Evans Informational Links

[Two Flints]

Hello SSS,

I know, I know,   this is a Spencer Forum, but since we have had a number of threads started dealing with the Evans, and for those of you interested or just curious about the Evans, I thought I would post these informational web sites dealing with the Evans.  Two of these sites have information, while the other two have very little.  Two Flints  

(1)   http://www.american-firearms.com/american-firearms/z-html/company-E/Evans%20Repeating%20Rifle%20Co/Evans%20Repeating%20Rifle%20Co.html

(2)   http://www.american-firearms.com/american-firearms/z-html/company-E/Evans%20Rifle%20Mfg.%20Co/Evans%20Rifle%20Mfg.%20Co.html

(3)   http://www.american-firearms.com/american-firearms/z-html/company-E/Evans,%20Georges%20F/Evans,%20Georges%20F.html

(4)   http://www.american-firearms.com/american-firearms/z-html/company-E/Evans,%20Warren%20R/Evans,%20Warren%20R.html

[wyatt emp]

I just picked up a realy nice Evans carbine, but the extractor is missing. Can anyone give me a source for one?  I have had several of these and have gotten pretty good at taking them apart and shooting them but keep selling them. I would like to keep this one but if I cannot find an extractor, or at least one to borrow so my machinist can make one, it's a paper weight.

Wyatt

[Two Flints]

Wyatt,

Check out the post below.  At the very bottom of this post is a contact name, Happy Trails, who is the resident SSS expert (and member of SSS) on the Evans Repeating Rifle.  Email him.

Two Flints

Happy Trails
NCOWS
Citizen

      Re: The Evans Rifle
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2006, 10:17:33 PM »     

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In answer to the question posed by Dean Brennan of Montana about the Transitional Model Evans, there is no "ejector" per-se in the Evans Rifle mechanism. 
The rounds are fed up the magazine tube by being retained in one of 4 slots in a grooved "spline".  The spline indexes one quarter turn per activation of the lever on the rifle.  The cartridges are advanced by "riding" on a fixed "screw frame" or "helix" that is pinned and soldered to one half of the magazine tube.
When a fired cartridge case is "extracted" from the chamber the action of the "spline" rotating the new round into place to be fed into the chamber is what "kicks" the empty out of the "ejection port".  The empties do indeed just "eject mildly".
See pix of Transitional disassembly:
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/A.JPG -- Transitional Model
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/016.jpg -- Disassembled
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/K.JPG -- Split
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/018.jpg -- Spline
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/020.jpg -- Extractor Spring
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/L.JPG -- Spline Index Finger
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/M.JPG -- Butt Plate
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/N.JPG -- Mag tube with Spline
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/O.JPG -- Main Spring

As for ammo we could have a 2-day discussion I am afraid.  I will try to be brief.  The Transitional Model takes the .44 Evans Short. 
A great mystery abounds with the Evans.  Although all the books (Cartridges of the World) say the round is .419 all my Evans rifles measure .429/.430.  I have contacted other Evans shooters and they agree.  I have about 75 original Evans New Model rounds and the bullets are .419. 
When I first started making cartridges for the Evans I lathe turned some .430 diameter .44 Cal bullets to .419".  I thought I better slug the barrel with one to see how tight the fit was.  The .419 dia. bullet fell right through the bore. 
So how and why did they shoot .419 diam. bullets out of a .430 diam. bore?  The speculation is the Evans brothers were of course interested in military sales of their rifle and with the gun loaded to the maximum it would hold 28 rounds of NM ammo.  Of course everything was Black Powder and we know that has a tendency to cake and build up in a bore.  So if the gun were used in battle and it was fired continuously they were "allowing for the buildup without raising the pressure."  Possible?  Now one knows. 
Anyway we need to fire a .429 diam bullets down a .429 diam bore that is chambered for brass that holds a .419 diam bullet. 
The neck diam on a Evans cartridge is only .439/.440 so my solution was to use Heeled bullets of .429 diam stepped down to .418.  These were made by turning the heels down in a lathe.  A little time consuming yes, but less than buying a heeled mold and casting my own.  These then were loaded into .41 Magnum cases that were fire formed in a .44 Magnum gun.  This worked quite well and was very accurate.  I eventually switched to .44 Hollow based pointed bullet available from Buffalo Arms. (http://www.buffaloarms.com/).
They still have to be heeled.
Making the brass looked something like this.  http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/44x41.JPG
Top - .41 Magnums cases sized in a .44 die and loaded with a .44 bullet.
Bottom – after firing in a .44 Magnum gun the .41 Mag cases become .44 Evans Short.
Note that even though the Evans is a "tubular" fed rifle it is unlike the Winchester and others where the cartridges line up nose to primer so you need to use a flat point bullet.  In the Evans rifle the cartridges are separated by the "helix" and no cartridge pushes on the one in front of it.  It can use a pointed type bullet and proper feeding almost requires it.  Round nose bullets are a bit balky trying to feed into the chamber.
Here's my loading chart.
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/44EvansShort.jpg
Lastly I discovered that to ease feeding problems the bottom of the Evans cases were chamfered or rounded. 
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/006.jpg
http://members.cox.net/automag/evans/009.jpg

I hope this helps somewhat.  If you have any particular questions you can send me an e-mail at HappyTrails@thesmithshop.com and I will try to answer them.