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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Building Double Rifles & Gunsmithing

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hwally
.224 member


Reged: 30/04/09
Posts: 1
Loc: canada
Making a "cheap" double rifle
      #133947 - 30/04/09 09:35 AM

Hey everyone!

First off, you guys have a nice forum here! Some absolutely beautiful guns that're worth more than my entire collection. Come to think of it, kindof gives me a bit of an inferiority complex...

Second off, I apologise if you have a build forum somewhere abouts, I looked around and this seemed the best place to post.



Anyways, I was referred here from another forum and was hoping someone here might be able to critique a little project I'm considering.

My idea: a double rifle, medium caliber, made on a budget.

The plan: Using a 12 gauge or 10 gauge sxs gun, turn down two barrels and sleeve them into the shotgun barrels.

Currently am considering 30-30 as my best choice, as I have access to barrels, the pressure isn't absurdly high, and the thrust against the reciever is comparable to modern 12ga cartridges.

I don't mind about weight at all, as it's more of just a project to see what I can achieve, and regulating the barrels is something I'll start thinking about if I'm successful. I've got some experience doing my own build work, and would say I'm resourceful if nothing else, so I don't see my skills being the limiting factor in this project.


What do you guys think? (p.s. I'm talking about building this on a university student budget... I'm not broke, but I also can't afford to have a whole new reciever milled to specs)


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SharpsNitro
.375 member


Reged: 12/08/08
Posts: 729
Loc: Arizona, USA
Re: Making a "cheap" double rifle [Re: hwally]
      #133951 - 30/04/09 10:48 AM

Welcome to the forum. There is a specific forum for what you are after, it's two more headings down from this one and is called "Building Double Rifles & Gunsmithing". It's not visible though, just like the reloading forums, unless you are logged in.

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ChrisPer
.300 member


Reged: 12/05/08
Posts: 235
Loc: Australia
Re: Making a "cheap" double rifle [Re: SharpsNitro]
      #134102 - 01/05/09 07:23 PM

Welcome! The building forum here is one of the most educational you will find. I like the sound of your project, and the 30-30 is a very handy round. It would be a great idea to manage final weight though - you won't enjoy it if it ends up handling like a fence post, as someone put it. I look forward to seeing your project come to reality.

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Birdhunter50
.375 member


Reged: 03/06/07
Posts: 815
Loc: Iowa,U.S.A.
Re: Making a "cheap" double rifle [Re: hwally]
      #134109 - 01/05/09 08:51 PM

hwally,
Welcome to the forum. You will find lots of helpful guys here and can get good advice on building the gun you really want. As stated above, you really need to watch the overall weight of your double rifle, otherwise it will be too heavy and clubby to use. That means that you will either have to buy, or have access to the use of, a metal lathe for turning down the sleever barrels and for boring out the monoblock.
One of the better ways of holding down the weight of your new double is to build it on a 16 gauge or even a good 20 gauge frame, if you can find one that is both strong enough and cheap enough to use. By general opinion, it seems that we have mostly decided that the donor gun needs to have a third fastener as a saftey factor. That is usually built in the form of a barrel extension that is attached to the top rib and extends back into a notch cut into the frame. The extension has either a slot or a hole through it, depending on the type, that acts as a third locking bolt to help keep the gun closed.
You need to spend alot of time considering various donor guns before you start. Generally, the more you can spend on a good donor gun, the better and easier the built rifle will be. Also, be sure that the barrel blanks you intend to use will be large enough at the breech end so that you have enough material for a smooth transition to the monoblock. That may sound simple or silly, but many barrels are not fat enough in the rear end to use as sleevers.
I don't know what you consider a "cheap double", but you need to understand that there is alot more work and expense to building one of these than simply plugging in two rifled barrels into a shotgun monoblock. These are considered "cheap" only when compared to a factory made double rifle.
Other things to be considered are : 1. Are you going to restock it? 2. Do you want a cheekpiece on it? #. 3. Is the donor gun in good enough shape that it will make a rifle that looks good and is dependable? 4. What kind of sights will you put on it? 5. How much time and money can you afford to invest in this project? 6. Are you capable of doing all the work on it yourself? 7. If not, do you have a machinist who will do it for you, and and what cost?
Good luck with your project, I hope I haven't discouraged you from doing it, but you need to carefully consider all your options before you start cutting up a shotgun.
Bob H.


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DUGABOY1
.400 member


Reged: 02/02/03
Posts: 1340
Loc: TEXAS USA
Re: Making a "cheap" double rifle [Re: hwally]
      #136141 - 26/05/09 07:08 AM

When you find a nice strong shotgun your 30-30 can be built on a shotgun as small as a 28 ga, but a 20 ga is far more common to find in good shape, and in strong actions. I built two 30-30 doubles on shotgun actions, one on a SKB over under 20 ga, and the other on a Lurona s/s 20 ga. Both turned out fine. The SKB was easier because it was a Mono-block tto start with so simply reaming out the old shotgun barrels was about all that was needed to get it going, The Lurona however was a little more dificult, because I had to cut the barrels off 3 1/4" in front of the breech, and ream, and square the front end to get the mono-block started. Full length liners is not the way to go, and especially in a "12 GA ACTION", that thing will wiegh a ton, and will be imposible to regulate. The bigest action I would use is a very trim 16 ga, and turn the sleeved in barrels down the real slinder profile, 24" barrels with a 1 in 10" twist. Regulate them to shoot side by side @ 100 yds with the right side of the left barrel group, and the left side of the right barrel group merging, with the aiming point exactly half way between the "CENTER" of each barrel's individual group. It is best to regulate the rifle with factory 150 gr factory ammo, then you can buy cheap ammo at any country store in the USA! Then work up a good handload that will shoot to the regulation, and you have a very versatile little deer, and black bear rifle for the lower 48!

I know how much fun building your own double rifle is, but for practicality, you would be money ahead, to simply buy a small caliber double rifle used. The home made one will cost you nearly as much, if not more, and the used factory double will be worth twice as much when it comes time to sell. I had a full commercial machine shop at my disposal, and mine still cost me a lot of money by the time they were finished!

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"


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