Quiz

Who can identify this rifle? Where it was made, when was it made, caliber, model??? :p

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...126_1_lg-1.jpg

It is an Evans rifle made in USA and chambered for a special 44 center fire cartridge (I think that I have one in my cartridge collection)

I was just posting that on the other page...

Yeah sorry guys this was an easy quiz. I'm not as good at this as Rick B. or RCS.

This rifle is a late 1870s "New Model". The dust cover indicates this. It is .44 Evans. There were somewhere around 10,500 made. The factory was in Mechanic Falls, Maine by a dentist named Warren Evans.

Bill, I have a 44 Evans cartridge that was made by Winchester on the headstamp. Will take a photo soon

They equate this one to the Spencer, but I think the Spencer was infinitely more successful because this seems to have fallen by the wayside...

That would be cool Robert. The Evans .44 has a unique tapered rim from the bottom. It is more of a chamfer or bevel than a taper I guess. The only case out there that is a good candidate for reload is the .44 Russian. The taper then needs added along with the shortening of the case. They are kind of called the .44 Evans R

The Spencer has a hammer where the Evans does not. That is what threw me for a loop when I first encountered this rifle. I first spotted one at Calico Ghost Town out by Barstow, CA.

The 44 Evans for the second model is a long cartridge (case length 1.54) almost twice the length of the 44 Russian. I think the 30-40 case or something close could be reworked and also have the rim dia reduced too. Maybe you could single load a 44 Russian ? it is an excellent cartridge and I use in my Navy Arms repro in the enclosed photo.

Wow, isn't that nice looking Robert.

The second model was the "Transition Model". It also shot the .44 Evans Short. The "New Model" shot the ".44 New Model" cartridge which was 1-1/2" long.

Old Model, .44 Evans Short cartridge
Transition Model, .44 Evans Short cartridge
New Model, .44 New Model cartridge

The only reason I put this on the OT forum is because the New Model was the only model that was used by the military. It is a true milsurp :)

I am forever amazed at the depth of knowledge here.