Salvo wrote on Nov 15
th, 2015 at 10:47am:
I'd like to see a quality small-frame falling-block rifle that sold for under $800.00 - In particular, I'd like to see one of the old Stevens designs brought back.
Something that would handle rim-fires, and center-fire rifle cartridges up to maybe 250 Savage or so, plus most pistol cartridges. - I would particularly like to see 5.7x28 as an available chambering.
More difficult to achieve than the above but still do-able would be something like the above, but with interchangeable barrels. To do this, the extractor mechanism would have to be part of the barrel, as it is with the T/C single-shots.
Does this sound like it may be possible?
The current Winchester low-walls currently marketed only for rim-fires are nice - but they are over-priced to the point of being ludicrous.
Single-shot aficionados need a break!
In Campbell's Volume II Single-Shot book, there's an interesting tidbit found on the beginning page (p239) of Chapter 9 about the manufacture of the single-shot rifle...
Edwin Pugsley of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company is quoted as having said "In manufacturing an arm, it is necessary to set up and run several thousand at one time. In the early days, when we had only a few models, we seldom considered setting up for less than a run of 10,000 guns."
Based on the above, once you've got all your ideas consolidated into a finalized design, and have also obtained firm commitments to purchase 9,999 other identical rifles along with the one rifle you want, you could approach a large manufacturer to discuss the possibility of a great big group-buy.