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A Field Handgun For Canadians


Airdale

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Guys

He doesn't want a rifle

He wants something comparable to a pistol

The photos I posted showed a full stoco, but what I was really showing the OP was the light mount and sighting system since he had mentioned it

It (OP) has to do with accuracy and the Rossi fails miserably in that aspect.

45/70 compared to 44 magnum had nothing to do with accuracy

In fact it could be argued that most shooters would be more accurate with the lighter kicking 44 magnum than the 45/70

Many Rossi's are as accurate as a comparable marlin, Henry or winchester

Here in BC a number of black bear hunters have bought Rossi ranch hands and Henry mare's legs and put full stocks on them for hunting

Once I do mine, I will be interested in seeing how it handles and performs compared to my marlin 1894RC in 44 magnum

Sort of an apples to apples comparison

I can sling the 18" barreled Marlin 1895 Guide Gun either underarm or across the back and deploy it in seconds, dispatch a highly lethal round (e.g., Garrett Hammerhead) with necessary accuracy via the ghost ring sighting system. This rifle/cartridge setup has been proven capable of stopping the African Big Five thus validating the lethality of the .45-70 with hardcast, high meplat bullets. The .44 magnum is woefully short in comparison and would be a distant second choice when critical stopping power is required.

There's a reason this combination is SOP with many Alaskan bush pilots.

Here you are comparing stopping power Edited by MagniAesir
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I had a ported TC Contender in .44 mag 14" bbl. Didn't like the concussion in the face every time I shot it. Traded it for a longer .223 bbl. Also have a 18.5" 45-70 bbl for it and carbine buttstock. In such a light gun, it will set you back hard. Shoots great but you definitely get some heavy recoil. I think it weighs about 5 1/2 lbs. I figured out the felt recoil once. If I remember right it was over double that of a 30-06.

I've got six different caliber barrels for mine. Fun to shoot. But

as Norseman said, you only got one shot!

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Are Henry rifles any good?    I see their ads on TV quite a bit.  

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Henry's' are very well made SW. They donated a .22 to raffle in support of our Semper Fi Shoot last year. My only issue is that even the center fire calibers load through a cartridge shaped cutout near the front of the magazine like most tube fed .22s, making it necessary to take the weapon out of action for reloading. The Rossi, like Winchester, etc., feeds through a gate on the right hand side of the receiver so if the situation permits or requires, the mag can be topped off while keeping the weapon aimed downrange.

Edited by Airdale
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I can see that looking at pictures.     Henry all load at the front of the tube magazine.  That would really slow down a reload if you were worried about something.      While I am comfortable with my handgun down in black bear country because so far they just run away;   if I get up in Northern Washington grizzly country I might want more gun.   Hardly a year goes by in Glacier National Park in Montana where someone is not killed or mauled by a grizzly.     Sometimes it is Park Rangers who should know the bears.     I was just reading where the recommended place for shooting a bear is the head if you have the right ammo.    With a handgun that means you have to let them get pretty close to hit them in the forehead.   At least a rifle puts that distance out further. 

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With the Ranch Hand, if the shots failed to do the job, it's long enough you might be able to choke it to death :derisive:

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The problem is Norse that a lot of the USA distributors won't ship to Canada due to state department rules

And those that do ship to Canada make you PAY for the privilege

it is illegal for me to ship it to my Washington post box and bring it to Canada because of the US state department laws

I do have a local supplier but he is expensive

As far as I know Yuchi you cannot get a Marlin in ranch hand or mares leg style

Here in Canada it would be illegal for me to take a guide gun and cut the barrel and stock down to a mare's leg

It can only be done by a manufacturer

Also I doubt the op could comfortably fire a 45/70 in the manner he describes

 

My son bought me the Henry Mares leg from Canadian Tire for Christmas.

 

He went in to buy the Rossi ranch hand but spent the little extra when he tried out the action on both. The Henry is far superior.

 

I've only been able to try it out once so far. Just into a snow bank to feel the recoil.

I  did find it awkward as well. I was thinking of fabricating a folding stock for it for when I did want to actually hit something.

 

Other than that I plan to practise hip shooting.

 

And. It is the most beautiful gun I've ever seen...

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In the USA, one needs to be careful not to modify a rifle into such a configuration as a "mare's leg." If the gun started life as a rifle, from the factory, we cannot shorten the barrel to be less than 16 inches. In the Henry and Rossi version, they start life classified as handguns, thus their shorter barrels are legal.

 

To shorten a rifle requires BATF approval and the payment of $200 for the tax stamp.

 

FYI

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Correct. 

 

Further, regardless of whether the thing was registered as a handgun or not, if you have a butt stock, the barrel has to be over 16" and the overall length over 26" else you've built a thing that requires the $200 tax stamp.  

 

In the US, there is an alternative to the class III weapons designation.   Short shotguns can fall under the AOW (Any Other Weapon) heading, similar requirements with BATF but a smaller tax.  I've thought hard about one of the 12" barreled Remington 870 "entry" guns.   With low-base 3-1-8s or the like it'd be manageable and VERY effective for snakes 'n' such in the back country.  It'd be a raging beast to shoot with 3" loads of 00 but in the dark out in the woods ... might be mighty comforting.

 

MIB

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With the Ranch Hand, if the shots failed to do the job, it's long enough you might be able to choke it to death :derisive:

Not a bad idea.    One recent bear attack, the person attacked was being thrown around by the leg, the bear jumped on him but he played dead, but when the bear walked away and the guy tried to crawl away, the bear attacked again.     A grandparent had told him to stick a fist down the bears throat if he was ever in that situation,   which he did,  choking the bear, and the bear lost interest and went away.   Good thinking and fortunately it worked.  So a gun down the throat is a pretty good idea if you run out of distance to shoot.  

Edited by SWWASASQUATCHPROJECT
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Her is a good article about bears and guns on buffalo bores website.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=108

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The problem is Norse that a lot of the USA distributors won't ship to Canada due to state department rules

And those that do ship to Canada make you PAY for the privilege

it is illegal for me to ship it to my Washington post box and bring it to Canada because of the US state department laws

I do have a local supplier but he is expensive

As far as I know Yuchi you cannot get a Marlin in ranch hand or mares leg style

Here in Canada it would be illegal for me to take a guide gun and cut the barrel and stock down to a mare's leg

It can only be done by a manufacturer

Also I doubt the op could comfortably fire a 45/70 in the manner he describes

My son bought me the Henry Mares leg from Canadian Tire for Christmas.

He went in to buy the Rossi ranch hand but spent the little extra when he tried out the action on both. The Henry is far superior.

I've only been able to try it out once so far. Just into a snow bank to feel the recoil.

I did find it awkward as well. I was thinking of fabricating a folding stock for it for when I did want to actually hit something.

Other than that I plan to practise hip shooting.

And. It is the most beautiful gun I've ever seen...

There is a thread on Canadian gunnutz where a guy used rare earth magnets to hold a stock extention in place

REMEMBER

in Canada this is legal

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Edited by MagniAesir
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