Rossi Rifleman

Greetings
My model does have a conventional firing pin that is angled. On Wikipidia there is a sort of look at the falling breach block.
When I bought mine I was mainly looking for another 45-70 and knew little about the rifles. After I had it for some time and studying the simple breach and mechanism I was very pleased to own it and still am. Each time north I enjoy "retrieving it" from the show case and taking it to the range several times.
Mike in Peru

The firing pin on the Peabody rimfire is straight, meaning it is like the shape of the letter 'I'. The nose of the hammer hits the exposed end of the firing pin, forcing it down in a channel on the side of the block, as the other end strikes the rim of a rimfire cartrdige.

The firing pin on a centerfire Peabody is (basically) in the shape of the letter 'L'. The horizontal short leg of the firing pin shaft contains/holds a pointed firing pin. The nose of the hammer hits the exposed end of the firing pin, forcing it down in a channel on the side of the block, as the horizontal leg carries the actual firing pin into the primer of the centerfire cartridge. Hope that's clear?

Factory Peabody centerfire rifles have basically the same type of firing pin design.

When converting from rimfire to centerfire, the rimfire hammer needs to be slightly extended from the side of the action in order to clear the metal of the action for proper clearance. Either replace the rimfire hammer with a centerfire hammer (good luck in finding an original one!!) BUT you can order one from http://www.providencetoolcompanyllc.com/, take a gander at their web site, good info on Peabody rifles.

Here is a picture of the converted rimfire to centerfire firing pin on the Peabody carbine in .50-70. I've seen 3 different ways rimfire conversions have been made into centerfire firing pins.

The simplest way is to remove the rimfire block and replace it with a centerfire block - NOT easy to find spare Peabody centerfire blocks!

Not to drag this out too much, but...
Should you come up with a .50 caliber rimfire carbine or rifle there are a few options to consider, in order to get the gun shooting again.
1. convert the firing pin from rimfire to centerfire
2. replace the rimfire block with a centerfire block - takes about 7.4 minutes of your time!!
3. get ahold of http://www.providencetoolcompanyllc.com/ about a converion block to centerfire ($$)

Once a Peabody .50 rimfire block setup is made to centerfire, then what?
1. The chamber may be lengthened to use the .50-70 case. This will alter original/collectible configuration.
2. Purchase Starline .56-50 brass to use for your brass, this way not altering the original chamber.
Note: .56-50 brass is shorter than .50 rimfire Peabody brass. .50-70 brass is longer than the .50 rimfire case.
In the later part of the 1800's Canada used .50 rimfire Peabody carbines/rifles. They also had .56-50 Spencer carbines and .577 Snider chambered guns in their inventory. They did not use .50 rimfire Peabody ammunition, instead they used .56-50 Spencer ammunition in their .50 rimfire Peabody's. So you see, using Starline .56-50 brass will work fine. Kinda like using .38 Spcl brass in a .357 Mag chamber.

If you like the idea of a Peabody and find a good buy on a rimfire chambered carbine/rifle, not many poeple want the rimfire model Peabody (except for pristine collectables) since they can't shoot them(!!), but you know how to get one shooting again and with a little time and work you can return it to firing condition and take it afield once again...

Hope didn't get too windy here!!
regards to all

I love those pictures and the write up
Thank you

coyotebc: thank you
Regarding the Peabody rifle, there's a lot of history with them in Canada in the last of the 1800's.
In the late 1870's the .577 Snider, Spencer .56-50 carbine and Peabody .50 rimfire rifles were standard issue. Canada did not buy .50 rimfire Peabody ammunition. Instead, since the .56-50 Spencer cartridge, even though it was a bit shorter in case length, would chamber and fire in the .50 rimfire Peabody chamber that is what was used for both firearms. This reduced potential problems with logistics in supplying ammunition. The Spencer, Snider and Peabody were used or held in reserve until at least the late 1990's.
If you go to gunbroker and type in the search: Defending the Dominion a book about the rifles used, and history from that time period in Canada, will come up. Book is $25, but elsewhere on the internet it sells for $50-60 and higher. An interesting read, quite informative. I bought my copy there! have fun