[W. C. Quantrill]

This is the Smith conversion that my GGGpa had when he homesteaded this land in 1870. It is a Smith Carbine that has been fitted with a .50 cal barrel and converted to .50-70. He used it while working for the Union Pacific Railroad near Fort Wallace to shoot buffalo for 2 years. He fed the railroad workers and fort personnel with buffalo meat.

[hiwall]

Nice gun! Have you shot it?

[W. C. Quantrill]

Yes, as a matter of fact, but it takes a smaller bullet than a Smith or .50-70. The Smith/50-70 uses a .512 or thereabouts, and this barrel is just a shade under .500,,,maybe .495 or so. So, I dont shoot it much until I find a suitable mold in that size. I slugged the barrel and have the slug here, I just dont recall exactly the numbers.

When I found the rifle, there was an old, old glass jar with it that was full of .50-70 and .45-70 cartridges, some of them balloon heads. I presume that is what he fired in the gun. I was tempted to pull one of the cartridges apart and measure things, but just havent brought myself to do it yet. The bore of the barrel, however is slightly less than .500.