Info on building the Chippewa rifle

[terrytm]

HI:
Building the Chioppe rifle.
I do not have a lathe and would like to know if I would be able to cut the treads in the receiver with a tap.
I plan to buy a barrel already treaded and chamber.
If there are other rifles that would be easy please let me know.
Any help or ideals would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Terryt

[ulav8r]

Searched for info on Chippewa rifle, all I found was Chiappa. Using a tap will work if you don't mind the barrel pointing off to one side or the other, or up or down.

[Scrounge]

Searched for info on Chippewa rifle, all I found was Chiappa. Using a tap will work if you don't mind the barrel pointing off to one side or the other, or up or down.

Which will only happen if you are a cruddy machinist. All the easiest ways to line up tap do require a lathe or something similar to drive the tap (and/or die) straight. And I say this while only recently learning how to do tapping and threading with a die or lathe. The guys who built the original rifles often also built their lathes and rifling machines. The tools they started with were hacksaws, hammers, chisels, and files. Surface plates and straight edges come in pretty handy, too. As do sine bars and milling machines, and shapers. These days you can buy all of that, but you can still build your own, if you want, and if you do, by the time you finish you'll be a pretty good machinist. Or you can cheat, like I did, and take a class, buy some of the tools and make others.

Check out https://archive.org/details/cu31924012809897 for a copy of Colvin and Viall's United States Rifles and Machine Guns. It shows the construction of the 1903 Springfield Rifle, and all the jigs and tooling and machines used in it's production. Complete blueprints for are included.

To answer one of OP's questions, though: There are no rifles that will be easy. You will need a lot of practice in several fields. Woodworking and metalworking, at a minimum. You'll need to be able to accurately measure and make metal parts to within a few ten thousandths of an inch, and then inlet those parts into pieces of wood that can shrink and swell considerably more than that. You might want to look into duplicating something like the Page-Lewis or Stevens boys rifles. They're single-shot rifles, so somewhat simpler to build. The Page-Lewis rifles are bolt-action, while the Stevens rifles are a falling-block design. You can find a book by Walter Mueller on building a single shot rifle action here: https://secure.villagepress.com/store/items/detail/item/815 that would give you a better idea of what all is required.

I've spent much of my adult life wanting to be able to do this. I've also spent the past 7-1/4 years (very part-time) learning to be a machinist, and building up the collection of tools and machines to let me do this. Jonathan Browning, the father of John Moses Browning, was building multi-shop rifle in his blacksmith's shop in 1830, so there's more than one way to go about it. I expect he had a lathe, probably built it himself, too. But a forge was also involved. I also don't know how much metalworking experience you have. Ulav8r isn't lying to you about tapping, but it is possible to do it correctly without a lathe. Just much easier with. It will take a great deal of skill to get it right. How do you get skill? Like with anything else, you must practice! Good luck!

Bill

[Jedman]

Are you possibly talking about the Chicopee rifle ? If so I know a little about the design and it uses a barrel mounting block that has a tapped or internally threaded steel block that is later welded or bolted to the two side plates of the action. I would say yes that you could get by without a lathe and use a tap to make the barrel mounting block. Like many things in that design you can change the barrel shank size and the thread diameter and pitch if desired. Frank DeHaas recommends a 3/4 - 14 pitch which I think is strange as 3/4 - 16 is standard and would work just as well.
I would recommend really thinking over the whole design and figure how you are going to accomplish making all of the parts with what you have to work with before committing to start building the rifle.
I have seen several of the Chicopee rifles that have been completed and they are a nice looking rifle and should shoot well if the parts are fitted well.

Jedman

[marlinman93]

I don't want to be negative, but I see nothing but time and money wasted trying to thread your own barrel without proper equipment and skills. And once it's threaded, you'll still need to chamber it and fit the extractor cut.
Considering most gunsmiths will do all that for around $160 I see no reason to even think of cobbling it together at home without proper tools.

[Bmi48219]

OP noted he planned to purchase a pre threaded and chambered barrel. Still threading the receiver sounds like a daunting task, to me.

[john.k]

The secret is to just rough out the reciever ,then drill,bore and tap the barrel tenon......using a stub arbor screwed into the tenon,you can then finish the block mortice and exterior sides to exact alignment &parallel.

[uscra112]

Even with a pre-threaded and chambered barrel, it will take a lathe to trim it to index and headspace properly.

Only design I know of that you could hand-tap the receiver for would be the Stevens 44, which has a straight section at the forward end at the major diameter of the thread, letting you start the tap at least reasonably true. You would have to drill a stepped receiver hole to make that work.

[john.k]

If you have a threaded barrel,you only get one go at tapping the reciever....if the thread is loose,one part or the other will need to be replaced........consequently ,tap the tenon,then thread the barrel to suit.......the last single shot I made ,the reciever was tapped 1"x14,however something was a smidgin offline ,so I was able to retap 3/4NPTF,slightly to one side (040 to be exact),and then thread the barrel to suit.

[Jedman]

I have the paperback book, Mr. single shots - book of rifle plans - by Frank deHaas and just reread the instructions for making the receiver ring for the Chicopee rifle. He says the receiver ring can be made with a tap if you have the mean’s of starting the tap in correct alignment with the hole, BUT the preferred method is to cut the threads in a lathe.
I would agree that the rifle could be made without a lathe or a mill but you will probably make some of the parts multiple times over to get them to a point where you would be happy with the fit. You would need at least a good quality drill press and a good work holding vice and some homemade jigs to make many of the parts.
In the end I thought of making this rifle once and decided it was just not that friendly for someone with just files and a hacksaw and even with a lathe and a small mill it would be challenging to shape some of the parts and make it a good looking rifle.
If you had access to a shop with a lathe, mill, drill press, grinders, woodworking tools ect. You could build this rifle and be proud of it but without that most would end up with a lot of time and money spent on a box full of half done parts and be one of those projects you put away for another time if you know what I mean ��

Jedman

[Rapier]

Terry, I have seen about a dozen Chippewa builds start, like rebuilding a wood hill boat, way too many problems to even finish the project.
Really suggest you find a used 10/22 there are 1001 parts for them, they work and you will have something in the end. However, know that 99% of gun builds are not worth the parts on resale unless done by a builder of note.

[uscra112]

Can you fill us in on what a "Chippewa" is? Pics, or a link?

If a .22 is all that's wanted, try copying a Page-Lewis. Fewer parts than the deHaas contraption. Maybe scale it up a bit for adult use.

[Scrounge]

Can you fill us in on what a "Chippewa" is? Pics, or a link?

If a .22 is all that's wanted, try copying a Page-Lewis. Fewer parts than the deHaas contraption. Maybe scale it up a bit for adult use.

Or a Stevens Favorite or Crackshot. Original receivers are investment molded, but you could do it with riveted or screwed flat plate. Barrels are held in with a take-down screw on the originals, as well. The barrels are not threaded, either. Though I think I'd thread the barrel if you want anything more than a .22LR, and beef up the receiver a bit, or a lot, depending on selected cartridge. As you say, scale it up.

Bill

[uscra112]

Hadn't thought of copying a Favorite or a 44. In which case I'd use a "sideplate" as the pattern. It has a longer leg on the breechblock, which takes some of the stress off the link.

Thing is, the O.P. seems to have his barrel picked out already. Hasn't said what it's chambered for. Not some high pressure centerfire, I hope.

[Jedman]

300673300674I don’t know of any rifle plans for a Chippewa rifle so I think we are talking about the Chicopee rifle.
Frank deHaas has plans for a smaller rimfire Chicopee and a centerfire Chicopee rifle. I am including a few pics of what a Chicopee looks like.

Jedman

[uscra112]

Agreed, but until the O.P. confirms. . . . . . .

[terrytm]

Hi Everyone:
I want to thank all of you for responding.
I have Frank De Hass book and I got the ideal from where he says it is possible to tap the treads without a lathe.
Up until we down sized I had a lathe and I do know how much easier it is do this project. I have done a few of them.
I am 77 and I feel I have at least one more project in me.
After reading all of the replies I will be looking for something else to do.
I want to stay with a single shot rifle.
I think I will look into something that needs a reline and have the local gunsmith take care of it.

Thanks,
Terryt

[country gent]

2 ways to do it with out a lathe or mill and maintain the accuracy. Actually 3 if you have a good drill press.
1) start out with over sized stock drill the hole and tap then finish stock to size using the threaded hole as the measuring point
2) start with long stock drill the tap size hole the the body sized hole 1/2-3/4" deep to guide the tap
3) with the stock clamped and aligned in the drill pres tap in the same set-up before removing with a center point or holding the tap in the chuck.

I believe I would do either 2 or 3 along with 1 after as a fall back if it is off a little.

Working with a drill press can be as accurrate as a mill but the set up is much more critical. Using an indicator to set makes a big difference.

[john.k]

You can make a tap guide that will guarantee the tap follows the thread in the guide.....just about every hole I tap freehand,I use a nut as a tap guide ....a double length nut just about ensures correct alignment.

[uscra112]

If you have the wherewithal, a small benchtop machine like the Sherline would do a lot for you. We had a regular poster (sadly now deceased) on the ASSRA site who built an entire Sharps-Borchardt action using one. It won't thread barrels, obviously, but if you buy your barrel already threaded, it won't matter.

[Scrounge]

Hadn't thought of copying a Favorite or a 44. In which case I'd use a "sideplate" as the pattern. It has a longer leg on the breechblock, which takes some of the stress off the link.

Thing is, the O.P. seems to have his barrel picked out already. Hasn't said what it's chambered for. Not some high pressure centerfire, I hope.

Depends on his skill level. I've got a nice shiny new certificate that says I completed and "Advanced Manual Machinist" course, but without a lot more practice, I'm not a "real" machinist, and I'm unlikely to live long enough to become a "real" gunsmith. Hobbyist is all I gunning for. ;) by the time I saw your message, I'd seen what I think was him saying he's going to drop this project and try something else, but could be mistaken. I'm doing all my playing with the two Stevens rifles I have, a 1915 Favorite, and a Crackshot #26 of indeterminate age in .32 RF Long, and .32 RF short.

Bill

[terrytm]

Hi:
I found a company called Vanguard Arms that makes and sales a Kit to make the Chicopee Rifle that looks very nice and simpler to build.
As a separate part from the kit they offer a trunnion for the barrel.
If you have had experience with Vanguard Arms please let me know what you think of them and their products and services.
Thanks,
Terryt

[uscra112]

Well, now! Ain't THAT interesting. Since they're using a waterjet, I wonder if I can talk 'em into making some Stevens 44 parts people need.

They could easily kit up the Page-Lewis, too.