Crazy Rifle Idea

[epijunkie67]

I had an idea for a rifle and I thought I'd get some feedback from you guys about it.

I like the handling of a lever action but I also like the quick follow-up of a semi-auto so I thought "Why not both"? Kind of. My idea was to make a rifle with a tubular magazine like a lever action but use a semiauto action like the semiauto shotguns. In truth it seems like you'd just be miniturizing a semiauto shotgun to fire a bullet instead of shot.

The magazine tube would be fixed of course and you would still load it from the side mounted loading gate. I think something like this would be really popular in .357 or .44.

So whatcha think?

 

[Chipperman]

There are a lot of .22 semi autos that have tubular mags. The problem with tubular mags, as you know is the potential for detonation if spitzer bullets are used.

.22 usually load from the top of the tube, and shotguns load from under the receiver. I've never seen a semi auto rifle that loads from a gate the way you describe. I can't think of a reason it could not be done, except that the semi-auto action usually has more going on in the sides of the receiver. Having the whole right side open to allow loading may make the action design more difficult.

 

[db_tanker]

didn't the old browning 22's load under like a shotgun? I can't remember, so I might be showing my "ig-nant" side here.

D

 

[Vern Humphrey]

didn't the old browning 22's load under like a shotgun? I can't remember, so I might be showing my "ig-nant" side here.

D

The old Brownings had the magazine in the buttstock. There is a recess in the buttplate to allow you to grasp and pull out the magazine tube and a port in the wood of the stock to load through.

 

[sendtoscott]

You could get higher capacity than the 4 rounds the Ruger .44 auto allows (the original had a 5-shot tube mag) w/o worrying about rims in a box mag. Knox makes a drum conversion for tube-fed shotguns; how about a tube conversion that holds more than 4 for the Ruger .44?

 

[newfalguy101]

Its been done, sort of anyway.

One of JMB's early expriments was using a "Flapper" on the muzzle of a Winchester lever gun ( 1866?? I think).

Ok so it was a FULL AUTO gas operated gun but the idea is the same

 

[Rupestris]

Another problem would be the size of receiver needed for a semi-auto. The small reciever and balance of a lever gun would be dificult to reproduce.
If the follow up time is the biggest concern, I'd go with a pump-action. It should knock a little off cycle time.

Taurus offers this in .357/38 and .45LC.
Side loading gate
holds 14 rounds

 

[rudolf]

The Ruger Deerstalker was what yióu describe. 44Mag, Tube fed. Here's a picture:

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ammunition/fifty_101105/index1.html

 

[epijunkie67]

I can see the loading gate on the side causing a problem maybe, but I suppose we could switch to loading from the bottom. I'm sure the action would have to be a little more robust than a regular lever action but surely not much more than that. Not with modern metalergy anyway.

And yeah, I like the look of the pump action rifle. I was just wondering about something completely different. Or at least mostly different.