Building a Single Shot Receiver

[uscra112]

It's going to roil the waters further, but I did do it for 2-3 years back in the '60s. Little aluminum parts for a prototype spectrometer. Stuff that would fit in a small matchbox. It was a shoestring operation, and that's what we had, so I did it. 1/8" diameter mills, depth of cut maybe 1/16". It got the job done. I also cut rectangular aluminum plates out on a Shopsmith, using a 6" diameter carbide-tipped slitting saw. OSHA would have a fit today, I'm sure.

When I moved to MI in 1994 I had to sell my US Burke, but soon bought one of those "post" type mill-drill machines. I think it cost about $700 at the time, from Production Tool, just outside Detroit. R8 spindle, so at least what tooling I kept still worked. Still have it. It does well enough that I don't feel too handicapped. It grew a DRO on the X-axis. My only real problem is the short X axis. It's only about 12", and I sure could use twice that for some jobs.

[lkydvl]

With all the talk here about building a receiver I thought I would post what I have available in case someone would be interested in them.

These are Clerke 1885 Highwall copies made by Bo Clerke decades ago. These are the receiver castings. Some have someminor work done to them but none are complete.

They all take 1885 parts internally. Below is a link to what I have available. I have far too many projects to ever get to these and would like to see them completed by someone.






If there is interest I will dig them out and get some pricing details figured up.

Thanks,

Andre`

[M-Tecs]

Depending on price I am interested.

[KLR]

Depending on price I am interested.

Me too.

[nekshot]

yup, I am interested also!

[bearcove]

me too. I already have too many projects Whats another gonna hurt

[oldred]

I see the receiver casting (the major part of course) and levers is there anything else? If not I have copies of the factory drawings of the internal parts if any of you guys need them. As I have mentioned before I have a buddy who bought the drawings and started a project that's now on "long term" hold but I had the drawings here for a while and scanned most of the internal parts pages. That receiver appears to be significantly different in outward appearance vs the High Wall but since it takes High Wall internals that shouldn't matter.


These things make a darn good looking rifle,

http://doantrevor.com/2013/10/23/sin...-clerke-rifle/

[EDIT]Apparently these receivers do not take stock 1885 parts if they are the same as the rifle in that link, just looking at those pics in the link it's obvious that although it is almost identical in operation to an 1885 the parts are not the same, the lever, trigger group, breech block and the extractor appear quite different (at least the bottom of the extractor is very different) to stock 1885 parts and if that rifle in the link is the same as these castings I guess those drawings I have would not help much. Still these casting are an EXCELLENT starting point and I'm sure parts can be made that would work.

[lkydvl]

Sorry for the delay in responding..

Did some pricing research on Ebay, GB and other forums' classifieds, etc.


Based on those selling prices I'm asking $200 for a receiver and lever. I don't have any other parts except the lone breechblock. Not sure if I'll sell that until the last receiver or as part of a sale of the whole lot. I'm not married to these, just priced them based on what I found similar going for.

I'm open to trades on them as well. Doesn't have to be single shot stuff. Am always interested in reloading dies, especially odd ball, wildcats, old calibers. Dan Wesson revolvers, are always good ! I need a 375 barrel blank for a couple projects, Tasco Pro Class pistol scopes above 2X, or just shoot me a PM with what you have. I might say yes!

Andre`

[oldred]

Are these for the same rifle as in this link?

http://doantrevor.com/2013/10/23/sin...-clerke-rifle/

If so, and it sure looks like it to me, the internals are not the same as the 1885. It's obviously the same basic design but nothing shown in those pictures are the same as the 1885, the lever is very different (not just the "lever" portion but all of it including how it interacts with the trigger group), the breech block is waaaaay wider and there is no cut-out on the left side for the extractor so obviously it works differently than the 1885 and the entire lower tang is quite different also. Do you have any prints for these receivers? Without prints or a finished receiver to reverse engineer these internals will be very difficult to produce.


:EDIT: Ok I see the breech block casting in the pic now, I missed it before, and sure enough it is radically different than an 1885 breech block so apparently these castings are indeed the same as the rifle in the link. Unless drawings are available or finished parts can be found to copy anyone building one of these rifles will have to design parts to fit, for sure 1885 Winchester parts can not be used.

[uscra112]

Are these for the same rifle as in this link?

http://doantrevor.com/2013/10/23/sin...-clerke-rifle/

If so, and it sure looks like it to me, the internals are not the same as the 1885. It's obviously the same basic design but nothing shown in those pictures are the same as the 1885, the lever is very different (not just the "lever" portion but all of it including how it interacts with the trigger group), the breech block is waaaaay wider and there is no cut-out on the left side for the extractor so obviously it works differently than the 1885 and the entire lower tang is quite different also. Do you have any prints for these receivers? Without prints or a finished receiver to reverse engineer these internals will be very difficult to produce.


:EDIT: Ok I see the breech block casting in the pic now, I missed it before, and sure enough it is radically different than an 1885 breech block so apparently these castings are indeed the same as the rifle in the link. Unless drawings are available or finished parts can be found to copy anyone building one of these rifles will have to design parts to fit, for sure 1885 Winchester parts can not be used.

I've been sitting on two of these un-finished receivers for about ten years, wondering what the internals looked like, since nothing from my own 1885 High Walls is even close.

There was a thread a few years ago about an example that turned up with a "Borchardt" design breechblock in one of these castings. Fella that had it promised us photos of the internals, but he never came through.

BTW I had them x-rayed before I retired from Zeiss. They looked decent.

[lkydvl]

Thanks for the correction... too bad the parts diagrams for the '85 won't work. Guess that is going to force my hand....

I have a complete Clerke receiver with the internals as well. Was hoping to save it and make a rifle out of it. However since there is a need for its parts as a pattern I'm afraid that is no longer an option. I'll get pics of it this evening and post them as well.

Andre`

[oldred]

Are these finished parts or raw castings? Even if they are just raw castings they could still be finished even without drawings but it will take a bit of design work and a whole bunch of head scratchin! With the number of receivers you have and the interest from uscra112 for a couple more those internals you have may be the key to a batch of fine looking rifles! If you can some close ups of those parts would be nice, especially the extractor, firing pin with any related parts and the lever with the breech block link.


This is getting very interesting!!!!

[lkydvl]

Here are some pics of the two additional receivers. One is a complete serial numbered receiver with all internal parts fitted.

The other is incomplete but has the partially completed breech block and lever installed.
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[oldred]

If that first receiver is 100% complete and functions properly , and I assume it does, you have the key to making it possible to complete the rest of them without having to design new internals as well as build them. What you need to do would be to disassemble that working receiver and make, or have made, detailed drawings with precise dimensions of all the parts with PRECISE hole locations and all angles determined. I can not stress strongly enough the importance of accuracy in whatever drawings may be produced because even one error in the wrong place, even a seemingly minor one, could easily trash the whole project however a bit of attention to detail will prevent this from happening. Without accurate drawings John Moses Browning might be able to scratch build the internals for one of those things easy enough but for the rest of us it would be a daunting task indeed!

[lkydvl]

My lot of receivers and parts has been sold!

[oldred]

My lot of receivers and parts has been sold!

Well that's one way to put an end to the dilemma!