Cook and Brother Carbine

[mb3]

I know this rifle is not approved by the NSSA but it caught my eye as a potentially good period shooter. Have any of you shot or owned one of these Cook and Brother Carbines made by Euro Arms? If so what were your opinions of the rifle? I am considering buying one to shoot and or hunt with.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

In 1981, I bought a Cook & Bros carbine (#633, AH) knowing it wasn’t N-SSA approved. But by that time in my skirmishing experience I had already purchased enough guns to learn that not quite everything in the replica market was worth buying (i.e. for accurate shooting). So, the very first time when I took the C&B carbine out to a range to zero it, I decided that if it wouldn’t group at 25 yards, I wouldn’t waste my time trying to do so at 50 or 100, so proceeded to test it at 25 yards first. As one of my teammates spotted for me, my first shot printed at 1 o’clock in the 9-ring, not quite touching the 10-ring. I was pleased, and so proceeded to repeat it again. As soon as I had fired my second shot, my spotter remarked how he saw the sand behind the target move but couldn’t see another hole in the paper. When the same thing occurred with my next shot, I nearly lost my temper and was ready to throw the carbine down-range, knowing perfectly well that I just could not have missed the whole target frame with two consecutive shots unless something really bad was wrong with the gun! Upon examining the target, I learned why. As I walked up to the target, I could see that the first hole was enlarged, and upon examining the hole more closely one could easily discern the first hole was flanked by two crescents where the two subsequent shots had nearly passed through the same hole at 25 yards, offhand. It shot just as good at 50 and 100, and while it wasn't N-SSA approved, it was CWSA approved and at that time I was a member of the CWSA.

[mb3]

It looks like a great rifle. I like the dove tail sights and the short length. In addition the faster twist rate looks like a good match for the larger Minnie balls. Great now I have to save more money. Thanks for the info.

[R. McAuley 3014V]

The bullet used with the C&B carbine was a Lyman 575602 (460 gr) round-nose wadcutter that had 1/8-inch milled off the top making it a 410-gr flat-faced wadcutter. It had been a modified mold that I acquired with a trade on my first musket, and the bullet's centroid was such that it occurred just below the apex of the inside cavity. A very interesting bullet design that some people still prefer but it was discontinued by Lyman in the early-to-mid 1980s. Load was with 35-gr FFg at 50 yards and 40-gr FFg at 100 yards. In 1988, I had to retire the first mould because it was literally falling apart. There were eight other shooters on our team all using the same bullet, and only the one mould to share between everyone.

[Yancey von Yeast, 8073]

I own Cook and Brother carbine number 0037 that purchased around the same time as Mr. McAuley purchased his. My experiences with mine are also very similar to Mr. McAuley's. Very accurate and a nice rifle. Were it approved, I would be shooting it.

[Joe Plakis, 9575V]

The Answer could be yes, but has anyone ever seen what it would take to make this an approved weapon. It might be worth bringing one in to the SAC at the Nationals to ask what it would take.

[threepdr]

The Euroarms Cook and Brother carbine is just thier Model 1861 Enfield Musketoon in disguise. They just remarked it and substituted brass barrel bands, and put a simple block rear site on it. The original differed in a few other areas especially the triggerguard. It is not approved because it does not adhere to the design of the original.

The Cook carbine can be approved on an individual basis if you convert it to the specifications of the original. It would take some stock work to slim it down and replacing the triggerguard with the long tang version. The trigger guard is just like those used on the P59 two band Enfield, except it is brass instead of iron.

I went through the same process with a Euroarms Cook and Brother Rifle and had it approved. I got the trigger guard from The Rifle Shoppe (special order). Some folks braze and extension on the stock trigger guard.

[Southron Sr.]

The Cook & Brother carbine was my idea. At the time I worked for Euroarms of America and "pitched" the concept to the Boss and he agreed with me.

I purchased an ORIGINAL Cook & Brother and offered to send it to the Euroarms factory to be copied-but I was turned down.

By the way, I now live only 60 odd miles from Athens, Georgia where the Cook & Brother factory was/is located. The factory building is still standing. The building has served as a mill and recently as a Johnson & Johnson band aid factory!

A local rumor has it that back in the 1920's when the mill was expanded, hundred of old twist iron barrels in storage in one of the buildings were used as re-bar rods when a new concrete floor was cast in the building.

Just across the creek from the factory building are the ruins of "Miss Effie's Establishment for Young Ladies." It was, in a way, the "Social Center" of Athens and many a University of Georgia Co-Ed "worked her way thru college" in Miss Effie's employment. Sadly the place was closed in the 70's. 'Twas the "End of an Era."