Is it there yet, is it there yet, is it there yet!!!???!!!

Marcus

Apologies to all! I picked it up last Wednesday. I spoke with sakorick and j0e_bl0ggs about it and spaced out posting here.

I'd show you pictures, but the ones in the auction ad are good. (I need to copy them before they are gone.) In other words, they well represented the piece. I was mistaken with respect to the size of the action; it is not a "small" version. This one would be plenty beefy enough for a magnum-sized cartridge.

There's really very little to add to what's written in the auction ad other than a bit about the scope. The objective lens has has most of the coating rubbed off of it. You may have seen something like it on binocular objectives that people have a tendency (me too) to just wipe off with the nearest available cloth. Plus, those old coatings weren't very 'persistent' to start with. Also, this scope has the finest cross-hairs - with emphasis on HAIR - that I have ever seen. "Seen" is almost the wrong word to use. They are so fine that they are almost invisible. There is a SMALL black dot in the center. I actually kinda like this view. However, it would be 'challenging' at dawn or dusk. It's a target scope or a full daylight hunting scope. I think it would be excellent for 'gophers' on a sunny Western day. The dot is really small. When I get it to a proper range I'll measure how many MoAs it is. I wouldn't be surprised to find that it is 1.

The objective bell has range markers for focusing at different ranges. The best I can do at my place without working at it, is about 50 yards. Within that range, the focus is VERY sensitive. In other words, small rotations of the focusing ring yield big changes in focus. Again, the sign of a target scope, not a hunting scope. And again, shooting gophers from a 'set up' location, it wouldn't be a problem, but not so good for 'spot and stalk' hunting, or even from a stand if the potential shots varied over a longer range.

The action of the cocking lever is a little 'looser' that I was expecting, but not 'loose'. Just looser that I expected, say in comparison to a Ruger No.1. It kocks at the very end of the throw. I can't see the face of the breech block so I can't be certain that it is "unfired", but externally it appears to be. If that is the case, then the scope's use was on another rifle.

There's not much more to say until I shoot it. Probably won't happen for a week or two.

The fellow that was selling it showed me the contents of one of his safes. Without exaggeration I would estimate that the 20 pieces in the case were worth between $300,000 and $750,000. He has some stunning rifles from the late 19th and early 20th century. And the "big bore" stuff was in "other safes". You think THIS rifle could be a 'closet queen! Those rifles hardly get touched! And rightly so. They are museum quality pieces. Simply exquisite! But he is a 'collector', so use isn't really a priority.

More after a range session.

Paul

I copied the auction photos, and here are a few 'for the record'.



























Paul

Certainly sounds like a target scope. Dad's Omark has a Sightron 8-36x56 Sightron SIII with the fine cross hair and target dot reticle. The dot is 1/8". Great to use on the range in good light, not so good in the field early or late in the day, or under a spotlight.

Are you able to clean the bore from the breech, or are you limited to from the muzzle?

Marcus

The bore is accessible from the breech, Marcus. The hammer goes down with the breech block as it "falls". It - the hammer - is actually completely out of sight when the cocking lever is fully forward.

I'm kind of anxious to put the scope on a target and see what I see. 1/8th of a MoA would be spectacular. I wouldn't be surprised. I can imagine that little dot on a gopher's ear hole or a fox's chest.

Paul

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NICE-Lyman-All-American-20X-Boosted-to-30X-Power-AO-Target-Rifle-Scope-w-Dot/311398254315?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D32474%26meid%3D86568f4490324eae83979b1ae1b372f6%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D261378851161

For some perspective:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Lyman-All-American-Perma-Center-4x-Rifle-Scope-with-covers-and-rings/271926793818?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D32474%26meid%3D0b22898301a4482a91d7ac858153e70e%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D261378851161

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lyman-All-American-20x-Perma-Center-Target-Rifle-Scope/301677948045?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D32474%26meid%3D9eb814e97dee4b2bbbc955dd8997d788%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D261378851161

Another one actually just sold for $200.

Here's a link to a forum with a post containing some specs for this scope. Looks like dots came in 1 MoA, 1/2 MoA, and 1/4 MoA. If I had to guess, I'd say this one has the "extra fine cross-wire" and 1/4 MoA dot. I'll know for sure on the dot when I take it to the range.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=358045

Paul