“So what is the strongest action ever?”
I do not know, it is boring to discuss the topic, most common answer is “Ackley welded the barrel shut etc. etc.”, “...and could not blow ‘it’ up...”.
Forget the action, I want the cases, if the action did not blow up, was not rendered scrap or did not swarm some credit should be given to the case.
Most have never seen a Model 38 or Model 99 in parts and pieces, I was being told the strongest action in the world was the Japanese Model 38 and 99, I handed the person telling the story a model 38 and 99 action then asked him how the two actions would compare with the ‘Strongest action in the world”. He responded by critiquing the front receiver ring, “Look!! The front receiver ring is cut more than half way through from front to back” The Model 38 has a huge extractor cut, tall, wide and long, so much for ‘more’ metal.
Then there is the barrel stub, the chamber goes from the stub to the barrel, forget the tapper. a small group of gun types in FT. Worth, TX. made an attempt to destroy a M1917, they got tired and bored, they loaded up a case to the maximum (capacity) with pistol powder, pulled the trigger, the rifle held together until the bullet got about 1 foot from the muzzle at which point the barrel took on the appearance of ram horns. They hung the rifle on the wall for all gun enthusiast to see, I have no clue where the rifle is today.
In attempt to help a friend zero his rifle a ‘too eager’ shooter purchased new ammo and with the rifle went to the range, after he fired the first round he found himself at a gun shop in N. Texas, as the SMITH tells the story, the ‘too eager’ shooter was going to sue everyone. Hours later the Smith ask the shooter about the ammo, the shooter had a receipt and a box of 19 unfired rounds, the Smith ask him if he checked the markings stamped on the barrel before he purchased the ammo. Anyhow, the rifle was chambered to 25/06, the ammo purchased was 308 Winchester, then came the speculations as in “I bet that bullet was 3” long before it got down the barrel”.
I personally do not care, my opinion, the only way the bullet could get longer would require the bullet to be pulled out the barrel, not pushed, in my opinion the bullet was turned inside out, the lead core went first then came the jacket. The Smith checked the rifle, charged the man and then returned it with warnings, do not be ‘too eager’.
Anyhow, forget the receiver, I want the same cases that were used in the/an attempt to blow up the rifle.
The only discussion I have been involved in that included the phrase “Strongest action in the world” that was not boring was with a smith in Hawaii.
F. Guffey
