Holmes 223 about ready - Groundhog Day

[gzig5]

See if you can get your hands on some Benchmark, TAC, or CFE223 powders. They are in the sweetspot for the .223 with 50-55gr bullets velocity-wise and give excellent accuracy at the same time.
I love the pics of how the bolt was modified. Not many smiths around these days that can do that type of work. Most seem to just want to bolt rifles together from a kit of parts.

[Daryl]

Originally Posted by Harold M

This '03 Springfield was converted to 222 and 223 (now has a 223 Hart barrel) by John E Holmes, probably back in the '50's (222) and converted to 223 in the '60's by another gunsmith. It's new to me, purchased from the estate of an old friend. I did a first-fire with the BSA scope before mounting the Leupold shown here. It has potential. I'm planning some woodchuck activity with it when the snow melts.

Harold

That is a great stock design Harold - really like that one!

[Branxhunter]

Not too shsbby for a 50yr+ old rifle. Plenty of people would be happy if their brand new custom rifle shot like that. That stock looks great with beautiful lines.

Marcus

[Hal]

Neat old rifle.

You might go to the Accurate Reloading forum and post a few picture of your rifle in the custom rifle section.

They might be able to tell some history.

Hal

[ray h]

Harold you may have found your guy. The forend treatment is the same and not normally seen design.

[Bayou City Boy]

One very cool and interesting rifle, Harold...........

-BCB

[snert]

Harold,

That is a very cool rifle. I think that so many times new and synthetic is all we think. But in closets all over America are rifles that have potential for fun, just like that one. Sure, many suffered from poor cleaning and worse cleaning practices, and poor bullet selection, but with good cleaning, bore scopes and better bullets, these old rifles can be brought back and into the field for pennies on teh dollar, and they often have potential that was never realized before better optics. I just love old walnut and steel

Thanks for sharing

parker

[flashhole]

Very nice. Now you need to put it to work on some vermin. If there is a vermin shortage, members of Congress will do. They have about the same value in society.

[Bill K]

Originally Posted by flashhole

Very nice. Now you need to put it to work on some vermin. If there is a vermin shortage, members of Congress will do. They have about the same value in society.

Oh no, Congress/Senate and 99% of the politicians, now days, are not even close to being in the vermin/critter class',of what we shoot' they are lower than even a snake's belly anymore, and even less trustworthy. Bill K

[flashhole]

Hey Harold, any chance of a pic?