I didnвЂ™t really want a high-gloss finish. I ended up putting a rubber recoil pad on the rifle to protect it (and me) and will probably have to make a hard, more authentic buttplate for shooting cowboy events.Д«rownellвЂ™s carries TreeBoneвЂ™s walnut version of that stock, so I figured I could always fit a prettier piece of wood on the gun later. I could inlet the original buttplate or put a plain metal buttplate on the rifle to be historically correct. He recommended a walnut stock with a shotgun-shaped butt. I told George Peterson, owner of TreeBone, I was trying to duplicate a Rolling Block Sporting Rifle but also wanted to shoot cowboy long-range events and possibly hunt with it. TreeBone Carving has some of the prettiest wood IвЂ™ve seen for rolling blocks. The proof-test went well, and the cases measured out, showing no signs of headspace problems or excessive pressure. I loaded four of my pet smokeless loads and carefully measured the cases for a comparison after firing. I had to load some new cases because the cartridges I had for my Sharps were not full-sized, and apparently, its chamber is a bit larger than the new chamber in my Rolling Block. Then, I point the muzzle into a safe backstop and fire the action from a distance with a string. My proof-tester is simple: I use a spare tire as a base and strap the action to it with ratchet tie-downs. I was happy with the way everything fit, but I still wanted to proof it, so I put the old stock on the rifle. This is the base of the actionвЂ™s strength. Headspace depends on the base of the case sitting against the rolling block and how tight the block fits against the hammer surface. With the barrel chambered and installed, I wanted to proof-test my work. The crown recesses this edge to protect it from damage. The face of the rifle must be perfectly perpendicular to the bore so the bullet exits the pipe evenly. Whichever method you use, the crowning job is critical for accuracy. Brownell's sells crowning tools that can be used without a lathe, but the lathe was handy, so I used it for the crowning job. A flat face was machined and it was crowned with a deep 45-degree taper. I cut off about 4 inches - giving me a 30-inch barrel - and dialed it up in the lathe to face and crown the muzzle. It also took off some of the front weight. I still had to draw-file and sand the barrel, but I liked the resulting look much more than when it had a slight taper from the box. 5 carbine in 7mm and went to work.ДЄfter I fitted the barrel, I wanted to shape and taper it for looks and to reduce the weight.ДЄfter setting up the mill, I used a facing tool to remove a great deal of material - about 1 pound of metal was shaved off - and to give the barrel a more streamlined shape. Inspired by the great Remington Rolling Block design, the author decided to build a buffalo gun for hunting and shooting cowboy action single-shot long-range events.

Custom remington rolling block rifle