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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Single Shots & Combination Guns

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Rolf
.333 member

Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 409
Loc: Germany, Bavaria

Dimens. & weight for a single shot .505 Gibbs
#388917 - 16/01/25 01:13 AM

Gentlemen,

I was lucky to obtain an unfinished, but proofed single shot rifle in .505 Gibbs Rimless NE and would kindly ask for your recommendations and opinions.

The rifle consists of a

- system of "Falling Block Works" of Waybee in Wichita with an external hammer, weighing 0,94 kilograms

- and a massive cylindrical barrel with a constant diameter of 29,5 millimeters, 62cm long and weighing 2,75 kg alone

Of course, the barrel will be lathe turned to a smaller muzzle diameter (? 24 mm ?), a quarter rib attached with a rear sight base in steel and a mounting base for a red dot sight (maybe Aimpoint).

The stock will be an ugly, but heavy epoxy-reinforced plywood (like the Ruger Guide Gun rifles) or a pretty and lighter walnut stock which will break after 10 shots...

(The rifle will rarely be shot at the range and most certainly never used on a hunt)

Now my questions:

- what should be the finished weight of the rifle ?
- which material for the stock would you select?
- any suggestions about the barrel contour?
- would you consider a muzzle thread for a silencer and/or a muzzle brake?
- what dot-sight or scope would you mount?
-

Your suggestions and remarks would be well appreciated!
Thank you!

best regards
Rolf

PS: Ammunition will consist of handloads with Degol and Woodleigh bullets in 525grs and Kemira N165 with a muzzle velocity of ca. 680 - 700 m/s

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3DogMike
.400 member

Reged: 29/01/15
Posts: 1479
Loc: Western Slope, Colorado USA

Re: Dimens. & weight for a single shot .505 Gibbs [Re: Rolf]
#388918 - 16/01/25 03:32 AM

Hello Rolf,
I remember the Falling Block Works action!

The only things I can speak to would be to:
Suggest a finished weight of at least 11 1/2 lbs (5.21 kg). Yes, it could possibly be lighter, but why? Range shooting & not carrying for hours on a hunt so no need for an ultra light rifle.

A nice fairly dense straight grain walnut (quarter sawn with a little figure in the butt area) for a stock.

.500 NE, .505 Gibbs, .500 Jeffery, .500 AHR……..all are attention getting on either end.

I cannot remember, does the FBW action attach to the buttstock with a thru bolt or does it use bolts thru the tangs similar to double rifles or the Winchester 1885 High Wall?

- Mike

--------------------
"Will Rogers never met a fighter pilot"
- Anon

“Always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite, and furthermore always carry a small snake."
-- W. C. Fields

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Rolf
.333 member

Reged: 26/02/07
Posts: 409
Loc: Germany, Bavaria

Re: Dimens. & weight for a single shot .505 Gibbs [Re: 3DogMike]
#388919 - 16/01/25 05:18 AM

Hello Mike,

thank you for the weight information, I also planned a minimum weight of 5kg / 11 lbs.

The stock is fixed with a long bolt with a thread in the grip area.

The gunsmith who intended to finish the rifle sent also a rough piece of buttstock with a massive metal sheet (1/4" thickness) plate for the shoulder contact area.

For some reason I did not want to have this thing resting on my shoulder, even only for the first shot with the .505 Gibbs...

kind reagrds
Rolf

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Marrakai
.416 member

Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3638
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia

Re: Dimens. & weight for a single shot .505 Gibbs [Re: Rolf]
#388924 - 16/01/25 10:27 AM

I probably sound like a broken record (again!) but the critical aspect is really weight distribution. Sure, 11 lbs minimum weight is sensible, but it HAS to be concentrated between the hands.
A big heavy barrel to get the overall weight above 11 lbs is seriously counter-productive as the rifle will lose "liveliness" and will feel like a muzzle-heavy truck axle to shoot, and a log to carry.
Also, when a heavy barrel rises with recoil it gains momentum and the leverage from excess muzzle-mass will drive the comb into the shooter's face, significantly increasing felt recoil.
A heavy full-diameter breech-section of the barrel is crucial, followed by significant taper to the muzzle.
Look at the barrel profile of the current .500 Jeffery bolt-rifle, or better still the stepped-barrel profile of vintage Jeffery big-bore rifles (visible in the images of 458Win's and Claydog's rifles on this old thread).

...and as you indicate, Rolf, adding a heavy steel buttplate at the extremity of the stock to "balance" a muzzle-heavy barrel, is certainly not the answer!

With a single-shot, it is difficult to add weight to the centre third of the rifle, as you are limited by the action itself, and you don't have an extra pound of bungers in the box to "soften" the first shot. But choosing dense walnut, as Mike suggests, is a good start. Not sure about Euro suppliers, but Roger Vardy in Australia (who advertises on these forums) offers three densities in his stockwood to choose from: Light, Medium & Heavy. All stockwood suppliers should do this!

Edited by Marrakai (16/01/25 01:23 PM)

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