Gibbs 451 rifle

[Relic shooter]

Crow Feather I'll be happy mail you a few n/c if they haven't been packed yet. We've packed a bunch of stuff so we sell & buy a much smaller property in the area, i'll have a look & let you know either way. Does your rifle have a round bore with more conventional style rifling or have Whitworth hexagonal style rifling ?
If Whitworth the bullets I have won't perform well.
I still have a few original Whitworth bullets left over from my old original, had though maybe one day I would run into someone with the right equipment that could scan it & machinery to make molds off of it.

** Just remembered that I haven't packed these away yet, the slug in center of this photo with 8 lube grooves is the slug I used in my old Gibbs rifle & were very accurate. I have quite a few of those sized & ready to shoot but they've already been packed away. A few months back I was helping a friend find the right bullet mold for his rifle & found a company in Colorado that made custom molds for about $150.00, I'll see if i can locate & forward the website to you.
If I spot the box I have with those slugs I'll let you know & send you a few to try as I know if it were me shooting a new gun has #1 priority. Some of the others in photo are ones I cast or swaged back when I had & was shooting an orig. Whitworth, they vary in different weights.
If I had another Whitworth I would try to buy a repro barrel & cut it into sections & use them to swage bullets. Bet it would be easy to sell the rest to recover the costs.

 

[rmark]

Check out Accurate Bullet Molds, they have a large catalog online. I have two and they are nice molds.

 

[Crow-Feather]

Well, I took the rifle to the range. Fired 100 gr. 1 1/2 F with the 400 grain Paul Jones bullet and it worked well. Stout recoil. I tried 80 grains, not so well. I just couldn't get myself to try the 540 gr. bullets that I bought with the 100 gr. charge as I was only wearing a T shirt. Pic Below.

Once when I pulled the very tight cleaning patch from the bore, I looked away after I saw the patch on the jag at the end of the barrel. I heard a WUMP/THUNK. Now some will say it's more of a SWUNK/THOOP, but to me it sounded like a WUMP/THUNK. Anyway, I looked down and the patch had disappeared. So just to be sure, I sent a patch screw down the bore and sure nuff, brought out the patch. The Hammer was down on the nipple and when I pulled the patch up the barrel, it developed such a suction, that the patch was sucked down the bore soon as it was loose from the jag. Go figure!!

To get the rear sight high enough on my 100 yard range, I put a target 13 inches above the sighting target. I believe that this would be about right for 200 yards.

I had a had a hard time seeing the target. It was a black circle on cardboard. Did better when I placed the circle on a white piece of paper and then on the cardboard.

 

[Crow-Feather]

Crow Feather I'll be happy mail you a few n/c if they haven't been packed yet. We've packed a bunch of stuff so we sell & buy a much smaller property in the area, i'll have a look & let you know either way. Does your rifle have a round bore with more conventional style rifling or have Whitworth hexagonal style rifling ?
If Whitworth the bullets I have won't perform well.
I still have a few original Whitworth bullets left over from my old original, had though maybe one day I would run into someone with the right equipment that could scan it & machinery to make molds off of it.

** Just remembered that I haven't packed these away yet, the slug in center of this photo with 8 lube grooves is the slug I used in my old Gibbs rifle & were very accurate. I have quite a few of those sized & ready to shoot but they've already been packed away. A few months back I was helping a friend find the right bullet mold for his rifle & found a company in Colorado that made custom molds for about $150.00, I'll see if i can locate & forward the website to you.
If I spot the box I have with those slugs I'll let you know & send you a few to try as I know if it were me shooting a new gun has #1 priority. Some of the others in photo are ones I cast or swaged back when I had & was shooting an orig. Whitworth, they vary in different weights.
If I had another Whitworth I would try to buy a repro barrel & cut it into sections & use them to swage bullets. Bet it would be easy to sell the rest to recover the costs.
View attachment 35333

Just found your post. Regular Gibbs round bore. 208 520 5122. CF

 

[Crow-Feather]

Took the Gibbs out to the range today. Tried 1 1/2 F, 2F, but 3F worked best. My biggest problem was shooting at 70 yards with a long range sight. The sight setting for 70 yards was .008. I had a hard time getting a proper cheek weld that would allow me to see the sights without smacking the snot outta my cheekbone.
My one question is why does a person have to use a funnel and drop tube to drop powder in the bore?
I have some 550 grain bullets on order from Buffalo Arms and will try them at 1oo yards. If they work, I will try to find a mold for the heavier bullet. View attachment 36554

 

[TFoley]

QUOTE="Crow-Feather, post: 1681105, member: 297"]My one question is why does a person have to use a funnel and drop tube to drop powder in the bore?
[/QUOTE]

Some do, and some don't. Mr Minshall does not, but capandball does. I use a drop-tube to get a good load in my BP c*r*r*g*e-shooting rifle, else I wouldn't get anywhere near the correct load for it, but only a short plastic tube for my muzzleloaders. Using a steel drop-tube just might eventually wear the crown unless you have muzzle guide made of a softer material, such as nylon. After loading I tap the heel of the butt with my hand to settle the charge, and anyhow, pushing down the over-powder wad ensures that all the powder is in the chamber.

I'm fairly certain that your Gibbs has a patent [high-pressure] breech with a diameter somewhat smaller than that of the bore to increase the pressure on firing - making sure that you load consistently ought to be your main concern.

 

[TFoley]

If I had another Whitworth I would try to buy a repro barrel & cut it into sections & use them to swage bullets. Bet it would be easy to sell the rest to recover the costs.

All the very best of luck with that one, Sir. Many years back I went to Parker-Hale at Golden Hillock Road Birmingham, and actually BOUGHT TEN Whitworth barrels - sans breech plug - for a friend here in UK who built rifles of that style. Those days are now nothing but a memory of times past - I very much doubt that Pedersoli would sell you a 'spare' barrel.

 

[Relic shooter]

Not to shabby of a group CF , especially for someone with vintage peepers ! Loved your superb patch-sucking description, definitely rates a 10X .
In reference to the powder drop-tube, I used a 'brass tube' to get better group consistency in matches as it prevents powder from getting stuck to sides of bore & contaminated by crud from previous shots or cleaning solution. Best to not use a plastic tube as static electricity will cause grains to stick to sides.
I'm going to make another search today for the tray of slugs I mentioned, in hope they haven't been packed away yet prior to our plan to downsize to smaller digs in the valley & closer to our kids.

 

[Flinty Scot]

Where do you find these loading tubes (or the pieces to make one. I use one I made of stiff copper plumbing feed line, but haven't found anything long enough for my 36" rifle barrel. Thanks.

 

[Relic shooter]

I made the powder drop-tube I used & don't recall where I acquired the tubing but any 3/8" thin walled brass, copper or aluminum will work fine. Soft metal works best as you can put a flare on end for easy pouring, or can glue or solder a small funnel on one end. A coating of lubricant is often used in manufacture of some tubing so that will need to be removed.
Try an internet search for 3/8" thin wall tubing, bet some options will turn up.

 

[Kno-ie]

Flinty Scot I've found my brass and aluminum thin wall tube at my local Ace and Do it best hardware stores in three foot sections for brass and three to five footers for aluminum in their metal rack section. Hope this helps.

 

[Flinty Scot]

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions. I'll have to try the Ace affiliated hardwares in a bigger town/city; ours have none. a neighboring town's has a "crafter's" selection but none long enough.
So far to only online listings I've found are for wholesale lots, but I'll go back to the search., knowing someone has had success.

 

[Relic shooter]

M/L forum members are always ready to hep a fellow front-stuffer

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Hi Relic, That high middle bullet looks like Lyman 457121 to me. I shoot it un sized in my Gibbs- Metford .461" replica ( No.6647 clone), Un sized to I use it in My Coopers CBL in paper cartridges And sized to.450" in that rifle as a Muzzle loader. A good all rounder(pardon the pun). For the Metford I go with 4% pure tin .. As for drop tubes Model railway suppliers have all sorts of thin wall brass tube and the bell bit is easy. Silver solder together and they never come apart.. OLD DOG..

 

[fleener]

I use a small plastic funnel now. The plastic funnel can take getting kicked around a little better and not dent or crack.

Fleener

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Fleener,Your little plastic funnel may take a kicking around.I look after my stuff so that it doe's not get kicked around. Your little plastic funnel also collects "static" and may not pass all your powder if it builds up in the small outlet. What is the distinguished on your badge? I first shot MLAIC in 1974 and have never come across the term before apart from this forum?? OLD DOG..

 

[fleener]

I too try and take care of my stuff, however in the travels with my gear sometimes things get kicked around. I try and keep things as simple as I can so that it helps eliminate issues. Static has never been a problem with my plastic funnel.

The distinguished medal is given by the US team when you win your first individual medal at a MLAIC World match. I have only shot on the long range team.

Fleener

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Fleemer Thanks for the Help. My 1st was in 1974 .Bit before your time . First of the modern trap shoots. Still know where the John Manton I used is, in good hands, borrowed for the shoot as my own was still in B'hm Proof House. Is Old friend Si Smith still shooting, and how about Rhic. & Jeanie Sheidles? Take care , Go well, OLD DOG. .

 

[fleener]

Sorry I dont know the people that you mentioned. In the USA the teams are broken into two groups. The long range team that shoots 300, 500, 600, 900 and 1,000 yards or meters and the short range team that shoots rifle, pistol, shotgun etc. There is not much interaction between the two different teams and the matches are held at different locations and dates.

I am the Captain for the long range team.

Fleener

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Fleener, I shot in l/r in the 2000 NRA Shoot at Bisley & RSA in 1998 & 2008. Si Smith, Rich & Jeanie shot in Short Range Internationals in the Mid to Late 1900's . OLD DOG..