Jeffe, on another thread you stated you had built a .22 on a JC Higgins action and that it was capable of firing either Short, Long or Long Rifle cartridges. Could you please describe the action modifications required to accomplish this feat? Do you have to unscrew one chamber and screw in the next to change cartridge? Better yet could you post some pictures of the magazine, rails, bolt stop, ejector, front, and rear receiver rings. If you cannot/do not want to post them here email them to me at: Pecos45@foolsnet.com

Thanks,
Pixel45

Pecos,
This is one of the simpler changes I can think of,,,, as it's just like making an enfield into a single shot bmg... one just cuts the barrel for headspace, in this off the rim... and leave it finger tight... see, that way, with another .010 clearence, you can accomodate the wildest rim thickness you can imagine... even my swagged down 41 egyptian-to-22-jeffe works, but I am loosing about 45% of the brass during resizing.. I learned to take the seating stem out of the die, before swagging them down, as then rimfire's tend to overheat of you do them too fast, and goes off....
But back to the fingertight headspace on the 22 LR,L,22,short, and even CB gallery caps. If you machine a krag cocking piece on the jc higgens (i prefer the sears brand, but it was the only thing I could extorht from my friend at work, that I saw dorking the boss) you can simply arc weld the bolt closed, to eliminate the possibility that the bolt might move, impacting headspace timing. Then, you cut the threads, at least, .015" past where the shoulder was. This allows for perfect engagement of the rim, thereby insuring perfect headspace, no matter how thick the rim. Yes, it's esstenially now a singleshot, but with the noise and recoil of the might 22LR, who doesn't need a break between shots?
I found that the higgins stock, being of a rather hard spruce or fir, it a great candidate for adding weight. Since it was so thin in the wrist, We experiemented with a hot glue gun, and fishing weights. I felt that since the rifle was at 6.5# prior to my modifications, I knew that my wrists could handle AT LEAST another 9 oz. In practice, I find the 7# and up rifles to be too heavy for an all day carry, and, seriously, who needs the extra knockdown past the daisey red rider? I tired, at first, to glue these to the wrist, but just 2 1oz weights made the grip too thick for me to even contemplate the recoil with a 1/2 grip.
At the range, I keep a 4" pipe wrench in my tool belt (which also keeps my butt crack from showing, most of the time) as after the offensive blast and recoil for 4 to 8 LRs, the barrel is far too hot for my sensitive trigger fingers. I just grab the barrel, lean on the handle of the pipe wrench, after ensuring that that 7+lbs bench monster is well sandbagged, to prevent it from falling, and turn that barrel the whole 6# of torque that I twist it down between letting that rimfire roar. I keep my dad's spit can around, to dunk the chamber in, as I am rather nervous about the latent heat from the last round.

I have found, for anything less than serious practice, the CB "cap" Gallery ball is an acceptable level of recoil, as long as I wear my past recoil shield, and screw in the muzzle brake. The blast, however, even with the "quite brake" (it REALLY is quiter than no brake.. REALLY) is still intolerable, and I am working up to 11 rounds in one session, or 2 sessions a week, of 6 round each.. but the gun IS 7+lbs, and it's taking it's toll on my carrying it too and from the bench.

it was a nice thing, to find out that the threads I cut on the barrel with my dad's rigid pipe threader, matched the ones I bored into the reciever!!!

Jeffe
(DO NOT FOLLOW THIS "ADVICE")

If anyone knows a better way of doing this, please step right up... be sure to have the serial number off the smelter that forged the barrel, and the power hammer than pressed the rest of the gun. After all, if you don't have your basic facts, how could you be a gunsmith?

Thanks, Jeffe. I have done most of what you suggest on other DGR's that I own but was not sure if these same methods would apply to this .22 Long project I am building.

A few other questions have "popped up" since my original post:

1. Do you prefer Fuji or Kodak for your "Muzzle Flash Bulbs?"

2. I took the trigger assembly apart on this J.C. Higgens and now I have an extra part that I don't know what it is or where it came out of. I asked my neighbor that gave me the lawnmower muffler to use as a muzzle break and he says he thinks the "extra part" is the Flugermizer Valve and I probably don't need it anyway.

Why do they put flugermizer valves in guns in the first place?

I have been sanding some of the old finish off this rifle I got from my co-worker today and underneath the stain, the wood is starting to look like either pecan or yellow pine. I don't think my co-worker knew what he had when he sold me this rifle for only $400. (But this will be our little secret. )

Thanks again for the good advise, Jeffe. I knew I could count on you.