Mystery action kit

[Cactus Farmer]

I found this action kit minus any paperwork. I'd like to know what it is and who might be the casting maker. No drawings makes it a more difficult puzzle. Falling block action that looks like it could be strong. It won't do a 45-70 rim I don't think. 38-55 would work as well as 30-40 Krag blown out to a 40-65 Maynard. Of course the smaller varmint calibers will work too.

[badgeredd]

A picture would go a long way toward identification. I know there are several kits that have been available over the years for most popular single shot actions. It escapes me right now, but there was (is?) a foundary that was offering Hepburns as well as 3 or 4 others in kit form.

Edd

[Bullshop]

I think I remember an outfit called "Falling Block Works "" that was selling a small kit type action about 20 or so years ago.

[MaLar]

You could go look at this.

http://kwk.us/FA/

I have the Farrow action kit
see if any of them looks like what you have.

LaMar

[Janoosh]

Any of those still being produced?? Was there a re-start up?? I find these kits simply fascinating. .

[Reg]

You could go look at this.

http://kwk.us/FA/

I have the Farrow action kit
see if any of them looks like what you have.

LaMar


My last information shows NONE of these kits are available--- period. Too bad. I made one of the Farrows and love it, wish I could find another.

[Cactus Farmer]

You could go look at this.

http://kwk.us/FA/

I have the Farrow action kit
see if any of them looks like what you have.

LaMar

I've built a couple of Farrows,38-55 and 40-65 Maynard (30-40 Krag Straight).
The action is a DS Cole according to the page you gave me. I'll try to find drawings. It is together now. Block is moving up and down nicely. Rejector is good. Hammer is moving too. The trigger is jammed, some filing will free it up. This kit was started by someone else and it's .070 thicker on one side. Trigger seems to be misdrilled a tad. The hammer is very low on the breach block and the firing pin must be an odd duck.
There is a main spring casting but it uses a stirrup affair to operate the hammer. Trigger spring is straight forward, a leaf and screw arrangement.
I worked with a gunsmith years ago and we build Sharps and Hi-walls. H&S Gunsmith Service in Odessa Texas. I got to meet Rodney Storie at Raton. I was shooting my Farrow in 38-88. In fact, the first shot it ever fired was on the sillywet range there.

[Cactus Farmer]

My Farrows.104265104265 104262104262104263104264 and the mystery, D.S. Cole.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

There was a single shot falling block rifle made in Italy and sold here many years ago. While it looked great, it was not well thought out and Frank DeHass gave it a scathing report. As I remember he said it was even unsafe to fire. There was so much trouble with it they took it off the market and the remainder of parts, or at least some of them were bought and marketed here as a kit by Cape Outfitters in Missouri. If the rifle failed for whatever reason, it was your fault because you assembled it incorrectly. I saw one complete rifle at a gun show and it did look good.

[Cactus Farmer]

I got to look at a Cape Outfitters kit and they were truly junk. I wouldn't shoot one if you gave it to me. Now, my 1887 Farrow has been fired several hundred times and just gets slicker with every shot. I've got some more kits to build and I need a couple double set trigger plates for 1887 Winchester (Hiwall). I have all but the plate.....
Some of the early Sharps from Italy were pretty much junk too. We spent many hours trying to fix these copies. That's why we decided to build our own, just as easy as fixing the Italian stuff and it was ours, good or bad. There were many matches won with our barrels and rifles.

[paul edward]

What was the alloy used? Are any of these actions strong enough for smokeless calibers? It would be fun to build a Rolling Block in .44 Magnum.

[Cactus Farmer]

My Farrows are made from 4350? Anyway, it is a nice machining steel and Case hardens very well. Pretty colors are due to the "secret" ingredient. Toe of frog and tongue of newt you see?
A 44mag RB would be very doable. The originals were chambered in 7X57 if it was a late model rifle.
I shoot black powder (holy black) and have fired a few smokeless rounds just to see how it shot with the new fangled powder. It shoots both well. Deer just fall over or jump and pile up a few feet away. Grandpa wasn't nearly as under gunned as we think. Big lead boolits are just as effective as the high speed copper condomed ones and you can eat right up to the boolit hole. Hi speed makes a lot of wasted meat.

[oldred]

My Farrows are made from 4350? Anyway, it is a nice machining steel and Case hardens very well. Pretty colors are due to the "secret" ingredient. Toe of frog and tongue of newt you see?


4350, 4320, 4140,etc are through hardening alloys that are seriously damaged by case hardening methods, that's why places like TurnBull refuse to color case harden firearms made from certain steels. If extra carbon is introduced into these alloys by the required process to case harden, either color or standard, the metal becomes brittle and crack prone.