H&A Medium Frame to 32 S&W

[NorthCoastBigBore]

One of my winter projects; this one is built from an assortment of orphaned and broken parts. This started out life as a medium frame H&A falling block shotgun, either a "Taxidermist" or a "Lady's" Shotgun depending on which catalogue you're reading. Also seems to have been called the 38XL or 44XL depending on caliber/gauge, this one would have been the 44XL.

Although these are a true falling block design, unfortunately (from what I've read anyway) these are soft actions so breech thrust should be kept to a minimum to avoid stretching the action. With that in mind I had a piece of .308" barrel blank (~1:10 twist, a little fast but...). I practiced some tapering on it, but decided it was time to put it to better use. I chambered this rifle in .32 S&W (which works well with a .308 bore).

Stock is orphaned from an ~1880's vintage double Belgian shotgun, it was busted up by the tang so nobody need get too upset about that, what else was it going to do? Sit on the bench until one of my kids threw it in the firewood pile? Naw, time to use it - if this thing shoots OK then I'll look at getting a proper stock on it.

The forend (not yet installed) will probably end up being borrowed from a broken Winchester 1894 forend I have laying around.

I turned the chamber end to fit the receiver (these are slip in not threaded) and cut a dovetail for the front forend hanger and the one for the front sight...

I had to make my own sights, I milled the front sight (still rough since I need to finish the rear sight yet) and I have the rear sight base roughly completed, have yet to mount it. Working on the staff.

To date, I've had about 25 rounds through it (light loads and lead bullets). First groups (aiming without sights) show some promise, about 2" at 25 yards.

With that in mind, here's the chronology:

Stock cut back from the break & fitted:

Shaping the new extractor (original one was for a MUCH larger rim) - using QT400 steel that ended up getting polished, quenched & tempered (after fitting):

Extractor completed, compared to the old one:

Locating the barrel "lock" hole (after cutting the dovetail for the forearm hanger... making sure everything was lined up was a bit of a hail Mary but I got it):

Cutting dovetail for the front sight:

Front sight blank on the barrel (clearly way too high, it's been shortened since):

First Function Test!!! (I've tried it our a little more since the first trial, about 25 rounds through it):

Now, onto the rear sight - I had already made some bases up:

Starting on the staff:

This is as far as I got, but I have no doubt I can shrink these groups down once the sights are on it - fast twist notwithstanding :

Hope someone finds it interesting!

[NoZombies]

Nice project. I'm sure that you'll get years of enjoyment from it.

I've got one of those same frames in built into .32 S&W long myself, and another in .22 Ladybug, and they're shooters.

I would mention that these little frames that the .44XL and .38 XL guns were built on are the same frames as the 932 925 and 922 actions. As such, I think you made a great caliber choice, as anything much more potent is a bit of a stretch for the frames. The medium framed guns (the next size larger) were made in rifle calibers (38-55 and 32-40 among others) and 20 gauge shot. I make the distinction just for clarity's sake, and not to take anything away from the fine work you've done on a great little project!

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Nice project. I'm sure that you'll get years of enjoyment from it.

I've got one of those same frames in built into .32 S&W long myself, and another in .22 Ladybug, and they're shooters.

I would mention that these little frames that the .44XL and .38 XL guns were built on are the same frames as the 932 925 and 922 actions. As such, I think you made a great caliber choice, as anything much more potent is a bit of a stretch for the frames. The medium framed guns (the next size larger) were made in rifle calibers (38-55 and 32-40 among others) and 20 gauge shot. I make the distinction just for clarity's sake, and not to take anything away from the fine work you've done on a great little project!

Thank you sir; and that is good to know about the frames. I was tempted to bring it up to .44WCF or .32-20, now I'm glad common sense took over. It is tough to find information on the H&As.

I've been following your .22 Ladybug thread with great interest. I'd still like to try that myself.

[Earlwb]

Excellent ideas and great work, I like it. I bet is is a hoot to shoot too. I would bet that it is fairly quiet as well.

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Excellent ideas and great work, I like it. I bet is is a hoot to shoot too. I would bet that it is fairly quiet as well.

Thanks. It is!

As for noise, it's comparable to a standard velocity .22. That said, my Stevens Favorite in .32 Colt seems quieter so with a bit of playing around, so... we shall see.

[NoZombies]

Thank you sir; and that is good to know about the frames. I was tempted to bring it up to .44WCF or .32-20, now I'm glad common sense took over. It is tough to find information on the H&As.

I've been following your .22 Ladybug thread with great interest. I'd still like to try that myself.

With your skills, I'm sure the ladybug will be easy enough to tackle when you get the urge. Feel free to Pm me any questions, and I'll try to help how I can.

Again, Enjoy the H&A, they're great little guns!

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Thanks NoZombies, much appreciated.

Quick update: Since my last post, I got the rear sight built; Yes, I still have to do some prettying up, work off the sharp edges and some polishing. But it's ready to try out! I'll brown this one and probably brown the whole gun. She'll look wrong if she's too purdy.

This started out as a bunch of flat stock & drill rod - the only parts I bought were screws for the elevation & windage adjustment. I don't have much spare at all, believe it or not. But I like keeping busy and I enjoy the challenge:

This is how the base is started, roughed out with a couple other blanks (I originally made this base with the intention of replacing the factory base of my Pedersoli Sharps sight so that I could actually wipe the bore from the breech end; but that didn't work out so I put it to use on this rifle):

Setting up the rotary table for the shaping:

Base set up against a factory Pedersoli base (again that was just the original intent for THIS base - was hoping moving the factory sight ahead would allow it to fold down enough to get a rod in the breech - but anyway):

Starting on the staff:

Starting to take shape:

Elevation is finished on this one, working on the windage:

Making the diopter, threaded, front drilled out (for light) and parted off, just need the eyecup faced and drilled:

And this was late last night, mounted on the ole' frankengun:


Hope it's of interest. Ya I could certainly buy a sight but the fun is in the journey with all this stuff, not the destination.

[pietro]

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FWIW, I wouldn't get a "proper" stock for it...…..

I'd fashion metal filler plates to fit the sidelock inletting in the Belgian stock, finished to match the receiver finish.





At the least, you'd create a puzzler for anybody who looked at it.



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[NorthCoastBigBore]

.

FWIW, I wouldn't get a "proper" stock for it...…..

I'd fashion metal filler plates to fit the sidelock inletting in the Belgian stock, finished to match the receiver finish.

....

At the least, you'd create a puzzler for anybody who looked at it.



.

Thank you sir! I have been thinking of the metal filler plates myself. The look overall is growing on me! As long as it shoots all right... that'll be all that matters.

The phrase "lipstick on a pig" starts coming to mind

[pietro]

Thank you sir! I have been thinking of the metal filler plates myself.

As long as it shoots all right... that'll be all that matters.

The phrase "lipstick on a pig" starts coming to mind

Yer welcome - If it shoots good, you'll have made a silk purse out of a sow's ear.


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[skeettx]

Fun project, thank you for sharing
Mike