Building a single shot rifle... is there an existing barrel I can use?

[taiden]

Hey guys,

I'm starting to design and build a single shot falling block receiver. I don't have access to a lathe big enough for barrel work, so I'm hoping to find an off the shelf barrel that I can use. I was originally looking at using the 10/22 barrels because they are plentiful as you all know, and factory sporting barrels can be found very cheap.

Now, I don't really have a problem with how they attach, per se... but it would be nice to start with a barrel that was threaded into the receiver. I'm just looking to simplify the project where I can.

Any thoughts, or should I just plan to use the 10/22 barrel?

[lka]

An ar barrel?

[jlucke69]

I would be interested in seeing this project, especially if it moves forward with a 10/22 barrel. I enjoy the single shots and think that would add some variety for the user. I'd be willing to buy one.

[taiden]

I've drawn the front part of the Ruger 10/22 receiver for now based on a few drawings I've found online (fingers crossed!). I'd still like to find a simpler option though, so any additional ideas are much appreciated.

[taiden]

Hm. I just realized that the extractor pocket adjacent to the chamber mouth on the 10/22 barrels is not ideal, and I don't want to have to mill out a good barrel. Kind of defeats the purpose of picking a readily available barrel as any barrel attached would be modified and impossible to sell, trade, whatever.

[Wayne Smith]

"I don't have access to a lathe big enough for barrel work" - do you mean you can't cut threads and need a barrel already threaded? Or were you planning to hand cut? Or are you saying you can't turn the shank to size to thread?

I'm confused about what you are asking.

[M-Tecs]

Savage barrels are prethreaded and chambered. With the Savage barrel nut the headspace is adjustable. For the Sako Quad and the CZ 455 also use a clamp in barrel on their rimfires.

[taiden]

"I don't have access to a lathe big enough for barrel work" - do you mean you can't cut threads and need a barrel already threaded? Or were you planning to hand cut? Or are you saying you can't turn the shank to size to thread?

I'm confused about what you are asking.

It's probably confusing because it's so open ended.

I am trying to locate a barrel that cuts down the amount of work I have to do, and eliminate any work that requires a lathe larger than a benchtop lathe.

[oldred]

I am just now in the finishing stages of a scaled down High Wall in 22 mag that will eventually have a switch barrel in 17 HMR, this setup uses the 10/22 style attachment that I just copied because the 10/22 system is so simple and works so well. If you prefer a threaded barrel it would be very simple to thread the stub and use the 10/22 as-is or for just a bit more effort the Ruger design could be used with the added versatility of being able to switch out with other 10/22 compatible barrels, either way the 10/22 barrel is going to hard to beat and is an excellent choice!

[taiden]

Oldred, please feel free to post any info or photos you have on your build as it will be very helpful. Specifically how you are doing your extractor / ejector and also how you are tuning your headspace.

Here are some quick photos of where I am at for the receiver at this time

[taiden]

Just going to throw this up here for posterity

[oldred]

I somehow missed the part about the 10/22 extractor notch being an issue, I ran into that also but in my case it was due to deciding on the 10/22 attachment style after I had already cut the receiver for the extractor but I doubt I would have changed it anyway. What problem does the notch cause? If it's a location problem that will not work with your extractor design then I suppose the suggestion to use a 10/22 barrel might not be such a good idea after all, have you checked out the "Gunsmith specials" at the Green Mountain barrels site or is a raw blank going to be a problem? I can certainly understand wanting to use an existing barrel due to the amount of work involved, fitting, chambering, etc, and 10/22 barrels are generally good ones at a really good price.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/10-22-g...inish-barrels/


Hard to beat the price on this high quality barrel if you can work from a raw blank,

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/22-lr-g...6-4140-18-x-1/

[taiden]

I somehow missed the part about the 10/22 extractor notch being an issue, I ran into that also but in my case it was due to deciding on the 10/22 attachment style after I had already cut the receiver for the extractor but I doubt I would have changed it anyway. What problem does the notch cause? If it's a location problem that will not work with your extractor design then I suppose the suggestion to use a 10/22 barrel might not be such a good idea after all, have you checked out the "Gunsmith specials" at the Green Mountain barrels site or is a raw blank going to be a problem? I can certainly understand wanting to use an existing barrel due to the amount of work involved, fitting, chambering, etc, and 10/22 barrels are generally good ones at a really good price.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/10-22-g...inish-barrels/


Hard to beat the price on this high quality barrel if you can work from a raw blank,

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/22-lr-g...6-4140-18-x-1/

Did you end up milling the barrel to fit your extractor? That's what I'm considering at this point.

I'd like to stay away from as much barrel prep as possible since I don't have access to a lathe large enough for barrel work.

[oldred]

Did you end up milling the barrel to fit your extractor? That's what I'm considering at this point.

Actually I used a blank cut to 10/22 dimensions so locating the extractor notch in the proper position was not a problem but had I decided to use a 10/22 barrel from the start I could have located the extractor on the other side and made it work but I had already cut the receiver when the decision was made. Looking back, if I were to do this over I would simply reverse the High Wall design and put the extractor on the other side so that stock 10/22 barrels could be fitted, of course it would have been a bit more involved than simply switching sides but when designing a new receiver or building an established one from scratch making it fit the barrel should not be much of a problem if at all.

[taiden]

I'm not familiar with the High Wall action at all, from the sound of it, it utilizes an ejector that is at about 9 o clock (with the chamber as center). Am I understanding this correctly? I'm trying to find diagrams or drawings of this action and I'm having little luck.

[oldred]

it utilizes an ejector that is at about 9 o clock (with the chamber as center). Am I understanding this correctly?

Yes that's correct, I wish I had of taken more photos while building these things but at the time it didn't seem important, maybe this will help, this rifle is from the Uberti site.

[taiden]

My goodness, I need more info on this. How does it work? Where can I get more info on it?

I've been thinking a lot on how I would do a side mounted ejector and nothing really clever is coming to me. I'd like to copy that design.

[oldred]

I will try to get some pics up in a couple of days, going to be on the road for a bit, but basically the breech block has a cut-out on the left side that engages the extractor and wedges it open on the down stroke. I realize that probably makes little sense without pictures but it's really a simple design in PRINCIPLE however timing it to open properly can be a bit of a bugger. Still it's about the best extractor design I can think of and could be adapted to about any drop block design.

Here are a couple of images provided by Mr. Google, the bottom protrusion of the extractor fits inside the cut-out on the left side of the breech block and when the block is dropped it cams the extractor backward.

[nekshot]

i did one years ago on a after mkt 10/22 barrel and it looked dumpy so I took it off. Been planning to get a long barrel off a old parts gun but never got around to it. Funny how things go with priorities.

[taiden]

i did one years ago on a after mkt 10/22 barrel and it looked dumpy so I took it off. Been planning to get a long barrel off a old parts gun but never got around to it. Funny how things go with priorities.

Hey, are you from homegunsmith? I was posting on there as well under the name "luke."