Converted my Rossi 1892 to a Take Down...Nice!

[rbertalotto]

Well, I bought this rifle off a fellow on one of these forums. Picked it up Monday night in Maine. The sole purpose was to convert it to a Take Down. I love riding motorcycles long distances and this fall I'll be riding to Mo and possibly Montana to do a bit of Whitetail hunting. This rifle will fit nicely in my painers.
Years ago I read an article in the NRA Gunsmith Digest on doing this to a Model 94. So with gun in hand, I had at it today.

Here's what I started with:


First order of business was to remove the barrel. This was very easy. They are not on very tight. Once the barrel was removed you need to remove the "ears" on the front of the receiver:


I used the milling machine to remove most of the material:


And then a fine file cleaned it up:


Here's what the front of the receiver looked like:


Next I had to layout the plate that will hold the barrel and forend. And bore the holes in the milling machine:


The finished piece ended up looking like this. I used 7075 Aluminum as I wanted to keep the weight down and this piece does nothing but stop the barrel from turning.


The barrel needed to visit Mr Lathe and have a shoulder cut the thickness of the attachment plate:


A very tight fit was the goal. The attachment plate was heated with a heat gun and using the action and a large washer, the attachment plate was press fit onto the barrel shank:

[rbertalotto]

The barrel was then indicated in and the face of the attachment plate was turned true and perfect headspace was achived:


A new "plug" was turned for the end of the magazine. This plug will have a spring loaded button to keep the magazine in place which stops the barrel from unthreading:


Finished assembly with the magazine tube retracted:


And extended:


And the retaining button on the other end:


And the button depressed and the tube retracted:


Nine turns and we are on:



And the finished project:



This project was a lot of fun and very quick. 6 Hours from beginning to end!

The only thing I have left to do is figure out a way to retain the follower in the magazine tube as it needs to be retracted in some fashion so the barrel can be unscrewed. I'm open to suggestions.

Hope you enjoyed this little article.............

[crabo]

Great article and I enjoyed looking at your website.

[smoked turkey]

Very Nice. Your talent is showing!

[Artful]

So having never taken mine down this far the magazine follower projects into the receiver? or are we just talking about not having the follower exit the tube upon pulling the tube back?

http://www.thearmsroom.com/id3.html


two methods of keeping the plug from ejecting are a simple cable attached to plug inside the tube and the other end attached to your magazine cap. (Stainless steel fishing leader?)
the other would be a plug large enough it can't pass a dimple or three in the tube end that goes into the receiver (but not dimpled enough to imped cartridge movement.

[no34570]

Wow
I like it that,wish I could do that to mine,have not got the tools or the know how,bugger!
Good work though

[rbertalotto]

Artful,

How is the orange follower retracted into the magazine so you can turn the barrel?

If I use a "dimple" to stop it short of sticking out of the magazine tube, it won't feed the last round and this will cause a whole bunch of other issues.

It appears the "Arms Room" conversion requires you to pull the magazine tube back quite a distance. On my conversion I milled a recess on the magazine tube so it can only be pulled out the length of the tube that enters the action. This could easily be increased so the tube could retract more. But I'll still need a method of retaining the follower within the tube. Anything that impedes the follower might cause an issue with feeding cartridges.

We'll see!

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Excellent rightup ! Great photos !
Mike in Peru

[rbertalotto]

Thanks!

Web Link Here:

http://rvbprecision.com/shooting/ros...onversion.html

[Calamity Jake]

"The only thing I have left to do is figure out a way to retain the follower in the magazine tube as it needs to be retracted in some fashion so the barrel can be unscrewed. I'm open to suggestions"

Install ball plungers(a set screw with a spring loaded ball in one end and a screw driver slot in the other or allen socket) in the plate you made, one on eather side of the mag tube, you'll
have to cut slots in the mag tube so it can be retracted for take down.
The ball plungers should hold the follower in place when the tube is retracted as there is little
spring pressure.

You can get them from McMaster Carr, I've used them as small as 5-40 thread size on up to
1/2-13 and have seen them larger. They come in different lengthes.

I would think a #6 or #8 thread size would have enough spring pressure to hold the follower in place for take down, a little small screw thread locker from Loctite will keep them place during the ride to/from your shooting/hunting field.

[HollowPoint]

This is an awesome conversion.

I thought about shortening my M92 but, my method would have involved a folding stock of sorts.

I would much prefer what you've done here.

Here in my neck of the woods I've found an excellent Grey Fox hunting area but, in order to get there I have to walk through an area that generally has alot of picnicers and inner-city fishermen
lurking.

It would be nice to be able to take my M92 apart and stow it in my back pack till I get past the easily offended or gun-shy folks that also frequent this general vicinity.

Incidentally; I think I may have a solution for your "magazine-follower problem." The solution is similar with what you came up with on the Front-Plug of your magazine.

I'd have to do some CAD drawing to explain it so it makes sense but, basically it would entail the milling of a key-way on the underside and forward edge of your magazine tube. (about a half inch back from the front edge)

You would also have to make yourself a new magazine follower that accommodated a lightly-sprung appendage that would flip down through the "Key-Way" slot.

You could pull the follower back via that "appendage."

Because the spring used to cause it to flip down through the Key-Way is a light spring, when loading your magazine with bullets you would push that "Appendage" up into the magazine to allow for a full load of bullets.

When your last one or two bullets were exhausted the Follower will have moved far enough forward to allow that little Follower-Appendage to flip down into the Key-Way where you could manipulate it to either reload or unscrew your barrel.

Attempting to describe this idea with the written word makes it sound alot more complicated that it really is.

HollowPoint

[crabo]

Could it be done as simply as drilling a hole and pushing a pin in to hold the follower, or shells, from poping out?

That wouldn't work if you wanted something attached to the gun.

[rbertalotto]

Well, I resolved the magazine plug issue!

Using a very dull pipe cutter I turned a canular on the magazine tube. This created a little bump on the inside of the tube which will stop the magazine follower from popping out of the magazine tube.





Then I turned a new plug which is longer than the original:



To take down the rifle the magazine tube now extends further forward so the plug will clear the receiver:



Here is the barrel with the magazine tube in the "locked" position:



It feeds like the democrats at a budget meeting!

[Canuck Bob]

That is impressive!

[LuvMy1911]

Very Nice! Thanks for sharing!

[zuke]

Now I'm getting idea's for my 1895 Marlin

[lbaize3]

Wow, excellent report and I admire your work!

[OBXPilgrim]

A Takedown Carbine by Pete Dickey

It was in the NRA Gunsmithing Guide (1982) - at least that's the date on the one I have.

His conversion was on a Model 94 30-30. And, he didn't address the follower, but it does look like he withdraws the mag tube farther.

You've done a very nice job!

[rbertalotto]

That is the article I got the inspiration from. I read it way back in 82 and been thinking about doing one ever since.

The article is spotty at best. More of an "idea" than a "how to"

[crabo]

Great job on the follower.