ingredients
huglu 12ga, double trigger, pistol grip, 28"
mcgowen .458 barrels 24.5" long
45/120 goodies
appropriate reamers, taps, dies
chop saw
solder
LOTS of patience.

So far I have made one VERY tight fitting barrel sleeve, and working on the second one.

I'll take pics along the way

Probably going to reguate for 405s at 2150 or 480DGX at 2000 fps.

yes, the 45/70 IN A RUGER can hit those, but I am going to build this for lowish pressure.

I just don't have the skill, TODAY to do it as a monoblock, but that will come.

Basically I am looking for a "nicer than my spartan" 45/70, and if it regulates as well, PERFECT

Good luck!

Sounds like a great project! Keep the pics of the progess coming. Thanks!

Remember jeffe, ro stop working on it when you get tired.

Keith

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
ingredients
huglu 12ga, double trigger, pistol grip, 28"
mcgowen .458 barrels 24.5" long
45/120 goodies
appropriate reamers, taps, dies
chop saw
solder
LOTS of patience.

So far I have made one VERY tight fitting barrel sleeve, and working on the second one.

I'll take pics along the way

Probably going to reguate for 405s at 2150 or 480DGX at 2000 fps.

yes, the 45/70 IN A RUGER can hit those, but I am going to build this for lowish pressure.

I just don't have the skill, TODAY to do it as a monoblock, but that will come.

Basically I am looking for a "nicer than my spartan" 45/120, and if it regulates as well, PERFECT

Very very cool
Good luck on this project - sounds like a big job, but from your posts over the years, I'd say you are up to it.

quote:

Originally posted by Hog Killer:
Remember jeffe, ro stop working on it when you get tired.

Keith

tell me!
it COULD be chambered this weekend..

I am going slow, sleeving the barrels...

it's not going to be as large of a job as doing the monoblock from scratch, but its time.

Go get 'em, Bubba!

Good luck, Keep us informed. I bet you can make it shoot as good or better thab your 45-120.
Bill

Jeff
Just a couple of questions. How are you installing the barrels into the donor monoblock? Are you soldering them or threading them? Are you setting your barrels so that the chambers are 90 degrees to the standing breech or did you bore the monoblock at an angle (1.5 Deg) and install them?

quote:

Originally posted by h2oboy:
Jeff
Just a couple of questions. How are you installing the barrels into the donor monoblock? Are you soldering them or threading them? Are you setting your barrels so that the chambers are 90 degrees to the standing breech or did you bore the monoblock at an angle (1.5 Deg) and install them?

H2O,

Maybe you could lend him your ruler, crayon, string and hammer. That ought to get him going anyhow.

Good luck! Looking forward to the progress updates.

I am going to thread the (former) chamber and thread them in, 7/8-24.. finer threar means stronger, to a point. I have found that 21mm drill or reamer works GREAT for the tap.

I will make a "spud" that is about 8" of .728 (or so, one barrel is slightly larger) and use that to align the barrels in the mill.. reamer the chamber, then tap, and then perform the same setup on the other barrel.

I will be, in theory, be making the sleeves in parallel with the bore, perpendicular with the face, NOT the water table. It's about 89.deg on this one.

thanks for the support, and I'll be taking some pics tonight and tomorrow

thanks!
Tonight to
Shaped the barrels so they would barely slide into the barrels

stepped the right barrel, so I can put in an adjust screw to work LIKE the spartan jackscrew (maybe)

made a spud to align the barrels to the mill

cut back the "shank" to 2"- both barrels

thread one barrel

Started second barrel threading, realized I was tired, and left it there.

7/8-24, just in case your are interested!

tomorrow i'll take pics, as batteries were dead

Next steps:
finish threading barrels
Rough chamber
setup mill to hold on edge (i've got a second vise)
Aligned barrel
ream to 21mm, for about 2" - that leaves enough to get a wrench on to tighten
tap
repeat for second barrel

Friday night, might go to the movies...
Saturday - might work on my 4wheeler if my new head comes in! If not, I'll face off the barrels and chamber to norma brass

Why that way? Norma brass isn't the same (i don't CARE what specs say) headspace as 45/70.

should have nearly an eigth total adjustment, which is HUGE to get there from here

jeffe

both barrels threaded

left chamber threaded

right will require me to flip the vise to get a bite

maybe tomorrow maybe sunday.. i am tired, so i quit for tonight

amazing. courageous. ingenious. YOU DA MAN. Slow and careful and keep us posted

quote:

i am tired, so i quit for tonight

Good luck with your project! An interesting book that perhaps could help you is:
"Building Double Rifles on Shotgun Actions" by Ellis Brown (ISBN 0-9714802-0-6)
It doesn't exactly cover your topic but there may be some helpful tricks and hints in it.

Thanks - I've read Ellis' book.. and have tried..

Today
finished threading both "chambers"
got the right barrel in, and the action just barely not closing on it

rough chambered both barrels for 45/120 .. just barely touched the rim to barrel face, so it will need to be about .055 or more deeper, once the action is ready.. this will wait until extractor is finished

Left barrel is 1/4 of the way in, have to dress bout .01 or .015 off the end of the barrel, and it will go right in.

my method for installing the barrels is to take brass washers on eitehr end of a 3/8 all thread, lock washer on top of that, and 2 nuts... makes darn handy handle.

I have to order some left handed all thread for next weekend

I am going to stop until mid to late week, as I have to order the all thread, lefty, and my bolovia (clone) epoxy will be in..

I am going to use bolovia to mate the first third of the barrel to the sleeve, just in case.

jeffe

If you use epoxy to join the barrels to the monoblock, how are you going to affix the ribs? The heat of the soldering process will destroy the epoxy!

thanks Ron... I am using it as filler, but dang good point...

did you use tom's rib?

Yes, I've used both top and bottom ribs from Tom on the current .303 build. I was very happpy with them on the .450 #2 that I recently completed and saw no need to change.There are some photos of them in place on the "nitro express" BBS.

I received the lefty all thread today, and the bolovia like stuff.. we shall see what is what, yeah?

tomorrow then, for any workings, and i hope it warms up!

Jeffe,

I must say ... you are one gutsy SOB when it comes to projects. Would love to see some pictures!

thanks Mike.. i think.. gutsy is not always "sane"

well, i got the barrels in. this was tougher than I thought..

I had to leave about .1 out, and use an impact wrench to bring them in.. .then faced that off, and got them to within a couple of being perfectly closed.. i left it a little long so i could clean up tomorrow...

I also cleaned up, but did NOT finish chamber, the chambers.. just enough to make a rim line, but NOT anything like headspacing it.

I rough cut the barrels back to about .2" long, ..as i cut it back, i discovered that the ribs were NOT fully soldered, only the first 3" or so ..

I'll solder the face and the barrels to the muzzle, and then clamp the barrels together.. ..

I won't cut the extractors yet, as I want to prove it first, with solid chambers..

i might prove it net week?

yes, got pics, haven't posted them .. i should get to that today..

last night I bought a weaver base, leupold 10/22 to be exact though I wanted a marlin flat base, that I will drill and tap the existing rib and use epoxy to ensure a snug fit. Funny thing - the rib LOOKS flat, until you put a straightedge on it.. then it's wavy as a tin roof.

I shoot scopes better than irons, and certainly more consistently. If the gun passes proof, i plan on using the scope 99.9% of the time anyway. No groans out there... i mean, it's a sleeved shotgun in 45/120, just REALLY how much more unbritish is having the scope on? I know I shoot scopes better than I do irons.. i am friggin BLIND without my glasses, and I wouldn'r leave those in the gun case, "just to be sporting"

today I am going to mount that base, solder the barrels and rib to have a starting point, and get the rifle faced, headspaced, and ready to prove ..

jeffe

well, i have NO COMET FLUX...
and apparently no "good" force 44...muratic, acid flux, and even silver paste didn't work..

I have it +.0005 or so on face, not fully chambered, and it closes JUST BARELY.

squared off the muzzles, 24.02 long barrels, right now..

I am ordering some force 44, comet flux, and we'll see what happens about wednesday
jeffe

I'm just lurking here and cheering you on. As I'm a chicken on tearing into most guns as far as you have here. Good luck. Packy

Hope that the existing rib is soldered on well enough to take the recoil of the scope base. I did a quarter rib threaded for 2 12/32 screws tig welded between the underneath of both barrels, then soldered to the barrels on the top.

PS Whatinhell is bolovia??

bolovia its a epoxy that is like lab metal.. its easy to work..

but what i got aint anything like as good as bolovia

no updates - still waiting for the comet and solder to arrive

!@#!# #@%^^#$ %%@#$ )(*)(*5 &(*&*)***

so, i soldered the barrels in, and guess what, huglus are put together with lowtemp solder.. even the mono block.. i could have just pulled it part!! #$@#$@#$


my 45/120 reamer has the wrong rim diameter.. thankfully i didn't screw anything up .. i cut about .01 in, tested, didn't look right, stopped, got the calipers..

the reamer base is .025 too small..

I'll see if i can't borrow a buddie's reamer this weekend

But think of all the experience, self satisfaction, quiet and enjoyable moments you are having out there in the shop screaming, cussing and throwing stuff!

What a serine medatiave time . . . . .ahmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Hang in there Bubba!

no screaming or throwing, though dark mumblings did happen

no news, other than i ordered a reamer and brass, which should all be here by friday night.. then there is the weekend

Well Jeffe, I am sure you are well into it today and hopefully all is going well with the build. I hope you are taking lots of photos to post later with your step by step descriptives.
Keep it up.
Frank

Thanks Frank!
Got the reamer last night, but was very tired from work..
and have a brewclub meeting tonight...
there's always tomorrow

I got blind hog lucky - barrels lined up just about perfectly with firing pins, right barrel angled a hair more in than down, left the other way, more down than in, just a hair --

no sighting system yet.. perhaps tonight, if it lives doing the high prrof off road boogie ...
(proof loads whilest tied into a tire, at the end of a LONG rope)


here goes nothing..
fore and aft soldered in..
check

chambered and headspaced to nil
check
check

leave barrels FULL - not cutting extractor groove till after proofing
check
check

load half a dozen proof loads (i REALLY would prefer it to blow in the rack, not in my hands)
check...x6

load a couple nominal loads to see how its going to work
check x a bunch

Loaded up and headed to Rodney's --
If this is my last post, it's been a great ride

jeffe

See you right back then mate,

take care and remeber it´s the end with the holes that is supposed to be turned against the target.

Best regards Chris

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
I got blind hog lucky - barrels lined up just about perfectly with firing pins, right barrel angled a hair more in than down, left the other way, more down than in, just a hair --

no sighting system yet.. perhaps tonight, if it lives doing the high prrof off road boogie ...
(proof loads whilest tied into a tire, at the end of a LONG rope)


here goes nothing..
fore and aft soldered in..
check

chambered and headspaced to nil
check
check

leave barrels FULL - not cutting extractor groove till after proofing
check
check

load half a dozen proof loads (i REALLY would prefer it to blow in the rack, not in my hands)
check...x6

load a couple nominal loads to see how its going to work
check x a bunch

Loaded up and headed to Rodney's --
If this is my last post, it's been a great ride

jeffe