I already have plenty of project guns waiting my attention but…. I have been thinking of maybe making my own version of a Whitney Phoenix type action.
Right now I am thinking of making it in 32 H&R mag caliber as a longer cartridge would make for more modifications. I already have a hammer / trigger / mainspring from another gun that could work and the side swinging breech block seems easy enough to make. The one part that I would have to give some thought to would be a latch or lock for the breech block that would be easy to work with the same hand you would use to unlock the breech, flip the block open and cock the hammer.
For the extractor I am thinking a design like the early Ballard rifles used where you would use your index finger on your hand holding the forend to manually extract the fired case with a spring loaded sliding extractor with the spring to retract it.
I may never get around to it but now during the winter it sounds like it would be fun and not take a lot to get something that would work. I have literally dozens of rifle barrels laying around I could use and the caliber could be something else without much work I just chose the 32 H&R because it’s relatively short, powerful enough for pests, varmints and plinking and I already have dies and brass but no rifle in that caliber.
So has anyone else tried to build something like a Phoenix action or have ideas on what to include in the features ? Thanks !
Jedman