Carl Gustav Rolling Block rifle in 8x58RD

[Paul Tummers]

I can possibly obtain a Carl Gustav Rolling Block rifle in cal. 8x58RD.
There are however some questions I would like an answer for before I want to have this rifle, reason is that our law only permits to have this kind of rifle free of registration when there is proof that the rifle at the year of conversion was shot with BP cartridges.
Here some numbers;
On the system there is the year 1872.
At the right side of the barrel is the conversion date 1895.
There is nowhere a Nitro stamp on either barrel or system, also no "N"stamp on the locking block.
When did the Swedish army change officially from black powder to Nitro powder for these cartidges?
Were can I find literature to learn more about this rifle?

[Øyvind F.]

Swedish author and gun historian Josef Alm wrote the following in his Eldhandvapen II published in 1934 (my translation from Swedish):

"Like the trial cartridges, the M/1889 cartridges were loaded with 4.7 grams of compressed black powder and a 15.5 gram 30.7mm long copper jacketed bullet. The muzzle velocity was 535 mps. Later the black powder was replaced with smokeless power. The smokeless rifle powder M/1892 was called "apyrite", but was commonly known as "grey powder" due to its colour and had triangular granules."

I don't know whether the smokeless powder was adopted in 1892 or earlier, but it was at least prior to 1895.

[Paul Tummers]

I made a mistake, conversion date is not 1895 but 1894.
Is there no proof about when officially the black powder was not in use anymore?
The rifle in question has a barrel length of 73 cm which looks somewhat long to me for a Nitro rifle.

[Paul Tummers]

I contacted the police and also the association of arms collectors over here; This rifle is by our laws regarded as a Nitro rifle; only the coversion years 1890 and 1891 are regarded as BP rifles so it must be registrated on a FA-licence.
My hunting permit that allows for registration of 6 rifles does not have any room left for another rigistration, so no deal for me, bad luck they call this I believe.

[condor]

I can possibly obtain a Carl Gustav Rolling Block rifle in cal. 8x58RD.
There are however some questions I would like an answer for before I want to have this rifle, reason is that our law only permits to have this kind of rifle free of registration when there is proof that the rifle at the year of conversion was shot with BP cartridges.
Here some numbers;
On the system there is the year 1872.
At the right side of the barrel is the conversion date 1895.
There is nowhere a Nitro stamp on either barrel or system, also no "N"stamp on the locking block.
When did the Swedish army change officially from black powder to Nitro powder for these cartidges?
Were can I find literature to learn more about this rifle?

I am in the U.S. Fortunately we are seeing a few of these wonderful rifles here. You can get loading dies for 8X58 RD from CH Die Co., Oroville, California, for $116 USD. You can use the Full-length sizing die in the set to form 8X58 cases from 45-70 cases (4mm short), or better, from 45-90 cases. Get Jamison 45-90 cases. You will have to trim 2mm off the case when done. Be sure to anneal after forming. In service, these rifles were always nitro, never BP. I don't live there, but I don't see why the authorities are worried about these rifles- they were widely sold to Swedish citizens as hunting rifles by the government for years, up until the 1940s- or 50s. You're in the Netherlands, so it's different I guess. You can PM me for forming techniques and details if you need them.

[BoredCop]

It's not that they're worried about them in particular,it's simply that there has to be a legal cutoff date for when something is considered legally antique and exempt from most gun laws. In America I believe this is 1898 or something, in Europe it's 1890 and must be made for black powder only. Doesn't matter if it's a single shot rifle or a pocket revolver or whatever, the law sets the same cutoff for when guns become subject to stricter regulations. And since these rifles are legally modern, they're subject to the same rules as a new production hunting rifle.