i am thinking of venturing into a sub carbine build.
legal OAL is 26" and min legal BBL length is 16".
very workable.
i already have a couple of tiny ruger bolt guns, so what im thinking of next is a single shot to eliminate the action length.
i might go w/ a NEF and trim from there. if i find it pleasant I may get a donor #1 or a TC frame and make a higher grade sub carbine.
what caliber would be best for a short tube thats also going to be fairly close to ones face. i mean, iv never used my eyebrows for anything that i know of, but, i'd like to keep them.
I hunt mainly whitetails and feral pigs.
I was considering something along the lines of a 35 remington or 358 win if i can find an NEF chambered as such.
i figure if i drop the BBL down to 16" and trim the LOP back to 12" i can have an OAL of 30" or so. perhaps less than 5 pounds. im thinking of a 9000L aimpoint as a sighting system or a fixed 4x post scope.

I am having trouble picturing what the finished product will look like, however, I have a Bushmaster Bullpup in 223 that works just fine!
Peter.

7mm BR.

Rich

i guess it would look like a rifle stock on a contender pistol.

I have no trouble imagining such short carbine. I have thought of making or having one made for myself. I had one of the NEF guns once, and didn't like it at all, and got rid of it quickly. The extractor was only part of its problems.

I think the action of choice for such a light & short carbine would have to be the TC G2 for me because it's affordable and durable. For those with the money, I'm sure there are other great and perhaps better actions. With the TC of course you can switch barrels.

You mentioned the 35 Remington or 358 Win, so I can assume that you want something with a little thump, and not some hot zinger small bore with a short barrel. Not counting wildcats, there's the 38-55, and the 375 JDJ. I doubt the 358 Win will work out in the G2 frame, but would be OK with the Encore, with a little more weight.

I have a G2 frame and stock, but just haven't gotten around to getting a barrel for it yet. I think any of the above mentioned cartridges would be good, plus consider the 30-30, which would be great for pigs and deer. In my short carbine, I want close to a full length stock, and a barrel no less than 18".

I really like the idea of a red dot scope. I tried my first one this year - aimpoint. It's the one that takes only one ring, has no magnification, 2moa dot. I put it on Mauser in 35 Whelen with a 19" barrel. I put the military flag safety back on the action, and really like the set up.

Some years backed I acquired a bubba'd 91 Argentine with a hack sawed, sewer pipe barrel and a chopped stock for next to nothing. I figured, what the hell, not much to lose here. At the time Sarco had some NOS carbine barrels for $20 or so. I bought one, trimmed it to 16 1/4" and screwed it on. Later on I added Remington front and rear sights, turned down the bolt handle and reshaped/refinished the stock. OAL is 36", 2" shorter than my M94 carbine. Both weigh in @ 6.5lbs. It's handy, accurate enough, and I don't find the muzzle blast objectional at all.

If you're looking for a .35 cal, consider the .357 maximum. With the barrel length you're discussing, it would have very little drop-off in performance from the .35 rem. You'd have to reload for it, but it's a very efficient chambering for a carbine like you're discussing. If I recall correctly, NEF used to chamber their guns in .357 mag and max. You may be able to find one.

gd

i also considered the 500 S&W in the NEF. all the published data I can find is for a 10" BBL so i can imagine that a 16" wouldnt be too bad for blast and report. plus there is the S&G factor.

If you could tolerate a bolt rifle, the m70wssm action takes the .500sw very well,and with a 16" tube would be a relative compact thumper....with magazine capacity!!

i already have a 16" BBL ruger SA. i could buy the same rifle in 358 or 338 SA and probably be as well off. i am looking to go below the carbine length and into the 30" and below zone.
the only way i see of doubg that is w/ a single shot 16" BBL and a shortened LOP.

Your location suggests you live in the USA.
I assume you can have (relatively easily) and hunt with a single shot pistol. So what is the attraction in this project?
A cheap single shot rifle with an expensive optic that is not intended for precision fire, to use close in. IMHO pointless.
Not having a go at you mate, but fair go!
Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by zzWop:
Your location suggests you live in the USA.
I assume you can have (relatively easily) and hunt with a single shot pistol. So what is the attraction in this project?
A cheap single shot rifle with an expensive optic that is not intended for precision fire, to use close in. IMHO pointless.
Not having a go at you mate, but fair go!
Cheers

a short rifle is easy to carry and swing on, a fast point shooting type red dot helps w/ running game. my purpose is to creat a rifle that i can hunt the thick stuff on windy days and not get hung up on briars and vines and when i have to take a quick shot i can. as far as caliber goes i want the ability to punch thru w/ a good size exit as to leave lots of blood.

Get a Ruger Frontier in 358 winchester ...

quote:

Originally posted by gumboot458:
Get a Ruger Frontier in 358 winchester ...

im thinking about that but i can make a single shot 4 " shorter than a frontier.

quote:

Originally posted by GD:
If you're looking for a .35 cal, consider the .357 maximum. With the barrel length you're discussing, it would have very little drop-off in performance from the .35 rem. You'd have to reload for it, but it's a very efficient chambering for a carbine like you're discussing. If I recall correctly, NEF used to chamber their guns in .357 mag and max. You may be able to find one.

gd

I agree with GD I think the 357 max would be one of the several good choices you cold make and you would have a good bullet selection as well.

If you used the encore frame you could get barrels from the custom shop in 460 or 500smith but if you went with the 357 max you cuold do that with a lighter G2 frame also notice on the custom shop website the 357 Bain&Davis might be a fun little round in a rifle and the will make a G2 barrel in that as well.

On SSKs website they show a contender barrel in a 50-70 that might also be something to consider if you wanted a thumper.

Ruger 358 or 338 federal in Frontier since you are not needing any long range capability it sounds like, but really for deer under 100, my little Marlin 357 spits 158 JSP at 2030-2050 with Lil Gun powder and you ought to see the destruction/explosion on a water filled 2 litre coke bottle or milk jug to 150 yds, I have no doubt it would be very good on deer to 100 if not 150.

Now I don't know what size hogs you are after, also there is the 41 and 44 version. All light, short, handle fast, but nothing wrong above with a TC carbine, in an efficient caliber, 357 or Max would be good, gun is very light, my former 223 was a VERY light rifle, yet shot dime to nickel size groups all day, old style TC w/adjustable trigger, but new models can be tweaked as well.

Sounds like you don't mind a single shot, and the break open TC is fairly quick to re-charge/reload if you need.

you knows I saw a pair of rifles assembled by a local gun smith acquaintence, that I am sure some of you boys would love...

He took a pair of Mini 30 Rugers, put an 18 to 20 inch stainless barrel on them, with a flash suppressor.. the contour was like heavy magnum...

then one was chambered in 6 BR and the other was chambered in 6.5 BR...

quote:

Originally posted by KSTEPHENS:

quote:

Originally posted by zzWop:
Your location suggests you live in the USA.
I assume you can have (relatively easily) and hunt with a single shot pistol. So what is the attraction in this project?
A cheap single shot rifle with an expensive optic that is not intended for precision fire, to use close in. IMHO pointless.
Not having a go at you mate, but fair go!
Cheers

a short rifle is easy to carry and swing on, a fast point shooting type red dot helps w/ running game. my purpose is to creat a rifle that i can hunt the thick stuff on windy days and not get hung up on briars and vines and when i have to take a quick shot i can. as far as caliber goes i want the ability to punch thru w/ a good size exit as to leave lots of blood.

This little project of minemaybe could inspire you.

Two moose taken so far this season and a 9,3mm Norma Oryx bullet puts them down nicely. The rifle packs plenty of punch for its size, even though it might be a little larger than you were seaching for.