Daniel Frasier mini Farqharson .22 Hornet

[richhodg66]

Here;

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=482923819

Anyone have experience with this? I have read varying reports on them, apparently some were kits, some not.

I have fallen in love with the whole "stalking rifle" or "Rook rifle" concept and really, really like my Savage 219 in .22 Hornet, but it has some annoying things, mainly the break open when shooting on a rest and also the ejector that throws brass to the next zip code. Thinking this little rifle would have the same slim handling characteristics without those problems.

[clum553946]

I'd say you got a really good deal. Congrats!

[dtknowles]

Here;

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=482923819

Anyone have experience with this? I have read varying reports on them, apparently some were kits, some not.

I have fallen in love with the whole "stalking rifle" or "Rook rifle" concept and really, really like my Savage 219 in .22 Hornet, but it has some annoying things, mainly the break open when shooting on a rest and also the ejector that throws brass to the next zip code. Thinking this little rifle would have the same slim handling characteristics without those problems.

I think you would like a rolling block better than a falling block if you shoot prone or from a rest. The falling block lever still interferes with easy operation unless you take a high position on the rests. Falling block is a step up from break action. I have a Remington Hepburn that is a falling block with a side lever instead of a bottom lever and that works good prone or from a rest. I gave my brother my Topper in .22 Hornet and bought a Ruger #3 but wish I had found a rolling block instead.

Tim

[richhodg66]

A small rolling block would be terrific. This one was almost an impulse purchase, I really like the slim lines and light weight and longer barrel of that 219, this looks like it'll handle similarly and I have found the .22 Hornet to be easy to load for, at least how I load it (light to subsonic). I'm looking forward to getting it in my hands, now I need a small scope that will look right on it and not make it too off balance.

[dtknowles]

A small rolling block would be terrific. This one was almost an impulse purchase, I really like the slim lines and light weight and longer barrel of that 219, this looks like it'll handle similarly and I have found the .22 Hornet to be easy to load for, at least how I load it (light to subsonic). I'm looking forward to getting it in my hands, now I need a small scope that will look right on it and not make it too off balance.

I hope you really like it. I like the Hornet too. It does look to be a sweet rifle.

Tim

[BAGTIC]

I bought one years ago. It was a piece of junk. They had the right idea but the execution was abysmal. You may have trouble finding online reviews as it was long ago, 20-30 years, before the internet really got rolling. I bought mine from the distributor, name now forgotten, in Cape Girardeau, MO.

[BAGTIC]

I found it. http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1213188300

***. Yup. That describes it.

[richhodg66]

Well, we'll find out, might've bought a lemon, but I won't know til I try it out. Seems more than a few say that about the Savage 219 too and I haven't had any problems with mine.

[trevj]

I bought one years ago. It was a piece of junk. They had the right idea but the execution was abysmal. You may have trouble finding online reviews as it was long ago, 20-30 years, before the internet really got rolling. I bought mine from the distributor, name now forgotten, in Cape Girardeau, MO.

That would be Cape Outfitting.

I came very close to owning one of those rifles. I was pretty pleased to find out that the extractor issue, which had the action locked up on the one that I was looking at, and which caused me to take a walk around the gun show aisle to have a think on it while another gent bought it, would have been a chronic PITA.

Until I found out more about it, it was one of the few cases of serious 'non-buyers regret' that I had. That information tempered the disappointment a bit.

I have a cross section of the action, somewhere in my stuff. I had taken a long look at the action with an eye towards fitting, possibly, a retractor to pull the firing pin back when the lever was operated, but it would have been a fair complicated project.

It sure is a nice feeling rifle, and would make a great walking around gun.

Cheers
Trev

[Nobade]

Same experience here. They are awful, don't buy one. After it's fired the firing pin stays forward, and when you open the block it digs a groove through the head of the case. There is no way to retract the firing pin before you open the block. Avoid these actions at all costs. I regret buying it, but at least didn't lose too much when I sold it a few weeks later.

-Nobade

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Same experience here. They are awful, don't buy one. After it's fired the firing pin stays forward, and when you open the block it digs a groove through the head of the case. There is no way to retract the firing pin before you open the block. Avoid these actions at all costs. I regret buying it, but at least didn't lose too much when I sold it a few weeks later.

-Nobade

A lot of the criticisms of this action seldom makes it into practical detail as yours does. That auction did replace mention replacing the firing-pin, and I could imagine this being beneficial in a number of ways - making it hard so it doesn't bend, protruding only just enough, and with a better shaped tip. That does sound like a pretty extreme case of firing-pin binding, and the risk was well known, as Farquharson's first patents dealt with it. Unless the Italian manufacturers have simplified the design, I can't believe it is an unescapable feature of the action.

It is a beautiful little rifle, clearly meant for carrying around rather than the bench. Had it been otherwise, a side lever like the Field would probably have been ideal. I believe I handled a disembodied action of this type in the UK - in the Black Isle of all places, although with the logic of place names deriving from the Gaelic, it is neither black nor an island. It was so long ago that I couldn't swear to the name being Armi San Marco, but it was certainly Italian made. The trigger parts and tangs actually slotted into the receiver from above, and were secured by a sort of cylinder-on-flange "caterpillar" on each side, rather like what you see on top of a shotgun with a doll's-head top extension.

I saw no obvious faults, and it worked smoothly enough, although of course I never experienced how it feels when extracting a case. I know it was available as a rifle in .22LR or Hornet, but the barrel threads were of significantly smaller diameter than those of the Cadet Martini - 15mm. probably. They would surely be strong enough for cases of the .32-20 family, and probably the .357, but certainly nothing larger unless the threads were enlarged.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Frank DeHass wrote about this little rifle in one of his books. He positively castigated the design of the action. I think they were designed and built in Italy. The word must have got out quickly because the company folded fairly soon. A man named Scrum, the owner of Cape Outfitters bought the remaining inventory and sold them as kits. You know how that works. If the junk doesn't work it must be because you assembled it incorrectly. I saw a completed rifle at the Pomona gun show many years ago and I must admit, it was beautiful.

[richhodg66]

If this rifle handles and carries as well as I think it will looking at it and is as accurate as my 219, it'll be worth what I have in it now to investigate it and see if it'll work out. Worst case, I'll have an expensive pretty wall hanger.

[rking22]

If you don't like it pass it on to me. I have an afinity for the unloved. Or I am stupid enough to think I can fix it :)
Pretty little thing it is :)

[MarkP]

I purchased (2) of the actions in about 1993 from Cape Outfitters in kit form; one is in 17 Hornet and other 256 Win Mag. I opened up the breech threads to 13/16 UNF or 7/8 UNF as they were a smaller metric thread. I have not completed them yet, the information that was with the actions stated all of the components need to be heat treated. IIRC the actions are 4340 equivalent. The actions were either rim fire or center fire.

I saw one completed at the Tulsa gun show in 1996 a guy paid $650 for just after I set it down.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Mark, if you bought this kit in 1993 and haven't finished it yet you are slower than me and that's saying something. If anyone is considering buying one of these actions I would encourage them to read what DeHass had to say about it. It's properly warned yee be.

[No_1]

Beautiful rifle which I would have bought because my soft spot for falling blocks. Please keep us updated on your finds once you shoot it.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Mark, if you bought this kit in 1993 and haven't finished it yet you are slower than me and that's saying something. If anyone is considering buying one of these actions I would encourage them to read what DeHass had to say about it. It's properly warned yee be.

Or his backlog of interesting projects grows as fast as mine. I think the jury is out on whether this action can be made to work well, and how easily. But nobody ever wasted money by buying a Frank de Haas book for some prior research. (It is important to put the space in his name if you are googling him or using www.bookfinder.com (http://www.bookfinder.com) etc.) As he had more than one book which might have been relevant, it would be useful to know which one has the article.

[richhodg66]

Rifle arrived today. Even prettier and more graceful and diminutive than the pictures showed. It doesn't have sights, thinking of loading some ammo and just going out to function fire it this weekend. Wish me luck.

[dtknowles]

Good luck, seriously hope yours works just fine.

Tim