Single shot actions?

VaultDweller

New member
Hi there. I am thinking about building a single-shot rifle in 6.5x55 as a long term personal project and am having trouble finding good single-shot actions. The only thing Brownells sells are Ruger No 1 barreled actions. Ruger makes a good single-shot, my dad has one and I love it, but the ones they sell are all barreled and they do not make them in 6.5x55, I don't want to pay that much for a barrel I'm just going to pull. Besides, I would like to barrel up the action myself if I can, just to make the gun that much more personal.

So, the point is, I am looking for an affordable action that can be chambered in 6.5x55 with the potential for outstanding accuracy and the elegant design that I love single-shot rifles for.

Anyways, any suggestions would be appreciated, from good, affordable virgin actions to guns I could find used on the cheap and strip-down to rebuild. I just want a solid, well made action to build a rifle up from.

Another question, I am fairly new to the biz but I have sucessfully rebarreled a few bolt-action rifles, is it any more difficult to barrel up a single-shot?
 
Have you thought of contacting Ruger direct and asking them if they would make up a No. 1 barrelled action in 6.5x55? They chamber the Model 77 in that caliber so they are no stranger to it. I doubt they would sell the action alone (too much potential legal trouble) but they might do a special order or even run off a bunch of guns/actions if they thought there was a market. You would have to order through a distributor, but they should tell you if they would even consider it. I would write, not call or e-mail.

There are a fair number of older actions on the market, but most are either collectibles bringing big bucks (Winchester Hi-Wall) or are not really very elegant (Remington RB).

Jim
 
6.5x55

Dear Shooter:
I'm with you on the 6.5X55. It's forte is with the 140 gr, bullet! It's a great caliber.
But, as you say, there isn't a Ruger S.S. for it to my knowledge! The only thing that a person might need to change on the Ruger would be the extractor. I would call Douglas Barrels in Charleston and talk to Fred Depoy and see if they fit barrels to No. 1s?
If you have a lathe, broke the old barrel out and followed the thread design (if it was for the 30-06 class very little extractor work would have to be done) and chambered it properly you would have a sweet gun!
Douglas furnishes an F.T.C. (finished turned and chambered) barrel - possibly for the Ruger 1. Fitting it, I'm sure you could do.
I like the 6.5 X 06 very well.
Penetration has everything to do with killing power and that 6.5X55 seems to strike the right balance.
Good prospectus on your project. Harry B.
 
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Just a thought...don't laugh but maybe a T/C Encore. You can get the frame cheap and just about any barrel you want made for it or find it used. I am just not sure if you want a break action. I think it might look cool to have a hammer gun like this with a traditional looking stock. Hmmm...
 
SARCO has advertised single-shot FN-made Mauser bolt-action recievers. These would make a very accurate rifle when attached to a high-end medium-heavy barrel.
 
S.S. action

Dear Shooter:
I've got plans for a S.S. action you could make if you had a lathe, mill, etc - but boy would it be a job!
Like several have said, contact Ruger. Otherwise, contact Douglass Barrels and at least ask about the re-barreling.
Harry B.
 
It's a shame no one (that I know of) is building a reproduction Martini action/rifle. Never have owned one, but have read they are strong enough for most purposes. Besides, sporters made from these actions are purty.
 
Harry> I'm in machine schooling right now and my classmates and I, while not allowed to officially build one for a class project are looking into building "spare parts" for our falling blocks that we just don't have yet.

queston> where did you get your plans from? are they PDF files or actual printed paper? Essentially I want to know what it would take and/or cost for me to get ahold of such plans.

Thankyou in advance.
-Paul Yamakawa
 
well, gosh that makes it easy eh?

Wow can't believe I haven't stumbled up that before. thankyou verymuch. I'll make sure to postup if I make any progress
 
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