Rook Rifle project

[Evanguy]

i ended up modifying the die and chamber.
with the new die the steps for making brass now is just
-cut to 24mm
-run the brass full depth in "side 2" of the die
-trim to 22.1mm and chamfer.

i no longer need to neck ream or turn the brass, the new chamber fits the .223 bullet and 0.020" x2 neck thickness

and to resize the fired brass i can just run them thought the same die

i have 5 rounds with primers in them i plan to fireform the cases, (they are the older style with smaller necks, made before i changed the die and chamber)

i plan on using jacketed bullets for the 22 hornet (40gr)

I have a loaded dummy round, its the revised style (so as they all will be from now on), 40gr flat base jacketed soft point. passes the "plunk test"
over all length is 30.5mm / 1.200"
brass length is 22.1mm / 0.870"
(i could use a crimping die, to soften the edges of the mouth but its a single shot break action so it would feed fine)

the shoulder is a bit sharp still but it chambers so i want to compared it to a fired formed brass to see how it looks once the die is being used to resize opposed to forming the brass

I'm not sure what i going to call this little round yet but the metric name for it would be 5.7x22mmR
I'm disappointed the name "two twenty rook" is used already

 

[Evanguy]

i ended up making a new firing pin, after i made some black powder blanks to test out the pin was hitting the whole primer and spreading out the impact to much and it would take 2 or 3 cocks to fire. with the new pin they first first time every time. if i get primers backing into the firing pin hole I'm going to install a bushing in it and reduce its size to 0.065"

i also made a rear sight for it. its just a simple standing rear blade. its brass, if i find it too light i can darken/ age it. fits the size of the gun nicely. the front sight in the pics happens to be the theoretical correct height so i plan to install that soon and se where its shooting, then ill make a front sight with the same size dovetail and correct height or possibly the same height.

I'm going to the mainland this Monday, I plan on stopping at Cabela's to pick up some small pistol primers, small rifle primers also a box of .223" 40gr flat base jacketed bullets. possibly a bag of 22 hornet brass, but if not i have 15 made cases now i can test it with.

 

[DGY]

Man I wish I had the knowledge to tackle stuff like you do!! That is so frickin awesome! But I know that if I had that knowledge(tools and knowledge) I would never be satisfied and would always start something new, I would have to quit working and ask my wife to find a second job… so in the end I’m happy I don’t have the knowledge…

 

[Evanguy]

Man I wish I had the knowledge to tackle stuff like you do!! That is so frickin awesome! But I know that if I had that knowledge(tools and knowledge) I would never be satisfied and would always start something new, I would have to quit working and ask my wife to find a second job… so in the end I’m happy I don’t have the knowledge…

Welcome to my life. I have hundreds of projects about 75-90% done, the finish work is the hard part. some days I honestly think it's curse. But the days I actually finish a project it's a great feeling.

 

[DGY]

Welcome to my life. I have hundreds of projects about 75-90% done, the finish work is the hard part. some days I honestly think it's curse. But the days I actually finish a project it's a great feeling.

Well I’m the same way, not in machining/gunsmithing, but carpentry/fine woodworking… I got diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago… like I didn’t know it!

 

[keith mokry]

If I had the skills and machines I would probably wind up making licence plates for the government

 

[Evanguy]

If I had the skills and machines I would probably wind up making licence plates for the government

Luckily I'm into old obsolete Cartridges in single shots/doubles.

 

[Evanguy]

I finally got back to this rifle to try some loaded ammo in. It didn't go the worst but wasn't ideal.

2 of the rounds won't chamber due to the neck diameter so I'll probably neck turn all the brass, the chamber neck is .260" and the loaded brass measures .258-260" so if I turn all the necks down 0.005 I'm sure it will be fine.

Also one of the primers pierced, the gun handled it just fine a nothing really noticable happened.

But the other 5 worked perfectly and extracted like an unfired case does

I think I'm going to bush the firing pin hole and also bump up the pressure a bit. The primers were backing out into the firing pin hole as seen in the pics.

I was working with around 13,200psi using 2400. I used 3.4 grains, I had some unburned power in the barrel so I think it needs more pressures. The main concern for loading with faster powders is the muzzle pressure since it's such a long barrel. I'm working with around 680psi, that's real low and can cause a stuck bullet. So faster powders have muzzle pressures of like 350psi.

I've added a pic of a small selection of powders that may at this pressure, they are sorted by muzzle pressure.

I'm going to see about getting a quick load printout for 2400 and this round listed power charge vs Pressure.

With the firing pin hole bushed I wouldn't think anything of going to 18k psi and that's still lower pressure then a 22LR.

I managed to shoot my shooting crony the other week so I don't have a way to send bullet speed yet. But it did go through 5 2x6 and get caught in the 6th, not that, that means anything lol

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[Evanguy]

I made a new hing pin for the rifle, it's over sized and also screws into a counter bore on the thread side opposed to bearing the weight/forces on the thread. The action feels a lot tighter, smoother, seem like it closes and locks up better. Feels like a whole new gun. There was some play in it before when the action was open. Now there is none at all.

I still need to make a front sight and cut a dove tail for it, also bush the firing pine hole and make a new firing pin with a 0.060 tip on it

 

[lpel]

That is amazing work and a fantastic project. I admire your patience and skills. Both of which I’m lacking. Certainly wish I had your ability to play

 

[Evanguy]

^^Thanks


I ended up getting the firing pin bushed. I used a grade 8 bolt for the material, really tough metal. I had to make a new firing pin, also a new firing pin retainer screw.

The bushing has 12.7mm flange and the rest is tapped M10. The firing pin is 4mm dia with the tip at 0.065", it has 0.058" protrusion, it has a rebounding hammer and the pin sits 0.005" inside the breach face.

I'm really happy with how it turned out, I'm also going to buy a chronograph so I can see what type of velocity I'm getting as I add more powder.

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