First, Thank you for the loading information it was very helpful!!! If this picture comes out you will see how my Double is comming along. It is almost ready to be proof tested and then if all goes as planed I will regulate it, install the ribs and front sight permently and do the stock and rust blue the beast. I am thinking of using the Claro blank for the stock, what do you think? I also have a blank of Black Thorn (I think that is the name of the wood) that was given to me by a Custom Gunsmith in South Africa on my first trip. It is very dense and heavy and grain wise sort of reminisant of English walnut. If you would like I will keep you informed as work goes on. For those of you not familiar with the .450 # 2 this is what it looks like compaired to a .243 Winchester, and oh yes, thanks again for your help

Nice looking blank. What are you using for an action? New monoblock or made from original barrel unit?

Judson you dog! Where have you been hiding this project? Or did I miss the posts?

It looks wonderful, please keep us updated

Thanks

Jerry

I want to do the same thing, with a 470!!!

great project, keep us updated


jeffe

The action is French and was origionaly a 16 gauge shot gun. I was able to find the pressure from the origional proof marks and then figure the pressure for the head area of the 450 and compare it to the origional proof. In this case the 450#2 is less and this conversion should pose no problems. This action has both a third fastoner and double underlugs also.

Judson,

Great looking job. From the look of your picture, you used the original barrels and lugs, for a mono block for the new barrels. Would you care to tell us how many hours you have in this project to date?

Keep posting, on how thing work out.

Hog Killer

PS: Do you have a picture you can post of the Blackthorn blank?

Very nice metal work there. Personally, i would not use Claro on this rifle. I have seen too many Claro sotcks split and crack. This rifle will have considerable recoil and will have thin sections of wood at the head of the stock. I woul duse quarter sawn ENglish with proper grain lay out through the wrist and head. Can't wait to hear how this shoots!

Judson, would you please tell us the manufacturer of the shotgun? Also where the information is on figuring the pressures?

I have a book waiting at my friends house about turning shotguns into rifles, both single and double barrel. Has anyone seen this book and is it a valid concept?

Thanks, Jerry

The action I am using is by Robus and I do not have the manufactures name here in the house but will get it and post it. The mono block is the origional and is quite a piece of machineing as it is all one piece, no easy feat!
Pressures against the standing breach can be figured as follows. On most forign guns and a few American guns you can find a proof mark that will give you the proof pressures the gun was tested at. The book The Standard Directory Of Proof Marks will help out here. Once you know this pressure you figure out the head diameter of the origional chambering and divide it into the area of the proof load. For example if the proof was done in cm squared then to get psi convert cm into sq inches 2.54 X2.25 will give you the # of square cm in one square inch. Next figure out the head diameter of the cartridge you want to use and multiply that by the proof pressure. This will give you the pressure your chambering will exert againt the standing breach. There is a very good book on building rifles on shotgun actions and all this info is in it the book is; Building Double Rifles On Shotgun Actions by W. Ellis Brown, well worth the money! I have been building custom rifles for 20 years and have found the book very helpful. I will try to post a picture of what I started out with after it was all taken apart and you can see the one piece mono block. One more thing, I to have my doubts about claro. It has never been a problem on rifles I have built up to .416 Rigby but these were bolt guns and there was room for glassbedding and cross bolts the Blackthorn is another idea but I also have a piece of circassian I could play with.