Good Morning,

Does anyone know if it would be
a) possible
b) practical
c) interesting

to convert a Ruger No.1 Tropical to a shotgun. Perhaps a 20 Gauge rifled barrel slug gun?

Thanks,
Coach

Well Coach, it's crossed my mind many times, in my part of the country we can hunt deer with a shotgun. It's probably boils down to the $ involved, for all the parts, pieces and smithing. --- John303.

John,
Yep. I grew up in rifle states, and hunted all over with rifles. So, I consider myself a rifleman.

But now I live in a shotgun only state, and probably will stay here for the duration. I think a nice single shot falling block would be the nuts.
Coach

whats wrong with a martini-henry in a shotgun?? ... i could see a 20 ga on a .577/450... ive got a steyr action if you want to play....

sure.. why not .. probably 16ga would be easy, rifled barrel? 16ga from Hell?

i think the 20 ga. and 577/450 are the same size...just screw in a 20 ga bbl and away we go!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by jimatcat:
i think the 20 ga. and 577/450 are the same size...just screw in a 20 ga bbl and away we go!

Wish it were so. The 20 gauge is .62 caliber. A .58 is 24 gauge. IIRC the SSK .577 NE conversion leaves some of the rim showing above the breechblock. Unless a fella wants to handload his own brass cased 24 gauge ammo he might have to settle for a 28 gauge (54 caliber). It would be quite the conversation starter though...

what is the diameter of the rim of a 20ga???... compared to the .577/450????... anything close???...as long as the 20 ga shells will drop in the martini-henry receiver, you'd think an extractor would be all thats necessary...

There is my 28 GA FH 3.25" case. Get a 550"
barrel like used on the 550 Magnum, and
get brass from RMC like I did. Chamber still
fires regular 28ga shells.I have one in a
695 Mossberg bolt action.458 in picture
for comparison.. Can shoot most 54 cal
muzzle loading bullets.Ed

quote:

Originally posted by jimatcat:
what is the diameter of the rim of a 20ga???... compared to the .577/450????... anything close???...as long as the 20 ga shells will drop in the martini-henry receiver, you'd think an extractor would be all thats necessary...

My bad. I was talking about what fits in the Ruger No.1. As Ed's pictures suggest a three and quarter inch brass-cased 28 gauge would make for quite the interesting bird gun.

Ah, all very interesting. I thought about the Martini, but don't like it as much as the Ruger, and worried about age and condition.

The 28 Gauge sounds like the ticket. But, I don't think it's legal for deer in Iowa. I have to practical with my impractical projects. But a 28 Gauge FH would stomp most muzzleloaders and 20 Ga smoothbores some folks around here use!

20 ga would be nice and RMC makes 3.5" 20ga brass
cases, but it is crowded getting a 20 ga size
rim through the back of a Ruger #1, with metal
left for proper safety level. A 20ga rim is
about .035" bigger than a 577NE rim. A 16ga
rim won't do at all. I have a 16GA FH in single
shot break action I'm experimenting with.Ed