricedo]

Hi all,
I have a new Rio Grande 45-70 in Stainless and have shot some 325g Hornaday through it and WOW does it kick, but I love it!

I do alot of Dry Camping in the mountains and want something ultralight I can carry around yet still have a lot of punch, hence this lever 45`70. I want the most compact and light 45~70 I can find and California will allow me to legally own.

I will be having the barrel cut to 16in legal lengh and already have the Skinner sights to go along with it. I have some concerns and could use some help!!!

One gunsmith that works on everytype of firearm charges $200 for the shortening job.
One gunsmith that does primarily LeverAction Scout builds similar to this wants $475
With 16in barrel I will be able to fit 4 or 3 rounds in the magazine tube?
Currently; it is said to be 5.8lbs what can it weight once chopped?

Thank you all,
bigC

I'd go 16.5" on the barrel just to be safe if I was "chopping" a levergun.
Some newbie just outta BATFE Academy (or authorities from the more "anti" states like NYS or NJ) eager for a "big bust" to make a name for himself might decide your gun barrel was 15.995".
"Gee, we get to make a felon out of this guy & seize all his guns."
The extra 1/2" is good insurance.
My primary gunsmith will cut a barrel to a minimum of (the shortest of owners state or federal minimum) + 1/2".
If they want it cut shorter than that they can go elsewhere.
It's his FFL & family's bread & butter on the line if there are any problems.
But that's just paranoid ole me.......excuse me while I adjust my tin foil hat.

[bigchelis]

I can go with 16.25~16.5in too, maybe that will guarantee a 4 in the magazine.

I am also worried about the cost disparity between the two gunsmiths.

I am also going to have the stock shortened 2inches so my 5ft/100lbs girlfriend can shoot it too.


Thank you,
bigC

[Ranch Dog]

I like the idea and one plus on what pricedo had to say, 16 1/4" minimum. I would ask both gunsmiths what the difference is. Also, they should be able to give you idea of the weight of the finished gun. At 16 14", with a full length tube, my guess would be three cartridges in the tube.

Welcome to the forum and please keep us posted on this project!

[Arroyoshark]

That sounds like a nifty project. It will be a nice field piece. If it were my project, and if I had any thoughts of going through Canada's wild parts or Alaska, I'd seriously think about making the barrel no shorter than 16-1/2 inches long. That way you can legally transport it through Canada.

[Ranch Dog]

If it were my project, and if I had any thoughts of going through Canada's wild parts or Alaska, I'd seriously think about making the barrel no shorter than 16-1/2 inches long. That way you can legally transport it through Canada.

Very good point!

[pricedo]

If it were my project, and if I had any thoughts of going through Canada's wild parts or Alaska, I'd seriously think about making the barrel no shorter than 16-1/2 inches long. That way you can legally transport it through Canada.

Very good point!

NOPE! Sorry.
People have a tendency to juxtapose American and Canadian laws and vice versa.
NO 16" short-barrel law in Canada.



The above SxS 12 gauge shotgun with 12" barrels is quite legal to purchase, own & hunt with in Canada.............saves you the trouble of shaving & trimming your eyebrows ........no special NFA status or $200 tax stamp North of 49.
Gotta store 'em in Canada & can't bring em into the USA though..........no way Hose !

The Rossi Ranch Hand is legal as a rifle in Canada and it CAN legally be imported into the USA as a handgun exempt from the NFA short barrel restriction unlike the short barreled shotgun pictured above.
I am an American/Canadian dual citizen and have residences in & spend a lot of time hunting, fishing & working in both countries and have a Canadian firearms license which is necessary to possess/store long term any firearm in Canada & greatly simplifies border crossings with guns.
Short barreled rifles and shotguns are classed as "non-restricted" in Canada as long as they were manufactured with short barrels and not "chopped" and are quite legal to carry & hunt with.
I use a Dominion Arms (870 clone) pump action 12 gauge shotgun with a 12" (twelve inch) barrel for hunting & protection when I'm in Canada.
The above DA shotgun cannot be legally imported into the United States and is stored in Canada.
Unlike the USA there is no 16" minimum barrel length law in Canada except for semi-automatic center fire rifles & shotguns which must have a minimum barrel length of 18.5".
I know.........I'm "boots on the ground" in both Canada and the USA .

[BayouBob]

"I have a new Rio Grande 45-70 in Stainless and have shot some 325g Hornaday through it and WOW does it kick, but I love it! "

When work on the stock cut it a tiny bit shorter and replace the factory pad with a Sims Limbsaver pad. The difference in felt recoil is night and day.

[Ranch Dog]

If it were my project, and if I had any thoughts of going through Canada's wild parts or Alaska, I'd seriously think about making the barrel no shorter than 16-1/2 inches long. That way you can legally transport it through Canada.

Very good point!

NOPE! Sorry.
People have a tendency to juxtapose American and Canadian laws and vice versa.
NO 16" short-barrel law in Canada.



The above SxS 12 gauge shotgun with 12" barrels is quite legal to purchase, own & hunt with in Canada.............saves you the trouble of shaving & trimming your eyebrows ........no special NFA status or $200 tax stamp North of 49.
Gotta store 'em in Canada & can't bring em into the USA though..........no way Hose !

The Rossi Ranch Hand is legal as a rifle in Canada and it CAN legally be imported into the USA as a handgun exempt from the NFA short barrel restriction unlike the short barreled shotgun pictured above.
I am an American/Canadian dual citizen and have residences in & spend a lot of time hunting, fishing & working in both countries and have a Canadian firearms license which is necessary to possess/store long term any firearm in Canada & greatly simplifies border crossings with guns.
Short barreled rifles and shotguns are classed as "non-restricted" in Canada as long as they were manufactured with short barrels and not "chopped" and are quite legal to carry & hunt with.
I use a Dominion Arms (870 clone) pump action 12 gauge shotgun with a 12" (twelve inch) barrel for hunting & protection when I'm in Canada.
The above DA shotgun cannot be legally imported into the United States and is stored in Canada.
Unlike the USA there is no 16" minimum barrel length law in Canada except for semi-automatic center fire rifles & shotguns which must have a minimum barrel length of 18.5".
I know.........I'm "boots on the ground" in both Canada and the USA .

Thanks for the info.

...typos courtesy of Tapatalk!

[pricedo]

I am NOT, I repeat NOT a supporter or advocate of firearms possession licenses but there are advantages in Canada where you must have a federal license (issued by provincial authorities) to own or even possess a firearm.
In Canada legal licensed gun owners can ship guns to other licensed gun owners or licensed firearm businesses via the mail, no need to go thru an FFL. And legal licensed Canadian gun owners can buy guns DIRECTLY from gun stores via mail order or the internet. Mail order & direct shipping of guns hasn't been legal in the USA for years cause American law makers decided to scapegoat the law abiding cause Lee Harvey Oswald used a mail order Carcano rifle to assassinate JFK.
Sorry for wandering off topic.