Just got an 1871 Vetterli

[SanPedroShooter]

Not exactly an impulse buy, but now I have to figure out how to pay for it, hide it from my wife and how to reload and cast for it.

Im sorry I cant help myself. Swiss rifles are the finest milsurps hands down excluding the US. I wanted a Vetterli since the first time I read Joe Poyers book.

Well I got one.

[Mustang]

Very nice.

Has it been converted to centerfire yet?

[SanPedroShooter]

Very nice.

Has it been converted to centerfire yet?

No. No import stamps, nothing. I think its probably been hanging on the wall or in a safe.

I have been on the lookout and I got an email from Empire at like 0600. His lists sell out in minutes, so I jumped on it. It was under 400 bucks shipped.

I always have a moment of panic when they see I am in California. Even with an antique, but no problems.

I am studying conversion and case making. Should keep me busy this spring.

[joefrank64k]

They are fine rifles...I've got the center fire conversion part from Latigo here on CG. Got the bullet molds, Win brass to convert, and the Lee .41 Swiss dies.

I saw those on Dennis' list and thought the prices were very fair. And Dennis doesn't sell junk. Nice pick up!

[Guisan]

That one is one of the last M71's made, at #150.000 they started making the M78.

[SanPedroShooter]

They are fine rifles...I've got the center fire conversion part from Latigo here on CG. Got the bullet molds, Win brass to convert, and the Lee .41 Swiss dies.

I saw those on Dennis' list and thought the prices were very fair. And Dennis doesn't sell junk. Nice pick up!

No, he seems like a serious dealer. No arguments about the price or condition from me. He appears to know his business.

That one is one of the last M71's made, at #150.000 they started making the M78.

The word from Switzerland!

I know very little about the Swiss except their status of armed neutrality dating back to the 15th century I believe. Its a political position I greatly admire.

I find their rifles incredibly well made. Beautiful in fact. Each one is built like a little puzzle.

They are cheap right now too. Wow. Its rare to find such works of industrial art for such a low price. I need a 1911 now.

[6mmintl]

Im selling one of the two I own and shoot here on cal guns.

Use 8mm lebel brass, Winchester 348 brass tends to be too large in most chambers (6 I have reworked to centerfire) and cause sticking/failure to eject unless you polish 1/4" in from case rim and open up .005"

The Lee dies are ok but push shoulder back too far on resizing, so, once brass is fire formed set die depth to size only to neck/shoulder line.

When using 8mm lebel brass you can leave neck longer if shooting oversize (.432-.434") bullets as necks are much thinner then 348 win. I leave brass long then size to my chosen bullet and slowly insert case/check to see if it seats on rim and keep trimming till the case seats on rim and then set your overall/trim length dimension on remaining brass. Remember there is no neck/chamber/shoulder recess in these chambers, they are more a continuous taper into the rifling.

I would slug the bore to see what size throat you have and then find a bullet you intend to shoot "unsized", measure bullet and then find/make/modify a expander ball to size neck .001" smaller or make a button die to neck size brass.

Don't use Lee liquid alox as we have had mixed results with it in larger bore bullets, organic lubes for blackpowder work well.

Typical loads are 19 grains of Allient 2400, 22.5 grains of IMR SR4759, and 23.5 grains of AA5744 behind 300-340 grain projectiles.

Replacement stryker springs can be substituted with a volkswagon 36 HP motor valve springs.

[DennisCA]

Not exactly an impulse buy, but now I have to figure out how to pay for it, hide it from my wife and how to reload and cast for it.

Im sorry I cant help myself. Swiss rifles are the finest milsurps hands down excluding the US. I wanted a Vetterli since the first time I read Joe Poyers book.

Well I got one.

Very nice - I'm assuming that was from Empire Arms?

[SanPedroShooter]

Im selling one of the two I own and shoot here on cal guns.

Use 8mm lebel brass, Winchester 348 brass tends to be too large in most chambers (6 I have reworked to centerfire) and cause sticking/failure to eject unless you polish 1/4" in from case rim and open up .005"

The Lee dies are ok but push shoulder back too far on resizing, so, once brass is fire formed set die depth to size only to neck/shoulder line.

When using 8mm lebel brass you can leave neck longer if shooting oversize (.432-.434") bullets as necks are much thinner then 348 win. I leave brass long then size to my chosen bullet and slowly insert case/check to see if it seats on rim and keep trimming till the case seats on rim and then set your overall/trim length dimension on remaining brass. Remember there is no neck/chamber/shoulder recess in these chambers, they are more a continuous taper into the rifling.

I would slug the bore to see what size throat you have and then find a bullet you intend to shoot "unsized", measure bullet and then find/make/modify a expander ball to size neck .001" smaller or make a button die to neck size brass.

Don't use Lee liquid alox as we have had mixed results with it in larger bore bullets, organic lubes for blackpowder work well.

Typical loads are 19 grains of Allient 2400, 22.5 grains of IMR SR4759, and 23.5 grains of AA5744 behind 300-340 grain projectiles.

Replacement stryker springs can be substituted with a volkswagon 36 HP motor valve springs.

I am going to need advice. Its to bad redwood city is at the other end of the state from here...

Just getting the info together. It took me essentially all year to gather material, make, cast and load the M1873 45/70 loads for a trapdoor that are sitting on my desk right now.

My card hasn't even been charged yet...

I'll check out your for sale posts.

[Sampachi]

I have a custom Lee mold for Vetterli bullets. Got that through Swiss Rifles some years ago. Let me know if you need any bullets casted up.

[Enfield47]

That's a sweet looking rifle, you did well.

What is involved to switch it from rimfire to centerfire? Will it accept a firing pin similar to the other Swiss rifles?

[SanPedroShooter]

That's a sweet looking rifle, you did well.

What is involved to switch it from rimfire to centerfire? Will it accept a firing pin similar to the other Swiss rifles?

It involves making a firing pin out of a drill bit or a nail in the center of the rimfire pin which looks sort of like the jaws of an ant, then drilling a hole through the center of the bolt face.

It seems easy enough. Some methods do a better job than others.

[SanPedroShooter]

I have a custom Lee mold for Vetterli bullets. Got that through Swiss Rifles some years ago. Let me know if you need any bullets casted up.

I read your post wrong, what are guys using today? .44 magnum bullets?

[6mmintl]

That's a sweet looking rifle, you did well.

What is involved to switch it from rimfire to centerfire? Will it accept a firing pin similar to the other Swiss rifles?

Relatively simple:

Chuck the stripped bolt in a lathe, centerdrill, drill a .065"-.072" hole thru face of bolt.

Anneal firing pin tip 1/2", chuck in lathe and indicate it to run no more then .002" out of center/location and center drill till countersink is twice the size of pilot drill of centerdrill (for silver solder support) , drill 1/4" deep with a drill .001"=.002" smaller then bolt hole.

Clean firing pin and Silver solder drill shank into firing pin tip.

Assemble firing pin into bolt and set length .070 beyond face of bolt with firing pin bottomed against firing pin stop. radius end/polish/assemble and try firing primed case only.

[SanPedroShooter]

I was reading in my antique copy Small Arms of the World that most of the Vetterli model rifles were sold to Bannermans in NY by the Swiss government after the adoption of the Schmidt Rubin.