Source for Actions

[terryt]

Hi:

Does any one know a Source for Actions, either single actions or lever?
Also what kind of a price range.
Has any one built a single action or a lever action from plans? If so where did you get the plans and about how long did it take to build it.
Any tips on building one.

Thanks,

Terryt

[NickSS]

Navy Arms used to have rolling blocks and Martini Henry actions for sale but do not know if they still do. Also C Sharps has actions that they put in their rifles for sale. I do not know of anyone who is selling lever actions.

[Johnw...ski]

I built 3 falling block actions based on the design by Frank DeHaas's FDH#2.
At the time I had access to a fully equipped machine shop, and would have to guess I spent one to two hundred hours on each rifle. I sent the rifles out for blueing and had a stock maker do the stocks. In the end these are unique rifles and very accurate but by no means inexpensive. You can do a search on this site for FDH#2 for my posts and pictures of these rifles.

Last year I was looking for a project and found a very nice copy with some improvements of a Winchester 1885 High Wall action in the white. After bidding on it and winning it I also bid on a Green Mountain .38 cal. tapered octagon barrel from the same seller winning that also. The seller was a gunsmith and I ended up having him fit the barrel, chamber it for 38-55 and inlay the action into a piece of wallnut. This was sent to me so I could finish the stocks myself. The rifle looked like it had a 2 x 6 for a butt stock and a 2 x 3 for a forearm. You can look up these posts by doing an advanced search using the keywords New High Wall, and my user name is Johnw...ski. The New Single Shot Rifle, Stock and Internal Parts post will show some good pictures of the action and the New Single Shot Rifle, Stock post show the stock in the rough and finished, the pictures of the rough stock are 14 o15 threads into the post so you will have to look for them. I then kept the stocks and sent all the metal back to the gunsmith.
He then blued the barrel and color case hardened the action and parts as well as the butt plate. I also purchased a Baldwin globe front sight and long range rear sight from him. This rifle is fitted with blocks so I can remove the ladder rear sight and put a 20x Lyman Super Target Spot scope on it. Total cost with sights, scope etc. around $3500. Don't expect to save money by building these yourself. You can expect to have a unique and well made rifle that no one else has.

Best of luck if you decide to persue building a rifle.

John

[The Double D]

Get a copy of Frank deHaas book Mr. Single Shot's Book of Rifle Plans. The FDH vault lock plans are or in the book as well as the even simpler Chicopee action. Good starter projects.

I built the Chicopee in .22 Hornet. Fairly straight forward build. Shot good. So good a friend had to borrow it and he won't give it back. He'll pay!!!

The book is available from Frank's son, Marc, at http://www.dehaas.com/guns/

[waksupi]

Doc has some.

http://www.uppermotradingco.com/

[hpdrifter]

Lonestar Rifle sells rb actions.

[Nrut]

terryt,
I don't know were you can buy "lever actions" actions..
I do know various places where you can buy single shot actions of all types and prices..
So do you know what type of SS action you want and what price range?

[2manygunz]

I too have built a rifle from Frank DeHaas' plans. I would call it at least an intermediate experience level project. I was (am) proud of my little Chickopee 22, and have the next one started for the more advanced rifle.

[jmsj]

terryt
If you want to but a ruger falling block I think Brownells still sells them but I think you could buy a used one for less. At one time Dakota used to sell their falling block action.
I too have built a falling block action in .22 rimfire, my design, ruger 10/22 barrel and built it to use Winchester 94 stocks. Got lots of the ideas from the DeHass books.
One of these days I'm going to make DeHaas's "Chickopee Center Fire Rifle". Got an Idea to modify the construction to allow the use higher pressure cartridges, would love to have one 221 fireball. jmsj

[excess650]

CPA will sell you their Stevens 44-1/2 action, and they are made to be switch-barrel and convertible from CF to RF by changing the block and extractor.

I recently picked up a Ruger #1 in 22 Hornet with Leupold 3-9x for $600 and am considering rebarreling to something else. There was a time when I thought the Ruger #1 was a bit pricey, but these days they seem inexpensive compared to C Sharps, Lonestar, CPA, Meecham, Ballard, etc...