Hello Guys

I’ve been lurking for a fortnight or so after finding this wonderful resource of knowledge and expertise.

I want a “classic” single shot so bad I can taste it but everything I have seen to date has been priced well beyond my means, and/or very difficult to “repatriate” to NZ.  I saw references to Rodney Storie’s action castings in my De Haas books and searching here I have come up with quite a bit of information on the types available and where to get them, and figure that maybe I could build it myself.

Years ago I built one of the Frank De Haas “Chicopee RF” actions, and while it was not fancy, it functioned satisfactorily.  I have done a bit of blacksmithing and can handle a file but don’t have milling or turning equipment.  However I do have access to this sort of expertise through family, one of who is a fitter/welder and another who makes model steam engines etc.  Failing this I live in a very engineering orientated city, and we have quite a number of precision engineering shops.  A good friend who lives in another city is a Gunsmith, and would fit and chamber a barrel

I was wondering if someone would be kind enough to give me some more details on the work required to finish a set of castings.

Secondly I’d be interested in opinions as to which action might be best to tackle with the gear and experience I have available??  I like the Farrow actions, and also the Highwall.  I have a feeling that the tipping block type may be slightly more forgiving than the straight mortise actions when it comes to hand finishing – what do you think??  I have had a look at the Action Arms site, and feel that the Westley-Richards is more complex than I’d like to tackle.

I want to chamber in a rimmed 7mm cartridge, something like a 7x57R, 7x30Waters or similar, it’s pretty dependant on what reamer we can locate over here.

Cheers – Foster

Southland
New Zealand

Foster:

Mr. Storie's castings are good products but they are simply castings. You will need tool machines to finish one. 

However, if you would be happy with a Remington Hepburn action there is another source.  Doc Carlson in Oklahoma (I think) makes a Hepburn action casting kit with some of the critical machining done. The hole for the barrel is threaded and most of the holes in the action are drilled.

The action can be finished with hand tools and a little skill and a Lot of Patience. Some of the work would best be done by machine, but it could be done by hand. The kit comes with instructions that are pretty good. All in all it is pretty well thought out, having two sets of screws and all the springs and such.

I can find the address of Mr Carlson if you wish. I have no connection with him, the above is just my honest impression of a kit I built an action from a year or two ago

Glenn

Karl- I wopuld greatly appreciate a copy of the Storie .zip file!

Willis Gregory

<singleshot@comporium.net>

I've uploaded the (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) I have from Frontier Armory for others to view. Please be aware the information is a few months old.

I'll add my thanks to that also .

Cheers - Foster

Hmmm - having seen the photos of the Storie ( and Action Arms) castings, I can see that they are indeed a lot of work, and that some real tools are required.

I have been thinking (always a dangerous thing) and maybe there is another way.  What say several like minded people got together and designed an action specifically for home finishing ?? 

Here's my thoughts:

If we can agree a design to work to (very easy to say but would be a mission in itself) then we commission CAD drawings that can be read for CNC and EDM cutting to get the most basic parts made in our local machine shops - sort of a shared file.

I envisage ending up with fully precision machined MAJOR parts eg reciever, breechblock, and maybe lever.  Each person would supply their own links springs, pins etc, but the design would be optimised so that these were as "off the shelf" as possible.  For example the Hagn action has only one screw I think.  Further if we used as many off the shelf parts like trigger etc this would also simplify the project.

Does anyone think this has merit.  I think it would be a better use of $300 than buying Storie castings in my own case (no disrespect to Mr Storie).  If there is interest we should probably start a new thread.

Cheers - Foster

Singleshot, this is a most interesting revelation, who owns the drawings ?  What level Autocad are they in ?  If you own the rights what sort of $ might it take to purchase an electronic copy with "rights" to build an action from it ??

What do you think might be the cost to do the electronic plans of a "new" action from dimensioned drawings, either in $, hours or both?  Would you be prepared to undertake such a project?  Feel free to private message me to discuss "details"

Cheers - Foster

hst: I looked over the description of Carlson's Hepburn kit. He asks the action be used only for blackpowder. Do you think this a limitation of the casting's quality, the Hepburn's dimensions, or just being conservative?

By quality of the casting, I don't wish to question his integrity or the like. I know Ruger casts No. 1 actions of great strength, but I'm not a metallurgist, and I don't know what is required to make such a sound casting in limited numbers. Is a special heat treatment required to turn a basic casting into a high strength job? Perhaps special casting techniques or alloys, not suitable for limited production, is used by Ruger.

Perhaps the Hepburn just doesn't have enough metal where it's needed to contain more modern cartridges. I understand the rebounding hammer of the Hepburn places some limitation on peak pressure, so maybe that is why Carlson set his limits.

A Hepburn in .30-40 would make for a nice rifle...

Singleshotman ---   I own a Farrow, Hepburn,  D.S. Cole and a Redfield that I got from Rodney. Looks as if I benefited from your services.   Ken

Ken, that Ballard you describe has me salivating (although I do prefer straight stocks).  I'll watch for word of progress on this one.

This thread raises all sorts of questions in my mind.

Singelshotman - back when tools int. was functioning there was also a set of castings for the remington rolling block  pistol. Do you know if there were drawings for it? IF so, where can I get a set?

Re the Hepburn kit are the castings that are machined made from the storie moulds or are they a seperate set of moulds?

Re the limit on the upper missouri kit to black powder, is it possible that limit is caused by the 8620 not being heat treated?  I'd assumed real hepburns were very strong. I know heat treated 8620 is very strong. I assume the kit is not heat treated so the buyer can work on it. If it were hardened it'd be real bear.

Agreed, one must look into the appropriate laws. For what it's worth, I believe I read that so long as you never sell or otherwise transfer ownership of a homemade rifle, it's ok. DO CHECK FIRST, though.

Gentlemen,

I thank you for this discussion. I live here in New Zealand and original singler shot rifles are very rare, apart from the Rolling Blocks.

I have been toying with the idea of purchasing a casting and building a repro of a Ballard. 

I only found this site 2 days ago andf have been streadily trolling through it trying to catch up on all the information.

Please bear with me if I am not a prolific poster of questions/ answers but until I am sure of my ground I will lurk for a while.

In NZ it is leagal to make any firearm yourself as long as you have the appropriate licence. At a show recently, on display was a reproduction of a Gatling Gun in 7.62 x 39. This firearm was leagally produced as it is considered a multi barrelled single shot rifle and as such coimes under a normal rifle licence. All that is asked is that a serial number is place on the firearm. It is then legal.

Dai.

The drawings from Frontier Armory were an additional 20.00 with the kit.