- Joined
- Dec 31, 2019
- Messages
- 360
- Reaction score
- 289
Good morning. I recently acquired this rifle from Toothpick in the For Sale section. He okayed me posting a thread on the rifle here because neither of us knew for sure what it was, and we’re both curious fellows.
I’ll get some photos posted later due to sitting in my chair covered with my “sicky” blanket and enjoying Round 2 of the Wuhan virus. But i’ve done quite a bit of reading. If anyone has one of these at home, especially one in poor shape, listen up, chime in and we’ll all learn something.
Apparently this gun was made in Nepal - a close copy of a British rifle but a little rough in some areas, like somebody used a file to mimic the contours of the P53, close but not crisp and perfect. The stock has two holes for lock screws but only one lines up with the lock. No barrel band springs. As was not uncommon with the Nepalese, the mainspring extends down below the lock plate when uncocked, so the hammer must be at half-cock to insert the lock into the stock.
THE REAR SIGHT IS MISSING! This sucks. There’s a shiny spot on top of the barrel where it was de-soldered and removed. Why so people do this sort of stuff?
The stock is apparently teak and is cleaning up very well, ready for its first coat of boiled linseed/tung/turpentine today. Brass had to be scrubbed with engine degreaser and then soaked in vinegar for a while, looks like 160 year old brass now. Go figure.
No bayonet lug, front sight is a round steel ball.
Barrel is pitted inside and out. The 3M abrasive pad is my friend. A while back there was a post here about cleaning up the bore of a hard-to-load rifle by using a square piece of the maroon pad on a reduced caliber jag and polishing the bore a bit. This works, by the way. I’ve been using this technique on this rifle and i’m gradually starting to get more light shining off the walls instead of just black gloom. The pads, impregnated with aluminum, are working well on the outside - the barrel is starting to look a little like an old gun barrel instead of the dirt half of an old fence post.
That’s all for now - there’s so little information out there in one place about these weapons i’m guessing that if these posts get a little long with too many photos, someone out there will be pleased. And i know that if i get too many responses, I’LL be pleased. Thanks.
don
I’ll get some photos posted later due to sitting in my chair covered with my “sicky” blanket and enjoying Round 2 of the Wuhan virus. But i’ve done quite a bit of reading. If anyone has one of these at home, especially one in poor shape, listen up, chime in and we’ll all learn something.
Apparently this gun was made in Nepal - a close copy of a British rifle but a little rough in some areas, like somebody used a file to mimic the contours of the P53, close but not crisp and perfect. The stock has two holes for lock screws but only one lines up with the lock. No barrel band springs. As was not uncommon with the Nepalese, the mainspring extends down below the lock plate when uncocked, so the hammer must be at half-cock to insert the lock into the stock.
THE REAR SIGHT IS MISSING! This sucks. There’s a shiny spot on top of the barrel where it was de-soldered and removed. Why so people do this sort of stuff?
The stock is apparently teak and is cleaning up very well, ready for its first coat of boiled linseed/tung/turpentine today. Brass had to be scrubbed with engine degreaser and then soaked in vinegar for a while, looks like 160 year old brass now. Go figure.
No bayonet lug, front sight is a round steel ball.
Barrel is pitted inside and out. The 3M abrasive pad is my friend. A while back there was a post here about cleaning up the bore of a hard-to-load rifle by using a square piece of the maroon pad on a reduced caliber jag and polishing the bore a bit. This works, by the way. I’ve been using this technique on this rifle and i’m gradually starting to get more light shining off the walls instead of just black gloom. The pads, impregnated with aluminum, are working well on the outside - the barrel is starting to look a little like an old gun barrel instead of the dirt half of an old fence post.
That’s all for now - there’s so little information out there in one place about these weapons i’m guessing that if these posts get a little long with too many photos, someone out there will be pleased. And i know that if i get too many responses, I’LL be pleased. Thanks.
don
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