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I would like to introduce or reintroduce you to a very interesting mechanical design. It was produced in various calibers and even in the “Eureka” and “Mitraille” configurations, which fired two and three shots simultaneously, respectively. This action is that of the Manufrance Buffalo rifle. We will study it through various catalog excerpts and a cutaway educational model.
The Buffalo action
Assembling a firearm around a Buffalo action results in a highly elegant piece. When looking for modern firearms of identical caliber or similar type, one mostly encounters what are known as “garden guns” (carabines de jardin). However, the character and finish of these modern equivalents have absolutely nothing to do with the design, charm, and refinement of the Buffalo. Manuarm or Gaucher rifles are modern equivalents that are more economical but also cruder.
Centered around a solid steel receiver, the Buffalo action is composed of few parts, but they are well-dimensioned. It seems highly unlikely for a part to break. If it were to happen, I would lean more towards a broken spring, though not the firing pin spring, as it is massive. Although this mechanism appears simple, the shapes of its components are far from it and require numerous machining, fitting, and finishing steps. The shapes of the bolt assembly’s main component, for example, are no longer produced on modern firearms. Nowadays, manufacturers primarily seek geometric profiles that are easy to manufacture. In a way, this is an aberration since modern CNC machines can work wonders. It appears that our predecessors preferred elegance over maximum profitability. Perhaps also, a certain mechanical complexity was the norm and did not prevent them from being profitable… something to ponder.
The Buffalo rifle is a bolt-action firearm where locking occurs directly on the barrel. The barrel carries the locking lugs, and the breechblock/shutter carries their recesses—generally, it is the other way around. The locking lugs are massive; each measures 15 mm high, 5.8 mm wide, and 1.3 mm thick. Locking or opening is achieved by a quarter-turn turn, manipulating the cocking handle. This single part combines several functions, such as: locking/closure, cocking the firing pin, and a firing pin safety that prevents firing if the cocking handle is not in the lowered position.
The barrel is threaded into the receiver with a 28 x 100 thread. Two small set screws hold it in place on each side of the barrel. Various versions and profiles were manufactured. Because the locking lugs are located on the barrel, if one wished to remove the barrel, after removing the two small set screws on each side, it would have to be threaded inward so that it exits through the rear of the receiver.
Thanks to an inclined plane that forces the firing pin backward, the user cocks the firing pin when operating the bolt handle. The firing pin remains cocked against the sear when the bolt assembly is open. The sear is carried by the bolt assembly.
Upon closing the breech block or bolt assembly, the sear resets directly above the trigger blade. Once loading and closure are complete, pulling the trigger allows the shooter to fire.
The telescopic design of the bolt reduces the overall footprint of the mechanism while providing real access to the chamber, which is crucial since this is a manually loaded firearm. Few modern firearms allow such extensive access. With the bolt closed, the mechanism measures 148 mm in length (excluding the portion that inserts into the stock forend).
The parts are all flawlessly manufactured, with no machining marks visible on their surfaces. Only time and corrosion have weathered some of them.
The stock is screwed onto the receiver. The screw is accessible underneath the buttplate. If you replace this screw, pay close attention to its length, as it can interfere with the mechanism (specifically, it can come into contact with the trigger blade).
Disassembling the bolt assembly
User disassembly of the Buffalo rifle mechanism consists of separating the bolt assembly from the receiver, followed by the shutter and the firing pin.
- Unlock and open the bolt ;
- Push the trigger blade forward ;
- Pull the bolt assembly backward to separate it from the receiver ;
- Retrieve the extractor, which will slip out of its housing following the previous step ;
- Force (reasonably) the opening of the cocking handle past its stop ;
- Slide the breechblock/shutter out toward the front ;
- Press the sear to release the firing pin (do not stand directly in front of it) using a wooden block for support.
Disassembling the remaining fixed parts requires proper tools.
If you own one of this weapon, it would probably be a good thing to disassemble the set of trigger / disassembly lever as it is quite possible that these parts and their housing have not known cleaning for many years. To do this, you must move two pins over the trigger. For the same reason, continue with the disassembly of the trigger. Thoroughly clean the assembly (parts, springs and housings) then reassemble everything clean after a light greasing. If you do not feel able to do it, or if you are not able to do it properly (which in my eyes is the same), have it done by a professional. Do not consider that it is money lost, since it is a weapon that can only take value, it is an investment.
Special barrels
As mentioned in the introduction, the action was adapted into special versions: the Buffalo Mitraille and Buffalo Eureka.
Who would amuse themselves today by drilling two or three bores into a single steel bar? Probably not many people. The reason is that this process combines several major difficulties, namely :
- Drilling over a length of 45 to 60 cm without the drill bit straying from its path ;
- Rifling the barrel bore when it is not located in the center of the bar. It is more difficult to find a reference surface in this scenario ;
- The target results must be grouped at a reference distance and must not disperse excessively if one moves away from that reference distance.
It is easy to drill a single straight through-hole in a metal bar. If you want to achieve a concentric barrel, you simply turn the outside of the bar on a metal lathe to match the outside using the inside as a reference (turning between centers). However, here, it is far more complex. As if the Eureka rifle were not enough with its two bores in a single bar, Manufrance engineers designed the Buffalo Mitraille, which features 3 bores.
Since these two or three rounds fire simultaneously, it implies a specialized firing pin. Since you need to extract the three fired cases together, a two- or three-slot extractor is also required, making it a more complex component as well.
Conclusion
Manufrance holds a very special place in my heart for more than one reason. This place is reinforced when studying the mechanisms coming from this company in depth. Over time, one notices a distinct continuity: the streamlined nature of Manufrance firearm actions. Beneath an apparent simplicity lie terribly well-designed, robust mechanisms containing few parts and utilizing high-quality materials. One might think simplicity is easy, but it is not. Employing fewer parts means hiding components with multiple functions and complex shapes. We can include in this common thread: the Le Français pistol, the Buffalo rifle, the Simplex shotgun, the Robust shotgun, the Idéal shotgun…
These are now firearms from another era, when products from France and old Europe had to be exported to every corner of the globe (North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Indochine, South America, Oceania, Europe…) and withstand all kinds of harsh environments to be passed down from generation to generation.
I began this profession, after obtaining my degree, by working in a Parisian gunsmith shop. Just a stone’s throw from it, which still exists today, is a home for Malian workers. The latter, looking for the “marfa ciré” (spelling probably incorrect, translation: good gun), bought single-shot Baikal shotguns to send back to Mali. However, the shotgun that held genuine value in their eyes was the Simplex. This was around the years 1994–2000: long after Manufrance had closed its doors.
