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Just sharing a little info on a type of side-by-side double rifle that I've dreamed about for many years, but am now finally doing something about it.

I've toyed with the idea of having a .22 LR rimfire double rifle custom built for me on a small-frame, small-gauge (preferably .410) shotgun. At present, I am looking for a suitable, older, higher-grade shotgun--preferably American-made--but a nice British, Scottish or European double of comparable frame/gauge size and quality would certainly be considered. And for this project, I am not interested in simply having rifle inserts placed inside the shotgun tubes, although I know that it would certainly be less expensive to do so.

Instead, I want it to have two fully-rifled barrels of nice, slim tapered profile and topped off with multiple-leaf, express-type open sights. In overall appearance, I want it to look just like a dangerous-game "express" double rifle, but proportionally scaled down for the .22 rimfire caliber.

When I find the shotgun of suitable quality, frame size and gauge or bore--and, of course, with solid, reliable lockwork--then the condition of the shotgun barrels will dictate how the project proceeds.

If the shotgun barrels are damaged beyond easy repair and unsalvageable, they'll then be cut off just ahead of the monoblock and a new set of rifled barrels will be fitted to the monoblock. This will require the firing pins to be bushed to be able to fire the .22 rimfire cartridge.

On the other hand, if the shotgun barrels are in good, safe shooting condition, I'll then have my custom builder take the exact dimensions of the frame and barrels--and have him make up a completely new monoblock from scratch--thus, having a very nice double with two sets of barrels: one in shotgun; one in .22 rimfire.

Then, of course, the builder will have to regulate the barrels for me using one specific rimfire load of my choosing and (one hopes) the regulating wouldn't turn out to be too much of a long, drawn-out problem. I'd be looking to get point-of- impact (POI) as close as possible at about the 50-yard range. We'll see. If this first project rifle goes well, I'll be considering having the same thing done in .17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, regulated for a close POI at about the 100-yard mark.

As to WHY I'd want such a rifle? Because--FOR ME--I'd have a blast shooting and hunting with it! That's why. Do I really need it? No. And I'm sure some of my other rimfire rifles, especially the higher-grade bolt-actions, would most definitely yield tighter groups, but that's okay.

So for now, I am presently in communication with two very experienced gunbuilders here in the U.S., both of whom have extensive experience in such double-shotgun-to-double-rifle conversions. Now... to find the right candidate-gun for conversion!

Regards,

"Lightning Twice"

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"Speak softly, but carry a big stick... and know how to use it."

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