While waiting on parts for the Shorty 44 my brother and I have been planning out a chopped single six as a back pocket around the barn gun. Finally plan is to make it a pinto with a new xr3 grip frame, 3.75" barrel, new sights, and a hand full of stainless parts thrown in for good measure. Figured we'd walk this one through the build rather than wait till it's all done at the end. This will be the first project that goes beyond swapping in and fitting basic parts.
It's starting out as a blue 6 1/2" new model single six.
First up mocking up a stainless new xr3 frame from brownells. As you can see it needs a bit of fitting but nothing horrendous. Don't mind the grips they are xr3-red grips on an xr3 frame.
Base pin latch was swapped for the stainless parts taken out of Shorty when the Belt mountain parts were swapped in and the nail head base pin was shortened to fit the single six frame dimensions. Fits like a glove, and just enough sticking out to catch a fingernail on to pull it out. This will ensure plenty of ejector stroke when the barrel is shortened.
Grashorn elk stag grips arrived and trial fit on new frame, not to much fitting needed on the frame. Not to worried as the frame will be round butted ala Hortons lil gun.
Initial plan was to dovetail the barrel and install an insert to secure the front sight ramp to. The test dovetail was cut at the end of the long barrel, however it left a gap on either side of the ramp. It would work but it's not pretty. On a brighter note the dovetail jig worked awesome. It'll come in handy on other projects in the future. It also can be used to keep the saw from wandering on barrel chops.
After determining the dovetail plan wouldn't cut the mustard we ordered a scope base instalation jig made by wheeler engineering that will self center and guide drill bits and taps and will screw the ramp retaining screw directly into the barrel. This I'm sure will pay for it's self many times over in the future.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/341035/williams-scope-mount-drill-fixture-aluminum-black
Onward and upward a test cut on the barrel was made using a hack saw and the dovetail jig as a guide. The barrel was then given a rough crown with the muzzle facing tool.
My brother mugging for the camera.
Rough cut crown similar to what browning put on the a-bolt rifles.
Have some more parts and tools coming to continue the roughing out but we did a mock up of what the end product should end up as. Haven't quite decided whether the ejector rod housing will be blue or stainless so we ordered both from Ruger and will decide after we get a look at it both ways.
Little more work today fitting the grip frame while waiting on tools and parts.
First up filed a shelf/recess for the mainspring seat to rest in and prevent movement on the grip frame. In these picture you can see how much meat also need to be removed to fit down the grip frame.
As you can see above there was 1/16-3/32" of extra steel side to side and about 1/4" extra height on the ears. This being the first frame we have hand fit we mated the grip frame to the main frame and used a sharpie to mark the material that needed to be removed. Then the grip frame came off was flat filed down then reattached to check fit.
Lowering the ears
Pretty durn close
Grip frame is now just a scosh proud to allow for sanding and polishing. Still need to recontour the ears, and fit the frame down to the grips and round butt as well. Got the drilling jig and some nifty new drill bits and taps from midway after we had finished for the day. Ejector rod housings should be in from Ruger in a couple of days, waiting to drill and tap until we can make sure the new vaquero sheriff housings are the same spacing as the housing off of shorty.
More as it develops.
It's starting out as a blue 6 1/2" new model single six.
First up mocking up a stainless new xr3 frame from brownells. As you can see it needs a bit of fitting but nothing horrendous. Don't mind the grips they are xr3-red grips on an xr3 frame.
Base pin latch was swapped for the stainless parts taken out of Shorty when the Belt mountain parts were swapped in and the nail head base pin was shortened to fit the single six frame dimensions. Fits like a glove, and just enough sticking out to catch a fingernail on to pull it out. This will ensure plenty of ejector stroke when the barrel is shortened.
Grashorn elk stag grips arrived and trial fit on new frame, not to much fitting needed on the frame. Not to worried as the frame will be round butted ala Hortons lil gun.
Initial plan was to dovetail the barrel and install an insert to secure the front sight ramp to. The test dovetail was cut at the end of the long barrel, however it left a gap on either side of the ramp. It would work but it's not pretty. On a brighter note the dovetail jig worked awesome. It'll come in handy on other projects in the future. It also can be used to keep the saw from wandering on barrel chops.
After determining the dovetail plan wouldn't cut the mustard we ordered a scope base instalation jig made by wheeler engineering that will self center and guide drill bits and taps and will screw the ramp retaining screw directly into the barrel. This I'm sure will pay for it's self many times over in the future.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/341035/williams-scope-mount-drill-fixture-aluminum-black
Onward and upward a test cut on the barrel was made using a hack saw and the dovetail jig as a guide. The barrel was then given a rough crown with the muzzle facing tool.
My brother mugging for the camera.
Rough cut crown similar to what browning put on the a-bolt rifles.
Have some more parts and tools coming to continue the roughing out but we did a mock up of what the end product should end up as. Haven't quite decided whether the ejector rod housing will be blue or stainless so we ordered both from Ruger and will decide after we get a look at it both ways.
Little more work today fitting the grip frame while waiting on tools and parts.
First up filed a shelf/recess for the mainspring seat to rest in and prevent movement on the grip frame. In these picture you can see how much meat also need to be removed to fit down the grip frame.
As you can see above there was 1/16-3/32" of extra steel side to side and about 1/4" extra height on the ears. This being the first frame we have hand fit we mated the grip frame to the main frame and used a sharpie to mark the material that needed to be removed. Then the grip frame came off was flat filed down then reattached to check fit.
Lowering the ears
Pretty durn close
Grip frame is now just a scosh proud to allow for sanding and polishing. Still need to recontour the ears, and fit the frame down to the grips and round butt as well. Got the drilling jig and some nifty new drill bits and taps from midway after we had finished for the day. Ejector rod housings should be in from Ruger in a couple of days, waiting to drill and tap until we can make sure the new vaquero sheriff housings are the same spacing as the housing off of shorty.
More as it develops.
