I know there's an answer to this... but I'm having a hard time pinning it. Is there a single shot 22 hornet that weighs about 4lbs? Just a curiosity. My 22 Hornet Savage weighs about 7 1/2lbs. It's never leaving my possession... ever... but I'm curious to know a lightweight option.
Modern production or old production.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. -Psalm 91:1
Look for a Ruger #3 single shot.
Contender carbine.
Maybe a Handi-rifle with the lighter weight barrel. Not 4 lbs, but fairly light. Add synthetic stocks, it could be close to your wants.
Contender carbine with the plastic stock could not weight much more than 4 lbs.
I have a .44 Magnum Contender. The barrel is all hole so it weighs very little.
EDG
Originally Posted by pertnear
Excepting a .22H high wall, the .22H Ruger #3 is about the heaviest .22H sporting rifle I can think of.
OTOH, a .22H T/C G-1/G-2 Contender Carbine would be about the lightest.
The newer Contender's have heavier Encore-style reinforced receiver sidewalls, making them heavier than the earlier Contenders.
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Little Sharps.....6 lbs
http://www.chiappafirearms.com/product/829
Lyman Ideal Model Sharps
http://www.rifleshootermag.com/rifle...-model-sharps/
I own the Lyman model in .38-55 and it's accurate as all get out....looks great, too.
The strongest reason for the people to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against the tyranny of government.
-- Thomas Jefferson
That's a fine looking firearm. Why is it $1,500?
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. -Psalm 91:1
Rebarrel a Martini Cadet, probably 3 1/2 lbs.
I have two pre-WW2 H&R .44/.410 single-shot actions which I have used as the basis for having built light walking rifles with several interchangible barrels which can be selected based on the caliber of the handgun I am carrying. I have two actions and barrels in .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, .44-40 and .45 ACP.
The .44-40 rifle shown vertically in the thumbnail is 34" overall with 19-1/2" barrel and weighs exactly 4 pounds.
The .32 S&W Long barrel which fits the same receiver is 18" long and was made from a pull-off M1 Garand barrel, cutting off behind the gas port, and at the chamber neck, turning down the contour to match the original .410 barrel and fitting XS sights. It weighs 4-1/4 pounds because the hole down the barrel is smaller. The 24" .38 Special and .32 S&W Long barrels turned to the skinny contour of the original .410 barrel weigh 4-1/2 and 4-3/4 pounds.
The 18" .32 S&W Long was originally done as a .32 ACP for experimentation, but after I had a Remington 580 bolt action done in .32 ACP I had it rechambered to .32 S&W Long to experiment with heavy bullets subsonic, as its 10" twist stabilizes 155-grain flatpoint Accurate 31-155D bullets subsonic with 5.5 grains of Alliant #2400. The longer .32 S&W Long barrel has a 20" twist like the .32-20, but does not shoot well with bullets heavier than about 120 grains. The faster twist is MUCH better!
John Taylor does ALOT of these!
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Last edited by Outpost75; 05-11-2016 at 04:58 PM.
The ENEMY is listening.
HE wants to know what YOU know.
Keep it to yourself.
I don't remember what the Winchester Model 43 weighed but I'm sure it was less than 7 lbs.
The martini cadets can be built up into a very compact "walking" rifle. I have one that was built into a 218 bee shillen barrel Light sporter wieght 20" length. Tree Bone walnut buttstock and forend. It goes about 5 lbs. a little wieght could be shaved with maple or birch for the stock and omiting the cheekpiece and pistol grip mine has. Its a great little walking rifle for woodchucks and other varmints. The #3s Ive handled seemed to be in the 8lb range when ready to use. Another would be one of the H&R Nef single shots in 22 hornet with the barrel re tapered some.
Fit and finish.That's a fine looking firearm. Why is it $1,500?
[The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze
I have this Handi Rifle...not 4lbs, but it is VERY light.
Don't know what it weighs, but my Savage 219 is very trim and handy, graceful in the hands, I love it. I'm guessing not much more than five pounds.
One day, I am going to build (or have built) something very similar. I have a spare Savage 219 with a ruined barrel and also a shotgun barrel I can donate for a stub. This would seem to be the perfect rifle for about 90% of what a rifle should do in my situation anyway.
I think my Browning Low Wall is right at 6#'s.
That Martini Cadet looks like a winner in my eyes.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. -Psalm 91:1
Every one who handles mine really likes it alot. Mine does have the cheek piece and pistol grip on the buttstock and a slightly heavier forearm. But its just such a mild rifle recoil and report. so well balanced and easy to carry, along with very accurate that I wouldnt change anything on it. It wears a 2-7 redfield scope that does well over the cartridges range. The cadet is a fun project to build or have built. USe a good barrel and a reputable smith and youll have a winner.
Does it have to be a Hornet? A lot of these rifles were built into extremely good varmint rifles, but heavier varmint rifles than the OP wants, and more often for the .218 Bee than the Hornet. They sometimes sell quite cheaply, since they don't have aluminium lowers and so on. Original Cadets are expensive now, and a shame to modify. So turning down the barrel and reducing the stock of one of these might be the easiest and most economical way to go.
The barrel could be set back and rechambered if a Hornet is wanted. There is even a National Special ¾ - 14 die, available cheaply from China on eBay, with which the careful amateur could do this without a lathe. It is 60 degree threaded, while the Cadet action is threaded 55 degree Whitworth system. But that is only what most American gunsmiths do when rebarrelling much more powerful Mausers.
Beware of ¾ - 14 dies, though, as most of them are the British or American pipe dies, in which that is a larger die for pipes with a nominal ¾in. bore.
It should be possible to get a Cadet below 5lb. Birch and maple are usually heavier than walnut, but if I wanted a really light rifle I would make the right side of the butt concave, exposing a shorter stock bolt, turned with an Allen key, with its head just behind the pistol grip.
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