"Frankenstein" .22 bullpup-comments?

pocat

New member
Ok folks. Here is a picture and description of a project that I just completed. I've been working like a mad scentist for the past several months - my family has forgotten who I am.

The description below is copied from an email that I sent to someone earlier.

This is my first project like this, so if anyone has questions, comments or suggestions, please give them.

View


The barrel and action is from a Marlin model 60. Other than that, everything else has been built or modified by me.

The area of the stock where the receiver and action is bedded is part of the original wood stock. The rest is molded from
fiberglass, reinforced with epoxy. The synthetic forearm is an aftermarket Mossberg, opened up at the top so the barrel fits
into it.

The trigger linkage is a simple steel rod system that connects to the original trigger mechanism that is now at the butt of the rifle.

I removed the tubular magazine and molded a magazine well with steel guide rails to accept 10-round magazines for a Ruger 22/45. This required some work on the feed ramp inside the action. The empty area left in the stock from the tubular magazine had to be opened up a little to free-float the barrel.

The Tasco 3-9X scope is jacked up on see-through mounts for a Ruger 10/22. The mounts are screwed into a base made from
a 1/2 x 1/4" piece of flat steel that I TIG-welded directly onto the barrel. The flash-hider is hand-made from thick aluminum tubing.

The rifle will disassemble without any tools. A knurled knob replaces the original screw on the bottom of the stock, about 2 inches ahead of the magazine well. A cross-pin at the rear holds the receiver and action securely in the stock.

Since the bolt is directly under the shooter's eye, I modified a Choate cheekpiece that extends about 3/8" over the top of the ejection port to protect from smoke or any burning particles that might come out during firing. The bolt handle is still accessible.

Although the trigger pull is not as crisp as the original, the scope mounted directly onto the free-floated barrel improves accuracy.
The overall length is 32 inches and it weighs about 6 pounds, which makes it a light, handy little rifle with plenty of accuracy.
I plan on doing a lot of plinking in the very near future. By the way - I am not a gunsmith and I've never undertaken a project such as this, but I have to admit, I'm really impressed with the results!

I'm not sure what to call it. After the description I just gave, "Frankenstein" might be appropriate.
"Custom .22LR Marlin bullpup" sounds better.
 
Congratulations! Looks good from here. I like it though personally it's not for me (being lefthanded). Questions - how do you eject the magazine? Can't tell as the photo is slightly out of focus. Also did you have problems with the barrel warping during the TIG welding?
The Marlin 60 series is ideal for your purpose as millions are floating around and they can be picked up fro around $60 or less all day long.
 
I took this picture with my crappy digital camera. I sharpened it up a little with my photo software, but I still need a better camera.

I have a spring-loaded latch that holds tension on the bottom of the magazine on the left side of the magazine well. This area was the hardest part to fabricate - close tolerences for a precise fit. If I had to do it all over again, I would have used one of the Marlins with the detachable clip.

There was no warpage during welding. I kept the heat low enough so the weld wouldn't penetrate into the bore and only "tacked" it in about 6 spots.

I've had this rifle since I was 14 (I'm now 31). I haven't shot it for years, since the original stock cracked. One day I started to repair it, and this is how it ended up...
 
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