Jim Chambers .58

[Bushfire]

I may have an opportunity to buy a Chambers .58, my issue is with covid and whatnot it will need to be sight unseen if I choose to buy it. At the moment I don't even know the model. .

I know no one with a .58 here in Australia, I was looking at balls and saw I can either get .570 or .575. I know every gun is different but is there generally a preference between the two in 58's and Chambers rifles in particular? Any information on them is appreciated.

It will be primarily a hunting rifle, I have a couple of hawken rifles in .50 and .54 and am hoping that this will be a good red deer gun out to 100 yards with practice if I am to buy it.

Again any information on Chambers rifles or 58s in general would be great.

The guy also has a .54, which would tempt me but already having one I'd prefer to go heavier.

[bob in the woods]

Anything by Chambers is top of the line in my opinion, however, the wild card is the person who put it together . I have a couple of  friends who could take a $ 1000. kit and build a rifle worth $ 500.  That, you'll have to judge on your own.  Lots of photos would help in that department

[Tommy Bruce]

I have had a Chambers Virginia rifle in .58 cal and it liked .570 roundball. 

[MuskratMike]

If it came from Jim Chambers you got a fine piece. i shot .58 caliber for several years. .570 balls worked best, should even take down one of your big water buffalos.

[Daryl]

Except in a tight .577, which had a .574" bore & used .562" balls, I have usually used .575" moulds for .58 calibre rifles. This included a Numrich U/H barrel as well as 2 Zouaves and a Bill
Large .58 cut rifled barrel.  I never measured the balls from my .575" mould, however they weighed 285gr., so were quite close to .575".
One .570" mould I bought and still have, casts .574" balls. I used that one in a .58 Kodiak rifle with .008" rifling. I have mostly used .021" to .0235" denim and ticking patches with these .574"
& .575" balls.
If the rifling is deeper than .012", you might need thicker patching yet.

[45-110]

My .58 Rice barrel Hawken hunting rifle shows good 100 yd. results with 120 gr 1 1/2f and .025" canvas duck patch with lyman .562 mold, that actually throws them at .564" diameter. It is a easy to load combination and patches don't blow apart.

[EC121]

Which model is the rifle?

[alacran]

My .58 Rice barrel Hawken hunting rifle shows good 100 yd. results with 120 gr 1 1/2f and .025" canvas duck patch with lyman .562 mold, that actually throws them at .564" diameter. It is a easy to load combination and patches don't blow apart.

I have a Rice .58 barrel in my Jaeger. It will shoot .570 balls fine with Jo Anns pocket drill.  However I prefer to use .562 balls with .023 duck patch. Accuracy about the same with both combos. I use a Shiloh 4 cavity .562 mold.

[Daryl]

So - there you have it, from .562" to .575" - all depends on the patch used.

[bob in the woods]

I'd need to see a bit more of those, but the one on the right looks a lot like a Chamber's Pennsylvania fowler / smooth rifle with the rifled barrel option .

[EC121]

It looks like the flint is hitting on the corner.  I would ask for a top view of the hammer to see if the hammer is twisted or the flint is crooked.

[Daryl]

The flint needs to be mounted square to the frizzen. It appears to be angled, to me.

[Jim Chambers]

The darker piece was made from one of our PA Fowler kits.  The lighter one is from our Lancaster kit.
Hope this helps.

[Jeff Murray]

With 54 caliber being the minimum for elk is some states, you would be good with any of the three.  The fowler style but plate is sweet to shoot, even with heavy hunting loads and that one looks much like my go to hunting rifle.  Style is very much a personal preference.

[Herb]

Bushfire, the lighter colored Lancaster seems to have an inch longer trigger reach.  Consider that carefully, the shorter length of pull on the darker PA Fowler should be better for fast gun mounting in the brush.  Here is a  .58 Mark Silver rifle I built in 2008.  This load was .562 cast balls with 80 grains of Goex 2F and .021 blue/white awning at 50 yards.