My latest creation

[tark]

Here's a couple of bad pics of my latest creation, a single shot .38 SPL pistol. I made everything on the gun except the barrel and the screws. It is a falling block/rolling block hybrid. I proofed it with a box of 357 magnum factory loads. ( All fifty). Nothing on the gun has been heat treated, although the breech block and hammer are 4140. All load bearing surfaces are generous in size and that seems to be enough.

It doesn't shoot exceptionally well, although 2-3" at 25 yards is well enough to be entertaining. I have put a couple thousand rounds through it and everything seems to be holding up well. The headspace is unchanged from new.

Making your own gun is a lot more satisfying that buying one.

 

[bannockburn]

tark

Very cool! Impressive piece of engineering and manufacturing on your part. Definitely has a kind of steam punk look about it.

 

[MikeJackmin]

Very nice.

I'm surprised it's not more accurate. Perhaps the hammer fall is disturbing the aim?

 

[tark]

It probably is, Mike. Rolling block type actions have a lock time that can only be describes as " at a glacial pace". All springs on the gun are coil, but this is only because I don't know how to make a flat spring! A more likely explanation is this: The piece of barrel blank I used was unmarked. I didn't which end was the breech end. That is very important, blanks are marked because pushing the bullet the wrong direction in the bore usually results in poor accuracy. And that's probably what is happening here.

 

[jaguarxk120]

Many guns today use coil springs, it is just how much pre load is on the spring.

As far as the barrel, check the twist rate, might be totally wrong for the bullet you are using.

 

[Howard Roark]

Outstanding! I love to see projects like tis.

 

[TRX]

It's finished *and* it shoots. That's 100% better than most of my gun projects!

Lookin' good!

 

[Barry the Bear]

Pretty sweet, reminds me of the encore series of handguns.

 

[tarosean]

Definitely cool..

 

[rskent]

Now that’s impressive!

 

[Apple a Day]

Very cool!

 

[LoneGoose]

I agree. Anyone who can conceive a project and then work it to successful completion has my respect.

 

[Panzerschwein]

VERY nice! I want one!!

 

[oldbear]

Very nice, it's kinda ala Thompson Contender looking. I assume it is single shot?

 

[Jim Watson]

Did you make drawings?
I would be interested to see how you hybridized a rolling block and falling block.