James Lang 32 bore

[Dennis E. Jones]

Just bought this from a friend of over fifty years who's health has failed. He wanted me to have it rather than some stranger. Made by James Lang 18 Brooks St. New Bond St. London probably the late 1880's or early 1890's. She's a 3", "577 EXPRESS" aka 32 bore. Can't wait to try her out. Cape Buffalo beware.

[John Campbell]

A fine Lang indeed! Perhaps actioned by E.C. Hodges? Look for his ECH stamp on the flats. Or go here for more potential information:

http://hodgesgunmakers.yolasite.com

[Rich Anderson]

That's sweet. A double rifle is on my wish list. I have a Stephan Grant back action 12 bore actioned by EC Hodges so I appreciate the link John.

[Eric Eis]

That's one pretty rifle. You are one lucky man !

[wayne goerres]

Very nice rifle. Hope you got everything with it to load with. Is it a cordite round or a BPE gun.

[John Mazza]

32 bore ? Dumb question - but isn't 25 bore closer to 577

[Rich Anderson]

I believe it's a Black powder Express rifle or BPE. You can load smokeless powder in it as there is a conversion factor to substitute black powder for smokeless. A 750 gr bullet is one big chunk of lead no matter what the propellant is.

[John Campbell]

If you do choose to load smokeless in your cartridges, please do NOT fill empty case space with Dacron. Use cotton! Otherwise, you risk ringing a chamber/barrel. I know this from sad experience. A noted writer uses Dacron, but it is only a matter of time before a ring appears for him. Cotton is not expensive, naturally combustible and is totally safe. Especially for the number of rounds you may shoot in this .577.

[KCordell]

Neat acquisition! Congratulations on it.

[Paweł Janusz]

Very nice!

[Dennis E. Jones]

32 bore ? Dumb question - but isn't 25 bore closer to 577

You're right, I use 24 gauge brass shotshells to make cases for my Snider.

Some days my old thinker doesn't work as well as it should. Old age is a high price to pay for maturity.

[John Mazza]

I know the feeling !


That's a nice gun. I really need a Jones underlever for my collection. (Even the wife thinks they're cool!)

[Dennis E. Jones]

If you do choose to load smokeless in your cartridges, please do NOT fill empty case space with Dacron. Use cotton! Otherwise, you risk ringing a chamber/barrel. I know this from sad experience. A noted writer uses Dacron, but it is only a matter of time before a ring appears for him. Cotton is not expensive, naturally combustible and is totally safe. Especially for the number of rounds you may shoot in this .577.

Thanks for the warning. I do use Dacron and have for years in many older larger caliber rifles including my Cogswell & Harrison 577 which I have fired many hundreds of rounds through. The well known writer you speak of is probably the same one I call a friend and who emphatically warns against using foam wads as they will cause chamber ringing. Wherein is the truth of the matter? I certainly don't know. Cotton may work well but I suspect it would be much the same as Dacron and would be expelled from the muzzle as Dacron is pretty much unchanged rather than consumed.

Please don't feel I'm being critical, I do appreciate your concern, I just wish there was some definitive answer to what really does cause chamber ringing.

Best regards,

D. Jones aka Elk Hunter

[John Mazza]

I have heard that kapok is a good filler. (It's a natural fiber, commonly used in pillows, etc.) However, I don't know where one can buy it, except on-line. But, we can all get cotton a whole lot easier ! If you did order a pillow full of kapok on-line, it'll probably last a lifetime...

[Rich Anderson]

This filler topic is of interest. I use cherrios in my shotgun loads as filler in 3/4 oz loads so the crimp won't buckle below the rim of the case but I doubt that would work in a rifle. I have a Ruger #1 450/400 NE 3 inch I want to load with 30gr of Trail Boss and a Hornady XTP pistol bullet. From the info I have I should get 1600-1800-fps which will make for a good 100 yard deer set up. My question is will I need a filler such as cotton or daycron to keep the powder charge compact so I will get the full ignition?

[John Campbell]

Let us consider empirical evidence:

Dacron has been known to ring chambers.
Foam/plastic wads have been known to ring chambers.
Pass a torch over either and you get plastic goo. Not carbon dust.

Cotton (or kapok) has never ringed a chamber.

How much is your classic barrel worth to you?

[John Mazza]

Cream of wheat has also been used ass a filler, but that is very dense & I would not recommend it. (They say it smells good too...)

COB, I have actually heard people comment that Trail Boss tends to result in fairly low pressures and velocity. In fact, sometimes a full case (compressed load) of that powder doesn't give the velocity that some people seek. These are all general statements, and of course, you must follow the manuals - but my point is that you may end up with a case that has an adequate volume of powder, and thus may not need a filler.

[Rich Anderson]

Unfortunately in this instance there isn't any real hard data and no manual to go by. The only published load data is for 400 gr bullets. I don't need a 400gr soft point at 2300FPS to kill a deer. I know using a gun suitable for Elephant on a deer is a little strange but a reduced load should work quite well. I have worked up a load of 72gr of H4895 and a 300gr Hornady for about 2200FPS. The XTP pistol bullets I use in my muzzleloader work very well on deer I figured they should work well in this application also. 30 gr of trail Boss isn't much powder for such a big case and my concern is I won't get even ignition without using something to hold the powder in place.

[wayne goerres]

I also have a 450x400x3" but it is a double rifle. Small amounts of powder in such large cases require some thing over the top. If I remember correctly they don't recommend using any type of wad or filler with trail boss. I also remember reading that trail boss recommends a minimum of 70% case capacity. I know it is light and fluffy and about half the density of most rifle powders. I would probable contact the manufactures for advice.