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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Building Double Rifles & Gunsmithing
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doubleriflejack
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Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle
      #191023 - 30/09/11 05:32 AM

In the very early 1970s, Max Gera, I think originally from Europe, but living in Azusa, California, began working as gunsmith for Pachmayr Gun Works, Los Angeles. Soon after, he was "discovered" by Harry Sanford of the Auto. Mag. Corporation, who had him design the rotary bolt .44 mag. automatic handgun. Max Gera set up his own shop, eventually hiring seven workers, to make custom double rifles, for most all rimmed and rimless cartridges. They machined actions from 8620L steel, and used a Long Beach, Calif. stockmaker, Engelbert Olafson, to make some of their stocks. In 1998, I saw a .458 Winchester double rifle, with 26 inch barrels, made by Gera Arms, being sold by Mike Weatherby.
Does anyone know anything about this maker, or about his double rifles?

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lancaster
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: doubleriflejack]
      #191165 - 02/10/11 06:47 PM

the name sounds very german if this is a good sign for you

--------------------
Norwegian hunter misses moose, shoots man on toilet
.
bringing civilisation to the barbarians

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MaxGera
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: lancaster]
      #202648 - 16/02/12 12:07 PM

I recently found this post and I find it very interesting because I know everything about Max Gera.
That's because I am Max Gera.
I am amazed at how much information doubleriflejack has about me and my rifles. Most of it is quite correct.

Max

Edited by MaxGera (16/02/12 12:09 PM)

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tophet1
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #202651 - 16/02/12 12:38 PM

Welcome to Nitro Express Max.

I'd invite you to bring us up to date on your current operation, tell us a bit more about yourself and display some of your work.

Cheers,

John

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #202677 - 16/02/12 05:33 PM

Quote:

I recently found this post and I find it very interesting because I know everything about Max Gera.
That's because I am Max Gera.
I am amazed at how much information doubleriflejack has about me and my rifles. Most of it is quite correct.

Max



Welcome.

I'm sure people would be interested in seeing some of your work, and what you are doing today.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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tinker
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: NitroX]
      #202715 - 16/02/12 11:53 PM

Welcome to the site Max!





Cheers
Tinker

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--



"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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MaxGera
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: tinker]
      #202739 - 17/02/12 05:40 AM

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the welcome. I'll try to give you a quick run-down on what I am doing:

I am sort of semi-retired and do a limited amount of custom work. Most of it is related to the Auto Mag pistol. For those that don't know what an Auto Mag is, it was the first semiautomatic pistol that could fire a version of the .44 Magnum. I designed it in 1969. There is plenty of information on it on the web.
I mostly make custom barrels and carbine conversion kits for the Auto Mag. I recently designed an improved bolt system and hope to market it with complete barrels assemblies.

I built my last double rifle in 1974. However, old habits die hard... so I am working now on a .700 Nitro Express. In fact, this morning I finished grinding the hinge radius on the receiver. The reason that I choose the .700 is that it will probably be the last on that I make, so I figure... may as well make it a big one.

As soon as I figure out how to post pictures here, I will do so.

Max

Edited by MaxGera (17/02/12 05:50 AM)

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doubleriflejack
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #202742 - 17/02/12 06:40 AM

Wow, what a delightful surprise to see THE Max Gera post to this website, following my long standing inquiry seeking information about him, with nothing learned. It seemed that nobody knew a thing about this Max Gera, and the very few people who once knew anything about him, in the 1970s or so, forgot it all.

For a good long number of years, I have collected data of all kinds about anything having to do with double rifles, thus, in the early 1970s, when I learned about Max and his double rifle building, I saved what information I could gain.

Max, if you don't mind, could you eventually share with us, or with me via PM, details about your materials and methods used in your double rifle making venture years ago? I understand that you did some conversions too, double shotguns to double rifles, so could you summarize that process for those of us who do such conversion work? I also understand that you machined some actions from 8620L steel. If that is correct, did you ever machine any other steel type for double rifle actions? I assume that you machined your own monoblocks for those double rifle actions, and if so, did you thread barrels into the monoblocks full length, or only partly into the monoblocks, and/or did you solder the barrels into the monoblocks too? W. Ellis Brown, who wrote book on conversions of double shotguns to double rifles, is now a contributor to this website. I took class from him, on this process, in Gunsmithing school, prior to his writing his book, so I would like to understand the "Max Gera method" for doing this, to see if I can learn new things regarding that process, and learn details about how Max built double rifles from scratch too. I am sure that others would like to learn these things as well.

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MaxGera
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: doubleriflejack]
      #202756 - 17/02/12 01:00 PM

Hi Doubleriflejack,

I'll try to answer some of your questions. First, I only made one shotgun conversion. It was a 45-70 and I used an Ithaca SKB 20 gauge. I made this one for my own use a couple of years before I started Gera Arms. There were no instructions those days and I pretty much winged it. I made a quarter rib for the sights and had a sheet metal shop stamp me a few concave rib blanks and I think I adapted a standard rifle ramp front sight. I used the knowledge gained to later design my double rifles.

I machined all of the parts for the doubles except for the trigger guards. I bought suitable trigger guards somewhere. The barrels were soldered into the monoblock without any threads. I used 8620 for color case hardened receivers and 4140 for the blue ones.

I made only about a dozen rifles and if I recall correctly they were only in .270 W and .458 WM.

Since I am making another double now, if someone shows me how to post pictures, I' be happy to post work in progress on it.

Max

--------------------
To get things done, stop talking and start doing!

Edited by MaxGera (18/02/12 03:34 AM)

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ruffcountry
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: doubleriflejack]
      #202758 - 17/02/12 01:14 PM

Welcome Mr. Gera . Hope you can find time to share with us .

Edit
Oops , looks like he did so while i was typing .

Edited by ruffcountry (18/02/12 12:43 PM)

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tophet1
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: ruffcountry]
      #202759 - 17/02/12 01:53 PM

Can the mods help Max out with posting pictures ?

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doubleriflejack
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #202816 - 18/02/12 06:12 AM

Hi, Max. Thank you so much for responding to my inquiry; I appreciate it a lot. For a good number of years, I have often wondered about your technical ideas and practices in your double rifle making venture years ago in California. Perhaps you were ahead of the times in that effort, because at that time, double rifles in this country were not well thought of, while today the whole subject of double rifles is red hot, and has been for quite a few years lately, with as many or more modern double rifles being made worldwide than ever before. Double rifle makers Searcy and Rigby, both in California, seem to be doing well the last several years, and I suspect that you too would be doing the same, had you begun your double rifle building venture in more recent years.

If you wouldn't mind, I would like to know how you initially learned the skill and trade that you have, what formal training you had, as well as any other training that contributed to your entering this line of work. I have always thought that it is profoundly important for such knowledge/skill to be passed from one generation to the next, through training our children, through our training other young people just beginning to get involved in the trade, or, as minimum, to at least leave a written record of our knowledge, for passing it along to generations to follow. With that in mind, I would love to see some written technical details, especially regarding double rifles, that you, with all your vast experience, knowledge, and skill in this trade, could share with others with similar interests. One such topic that is especially of interest would be your methods of double rifle regulation---the "nuts and bolts" of how you do it. Such a thing would be highly valued by many others who follow this website. Thanks again for everything.

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: doubleriflejack]
      #202844 - 18/02/12 11:11 AM

Tips and guide on how to post photos on the NitroExpress.com Forums:

How to post photos in NitroExpress.com

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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MaxGera
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: doubleriflejack]
      #202890 - 19/02/12 03:59 AM

Hi,
When I built my first double, I had no clue on how to go about regulating the barrels and at that time there was no internet to search.
Here is how I did it: After soldering the barrels to the monoblock I soldered the quarter rib in place. The rib was machined to accept a set of Ruger scope mounts. I then soldered a "figure eight" contraption to the muzzle of one of the barrel. The other barrel went through the other hole, which had three screws. These screws allowed me to move the barrel until I got it close enough at 100 yards.
Today, the next step would get me arrested or at the very least banned from the shooting range. I then loaded my oxi-acetylene set in the trunk of my car and backed it up to the shooting line at the Fish Canyon Range, not far from my shop in Azusa, CA.
I used a 4 X scope. Then, I silver soldered three or four spacers starting from shortly after the quarter rib. I kept a wet rag over the rib. After each spacer, I shot it again and readjusted. The final spacer was just behind the adjusting device. Then I removed the adjuster and shot it again hoping that nothing changed. I took back to the shop and soldered the ribs and front ramp. That's the method that I used.
I did all the shooting from a sand bag bench rest. For the .458WM, I put a 25lbs. bag of shot betwen my shoulder and the recoil pad.

Here are a couple of pictures of the one that I'm making now:

Step 1

Step 23

I will post more as it comes along.

--------------------
To get things done, stop talking and start doing!

Edited by CptCurl (04/03/12 11:16 PM)

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doubleriflejack
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #202899 - 19/02/12 06:10 AM

Thanks Max. Everything you write, I am saving for future reference. Truth is that my regulation methods, initially learned from W. Ellis Brown in gunsmithing Tech College, prior to his writing his book on converting double shotguns to double rifles, have, through the years, seen modifications that now include some of your initial methods, along with those learned from Brown, along with ideas and methods from other regulators too, plus a few of my own ideas as well.

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DBLGN
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: doubleriflejack]
      #203202 - 22/02/12 05:31 AM

Max,
Doubleriflejack contacted me and suggested I read this thread - very glad that he did. I find your story and work very interesting. It appears from your byline, that you are now located in Pennsylvania. Wish you were a bit closer, would love to sit down and discuss double rifle building with you. Your experience with a torch on the range closely resembles mine - you get a lot strange looks when you do that sort of thing, but that is the way I did my first double as well. I look forward to seeing more of your project in the future.

Ellis

--------------------
DBLGN

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MaxGera
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: DBLGN]
      #203333 - 23/02/12 03:53 AM

Hi Ellis,

Here are a couple of the latest pictures. I'll have to put it on the back burner for a couple of weeks. My next step is to cut the slot for the underlugs. I like the radial bearing surface better than the straight one used by many today. This will require me to make a couple of broaches and either find a face plate for my dividing head or to buy H/V rotary table. It is a somewhat tricky set-up and I will post pictures when ready.





By the way, space is at premium in my shop (8'X18'), that's why I have a shower curtain to protect my surface plate from my surface grinder.

Max

--------------------
To get things done, stop talking and start doing!

Edited by CptCurl (04/03/12 11:17 PM)

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tophet1
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #203403 - 23/02/12 03:45 PM

Spotless workshop there Max.

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MaxGera
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: tophet1]
      #203541 - 24/02/12 12:34 PM

Hi MehulKamdar,

Unfortunately, I sold my last two double rifles about twenty years ago. You will just have to follow the progress on the one that I am making now.

As far as the Auto Mag, here is a Carbine conversion set that I make now among other things:




Here is a fancier stock


Tophet1,

Thanks, it's hardly spotless but I do try to keep it reasonably well organized. Then again, I am the only gunsmith that I know that has a five foot workbench which most of the time has a five feet work area. One of my mentors, Johnny Pachmayr had a ten foot bench with stuff piled from both ends, tapering to a clear spot are in the middle about six inches wide.

--------------------
To get things done, stop talking and start doing!

Edited by CptCurl (04/03/12 11:17 PM)

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ruffcountry
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #203560 - 24/02/12 02:14 PM

WOW !

--------------------
Double Rifle Shooters Society

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gryphon
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: ruffcountry]
      #203569 - 24/02/12 04:16 PM

Gee,you will have a lot of fans with this rifle you are building Max.
Keep the pics coming please.

--------------------
Get off the chair away from the desk and get out in the bush and enjoy life.

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Mike_Bailey
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: gryphon]
      #203574 - 24/02/12 06:01 PM

Max, that is really neat, reminds me of those old artillery lugers but with a lot more oomph

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NitroXAdministrator
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: Mike_Bailey]
      #203577 - 24/02/12 06:40 PM



Like a modern version of an old artillery Luger.

Just needs a pistol grip drum magazine, fully auto and Curl will add one to his armoury.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Edited by CptCurl (04/03/12 11:18 PM)

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mehulkamdar
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: MaxGera]
      #203625 - 25/02/12 03:41 AM

Max,

Nothing "unfortunate" here! It is a delight to follow your work and do keep the posts coming. Both your double rifle and your Automag Carbines are going to be visually addictive for all of us over here!

Thanks for sharing pictures of your work and do keep visiting here. Your knowledge and posts are greatly appreciated!

Good hunting!

--------------------
The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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MaxGera
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Re: Anyone know anything about Max Gera U.S.A. made double rifle [Re: mehulkamdar]
      #203626 - 25/02/12 03:58 AM

I did play with several styles of stocks before I settled on this one. And, I do call it the "Luger Style" stock.

I am fresh out of 50 round drum magazines... but it does have an extra perk:


--------------------
To get things done, stop talking and start doing!

Edited by CptCurl (04/03/12 11:18 PM)

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