Drop block
- Thread starter Jeepguy
- Start date
I haven't seen one here but a fellow over on The High Road posted pictures of two rolling block rifles that he made quite a few years back. Beefed them up so they'd handle some modern ammo. And there was a fellow over on Cast Boolits in the single shot rifle forum that had pictures of a falling block rifle he made. I asked about how he made the mortise in the receiver for the falling block and he replied that he hogged most of it out carefully with a long reach 3/8 end mill then finished the corners with files and care. I was a bit shocked at first but then I realised that when you're putting that many hours into something that a few hours over a couple of evenings, to let the arms recover 
, isn't that big a deal. And of course with files it's hard to remove too much too fast..... So it's not as bad an option as one might think.
, isn't that big a deal. And of course with files it's hard to remove too much too fast..... So it's not as bad an option as one might think.Which books you looking at?
I have both DeHaas' book and the one from Home Shop Machinist. They are very different oriented books!
It pretty much boils down to your patience level, and what you are willing to put in to a long term project.
Take a look if you have not already, on the homegunsmith forum and look over some of Alphawolf's builds. He has a pretty well equipped shop, and does a few things that seem un-intuitive, but he gets good safe results.
Cheers
Trev
I have both DeHaas' book and the one from Home Shop Machinist. They are very different oriented books!
It pretty much boils down to your patience level, and what you are willing to put in to a long term project.
Take a look if you have not already, on the homegunsmith forum and look over some of Alphawolf's builds. He has a pretty well equipped shop, and does a few things that seem un-intuitive, but he gets good safe results.
Cheers
Trev
I have built 4 of Frank Dehaas's designs 2 Vault locks 1 in 308 and 1 in 6mm benchrest and 2 0f his Chicopee designs 1 in 30/30 and one in 22rf. All you need is a mill, lathe, band saw, drill press and a lot of time. they all worked out real good and are my most accurate firearms. Here's some pics of the vault locks.
The Vault Lock and the Chicopee rifles can be found in Frank DeHaas' book titled Mr. Single Shot's Book of Rifle Plans. Brownell's used to carry it, may still. The plans were designed to be unlike any other actions out there, rather than copying anything, and were also designed to be made by a guy with a limited selection of tools and a lot of patience.
If you don't mind copying others, borrow the "Mr. Single Shot's" series of Single Shot rifle books (3 or 4 books, IIRC) from the public library and go nuts with a photocopier. About the simplest falling block action out there to copy, IMO, is the Falling Block Works one. It looks like a Winchester, at least superficially, but is quite a bit simpler internally.
The book on the Mueller action can be got from the publishers of Home Shop Machinist, Village Press.
If castings are more your thing, there are still a few outfits that will sell you sets to start from, but the selection is pretty limited. There was one outfit that was essentially a one man band, that had a very nice selection, but it caved, and it seems that very few of those casting kits made it out into the wild, as it were. But if you dig around, there are still (or were) sources for High Wall castings, Hepburn castings, Farquasons castings, and Sharps castings out there.
Nice work on the vault locks!
Cheers
Trev
If you don't mind copying others, borrow the "Mr. Single Shot's" series of Single Shot rifle books (3 or 4 books, IIRC) from the public library and go nuts with a photocopier. About the simplest falling block action out there to copy, IMO, is the Falling Block Works one. It looks like a Winchester, at least superficially, but is quite a bit simpler internally.
The book on the Mueller action can be got from the publishers of Home Shop Machinist, Village Press.
If castings are more your thing, there are still a few outfits that will sell you sets to start from, but the selection is pretty limited. There was one outfit that was essentially a one man band, that had a very nice selection, but it caved, and it seems that very few of those casting kits made it out into the wild, as it were. But if you dig around, there are still (or were) sources for High Wall castings, Hepburn castings, Farquasons castings, and Sharps castings out there.
Nice work on the vault locks!
Cheers
Trev
One of the books in my Library is Frank DeHaas' book titled " Mr. Single Shot's Book of Rifle Plans". I think it is still available and I built a .22 rifire using the "Chicopee" plans. I built a "Sharps type" of rifle for the .44 Magnum cartridge, using a Gunmetal Alloy casting, and actually took a Mule Deer with it.
I also scaled down a plan for a .50 BMG rifle to use a .300 Winchester Magnum barrel and a Browning BBR bolt I had on hand. There are quite a few plans and books out there if you spend a bit of effort on the Internet. Check E-Bay and Wolfe Publishing.
It is almost essential that you have either a milling machine or a metal shaper. I prefer the shaper myself, and have two 7 inch shapers that I use, along with a 10x36 Atlas Lathe. With the milling machine or shaper, you can get precise parts, parallel sides on breech blocks, and with a lot less effort.
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While some ordinary steel (SAE 1020 or similar) can be used for the .22 rimfire, it is much better to use a better grade for centerfire cartridges.
I also scaled down a plan for a .50 BMG rifle to use a .300 Winchester Magnum barrel and a Browning BBR bolt I had on hand. There are quite a few plans and books out there if you spend a bit of effort on the Internet. Check E-Bay and Wolfe Publishing.
It is almost essential that you have either a milling machine or a metal shaper. I prefer the shaper myself, and have two 7 inch shapers that I use, along with a 10x36 Atlas Lathe. With the milling machine or shaper, you can get precise parts, parallel sides on breech blocks, and with a lot less effort.
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While some ordinary steel (SAE 1020 or similar) can be used for the .22 rimfire, it is much better to use a better grade for centerfire cartridges.
Oy vey!
The problem with a mill in a drill is that the drill does not positively retain the mill against the loads imposed by cutting. It tends to spit it out at the most inopportune times! Usually to the detriment of the mill cutter, the work, and the hands of the guy operating the whole thing!
You can do a lot with a decent set of files, and a few hours behind a file will make you appreciate that. Good sharp files will move a bunch of metal a lot faster than most guys think these days, and it's a pretty nice quiet way to spend some free time.
I really would recommend a milling machine for some things though. But learn what can be done with chain drilling and files.
Cheers
Trev
Milling any sort of metal other than small aluminium parts in a drill press is a total failure. Do not even bother. The drill presses are simply not made to take side loads and the quills are simply not rigid enough. Been there, done that and gave up very quickly for anything other than some wood working mortising and VERY SMALL alloy parts for model airplane making.
Yeah, but there are still options available.
IIRC the Chickopee designs were pretty much designed around a drill press as the main 'machine tool', with artful use of a bench grinder and some simple jigs to make the moving parts mate up. In the same book as the designs for the Vault Lock series of rifles.
You can buy a lot of milling machine for less than the cost of a new rifle. Even more if you shop used, with some care.
And don't write off files as a loss either.
Or you can get a lathe and have at it that way, using the lathe to do the machining operations. Not as easy to do, but I know that it can be done. BTDT! Gotta have more patience than the average guy that learned machining with lots of horsepower at the push of a button though. Not that it matters much, as most of the work is in getting your head around how you are going to accomplish the cut, and how you are going to hold the part. The cutting is the least of your worries.
More than one way to skin that particular cat. If that does not please you as much, then grab a sketch book and play with designs. Figure out how to make them with what you have!
Cheers
Trev
