Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots What is the perfect SS action design

Mr. LRF;
While I have only played with a few single shots, most seriously a B-78 and a No. 1, I like the concept of a light weight drop block.

Is there a reason why the block behind the hammer and above the trigger pivot needs to be that large? I�m thinking of weight reduction is why I ask.

Could you make the entire bottom green section out of a lighter metal such as titanium or aluminum and then install bushings for the stress points? Again, this is likely not much return for the hassle, but again it might make it somewhat lighter.

The front recoil lug is interesting from an ease of bedding standpoint I�d think. I�ve bedded enough rifles over the years to see that a recoil lug such as your design would certainly bed more like a bolt action and less like a conventional drop block action. Would you bed it only on the barrel lug then and not touch the back of the action?

I would 2nd the notion that a small spur on the trigger guard would help the looks and ease of functioning as well.

At this point I�ll put in a shameless plug for the rifle being chambered for something like a .250 Savage or .257 Roberts for cool factor as well as slightly heavier bullets.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your design, it looks like it would be a cool project.

Regards,
Dwayne

IMO it is really difficult to beat the original coilspring Winchester 1885 High Wall, except by adding a through stock bolt and a forend hanger. Should also note that at least two custom High Walls have been built with one-piece stocks and there was an article years ago in American Rifleman on how to do it.

IMO it is really difficult to beat the original coilspring Winchester 1885 High Wall, except by adding a through stock bolt and a forend hanger. Should also note that at least two custom High Walls have been built with one-piece stocks and there was an article years ago in American Rifleman on how to do it.

By adding a through stock bolt and a forend hanger it sounds like it's getting closer to a # 1. Did the article say how much better the one piece stock shot vs the two piece stock.
S/S

I don't recall any mention of accuracy in the American Rifleman article which was from the 1940s or 50s. There was a drawing of the action alterations, I don't recall a photo of a completed rifle. My old issues are inaccessible right now so I can't give you a reference. There is a more extensive discussion in C.S. Landis, Woodchucks and Woodchuck Rifles, pp. 176-180, photo facing p. 163, of a .219 Farr Zipper with one piece cherry stock, 23" Buhmiller barrel fitted by Albert Hartung, Pomery, OH, stocked by Eric Farr, Packanack Lake, NJ. Rifle built for a Donald Tag. Very accurate. I traced this rifle to Delaware about ten years ago when it was owned by a gentleman, last named Sears, who at the time was the President of the Cast Bullet Ass'n. By that time it was a .30-30 and Sears said it was extremely accurate. Also, just last week I received a catalog from Goergen's Gun Shop, Austin, MN, no. 301A is a one piece stock HiWall which Goergen thinks is by Eric Farr and similar to the first rifle, mint bore, asking $2250. A heavy .219 Improved Zipper with, get this, 31" barrel.

I haven't received my Goergen's catalog yet, he always some neat stuff. A 219 Improved Zipper with a 31 " heavy barrel.
All I can say is WOW.
S/S

Vigillinus,
Any chance you can share the picture in his catalog? I can't imagine he would object to free advertisment.

Jim might be at the show in St Paul on Saturday, I will see if he has a copy.

Thanks for the information

BC30cal,
Thanks for the comments.
There is always room to improve and I would consider your ideas.

I might consider titanium but never aluminum (I think that would make it cheap. IMHO) Titanium is bitch to machine but it could be done.


This is a good question. I don't know. Any discussion from anyone?

Your choice of a .25 cal would be every bit as good as mine for a 6mm.

LRF, that rifle is not illustrated in the catalog.

LRF,

I applaud your ingenuity.

Since you asked for comment/critique on your "baby", I will offer mine. It appears the trigger is very far behind the breech. The result will be a scope mounted directly over the breechblock, which complicates loading. We all know the Ruger #1 has the same issue, but it looks like your design would be even "worse" in that regard.

I would also revisit the "connection" between the bridge and upper receiver. I like the longer bridge but the connection between the receiver and the bridge appears scant and rather weak. One suggestion is to leave a gusset between the recoil lug and the receiver, integral to the whole unit.

Definitely keep going with the design! There is always room for another good rifle design. Thanks for sharing yours with us.

-

I have had quite a number of single shots over the years. I like the Win Hi wall thick side but the fact is I believe its pretty hard to beat the Ruger no.1.....

Ray,
I have to agree, it's hard to improve on a # 1, I've taken all of mine apart many, many times trying to think of ways to improve on the action, I've come up with very few ideas on how to make it better than what it is, and the ideas I've had are minor, it just seems to be better than most others by a long shot, especially for a factory rifle under $ 1000.
S/S

Best way to improve the #1 would be for Ruger to make a smaller version of the action.

Bruce

Bruce,
I've thought about that, but that would not be improving the action, it would only make it smaller. I have # 1's in 22 LR, 218 Bee, 30/06, and 45/70. Yes the actions are all the same size but I like an action that will take at least a 1 inch barrel even in the 22 LR, for me anything smaller would feel or look like a kids rifle, and believe me I'm no kid. I don't have a problem with any of them as far as the size of the action goes, for me it's the right size as it is, in fact one of my minor ideas was to do something about the hanger so that a larger diameter barrel could be screwed on.
S/S

If the buttstock of a 2 piece rifle stock is connected to the action by a proper through bolt and the action has adequate bedding contact with it, it will cause no more accuracy problems than the best one piece stock. Single shots with buttstocks connected to the action by tang screws have always proved problematic.

The forend should ideally touch the barrel or the action, but not both. In most designs just connecting to the barrel and avoiding touching the action during firing is easiest. The foreend only has to clear the action by a few tenths of a thousanth when cold. It will increase when hot. A top break singleshot foreend need only contact the cocking lever in the action bar when opening and may clear the action entirely when closed. The Ruger's mainspring assembly is the main culpret in its problematic accuracy. If a No 1 shows poor accuracy, the various available foreend bedding remedies usually take care of things.

Martini's, later model Winchester/browning highwalls, and the better break action stalking rifles are all examples of good stocking strategies.