.577: was Lee Classic press

[Ross]

Lee's new press is set up for 1¼" dies. Lee is up to their necks in press orders, and are a bit behind in their .577Snider and .577-.450 Martini Henry dies thay may be proprietary to Mom's Old Guns (Google had 6 hits.) in Colorado.
Coyoté over at Mom's has been converting 24 ga CBC to 209 shotshell primers. They are about $2.25 each. Kynamco has just started selling ammo. Turned cases are available. Bertram lists drawn cases at $83.00 and $92.00 respectively for 20. I have not found Bell basic recently, but it is the best I have used. I bet the new Kynamco is perhaps even better.
Old Western Scrounger sells the excellent Brazilian CBC 24 and 32 ga brass for under a dollar each. Problem: all but the 12ga is Berdan primed with a short shotshell primer, presently available only from CBC (#56)
Once you have a case, you can reload for a long time without dies if you clock your brass. Some Martinis seem to lock up out of square, but if the case is reoriented correctly it will continue to give yoeman duty until Lee's *relatively* inexpensive dies are available.
The recent importation from Nepal is bound to stir up a flurry of interest in these great relics.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

 

[44and45]

Sounds like these antique rifle big bore chambers are going to be easy to reload when Lee gets caught up on back orders of the dies.

However, these old guns are commanding too big a price for me to get involved but I would love it if I could.

Aren't they selling for $500 to close to $1,000 depending on condition.

Is it possible you could show a picture of the rifle and its ancient cartridge.

Jim

 

[Cortland]

Check out Atlanta Cutlery , they're selling "The entire cache of rare, original British arms recently acquired from the Royal Nepalese Army spanning nearly 200 years." I don't anything about the guns or the company.

 

[hhmorant]

Kynamco is selling unprimed .577/450 brass with the "Kynoch" headstamp for £2.50 ea. ($4.46 as of today).

 

[44and45]

Before the Martini big bore was invented as a breach loader, I understand the Snider was originally a front loader with the ole ram rod for powder and ball...then upgraded to a breach loader later on.

Both have been in battle service for the Brits back in the mid to late 19th century in their global hot spots.

Back in the 60s or 70s Canada released a cache of old breach loaders, and they had boocoo crates of wrapped live ammo back then that was in cherry shape.

The cartridges were around 50 caliber but rather short and had paper cardboard sides that rested in metal base like a shotgun shell.

Just rambling...sorry.

Jim

 

[Gewehr98]

Seems like everybody's got the exclusive scoop on those Snider and Martini-Henry guns

Not just Atlanta Cutlery. My latest flyer from Sportsman's Guide has them, and I have one more flyer somewhere around here referring to the forgotten Nepalese cache they've arranged to hand pick for me.

I find it odd they don't mention the bore condition. I envision some rotten sewer pipe, much like my .43 Egyptian Rolling Block was.