Author Topic: Highwall question (Read 765 times)

Puerto Morelos · « **on:** February 12, 2006, 04:19:08 PM »

Hello, all knowing, all seeing Single Shot knowledge base!

My .32-40 #3 barrel 1885 (1893 mfr) arrived with a cutaway in the forend just ahead of the receiver measuring about 3.135" long by .25" down which exposes a row of 5 holes drilled down the middle of the left side barrel flat (the one perpendicular to the top). The c-t-c distance between the 1st and 5th holes is about 2.625". The 3 holes between them are spaced somewhat irregularly. They appear to be drilled 1/8" to varying depths. The forward most hole is .125" deep, the next is .095", the middle hole (centered between forward and rear most) is .125", next is .075", and rearmost (nearest the receiver) is .125" deep.

I don't have a thread gauge, so no guesses there.

Two questions -
What did these holes serve?

Is my #3 octagon barrel materially weakened by them? I expect to shoot at pressures well below 40000 - am I going to be okay here?

I can't imagine a use for these holes, so I expect to plug them and cover up with a replacement forend.

Any ideas/help/speculation ?

Thanks.

PM

Shorty · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2006, 02:15:07 PM »

Sounds like a side-mount scope base. Maybe they didn't get it "right" the first time. :roll:
My Winder has two such holes, and it's a round barrel! :shock:

PeterF. · « **Reply #2 on:** February 14, 2006, 04:25:50 AM »

Sounds really wierd to me; I haven't got a clue. 2 things that come to mind though are: 1) some sort of mount for a palm rest (for standing-position shooting ... particularly popular in the late-1800s); 2) butcher job in wierd attempt attempt to wall-mount it for display. A palm rest might have had some provision for fore-&-aft adjustment (hence several holes); and you couldn't mount it on the bottom flat in that area (which would make more sense) because you'd be coming into the area of the mainspring (I think). Would one of those holes be in the fore-&-aft balance point (as in a single-point wall-mount)? Just my 2 cents (and probably worth less than that). Peter F.

smk · « **Reply #3 on:** February 14, 2006, 10:54:20 AM »

I really don't know what the holes are for either, but I have a Highwall with a palmrest and it mounts to the forearm, not the barrel, and in all my looking at Schuetzen rifles, I have never seen one mount on the barrel, although I guess someone could have tried it. The fore and aft adjustment of the palm rest is accomplished by the angle you allow it to pivot and the length of it. Could be a side mount scope, maybe.

marlinman93 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2006, 02:39:25 PM »

I've seen a few pictures of old schuetzen rifles with palm rests attached directly to the barrels, but they didn't have forearm wood on these guns, and the rest attached in a similar loacation as it would to one with forearm in place.
My guess on this modification would be a scope mount. I think someone may have wanted it to mount on the side, so iron sights would still be useable.