I'm considering a custom rifle project and would like some input. This isn't the usual bolt action sporter question, so all you gunsmiths put on your creative hats.

I recently purchased a BC My Luck model 100 12 gauge Single shot. This is a beautiful Miroku break open action and I guess the closest comparison to a modern gun would be the Browning BT99.

My question is: How hard/costly would it be to fit a rifle barrel to this action? It would make a really beautiful stalking rifle in somthing like 6.5x55 swede.

Thanks

Weagle

I can assure you that it can be done but there's two things I'd advise.....
1. you'd rather have a rifle built on a 20 Ga frame or better yet a 28 Ga frame

2. It's gonna run into several thou for a custom made and fit barrel.....just a guess....about 5-6,000

Weagle,
Great idea for a project, but Vapodog pretty well sums it up. It is a large action that would be oversized IMHO for a small cartridge. To retain the beauty of your existing gun would take some effort/cost. That said, I have a very similar project waiting in line in my shop. A Browning BT-99 in less than shootable/collectible shape. Cut barrel and shortened buttstock. My intent is to bore the monoblock and fit a 40 or 45 caliber bbl. into it. Probably screw and solder the bbl, althought all the talk about using the various locktites might bear looking into. This seems to be the most cost effective method. THe heavier rifle bbl will add some weight forward and in the forend area. Stocks will probably be a upgraded wood from Boyds or another source TBD. I figure a plain jane large caliber singleshot. As I said earlier mine is nothing to look at, but is tight and sound and should provide a good action and monoblock.

Any thoughts on cutting the 12 ga barrel back and sleeving a barrel into the "monobloc" ? Seems like that would be fairly straight forward.

Weagle

Thaine, Thanks. I was typing while you were answering.

Along those lines a 38-55 or 375 winchester would be pretty neat.

Weagle

Weagle.

I have (somewhere in a pile) the book on making double rifles on double barrel shotgun actions by the fellow in Ft. Collins, CO. He outlines the idea of boring the monoblock and fitting a barrel fairly well. De Haas also discusses a similar idea for rebarreling Remington Rolling Blocks with inexpensive barrels using the origional barrel stub as an outer sleeve in his book Single Shot Rifles.

I'm not against sacrificing the 12 ga barrel. As nice as this action and stock are. the barrel is just a plane Jane 32" full that I really have no use for.

Weagle

I too have an older BT99 that someone cut the barrel down and removed the choke portion. It is 24 inches and rough cut with the rib removed. Stock was shortened to 13 inch pull. I was thinking that maybe an older calibre such as the 500 Express? Possible?

Thinking about the various old and new rifle inserts for shotguns, do you think it feasible to make one as a permanent installation? set into the 12 ga barrel (as cut to a convenient rifle length) with chamber and muzzle at full diameter to look like a heavy barrel, but most of the length in the middle of small diameter to keep weight down.

Altered firing pin and extractor, rifle sights added.

sleeving the barrels and gluing them in has been done successfully- the last one I saw online was machined to fit at the muzzle, and at the chamber area.

Have you thought about sleeving in a 12 ga. rifled tube? If you install a quarter ribe, nice front sight, and solder on a sling swivel, I think you could have a nice gun.

If you are set on a rifle, I would go with .577 BPE. The 6.5 on that huge frame would look terrible and handle even worse. Even a .500 would be somewhat swallowed by the action, so getting it to look and handle well woul dbe very difficult.

But it sure looks like a cool gun and you could really have fun with it!

So it sounds like cutting the 12 ga barrel off and either sleeving it or using the monobloc is definitely the way to go.

I'm going to have to ponder the chambering. It could be used as sort of a walking varmiter/deer rifle in the 7x57R or more of Deer/pig rifle in something like 45-70 or 375 winchester or even .356 winchester.

Keep the ideas coming.

Weagle

Why not .405 Win or 450/400 3" since Hornaday has brass available? I think we can achieve 9 lbs in the rifle without too much trouble. A BT-99 lists at 8 1/2 lbs in the plain configuration. The 45-70/90 would be another choice. I already have a #3 in 45-70 and a #1 in 416 Rigby, so the first 2 appeal to me. A 9.3x74 would also be worth considering.

just my .02

I converted a 12bore english single barrel to a 20bore rifle by sliding in a liner I made from a hastings blank. It was pretty straight forward and came out very well. Heres a few pics. I really need to update my website.
Steve

http://bertramandco.com/projects.html

SKB, Those are some fine looking guns. I definitely want a center fire rifle barrel though.

I'm researching the rimmed cartridges to see what catches my eye. I sort of like the idea of a .375 winchester.

Weagle

Why not just trade it for a #1 with nice wood like the one I have?

Considering the inside bore diameter and outside barrel diameter of a `12 gauge barrel and chamber, I think I would choose to just use the monoblock portion of it.

If I chose to completly sleeve the whole barrel, I would probably buy me some modern .577/.450 drawn brass,and chamber for that...then use only BPE (black powder equivalent) loads.

When thinking over doing otherwise, I agree with previous posters...pretty much anything below about .400 is likely to look and be very ungainly....with the outside of the 12 gauge barrel around it, your barrel will have an exterior muzzle diameter of about .750" or more when trimmed back to, say, 26" length.

That's gonna make a great club for braining already downed animals, but I'm not too sure about it being a handy field rifle. With the .450" hole it will still be heavy, but won't look as disproportionate.

Now, if you could come across a supply of drawn .577 Martini brass, that might be even better for BPE loads, but might leave you with too thin barrel walls for me to really feel safe with.

Yeh, the more I dream about it, the more I think I'd just either sell it and buy a rifle, or keep it as a nice shotgun and buy a rifle.

Weagle,

consider a 9,3x74R. Good cartridge, has that long slinky look, good ballistics, readily available brass, bullets, and dies. A 26" barrel would be a great rifle without being too heavy to pack.

Rich
DRSS

Heck, I would send it out for a vent rib and screw in chokes and use it for a trap gun or trade it for a stalking rifle. Does Simmons still install vent ribs?

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Weagle,

consider a 9,3x74R. Good cartridge, has that long slinky look, good ballistics, readily available brass, bullets, and dies. A 26" barrel would be a great rifle without being too heavy to pack.

Rich
DRSS

Rich, That 9.3x74r sounds interesting.

This action really is a little trimmer than it looks, and depending on how much of the 12 ga stub I have to keep it really could be a pretty sleek rifle.

Weagle