Falling block works action

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Does anyone on this site know anything about the Falling Block Works action? I have a chance to buy two of them for what looks like a good price. One is a very heavy barrel .40 Krag and the other is an offhand rifle in 32.40 Winchester cal. I did have a book by Frank DeHass in which he described the action, unfortunately I sold the book several years ago. If at all possible let me know tonight. I promised the man an answer by tomarrow.

[scb]

I've worked with several of them. I really wish they were still in business. I would not hesitate buying them for the right price. Most I've seen lately are way over priced. For what some have been asking I could buy a good used Ruger #1, throw away everything but the action and still be money ahead. They made several different models. One had a Winchester HiWall "profile". Another looks like a Ballard, I think another was supposed to resemble a Stevens 44 or 44 1/2. They also cataloged a small action which I never saw. It was appropriate for Hornet and Bee size cases. They made a larger one suitable for Nitro casings. They were very simple and very strong.

[NickSS]

I have never seen one but have read about them. They are reported to be an excellent action and was popular for shutzen shoots. The 40 Krag might be wht is commonly known as the 40-50 maynard as you use the Krag case to make the brass and the 32-40 is another good cartridge for targets

[Reg]

If the price is even close to being within reason I would grab them.
Very well made, best of materials, excellent workmanship.
I have one of the small actions that scb speaks of. Its called the "K" action. Simply a work of art.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I want to thank you guys for the your responses to my inquiry. These two rifles were very well made and I don't think either was ever fired. One is an offhand with the large cheek piece and the other is a very heavy barreled 40.krag. With your input I have decided to buy both. I will promptly post pictures. Thanks again.

[HARRYMPOPE]

I had two of them both "J"'s I believe.They were 'boxy" looking and tangless but good actions.A buddy as one of the small actions in 25 Hornet and it shoots very well.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

there were some for sale, forgot where, recently. I was interested, but the only means of communication was sending snail mail to a PO Box. No prices or any other info.

Rich

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Here are the pictures as promised. The heavy barrel rifle weighs 28 LBS. It is chambered in 40 KRAG. I did not get the loading dies,if indeed he ever had any. I am sure he never fired the gun. The offhand one is 32-40. I also got the Lyman Super Targetspot scope in the deal. It is 20 power. I got the molds as well. They were made by Bo Clerke. I don't know what the bullit weight will be but I am sure it is north of 450 grns. The sword was carried by our son when he attended the military collage at Charlesto S.C. It is called the Citadel.

[uscra112]

That's quite a haul !

[uncle jed]

Those are some fine works of art

[scb]

Nice!

[smokemjoe]

I got a S action, has a Bud Welch barrel, 1 7/8 in. oct. 30 lbs. 32-40, does well with Paul Jones Groppie bullet, 12 grs. Win. 296, Had one also in a 25 Wiest and a 30-40 Krag, That one was a kicker and very loud, Very nice and strong action, Had the large action and wished I would of put a big 50 on it now, Hope this helps, Joe

[GOPHER SLAYER]

SMOKEMJOE, the barrel on the 40 cal measures 1-3/4. I am not sure if I am going to have it turned down or replaced. The gentleman who had the rifle made up told me that he had it built around the Krag case because the ground at the range was littered with 30-40 brass. I have been a brass buzzard for over fifty years and I don't remember ever picking up a single Krag case. I have picked up some 303 British which is basicly the same case as the Krag but is a bit shorter. I wish he had made the gun a 40-65. I have the dies and lots of 45-70 brass to turn into 40-65. Joe, you said the 30-40 Krag you had was a kicker. I have a Ruger # 1 with a heavy Winchester 308 target barrel. I cut the barrel off and rechambered it to 30-30. I shot it last week using reloads assembled by a friend of mine. That sucker kicked so hard the grip would jump out of my hand when I pulled the trigger. When I can spare the time I am going to take some of those rounds apart and find out , as Nancy Palosi would say "What's In It".

[Buckshot]

..............So did he take the offer you told me you were going to make, or was there some wailing and gnashing of teeth? What did Melva say when you dragged them home, or did you ***** out and sneak them in?

No, I don't have any spare 32-40 brass

..............Buckshot

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Actually, I didn't say anything, that is I made no offer at all. I let him do all the talking. When he got down to the price I mentioned to you I said OK. I told Melva the night before that I was going to buy the rifles. I dropped her off at K-MART while I went to the gun shop. I did really hate to pass up a chance to walk through a store and shop for window blinds just to go to a gun shop and buy two beautiful single shot rifles but hey, no sacrifice is too great, right? There is another aspect to the deal that I will tell you about later. I am so busy hanging curtains as well as other honey do projects, all I have been able to do with the guns is bring them into the house and lean them against the wall. Rick, when we were in the gun shop looking at the rifles, do remember if there were two mold handles or just one? He gave me two molds but only one handle. I may have just imagined it but I would have sworn there were two. I didn' say anything. I didn't want to push my luck. By the way, you need to load some 32-40 ammo for our next trip up the hill. I traded my dies for the 32-40 cartridge and swore I would never need them again. Maby I should just E-MAIL you a list of my shooting needs as regards to ammo. Works for me. I was going over to my daughters and pick up some of the reloading gear you and I took over there but it is 105 in the shade of our patio. I am going no where. When it cools a bit I will come down the hill and pay you a visit. Hopefully that will be before my next birthday.

[ShootingLooney]

Very nice! Real purty rifles! We LIKES them!
As to price, remember that one mans "reasonable" is another mans' "rippoff". If you like the deal you got, you got a good deal!
If'n it were mine, I would have the heavy beast turned half round to reduce the weitht, and- IF the bore and twist rate are correct- have the barel pulled, cahmber cut and re-threaded, and re-chambered for .40-65/70/90, depending on how far- and how heavy- you want to shoot it.
Remember also that one mans' "kicks like hell" is another mans' "mild". I shoot a 500 gr Postnel in the .45-70, and at 5'6", I say it ain't that bad.

[NoDakJak]

I purchases a Model J action in 1977 or 78 and had Dean Miller of Miller-DeHass actions barrel it withat Douglas Supreme, heavy sporter weight barrel and chambered to 225 Winchester. I stocked it with a piece of Herters Presentation grade Myrtle.
The reciever had a very good finish on the exterior and the machining was very good also. The coil hammer spring evidently came from a jackhammer. Very heavy! The best thing that I can say about the trigger is that it was atrocious, both extremely heavy and even longer. I never did manage to achieve a decent trigger pull. The rifle was a real tackdrive whenever I could master that miserable trigger but that tiny rim on the cartridge would slip past the extractor when I was loading it at least one out of five rounds. It would slip past it real easy but getting it back out was an excercise in futility. Some gent came along and offered me most of what I had invest in it and I sold it to him. That was my first genuine custom rifle and it turned out to be a failure!! The new owner rebarreled it to 45.70 and restocked put a cheap walnut stock on it. It was fairly successful in it's new career.
I wanted a couple of the Model K actions to build a couple matching rifles in 25.20 and 218 Mashburn Bee. I never managed to get one as Fix was out of production by that time.
Neil

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Oh yes, that barrel is going to sign up with Jenny Craig. The barrels and molds were made by an outstanding gunsmith/designer named J.A. Clerke. The forty caliber measures 1/58 in diameter and is chambered for the 40/Krag which I have been told is the like the 40 Maynard. If I don't like the way it shoots with the Krag case I can open the chamber to a larger case. I was looking at my stash of reloading dies today a came across a new set of 40/82 dies made by Redding. They look like works of art. I forgot I had them. The offhand rifle is 32/40 and I can make that ammo from 32 SPL with little trouble. My problem right noe is , since we moved I don't have a work shop and that makes reloading very difficult.

[Wayne Smith]

I reloaded for years with my RCBS JR2 clamped to the dining room table with a towel between the table and the stiffener board under it. With some tables I sandwiched a board under the table to protect the underside from the clamp marks. Even did some neck resizing that way, 30-06 to 8mm-06. The problem is storage and a dedicated closet can work for that. I know it's far from your workshop but it can be done and taken down in time for dinner.

Last Sunday at th gunshow I saw a 95 Win. in 40-82 - original. Didn't even pick it up cause I knew I didn't have the money.