mini SXS rifle build

[Evanguy]

I’ve done many hours of work to the rifle but don’t have much to show for it. I disassembled it completely and cleaned it all then tried rust blueing it but the lazy way and just doing some hand sanding to clean up the old bluing. It clearly didn’t go well. So now I plan to bead blast every part and then actually slow rust blue it all.

After assembling it I was getting a failure to fire in the right barrel unless I cocked it twice and on the second shot it would fire, so I swapped the main springs first and that didn’t help so I changed hammers and then it would fire 100% of the time but the left barrel has a ftf 50% of the time, so I have now used 150 rounds of ammo and tried every combination of trigger, main spring and hammer I can think of. I’ve cleaned and lubed everything and made sure there was no rust or anything left in the receivers. I’ve spent way to much time just looking at it. The new plan it just to make a stronger spring for the left receiver. But first, I am going to anneal the main spring I have and bend it more, heat red and oil quench, then temper it at a lower temp and try that

The butt stock is now done and at the Chilliwack gun shot in Nov im going to find something to use as a butt plate for it. Then once the ftf in the left barrel is fixed ill label all the parts and then rust blue them.

 

[Potashminer]

Looks very innovative, Evan - as far as your fail-to-fire - not certain that the hammer acts directly on the cartridge - I think there is a firing pin in between - on a Stevens Favourite that I received - the "home made" firing pin fell out in two pieces once I removed various pins that held the breech block in there - took some time for a replacement to show up - but I never had tried to fire it, so I do not know if that could cause mis-fires or not. With the new replacement firing pin in it, I have fired it several dozen times, using CCI Quiet ammo.

 

[tiriaq]

You'll get the misfiring problem sorted out.
In addition to this being a really interesting project, it also shows that it is possible and practical to make a replacement barrel for a Remington Model 6.

 

[Evanguy]

The hammers sit directly on the firing pins on these rifles. They are about 15mm long total 1 piece. If you look at the first post, pics 14 and 15 you can see the back end of the firing pins. Here is a pic of the pins I've made so far. They are made of 4mm annealed drill rod then heated red hot and oil quenched. I used a diamond stone to move the edges a bit back trying to get more protrusion although that isn't my issue.

 

[Ardent]

Too fun, how’s it regulating on the first crack as assembled? I’ve got a neat steel buttplate that’s yours if you want, that will likely work. Can just mail it to you, see if it can be made to fit.

I’ve found a pretty smooth finish necessary to get good rust bluing results as a side note, as the carding makes a rough finish prior to rusting and boiling look uneven.

 

[Evanguy]

Well ill let the pics do the talking, this is a 10 round group all aimed at the same place, (the middle of the white paper) they were shot off hand at a measured 30'. blue is the right barrel black is the left barrel. i think ill leave them there for now, my aim is farther off then barrels are. also the rear sight seems a bit far back, its quite blurry but i think its manageable and ill just need to get use to it.
that white paper is about 2" by 2"

Ardent, ill take you up on the butt plate if it can be made to fit, the butt stock is 1.5" wide at the widest and 4.5" tall where the place screws on

 

[Potashminer]

Well ill let the pics do the talking, this is a 10 round group all aimed at the same place, (the middle of the white paper) they were shot off hand at a measured 30'. blue is the right barrel black is the left barrel. i think ill leave them there for now, my aim is farther off then barrels are. also the rear sight seems a bit far back, its quite blurry but i think its manageable and ill just need to get use to it.
that white paper is about 2" by 2"

...

That thing about rear sight being "too far back" is NOT going to get easier to accommodate as your eyes get older - as I got older, as if my arms got shorter - can not get most things "far away" enough to see any more ... But, probably too late in my lifetime, I discovered rear aperture sights - they seem to work MUCH better up close to my eye, than barrel mounted "open" sights, anymore.

I still find them a bit "un-nerving" to use, after a "life time" of lining up a front and rear "open" sight. As per a former United States Marine - just look through the aperture - focus on the top of the front sight - let physics take care of alignment - do not consciously try to "help" it - is "nothing" for you to "line up", except target and that front sight. Apparently "light physics" says that the only point that you will have clearest, sharpest focus on that front sight tip, is when you are looking through dead centre of that rear aperture - so let it go and do its thing - it does work!!

 

[Ardent]

Buttplate’s yours and covers that, shoot me an address in a pm and I’ll send it tomorrow. The regulation looks good to me.

 

[MiG25]

Not sure what you are using for ammo, but I always found that Federal was the most prone to FTF.

 

[Evanguy]

Potashminer, I had a feeling it wouldn't get better for me haha. A peep sight is really awesome to use. I have a Lee Enfield no1 22 trainer that has a Parker Hale peep sight. I actually love it but fined it looks out of place of a hunting rifle. I'm not sure why though. Maybe something smaller and less elaborate would look the part. I've seen Mausers with peep sights before they looked good

Ardent, pm sent.

Mig25 I'm using CCI "target" 22 shorts 1080fps 29gr. I have a few hundred now and plan to buy 1000 more next ammo order I do.

 

[MiG25]

Do Federal and CCI primed cases come from the same factory?

 

[Potashminer]

Potashminer, I had a feeling it wouldn't get better for me haha. A peep sight is really awesome to use. I have a Lee Enfield no1 22 trainer that has a Parker Hale peep sight. I actually love it but fined it looks out of place of a hunting rifle. I'm not sure why though. Maybe something smaller and less elaborate would look the part. I've seen Mausers with peep sights before they looked good

...

I personally found that much of the "ugliness" or "clumsiness" looking on them was related to ability to "adjust" - once set up, I seldom touch them - so much of that "adjustability" is extraneous for me any more. I do have a "thing" - I think is a Parker Hale aperture sight - PH16 (?) - that is "welded" (?) to rear end of a Mauser 98 cocking piece. I am working on a 7x57 Mauser rifle that I intend to use that with - likely will take some fussing to get a front sight ramp set to correct height and windage, but I do not intend for much "adjustability" - is likely that one will only ever see my hand loaded 175 grain Hornady Round Nose Interlock bullets - so my intention is for that one load - set for about 150 meters or so.

I recently acquired a push feed Model 70 Winchester in 6.5x55 - decent looking I think - a few things to take care of - again, I have a stock of 156 grain Round Nose PPU bullets for it - I installed a Williams aperture sight on the scope base holes on the rear bridge - to me, it looks okay.

ERROR: 7-Nov-2023 - is a Parker Hale "Sportarget" aperture sight welded to that Mauser cocking piece - the PH 16 is on a BRNO No. 1.

 

[Evanguy]

Do Federal and CCI primed cases come from the same factory?

Honestly I have no idea but potentially.


And potashminer that is a good point you make. A very simple aperture sight would be ideal. And thinking back the ones I've seen and liked where nothing more then a little hoop on a small post and just elevation adjustable by turning it.

I may still make a new sight mount and move the rear sight 3' ahead.

I also have a butt plate on its way from Ardent, it may be there now but I have a few other parts being sent so I'll wait for them to add up before i boat over to the post office and pick them up. I have 2x 577 barrels on the way for another project.......

 

[Evanguy]

i got some more work done on this rifle, i blued the barrel the most ghetto why possible, it turned out alright, i wouldnt suggest anyone use that method though (i believe a good can of spray paint could have turned out better).

made a new rear sight base to move the rear sight 2.5" ahead, raised it 0.040", so that should help with it shooting low, it looks better and is no longer blurry


The butt plate probably sitting in Gibsons for me now, once my .577 barrel is delivered ill go pick both them up.

once the butt plate is installed the rifle will be finished with the exception of needing to make a stronger main spring for the left receiver.

 

[Gatehouse]

Evanguy, you always are doing interesting stuff.

Well done, it's cool.

 

[a j cave]

I love both threads you have going on builds. This looks like fun and I could see using it in the gopher pasture. Your Lee speed inspired build is a thing of beauty and skill. I have neither! Thanks for posting .

 

[Evanguy]

ohh i never did update this thread with pics of the butt plate, that was the last thing that needed to be done. ill take some tomorrow and post it

I fixed the ftf in the right barrel and with that new rear sight mount it shoots the correct elevation with no leaves flipped up at 30'

 

[The Kurgan]

I echo the sentiment. A really cool build indeed!! I wish I had a fraction of your skills and patience.

 

[OkayShooter]

Very cool.

 

[Evanguy]

ok so this rifle is finally done, well, actually i can't say that yet. but It's 99% done, i need to cold blue or peroxide blacken a little spacer. just on the top and bottom that sit between the receivers in the back.

but today after finally organizing my shop and setting it up as i want it i did quite a bit of work finishing this rifle.

i soldered the front sight ramp on and timed the screws
cleaned up the solder on the underside between the barrels
tightened up the leaf's on the rear sight
cupped (ball nose endmill) the visible part of the spacer between the rear of the receivers
made new trigger springs with more of a bend to allow for the adjuster screws
installed set screws that adjust the trigger weights and at the same time increase main spring tension / pilot point

adjusted the butt plate from Ardent to fit the butt stock, oil blackened it and installed it.

set the first trigger (right side) to 3 pounds pull and the second trigger (left side) to 5 pound, so when firing it is very east to shoot right then left

I'm so excited this is one of the very few projects I've finished, I'm terrible for getting though 80 percent of a project and then starting a new one, never to finish the final 20 percent. that's why i post on line so, it keeps me accountable for the projects i start and keeps me motivated.

next project ill be back onto is the classic sporting rifle build. I've already built a sweat box for rust bluing

So it turns out the link on the first post of this thread for where I got the walnut blank doesn't work, and I cant edit as the new version of the site only allows 11 photos and there are 15 photos in the first post so there is no way to save the edit without deleting pics.

Here is the link to the thread on the walnut blanks
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/cutting-logs-for-rifle-stock-blanks-today.2248223/

some specs on the rifle are

7 pounds bang on
OAL 32.5"
barrel length 18 3/8"
LOP 13.25"
chambered in 22 short
regulated for 29gr bullet at 1080fps