Just Purchased: Winchester Hotchkiss 1883 Fancy Sporting Rifle|Page 6|Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

kevindpm61 said
I’ve been trying to be a good, patient boy while awaiting delivery of the barrel blank to Mark’s shop. Yesterday, Mark sent me a text that he had good news and bad news regarding the barrel for the 1883.
The good news was that the barrel blank had been delivered. The bad news was that it was shorter than specified. Fortunately, Mark tells me that the correct length barrel blank should be able to be completed in a timely fashion since the programming for the contour has already been performed.
Progress is being made!
  

I thought you were going to tell us Mark finally got that Peabody barrel-stretcher up and running. Glad it’s an easy fix, caught in a timely manner. We’re trying to be patient, too. Looking forward to pics!

Mike

kevindpm61 said
I got great news from Wyoming Armory today. The barrel arrived last week and the preliminary assessment is that it is correct for the rifle!
  

Ha! It’s certainly been a process having that barrel blank made.  Of course no barrel maker on God’s green earth had a profile for an extra length 28″ Hotchkiss sporting rifle barrel – or a standard length for that matter.  Because Kevin’s had a non-original replacement barrel installed, we didn’t have an original barrel to measure the profile.  It took us months to track down original Hotchkiss sporting rifles that owners would let us measure profiles.  Then we had to extrapolate the profile of the extra barrel length and compare it to the barrel channel in the original stock to make sure it matched.

Next, not a single barrel blank maker who offers the correct land & bore dimensions & twist rate in a 6-groove barrel would make that “one-off” profile for us.  We ended up having to commit to a large volume purchase of 1-in-22 twist 45 caliber barrels from a maker in Montana so that he would commit to buy the tooling for this one special order barrel.  After a long wait, we received the barrel and it had been made too short. Because it’s such a special profile, we just had to absorb the cost of that blank. After another long wait, we just received the replacement and it appears to be correct.

Kevin’s been faithful about updating the progress, but I think it’s given the impression that we take an abnormally long time to rebarrel a rifle.  Usually we can have a blank in a standard configuration made in 4-6 weeks.  One-off special profiles can take dramatically longer.  

After a recent similar experience with having a 1894 22″ extra light, 1/2 octagon blank made in 38-55, we’re a little gun shy about taking on projects with very special order barre profiles, at least until we finish putting together the equipment needed to start profiling our own barrel blanks.  Mark 

kevindpm61 said

  

Wow – it looks fantastic!  What a stellar job Mark and his crew did!

That’s one I wouldn’t take in the woods.  It’s too perfect.

Kevin-

Great time of year for a road trip to Cody! I’m very impressed with the restoration of the spectacular wood on your rifle. I had to check the earlier pics to see that it was the same wood, I’m glad they were able to use it. Mark brags on his stock guy and we can easily see why on this rifle. Receiver colors came out great. 

After all the trouble Mark went to for this barrel you know you’re going to have to shoot it. Congrats, drive safely!

Mike

Wow! They did a fine job! Congrats!