Bill Calfee
Gun Fool
Some things in rimfire accuracy are a given
CYA friends:
I've been doing this rimfire schmidting stuff for a lot of years............I've been around a lot of killer RFBR guns.
There are some characteristics of a "killer" RFBR gun that are pretty much a constant.
Of course I've seen some RFBR guns with some of these "given" characteristics that were not killers, but, they had other, major issues which kept them from shooting.
I got to look at an E Turbo today, one that is a killer........by the way, I'm going to stop using the term "old" for the Flash Ebert Turbos, from now on, and start using the letter E instead....."E for Ebert"......simply out of respect for my old buddy Flash.
Anyway, this E Turbo has those "given" or constant characteristics that all killers have.
It has 100% locking lug contact, not 99% but 100%...............
Back when I built this E Turbo, when a customer would order an action from Flash, and designated that the gun was to be built by me, my old friend Flash would automatically leave some things unfinished............
Flash would leave the firing pin unfinished as he knew I wanted to develop the ignition, as I needed it.............
Also, he would leave the locking lugs full width, no closing cam, as he knew I wanted to machine the closing cam, as I needed it........
Let me say something here, CYA friends:
Flash Ebert was a very unique human being, and, RFBR action maker.............it's a shame we don't have action makers like Flash with us today.
Flash understood that the schmidt, and the schmidt's customer, wanted to be able to "create" as they wished, not as Flash wished.
So Flash produced his actions, at least for me, and I'm sure for other schmidts too, so that we schmidts could create unique pieces for our individual customers.
Wouldn't it be so nice to have a RFBR action maker like Flash Ebert to deal with today............man.
I'm afraid those good old days are gone forever.
_______________________________________
Anyway, getting back to the E Turbo.
At the time I built this E Turbo, I cut my closing cam in the secondary locking lug.............and I cut the absolute minimum I needed for proper operation, because remember, cutting the closing cam in the secondary locking lug of a 90 degree, dual lug action removes the breech bolt thrust above the center line of the breech bolt by whatever amount was removed by the closing cam................
So this E Turbo I got to look at today has the absolute maximum amount of breech bolt thrust, above the center line of the breech bolt, that is possible with a dual lug, 90 degree lock-up action...........
And again, 100% locking lug contact........
Some years after the initial build, I installed a Baity 6 ignition in this E Turbo..........
I did not run a full, 10 round case head penetration test on this E...................didn't need to........
I wound up shooting two rounds in my bucket, and both rounds showed the perfect measurement away from the firing pin's mechanical stop that is required with a firing pin protrusion measurement like this Baity 6 ignition has...........
And here's a most interesting thing..........the customer told me he has about 30,000 rounds through this E, and has never changed the firing pin spring................
I checked the bedding, it was absolutely pristine............the stock is composite..........
I also slugged the bore of the barrel............even after 30,000 rounds, it still has that "pristine feel", and, when a slug was measured, this a four groove barrel, it has the "perfect" groove diameter for this style of rifling..........
That groove diameter being .2217".............and when measure like a four groove, and also like an 8 groove, every reading was exactly .2217".
( you have to be very careful when measuring a four groove like an eight, as you have to "estimate" the land cut location between the jaws of the micrometer.........but, it can be accurately done.........all four groove barrels should be measured as eight grooves, as a better indication of the roundness of the bore/grooves can be determined.............
Lastly:
This killer, E build has all of those "given" or "constant" characteristics that all killers have.................
It was kinda neat to get to spend a few moments, today, with a couple of old buddies, the killer, E Turbo and its owner.
Your friend, Bill Calfee
CYA friends:
I've been doing this rimfire schmidting stuff for a lot of years............I've been around a lot of killer RFBR guns.
There are some characteristics of a "killer" RFBR gun that are pretty much a constant.
Of course I've seen some RFBR guns with some of these "given" characteristics that were not killers, but, they had other, major issues which kept them from shooting.
I got to look at an E Turbo today, one that is a killer........by the way, I'm going to stop using the term "old" for the Flash Ebert Turbos, from now on, and start using the letter E instead....."E for Ebert"......simply out of respect for my old buddy Flash.
Anyway, this E Turbo has those "given" or constant characteristics that all killers have.
It has 100% locking lug contact, not 99% but 100%...............
Back when I built this E Turbo, when a customer would order an action from Flash, and designated that the gun was to be built by me, my old friend Flash would automatically leave some things unfinished............
Flash would leave the firing pin unfinished as he knew I wanted to develop the ignition, as I needed it.............
Also, he would leave the locking lugs full width, no closing cam, as he knew I wanted to machine the closing cam, as I needed it........
Let me say something here, CYA friends:
Flash Ebert was a very unique human being, and, RFBR action maker.............it's a shame we don't have action makers like Flash with us today.
Flash understood that the schmidt, and the schmidt's customer, wanted to be able to "create" as they wished, not as Flash wished.
So Flash produced his actions, at least for me, and I'm sure for other schmidts too, so that we schmidts could create unique pieces for our individual customers.
Wouldn't it be so nice to have a RFBR action maker like Flash Ebert to deal with today............man.
I'm afraid those good old days are gone forever.
_______________________________________
Anyway, getting back to the E Turbo.
At the time I built this E Turbo, I cut my closing cam in the secondary locking lug.............and I cut the absolute minimum I needed for proper operation, because remember, cutting the closing cam in the secondary locking lug of a 90 degree, dual lug action removes the breech bolt thrust above the center line of the breech bolt by whatever amount was removed by the closing cam................
So this E Turbo I got to look at today has the absolute maximum amount of breech bolt thrust, above the center line of the breech bolt, that is possible with a dual lug, 90 degree lock-up action...........
And again, 100% locking lug contact........
Some years after the initial build, I installed a Baity 6 ignition in this E Turbo..........
I did not run a full, 10 round case head penetration test on this E...................didn't need to........
I wound up shooting two rounds in my bucket, and both rounds showed the perfect measurement away from the firing pin's mechanical stop that is required with a firing pin protrusion measurement like this Baity 6 ignition has...........
And here's a most interesting thing..........the customer told me he has about 30,000 rounds through this E, and has never changed the firing pin spring................
I checked the bedding, it was absolutely pristine............the stock is composite..........
I also slugged the bore of the barrel............even after 30,000 rounds, it still has that "pristine feel", and, when a slug was measured, this a four groove barrel, it has the "perfect" groove diameter for this style of rifling..........
That groove diameter being .2217".............and when measure like a four groove, and also like an 8 groove, every reading was exactly .2217".
( you have to be very careful when measuring a four groove like an eight, as you have to "estimate" the land cut location between the jaws of the micrometer.........but, it can be accurately done.........all four groove barrels should be measured as eight grooves, as a better indication of the roundness of the bore/grooves can be determined.............
Lastly:
This killer, E build has all of those "given" or "constant" characteristics that all killers have.................
It was kinda neat to get to spend a few moments, today, with a couple of old buddies, the killer, E Turbo and its owner.
Your friend, Bill Calfee
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