MAJOR SCORE ! 1889 Swiss !

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  • Last Post 20 September 2020
Wheel Weights posted this 27 May 2020

All you Swiss lovers get over to Simpsons Website, just got more in.

This is an minty 1889 with unusual wood. A+ bore and arsenal reblue.

Already have the "Swiss" NOE mold. Gonna be a fun plinker on our 300 yard steel !

Now I have 3 Swiss straight pulls !

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Ross Smith posted this 27 May 2020

YEEHA!

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beagle6 posted this 27 May 2020

What is Simpsons Website?

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 27 May 2020

a question for you swiss guys ... looking at Simpson's  m96-11   #   

Z43252

i notice it has a short magazine ...  my swiss 96 has a long magazine.

did the m96-11 go to the short mags ? 

*************

simpsons has some really tempting goodies there ....  i could have some fun with those old single-shots ! ... 

https://simpsonltd.com/long-guns/

ken

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45 2.1 posted this 27 May 2020


did the m96-11 go to the short mags ? 

*************

ken
Yes........ 6 round mags as were the G11 and K11

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45 2.1 posted this 27 May 2020

Already have the "Swiss" NOE mold. Gonna be a fun plinker on our 300 yard steel !

You are going to find the '89 a bit different to load for. It took the paper patched issue ammo at a lower pressure loading. It has a very long tapered throat. Paper patching for it with one of the long 30 caliber Lyman loverin molds brings out the best with it.

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Wheel Weights posted this 28 May 2020

So who out there has loaded for one of these ?

Other than the correct dies and light charges what else is different from a K-31.

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45 2.1 posted this 28 May 2020

The case dimensions are slightly different according to the internet authorities, but I've had no trouble using dies for the 11 series rifles. I'm not sure if the K31 dies fit as I don't have any. As mentioned, the long tapered throat is quite big. In my rifles it was about 0.317" at the last point the cast bullet would touch. I would try the 323471 and taper it in a Lee push thru sizer for fit after sizing the bearing body part of the bullet down so it fits the chamber neck OR simply paper patch a long soft 30 caliber loverin so it snugs into the rifling. I've done both and the rifle will shoot into 1.5 to 2 MOA groups up around 2,000 fps or so. You really need to fire some lighter loads (current Swiss ball ammo isn't recommended as a for all the time ammo in this) for chamber fit and throat slug to see what you need to do to make the bullet fit.

This link is a good discussion of some of the intricacies of loading for the '89:

https:/s.gunboards.com/showthread.php?67889-Loading-for-the-1889

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Wheel Weights posted this 03 June 2020

Rifle arrived. It's 99% in and out. Ordered RCBS dies and some l-o-n-g bullets to try, cast and jacketed.

Should be fun.

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Brodie posted this 03 June 2020

Beautiful rifle Wheel Weights, all you need now is a bayonet and you'll have a full length pike.  All kidding aside it really is a good looking gun.  I am just partial to shorter rifle(-been through too much brush country).

B.E.Brickey

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Wheel Weights posted this 05 June 2020

Strictly a range plinker or "rock buster".

 

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Wheel Weights posted this 07 June 2020

FYI, this is why you can but should not use one set of dies for both chambers. RCBS will work but you're sizing the dog poop out of a K31 case.

I use Redding for K31, RCBS for 1889/1911. Hornady makes separate die sets for each. Lee also has a collet neck sizer that works on both. Contrary to internet lore, these is no need to shorten cases from 55 to 53mm as the neck/leade in the early rifles is huge and long.

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Shopdog posted this 07 June 2020

Good work WW. Gotta keep those rocks from overpopulation. Sounds like fun.

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Wheel Weights posted this 21 June 2020

Found that new Privi cases work fine in 1889 as they have a .457 shoulder. The new RCBS dies and bullets arrived, 220 gr Hornady .308 and PC cast @.310, 160 gr.. Loaded some up w/30gr TAC and off to range Tuesday.

Seated them out as far as I could to still fit in magazine. We'll see how they shoot with original sights and a blind old man.

Once I get back to WY, I'll figure out how to mount an IER scope. Probably involve JB weld and a rail mount as on my 41 Swiss. No holes and no damage.

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Wheel Weights posted this 26 June 2020

Well, the new Privi cases did not work fine. 1/2 the rounds took a double or triple strike to fire. Once I got the bbl hot, they all went bang. The fired cases look fatter in the shoulder area and probably a bit longer too. But now they are fireformed and sizing will be as little as possible to hold the bullet.

Now I have to get a scope on it as the sights just don"t work for a blind old man. I did get 8 of the 10 hornady rounds in 1 3"x4" group @50 yards.

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delmarskid posted this 27 June 2020

I have always used 284 Winchester for my Schmidt's. They work fine. Norma brass was the only thing around and I was way too underfunded for that stuff.

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Wheel Weights posted this 27 June 2020

Last time I looked 284 brass cost more than Privi 7.5x55 brass.

I like having the right headstamp lest some idiot force a 7.5 made from a 284 in a 284.

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Wheel Weights posted this 28 June 2020

So I took the fireformed cases and being anal, I decapped one, put in a new LR primer and fired it "pop".

Then another and sized it in the RCBS die, primed it and "click". No mark on the primer.

Then another and only sized 1/2 the neck, primed it and "pop".

Soooo even with the load I tried (30 gr TAC) the cases are still not fully fireformed. Sizing 1/2 the neck and not touching the body creates a false shoulder to hold the case against the bolt face. Hoping a 2nd firing will fully fireform the cases.

As the intended use is cast light loads, I may have to have NOE make me a takeoff on the old Hudson 32-40 bullet with a bore rider nose, three .312 band and three .315 bands.

Somewhere I have a Lee 160gr mold for the 7.62x54 that drops at .313. will give it a try also.

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Wheel Weights posted this 02 July 2020

Back to the range today. Upped chg to 32 gr, still a pooper load.

10 loaded with 200 gr partitions, 10 with 220 gr Hornadys.

2 failures to fire on first strike, fired on second.

4 with difficult extraction, had to slam bolt handle with palm.

Contrary to what I saw on UTube, I almost think the cases do have to be trimmed as I think the neck is sticking in the leade.

No case trimmer here. Have to wait till I get back home.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 02 July 2020

following ... heh, 

" the sweetness achieved is enhanced by the bitterness endured  "

ken

edit:  one of the uses for a chamber cast is to show if trimming is necessary.  casting or soft lead upset.

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Wheel Weights posted this 02 July 2020

Well, just ordered a Lee adjustable case trimmer so I'll whack em back to 53 mm, easier than mucking with cerrosafe in a 90 degree garage..

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Wheel Weights posted this 04 July 2020

In spite of being fired twice with the 30 and 32 of TAC, if I size the neck to the shoulder they are still not headpacing on the shoulder --- pull the trigger --- click

So here's the new drill. Trim to 53 mm, run in .312 old Lyman neck expander all the way, size 1/2 neck in RCBS die (shoulder not touched) ---- pull the trigger ---- bang.

That 1/2 of "fat neck" is providing a false shoulder to headspace on.

Once I get home, I'm gonna fire some full power loads in my K31 and try those cases in the 1889.

I also have some heavier 30 cal molds there so I can set up for the bullet to "bite" the rifling like this one that has a "driving band". (that doesn't show up in the print.

 

 

 

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Wheel Weights posted this 05 July 2020

AH HA ! I took some of my fired 35x55 rounds fired in my JES rebored K-31. These were 358 Win level loads with 250 gr jacketed bullets. I set up the RCBS FL 7.5x55 die with a solid bump over. Sized 10, reforming them from 35x55 to 7.5x55. Trimmed to 53mm,  primed them, fired them in the 1889, they all FIRED.

So as I suspected my light loads with new Privi brass did not fireform the cases in the 1889 to headspace properly.

Back home I have a bunch of Norma factory loads empties fired from my 7.5x55 K31 sporter. Problem solved.

That's why the Brits invented belts. Ammo could be made small to go in nasty chambers and still go bang.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 05 July 2020

... so the story ends ... with a " BANG " ! ...

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Wheel Weights posted this 05 July 2020

BUT one is left wondering why new Privi brass fires in a K31 but not an 1889.

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Wheel Weights posted this 05 July 2020

Got to the range today with the 1889 7.5x53.5 and the K31 (scoped) 35x55.

Used the 35x55 cases reformed to 7.5x 53.5 no misfires !

@ 50 yards tried calculated Trail Boss load and 17 gr of 4227 behind a 165 PC commercial bullet. The TB load was terrible even had several key hole. The 4227 load did well considering a blind old man and coarse sights. (bottom large target).

The 35x55 load with a 200 gr commercial cast was only tried with the same TB load at 50 yards. It did okay but I believe it's too short a bullet for the 1 in 14 twist. (upper group)

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Wheel Weights posted this 13 August 2020

As I said the coarse iron sights on the 1889 don't work well for a blind old man.

So how to improve sighting w/o modifying the rifle.

As I have done with a bunch of rifles in the past I explored gluing (JB weld) a scope base on that can be removed when desired leaving no mark.

Dug around in my stuff and found a crosslock base for a BAR that fit the rear ring perfectly.

Since it's close to the eye, a reflex sight was in order.

Once I get some more loaded, off to the range.

 

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Wheel Weights posted this 13 September 2020

Figured out how to mount scope. Found a Benelli R1 mount that exactly fit the 1889 contour.

Put on and mounted a mint K3 with PCH.

Activating the cutoff make it work fine as a single shot.

Before you purists freak out, it is glued on w/JB weld as I have done many times. Comes off with heat gun and leaves no mark.

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Wheel Weights posted this 20 September 2020

Sold the K3 so I found a Leupold 2.5-8 that fit right on. More Xs should work better.

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