NM Evans Repeating

[theredheadedstranger]

Back in may I purchased a Evans Repeating Rifle and I love it. However I would like to reload for it and shoot it. I know I need to slug the barrel to get the proper sized bullet. What I need to find out is what cartridges can be used for the NM Evans. I have looked at buffalo arms and they have the brass but it is so expensive. I have read posts after posts on here and most of them reguard the evans short.

I have read a few that 303 british brass can be used along with 44 mag (which I read that will be a little short on length) and then 30-40 krag. I have never seen the factory size of the case itself though.

I seen where the 30-40 krag need the rim turned down to .510".......... I do have a question on 30-30 brass. Is 30-30 brass to small to use. As 30-30 brass has a rim of .506 which would be just 4/1000th" short

[ndnchf]

The original bullet diameter was .419" for the NM cartridge, but it must be 40-1 or softer to expand to fill the typical .427" - .428" groove size. 303 british or 30-40 krag brass works as a starting point.

Many years ago I had a collection of them and shot a NM carbine a lot using a mold that duplicated the original bullet. It shot very well, better than most folks think such an undersized bullet would. Over 30 years ago I wrote an article about them. It's available on the leverguns forum here:

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/blancard/evans.htm

Check over in the Spencer forum. There's some good info on them there too.

[theredheadedstranger]

Thanks for the reply NdnChf. I have read that page countless times and it is a very nicely written and very good article. Also until I clicked the link I hadn't seen the case size. Somehow I kept over looking it. So the new model also used the hollow based bullet to expand to the rifling in the rifle

Sorry for all the questions, but I just love these odd ball firearms and well I want to shoot it. I have a family member that just got a old 38-40 and he wants me to get some ammo for mine evans and him his 38-40 and shoot them a few times.

[ndnchf]

No, the original bullet is solid base. I pulled the bullets from several original cartridges and sent them to Richard Hoch. He made a custom mold that duplicated the original bullet. Here is a new bullet next to original cartridge.




Check out my target tracings at the end of this thread to see what the original style bullet can do. This was many years ago.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,41915.0.html

[theredheadedstranger]

Ok now I am really confused. Sorry about sounding stupid and all. Is this a heeled bullet. Or is it just a soft lead bullet that expands to fill the barrel. I seen in the other pics that you didn't use any type of wad or patching so I am assuming it is a .419" at the biggest dia. on the bullet.

Great pics and information btw

The other post from the link showed some pretty good shooting with the old rifle.

if I new how to post pics I would post a couple of the rifle I got.

[ndnchf]

Yes, the bullet bumps up nearly .010". It was designed that way to accommodate the anticipated fouling build up in the throat from those 26 cartridges (or 34 in the old and transition models). The mass of the long, heavy nose and soft lead helped the bullet to bump up and fill the grooves. Modern Evans shooters often use bullets closer to groove size. But my goal 30 years ago was to shoot it as it was designed. My testing proved that the original design worked well.

[Colt Fanning]

Hello,
The only manufacturer of a .421 bullet mold that I have found is NEI the mold number is  421-390-GC  #233.
To feed through my Evans Long the OAL of the cartridge needs to be about 1.915 in.  If you use 44 Mag brass you will have to use a bullet about .955 in. long and seat it with the first grease groove out of the case, which is no problem.  The resulting bullet will be about 290 Grns.  The 390 grn nei bullet is much longer than this and I faced material off the back of the mold to get the desired length.  I believe Nei will do this for you.  First though you need to determine if you need a .421 bullet.  When I got my Evans I was very puzzled because if I slugged the bore from the chamber end I got .420 but if I forced a bullet into the muzzle and pulled it back out it was .427.  Viewing the chamber there appeared to be a constriction at the end of the chamber down to .421 prior to the start of the rifling.  I was puzzled because I couldn't see how this could be manufactured.  I never the less shot .421 bullets and it shot well.  One day while shooting I was unable to chamber a round. after some difficulty I got the round chambered and fired it but the rifle now was shooting about a 3 ft pattern at 50 yds.  After dissembling, I found that the constriction to .421 was no longer present and the start of the rifling was very sharp and square (no forcing cone.  I believe that the constriction to .421 was achieved by soldering a sleeve into the chamber at the start of the rifling and that mine had been shot out of the barrel.  I cut a forcing cone into the start of the rifling and have been shooting a .428 bullet successfully ever since.
So the first step is to slug the barrel FROM THE CHAMBER END and see if it is .421 or .427.  If it is .421 the NEI mold may be the best choice. The I load with 44 Mag dies.  The cartridges will feed through the action much better if a 15 deg chamfer is cut on the back of the Cartridge rims.  The originals were made this way and this has been discussed on the Spencer rifle forum. 
Good shooting
Colt   

[Pettifogger]

I used .445 Supermag brass shortened and .44 Mag dies for loading.

https://www.starlinebrass.com/brass-cases/445-Super-Mag-Brass/index.cfm