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Project Heavy '76 - The Finale
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Great Basin
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June 20, 2021 - 3:40 am
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Finally got that old heavy barreled 1876 back together and took it up on the ranch to test fire it.  It’s been a pretty good day!  Mark

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June 20, 2021 - 4:43 am
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Congrats, Mark! Very nicely done. It was a lot of work and you have quite a few hours in this old 1876. Was it worth it? I know I’ve enjoyed watching you get a grand old rifle back in firing order.

Kudos for loading up and cranking off a few BP rounds. Fitting end for this project. Maybe you should just clean it up and put it away. Personally, I’d hang it on the wall for awhile. Every time you walk by it you’ll remember the adventures you had with this rifle in your shop and on the range. Maybe you’ll get a wild hair and take it hunting this fall to put some venison in the freezer. Safe bet this rifle has been there, done that. That rifle saw quite a bit of honest use back in it’s day. It’s been waiting for a man of your patience and talent to restore it to working order once again. Do you really want to put it back in the safe?

Thanks for making this series of videos. It was a truly wonderful experience.

 

Mike

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Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe
I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call, Lonesome Dove
Some of my favorite recipes start out with a handful of depleted counterbalance devices.-TXGunNut
Presbyopia be damned, I'm going to shoot this thing! -TXGunNut
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June 20, 2021 - 12:21 pm
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Thanks Mike.  The notion of hunting with this rifle hadn’t even crossed my mind.  Now, I’m really falling in love with the idea.  I had some of those black powder rounds laying around that I’d bought from Buffalo Arms and I thought if fitting to use them for this episode.  I don’t load black powder cartridges now, but I’m going to have to start if I’m going to work up some hunting loads for this old rifle.  I like the idea of taking a big muley buck with it.  I’m sure it wouldn’t the first time. 

BTW, I spooked out a huge buck on the way up to film the shooting, but I wasn’t quick enough to get to the camera out before he bounded off into an aspen grove.  Gonna have to keep an eye out for him this fall.  Might be a good candidate for this old ’76.Smile  Mark

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June 20, 2021 - 12:30 pm
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  Mark, Making such a rare old gun as the 76 fully functional again must have given you great satisfaction. Congradulations on a job well done!

 Years from now someone is going to push that trigger forward and pull the trigger. Thanks to your work another old Winchester is back. T/R

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June 20, 2021 - 3:00 pm
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Mark,

Another good video. I kept watching the hills behind you for that big buck but he didn’t stick his head up. One question, how do you clean up a gun after black powder. I’ve always used soap and water down the bore then oiling. That might make another video.

Keep it up, Bob

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June 20, 2021 - 4:39 pm
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Keep em coming Mark.  Maybe you could drag Denny over to your place and help do a video?  Too bad Al isn’t still with us.  That would be an interesting video.

Hope to see you in Cody.

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June 22, 2021 - 9:12 pm
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1873man said
Mark,

Another good video. I kept watching the hills behind you for that big buck but he didn’t stick his head up. One question, how do you clean up a gun after black powder. I’ve always used soap and water down the bore then oiling. That might make another video.

Keep it up, Bob  

Thanks Bob.  I don’t shoot a lot of black powder and don’t have a special cleanup routine.  Just turn the rifle upside down and use soapy water ’til I get clean patches, then oil it up.  

Since I’ve been resurrecting more of these black powder era guns lately, I’ve gotten more interested in loading black powder and will be doing a lot more of it in the future.  I don’t mind shooting light smokeless loads, but there’s just something appealing about shooting black powder loads through the guns that were designed for it.  Mark

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