Centerfire rifle for Pistoleer class?

[Mad_Dog]

Hello!  I'm still in "dream-land" (hoping to make it to next month's Covered Bridge Shootists match, but haven't been to any CAS events yet), but was hoping y'all might be willing to answer a newbie question anyways?  The local group shoots almost exclusively working cowboy, but the Pistoleer class really appeals to me and I was thinking I should steer my future gun purchases in that direction.

Are there any pre-1873 rifles that came in centerfire?  I was all fired up about a '66 (or a spencer if I could afford one) and some cap-and-ball revolvers... but I started pondering a '73 instead of a '66 since it is obtainable (and more importantly shootable) in it's original cartridge.  I realize it doesn't bother most folks, and to be honest it probably wouldn't really bother me either, but if I had my druthers... my repro rifle would be shooting the "right" cartridge.

Is there such a rifle that fits the bill?  My google-fu only turned up single shot rifles in centerfire prior to 1873, but I figured you guys would know!

thanks,
 Mad-Dog (who shouldered a '66 yellowboy at the local Gander Mountain (in .45 colt), but has a hard time imagining that the crescent shapped brass buttplate wouldn't put odd shaped bruises on his shoulder)

[River City John]

Mad Dog,
the By-laws allow center-fire substitution of the '66 and the Henry, along with the Spencer, as no rim-fire reproductions exist nor rim-fire ammunition is produced.

RCJ

[Mad_Dog]

Thanks, John.  I knew that the rules didn't require a "historically accurate" cartridge, particularly in firearms that were originally rimfire... however, my personal sense of aesthetics would still rate a rifle with historically accurate cartridges as somehow more appealing.

-Mad Dog

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[Pancho Peacemaker]

Mad Dog,

We have a local member that shoots pistoleer with an original Spencer . . . and does pretty well with it.

I know of two NCOWS members who've converted a reproduction Henry in .44 WCF to .44 Russian in an attempt to approach the ballistics & mag capacity of the .44 Rimfire.

Don't fret about shoulder bruising.  At the pressures we shoot these cartridges, you really don't get any sort of recoil from the rifles.  You won't be shooting high-velocity hunting cartridges at a CAS range.

Pancho


P.S.:  Take a look over at the SASS Wire Classified section.  There are always folks selling reproduction Henrys at good prices.    I picked up one "gently used" a few years ago for about $200 less than what a new one costs.  It looked brand new when I recieved it.

[Yuma Kid]

Mad Dog,
Uberti made a reproduction Henry back in the late 70's (I think) in .44 Rim-fire.  Someone made a run of new manufactured ammo to go with the introduction of the rifle.  We had one of the rifles go through our local gun shop 3-4 years ago, but I've never seen any of the ammo.  So you might find one of the rifles, but don't know what you would do for ammunition.
Yuma

[John Smith]

Mad Dog,

We have a local member that shoots pistoleer with an original Spencer . . . and does pretty well with it.

Where does he get rim fire ammo for it?

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Where does he get rim fire ammo for it?

His has the conversion block to shoot centerfire ammo.  He fires 56-50 in it.

[Capt. Montgomery Little]

Mad Dog,  The 66 Winnie was also chambered in a proprietary 44 centerfire by Winchester in the mid to late 1870s. The closest anyone has come to this in modern cartridges is the 44 spl. If you can get one of those, you can either leave "as-is" or use 44 Russians.
Have fun!

LTC Montgomery Little, GAF Senior Chaplain

[Montana Slim]

A Henry, Improved Henry, or Spencer rifle will suffice for Pistoleer category rifle.
Personally, I use the Improved (1866) rifle in 44-40. Don't worry about the recoil...actually, I like the way the 1866 "hangs"...it's perfect for me.

Regards!
Slim
Who likes Pistoleer category 

[Books OToole]

I just loaded up a batch of .44 Russian rounds for my '66. (Orginally set up for .44 special.)  Sixteen rounds fit in the tube and cycle great.

Hmmm...

...next match; "load 16 in your rilfe."

That has a nice sound.

Books

[Tascosa Joe]

Mad Dog:

One option:  either a Henry or improved Henry aka '66 in .45.  You can load 26-28 gr 2F and a 200 gr bullet in a .45 Schofield case and come real close to the original ballistics of the .44 Henry Flat.  A full length rifle will hold 14 or 15.

A .44 Special is good because you can shoot the same ammo in an Mason Richards or Open Top. 

T-Joe

[Books OToole]

Mad Dog:

A .44 Special is good because you can shoot the same ammo in an Mason Richards or Open Top. 

T-Joe

  Yes you can. 
Or an original S & W DA .44.

Books

[Steel Horse Bailey]

A small point, pard Mad Dog:

The crescent buttplate is NOT supposed to go tucked into your shoulder like we learned ... it's supposed to go over the joint - where the upper arm connects to the chest.  Try one - it fits PERFECTLY.  The recoil from a pistol-caliber rifle - especially out of a heavy Henry or '66 Improved Henry is pretty negligible.  That goes for traditional power loads as well as modern smokeyless loads.  In other words, it ain't a problem!

As for an original caliber, you've got real good answers already, but ... 'tho it wasn't original to the Henry & '66 rifles at the time, the 45 Colt, 44 WCF [44-40], 44 Spl, 44 Russian, 45 S&W [45 Schofield] etc. are all period-correct calibers, so you should be able to find something that suits your taste ... and wallet!  Many of us have picked our calibers so we carry the same caliber in both rifle as well as revolver.  Modern technology has allowed us 45 Colt afficianados to have rifles chambered in this caliber, 'tho that NEVER happened "back in the Day!" (to my knowledge - at least on a mass-production basis.)

I shoot Pistoleer very often, and my C&Bs are an 1860 Army (Uberti) and a 2nd Gen. 1st Model Colt Dragoon.  I shoot my '66 Winchester [Improved Henry] and my Tula 12 Ga. hammered double.  LOTS of flames and beautiful white smoke from the large amounts of BP I feed my weapons with!

Have fun!

If you DO get the '73, you can shoot it in ANY division ... except Pistoleer.  If I only want to shoot 2 guns, instead of what Pistoleer requires, I enter the Working Cowboy (or as I call it ... Working Pistoleer {LoL!})  class.  You don't HAVE to shoot centerfire revolvers in WC.