I feel good - I rescued a Knight MK-85 SS/Black
11-11-2010, 05:35 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
I feel good - I rescued a Knight MK-85 SS/Black
and it arrived today from its' trip across the country...
Bought this from a fellow forum memember and it is all that he said it was in selling info.
Why an old MK-85,
1. well I did not have one
2. it is a perfect inline ML for Idaho ML regulations, actually for Oregon and Washington also.
3. it has a great history - the model does...
4. i kinda needed it - now I can hunt with this neat little inline instead of Renegade/SS GM-LRH
5.
I will think of another reason later...
I handled the stock and really like it. It is shorter, lighter, and not as bulky as the current Extreme/Elite stocks. It is going to be an excellent pack rifle. Probably will get a Winter Camo pattern put on the stock but that will not happen until after winter this year.
I do not know why I thought it was going to be a .504 bore, but I did. The first thing I did was to grab a .503 Bull Shop in insert it in the bore. I started it through the crown and it felt great. I did not push it all the way down because I had not removed the BP yet. I thought it was going to be perfect, but it would not be a .504.
Checked the bore and ran a couple of CR-10 patches through. The bore looked great and the patches brought nothing back out with them. Pulled the plunger, checked it out - reall can not even tell it has been used no sear line on it at all. Next out came the BP and #11 Nipple - both of them looked really good.
Put the plunger back in and decided to get some pictures. I am not a good photographer at all but I think you guys will get the idea of what this little jewel looks like.
The next thing I decided to do was to check the size of the bore further. That lead to some discoveries.
I put the .503 Bull Shop in the barrel - it slip fit through the crown as it was suppose to. It felt like it made great contact, just like my GM-LRH barrel. Then I put the ram rod on it and started to push it down as soon as I did that the bullet fell all the way through the bore and into the breech area. No biggie - I got a .504 out and repeated the process - this time it took ram weight to push the bullet down - not pressure just the ram rod and it to fell out in the breech. I do not have any .5045's to try but I am thinking that might have to be the bullet. I am trying to get through to Bull Shop Dan right now to see if he has any .5045 sized up.
Finally the last option I had were some Lehigh 50 cal sabotless bullets. I got one out and try to insert the skirt into the crown. It really seemed tight just to get the skirt so I thought now way am I going to get bay the barbs. I tried one kinda hard whack on the top of the short starter - did not seem to promising. So I thought one more try only this time I put a healthy wack on it. It went down to the nose of the bullet. Pushed it down with the short starter as far as the starter would reach - then the ram rod. Once started it fit perfectly...
If you look closely you can see the land engravings on the brass...
I think these are going to shoot just fine - I just have to man up on that short starter whack!
If I were to shoot sabots it would definitely need to be the HPH-12 or the MMP Short black. The Orange .458 MMP might be to loose once started - but all of that is for a later day.
All-in-all - do not think I did to bad for an Idaho legal inline ML...
Bought this from a fellow forum memember and it is all that he said it was in selling info.
Why an old MK-85,
1. well I did not have one
2. it is a perfect inline ML for Idaho ML regulations, actually for Oregon and Washington also.
3. it has a great history - the model does...
4. i kinda needed it - now I can hunt with this neat little inline instead of Renegade/SS GM-LRH
5.
I will think of another reason later...
I handled the stock and really like it. It is shorter, lighter, and not as bulky as the current Extreme/Elite stocks. It is going to be an excellent pack rifle. Probably will get a Winter Camo pattern put on the stock but that will not happen until after winter this year.
I do not know why I thought it was going to be a .504 bore, but I did. The first thing I did was to grab a .503 Bull Shop in insert it in the bore. I started it through the crown and it felt great. I did not push it all the way down because I had not removed the BP yet. I thought it was going to be perfect, but it would not be a .504.
Checked the bore and ran a couple of CR-10 patches through. The bore looked great and the patches brought nothing back out with them. Pulled the plunger, checked it out - reall can not even tell it has been used no sear line on it at all. Next out came the BP and #11 Nipple - both of them looked really good.
Put the plunger back in and decided to get some pictures. I am not a good photographer at all but I think you guys will get the idea of what this little jewel looks like.
The next thing I decided to do was to check the size of the bore further. That lead to some discoveries.
I put the .503 Bull Shop in the barrel - it slip fit through the crown as it was suppose to. It felt like it made great contact, just like my GM-LRH barrel. Then I put the ram rod on it and started to push it down as soon as I did that the bullet fell all the way through the bore and into the breech area. No biggie - I got a .504 out and repeated the process - this time it took ram weight to push the bullet down - not pressure just the ram rod and it to fell out in the breech. I do not have any .5045's to try but I am thinking that might have to be the bullet. I am trying to get through to Bull Shop Dan right now to see if he has any .5045 sized up.
Finally the last option I had were some Lehigh 50 cal sabotless bullets. I got one out and try to insert the skirt into the crown. It really seemed tight just to get the skirt so I thought now way am I going to get bay the barbs. I tried one kinda hard whack on the top of the short starter - did not seem to promising. So I thought one more try only this time I put a healthy wack on it. It went down to the nose of the bullet. Pushed it down with the short starter as far as the starter would reach - then the ram rod. Once started it fit perfectly...
If you look closely you can see the land engravings on the brass...
I think these are going to shoot just fine - I just have to man up on that short starter whack!
If I were to shoot sabots it would definitely need to be the HPH-12 or the MMP Short black. The Orange .458 MMP might be to loose once started - but all of that is for a later day.
All-in-all - do not think I did to bad for an Idaho legal inline ML...
11-11-2010, 07:08 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Rivesville, WV
Posts: 3,192
One of the finest MZ's ever made. No doubt the best trigger on any MZ ever made. And those rifles will shoot anything you put in them. And accurately. I have two SS laminates in 50, and a blued walnut in 45 caliber. I also have a 50 caliber walnut that was given to me by Tony Knight for winning a sales contest. I think the year was 1988?? But it could have been 89.
I like the feel of wood. They take about three minutes more to clean than an Encore. But they will outshoot any Encore I have ever dealt with.
I shoot a 525 grain conical out of mine. And it just knocks the snot out of elk. They never know what hit them. With a cold clean bore mine cuts the line about 2" high almost every shot.
Watch the web of your thumb with heavy loads(and I mean heavy). Mine cuts the web of my thumb with the very heavy loads. It is the knurling on the knob. And I hate to mention how heavy of a load I shoot out of mine.
The one thing the basic rifle needs is the musket cap upgrade. Especially for heavy loads.
If you decide you want a musket cap upgrade. Let me know. I think I have an extra one laying around here somewhere that I could give you a good deal on if you decide you need one.
I even have a couple of extra triggers laying around for the Knight's. Cayugad told me which one was the right one before. But I forget which one he said.
The biggest problem with the MK-85 is that a little residue can get down into the trigger. And that is not good. Every once in a while it is good to take some brake cleaner or electrical box cleaner and spray the trigger down real well, then blow it out very well with an air hose. I have seen the triggers so gummed up by people who did not clean them, and they were rendered inoperable with that gunk. Keep the trigger clean. Tom.
I like the feel of wood. They take about three minutes more to clean than an Encore. But they will outshoot any Encore I have ever dealt with.
I shoot a 525 grain conical out of mine. And it just knocks the snot out of elk. They never know what hit them. With a cold clean bore mine cuts the line about 2" high almost every shot.
Watch the web of your thumb with heavy loads(and I mean heavy). Mine cuts the web of my thumb with the very heavy loads. It is the knurling on the knob. And I hate to mention how heavy of a load I shoot out of mine.
The one thing the basic rifle needs is the musket cap upgrade. Especially for heavy loads.
If you decide you want a musket cap upgrade. Let me know. I think I have an extra one laying around here somewhere that I could give you a good deal on if you decide you need one.
I even have a couple of extra triggers laying around for the Knight's. Cayugad told me which one was the right one before. But I forget which one he said.
The biggest problem with the MK-85 is that a little residue can get down into the trigger. And that is not good. Every once in a while it is good to take some brake cleaner or electrical box cleaner and spray the trigger down real well, then blow it out very well with an air hose. I have seen the triggers so gummed up by people who did not clean them, and they were rendered inoperable with that gunk. Keep the trigger clean. Tom.
Last edited by HEAD0001; 11-11-2010 at 07:19 PM.
11-11-2010, 07:11 PM
#5
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Sabotloader makes me feel so guilt free about my collection. He's been getting a lot and I mean a lot of new rifles, while I have been behaving myself.
That is a beautiful rifle. I just checked my supply of Bull Shop conicals. I have no .5045 left only .504 and .503 other wise I would have sent you a box.
That is a beautiful rifle. I just checked my supply of Bull Shop conicals. I have no .5045 left only .504 and .503 other wise I would have sent you a box.
11-12-2010, 03:43 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,445
If you want to avoid the hard starting deal, pre-size some of those Lehighs by running them nose-first, down the bore and out the breech onto a soft pad. You should then be able to load them easily. I do this with FPBs and it does not affect accuracy at all.
11-12-2010, 04:30 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location:
Posts: 818
I just love reading a great review and this is one. Sabot, we may not always agree on everything, but you know your Knights. To me there is not a better ML than a Knight. I messed up and sold my favorite Knight and bought another brand, but I'm now looking for another Knight to get it back in my collection. At any rate, great review of the new gun and have fun with it.
11-12-2010, 04:42 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: jackson new jersey
Posts: 301
My MK-85 is the most accurate shooting gun I own. You won't be disappointed.
Head0001, somewhere along the line Knight must have changed triggers, mine came with a Timney with two adjustment sets. That trigger looks like the one on my Disc.
Good luck with that gun!
Head0001, somewhere along the line Knight must have changed triggers, mine came with a Timney with two adjustment sets. That trigger looks like the one on my Disc.
Good luck with that gun!
11-12-2010, 07:42 AM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
TNGal
Yep! me too but in Idaho during ML season you have to use a cap ignited, no scope, full bore, open ignition - so this will work out perfect... other than that I am hunting with a scoped, 209, Knight shooting sabots and Lehigh's. Do not use the Triumph much yet.
Yep! me too but in Idaho during ML season you have to use a cap ignited, no scope, full bore, open ignition - so this will work out perfect... other than that I am hunting with a scoped, 209, Knight shooting sabots and Lehigh's. Do not use the Triumph much yet.