But that's not the coolest part of the story. The coolest part was getting to meet Jimmy. Jimmy is a transmission rebuilder over in Delta Colorado, and probably one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Jimmy is also a bonafied firearms loony, who appraiser and purchaser of estate firearms and firearm equipment, and and a lover of black powder firearms.
I only got to visit with him for about an hour and a half, because of work I got to his place late Saturday morning. However, in that short time he dumped so much information on me I wish I had recorded it. Even though we were short on time, he took me out back and let me shoot three of his old black powder rifles.
The first was a Sharps rifle in .45-90, he had it authenticated and it was originally sold to a person in Grand county Colorado, who was gunned down by a corrupt Sheriff. It wasn't graded a collector grade rifle as it had a replacement hammer and side plate.
The next was a all original .577 Snider, which was a converted 1853 Enfield muzzleloader for Britain. Very neat swing out breach mechanism, that was very simple to use. Jimmy made his cartridges out of brass 20ga shells shortened to length with a nearly 500 grain cast bullet, propelled by Trail Boss.
The last rifle he let me shoot was a Henry rifle in .44 Henry. Again not a 100% original rifle as it had been converted to centerfire in the early 1900's Jimmy thought. Jimmy had also replaced the original lever as when he got the rifle it was broken off. He made cartridges from .44 Russian brass and used only three grains of Trail Boss.
I'd have made the 750 mile round trip just to shoot those rifles alone. I had no clue I was going handle those rifles, much less shoot them. I really just used the excuse of a $500 M700 BDL in .308 as reason to take a weekend getaway with the wife.
I'll be elk hunting this fall southwest of Grand Junction, so I may need to stop in and say hi to Jimmy again.
I only got to visit with him for about an hour and a half, because of work I got to his place late Saturday morning. However, in that short time he dumped so much information on me I wish I had recorded it. Even though we were short on time, he took me out back and let me shoot three of his old black powder rifles.
The first was a Sharps rifle in .45-90, he had it authenticated and it was originally sold to a person in Grand county Colorado, who was gunned down by a corrupt Sheriff. It wasn't graded a collector grade rifle as it had a replacement hammer and side plate.
The next was a all original .577 Snider, which was a converted 1853 Enfield muzzleloader for Britain. Very neat swing out breach mechanism, that was very simple to use. Jimmy made his cartridges out of brass 20ga shells shortened to length with a nearly 500 grain cast bullet, propelled by Trail Boss.
The last rifle he let me shoot was a Henry rifle in .44 Henry. Again not a 100% original rifle as it had been converted to centerfire in the early 1900's Jimmy thought. Jimmy had also replaced the original lever as when he got the rifle it was broken off. He made cartridges from .44 Russian brass and used only three grains of Trail Boss.
I'd have made the 750 mile round trip just to shoot those rifles alone. I had no clue I was going handle those rifles, much less shoot them. I really just used the excuse of a $500 M700 BDL in .308 as reason to take a weekend getaway with the wife.
I'll be elk hunting this fall southwest of Grand Junction, so I may need to stop in and say hi to Jimmy again.
