Junk gun to repurpose, SBR, or caplock pistol?

[WestKentucky]

I have an old junk hawken style carbine 50 cal. It was a throw in on a deal years ago and was total junk when I got it. The last 8 or 10 inches of the muzzle were scaling off flakes of rust, so I decided to cut the rifling out and ream it to be a smoothbore 24 ga front stuffer. Broke too many bits trying to gut the rifling out of the barrel. Pretty sure a chunk of drill bit is friction welded in it now...but I still have a good 10 to 14 inches of barrel left. I know it's gonna throw fireballs, and wearing leather will be a must if I Essentially SBR it. (Not NFA since it's a front stuffing caplock replica). The other thought is to make a new stock and try it as a caplock pistol. If I do the SBR route I realistically am doing a cut and crown job and making a new sight. If I don't like it I could always make a new stock later. Is there any reason not to just cut and crown? Seems like a really fun range toy for essentially no money.

The rifle is modern enough that I have found its specs. It was sold with documentation saying it was good for conicals over 100 gr of powder. I think that would be too much. I use pyrodex and 777. I'm thinking start around 30 grains and bump up to wherever I see fit based on fireball control and recoil from such a light piece. At least it's not a crescent butt plate.

Input will be appreciated... And before anyone asks, I don't recall the model right off hand. I think it was a store branded cheapo to begin with. Cabellas seems right. I found it today in my scrap pile and figured now is a good time to bring it back to life.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Why not just put a new barrel on it?

Sorry, but a caplock rifle cut that short doesn't sound very useful or particularly fun, and would probably make for a bad handling mess of a "pistol" as well.

 

[WestKentucky]

Not worth the cost of a new barrel to me. It's either one of these options or to the chopsaw. Everything is functional but shows hard use. The wood is far from perfect but has no cracks, so with worthless wood and worthless barrel I have worthless gun. Even if it's wasted time I'm not losing anything by chopping on it. Only room in this venture to gain a range toy. Can't see it ever being anything more.

 

[rodwha]

Either seems worthwhile to me.

I have a Lyman Deerstalker and have toyed with the idea of a .54 cal barrel shortened to 16-18" for use as a brush gun for hogs.

 

[WestKentucky]

That would certainly be a interesting hunt. I'm still scared of hogs though. I will not hunt them without having a speedy backup shot...lever gun or handgun. Semiauto rifle would be an option for me if I had one up to the task but I don't trust .223 either. I will probably start playing with it tomorrow, so I will start a thread on it. Wish my rotary vise was here so I could crown on the mill but no such luck. That will be the last step though so I can wait a few days for that last bit.

 

[rodwha]

I have a healthy respect for hogs myself. I have a bullet design for my ROA/Remington NMA for a 245 grn bullet that I might have redesigned that's meant for hogs that has a nice wide meplat.

Usually they run in any other direction so I feel the odds aren't too bad. But then I've only killed one so far and he was planted with both shoulders smashed.

 

[Ironhand54]

Sounds like the makings for a blanket gun to me.

Iron hand

 

[Blackpowdershooter44]

Ironhand, now that is awesome!
Did you cut it down yourself?

 

[WestKentucky]

Went pretty quickly. And I'm repurposing bits from the stub.

Cut it back to where the drill bit was stuck. Not friction welded, just jammed really tight. That put it about 2 inches forward of the stock which is coincidentally exactly what I was hoping for. The ramrod holder was dovetailed in on a dovetail the same size as the old sights were...sights were missing so drifted that bad boy out and installed it up top. Feels great and is really really quick to target. I'm not so sure I will change the setup because I really like it as is. I may add a shotgun bead if I do anything at all. I see no real use for sights at this time. Maybe later, but not right now. Barrel is around 13 inches

 

[Ironhand54]

Shooter 44

It's not mine. Whish it was. Just a photo to illustrate the idea.

Ironhand

 

[4v50 Gary]

Short barrel, take down rifle. Break apart at the wrist. That would be unique.

 

[plumberroy]

I have an old CVA St Louis Hawkens I cut to 16 in reshaped the stock that shoots decent
Roy

 

[kBob]

Looks like I waited to late, but Looks like you cut about like I would have suggested.

A couple of us were recently discussing "Buggy Rifles" which were shortened rifles with lightened stock meant for tossing under the seat of a buggy.

I would consider putting sights on this thing rather than that ram rod pipe. I would also be tempted to do a cut out on the stock as many buggy rifles were so made. Think a triangular hole in the stock all rounded and neat.

When you first mentioned SBR I immediately had an image of a shortened Hawken barrel and lock with a pistol grip and an M-4 stock and a forward pistol grip.....as I had just started a late supper this was a problem.

Actually some of the original Buggy Rifles were pistol gripped......

-kBob

 

[rodwha]

I'd be curious to know what a max charge might be now that it's that short. Maybe 2/3 the original charge before it blows unburned (how this happens I don't understand when you notice the fireball exiting the muzzle) powder.

I'm also curious how well it handles recoil.

Oh, and I second the addition of proper sights unless you were to bore it smooth.

 

[WestKentucky]

I will give it a workout next weekend. Original max charge was 100 gr. I doubt I go anywhere near that. I'm figuring 70 or 75 gr max under a conical. Probably 50 or 60 under PRB. I want to give it a whirl with shot too though. I'm not trying to cut rifling out ever again. Learned my lesson. This is the saved results of that experiment. I need to do a little more touch up with the cold blue from vice marks and old scars too. this might just be the new truck gun, I think I can hide it well enough. I would be nervous about caps and powder though. I will certainly be making some cool stuff for it though.

 

[WestKentucky]

The cut chunks.

I forgot a before picture, but this will do. The drill bits came in 3 packs, so I used one to estimate my first cut. Made 2 more cuts to get past the stuck bit. I'm really really happy with it. Just plum tickled to be honest.

 

[PainlessWolf]

Good morning, West Kentucky,
That thing looks like fun! I got hit by a mental 'poink' tho', looking at it. How hard would it be to add a barrel band up front or some front stock hardware in blued or brass to finish it off?
regards!

 

[desidog]

If it were mine, I'd chop the barrel about 3-4" ahead of the nipple, to make a roomy sub-chamber, and use a 1.75" ID brass pipe to make a golf-ball launching brass barreled thump gun. Maybe a long ladder rear sight too.

 

[WestKentucky]

Painless, I've been thinking (daydreaming) about it today at work and I was thinking the same thing. The wedge is tight but not as tight as I would like so a barrel band is certainly an appropriate aid in holding the barrel in place. I was even thinking about how hard it might be to make a bayonet lug at the same time but decided against that. I know I will be putting some leather on it, and a brass cap box but not sure what else is in order. Probably will put sights on it too. Dovetail mills aren't cheap though and so far I'm good at busting endmills. I might port it...never seen a ported front-stuffer but seems like it would serve the same purpose here as on a smokeless gun.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Pretty cool little carbine you've got going there, OP.

 

[WestKentucky]

She's getting sights. Slings sabots around like crazy but shoots conicals really well. It's a ball to shoot too. Loading felt good at about 50 gr so I didn't go any higher. This little joker rolls smoke and thunder more than I would have ever guessed.

Went to war with an old dishwasher...with sabots it won the battle, but with conicals I won the war. At 10 yards with my quick-tang I was shooting a 4 inch group. I'm sure it will do better with proper sights.

 

[ofitg]

If it were mine, I'd chop the barrel about 3-4" ahead of the nipple, to make a roomy sub-chamber, and use a 1.75" ID brass pipe to make a golf-ball launching brass barreled thump gun. Maybe a long ladder rear sight too.

Those hand mortars really steal the show!

 

[Panzerschwein]

Those hand mortars really steal the show!

The original M79 grenade launcher!!