Stock for custom Gahendra rifle

Hello,

I recently purchased a Gahendra barreled action and have started to use it as the basis for a new rifle. I purchased a Green Mountain barrel blank (in .44 magnum) and have threaded it and turned the outer diameter. I have also machined up a vernier tang sight as well as a windage adjustable front sight. I'm now getting ready to do the wood working. When I purchased the barreled action, it did not come with a stock. Does anyone have pictures showing the inletting on the read stock for the receiver tangs? Or does anyone have a beat up stock I can buy? I'll post some pictures of my rifle so far if I can figure out how to upload them.

Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated!

Dave Andrews

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Match sights for .44 magnum cartridge? Isn't that a bit much?

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

Match sights for .44 magnum cartridge? Isn't that a bit much?

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Yeah, I guess you're right. I've always wanted a big falling block rifle (like an 1874 or 1877 Sharps) with vernier tang sights, but I can't afford one. So I'm going to try and build one on the cheap with the Gahendra action. I chose 44 magnum because I'm only going to be using this for informal off-hand shooting at 100 yards. Plus I'm also weary about the quality of the 120+ year old steel in the receiver - I didn't want to pick a really powerful cartridge. I'll be thrilled if I can get the rifle to shoot 3 MOA or better. What caliber do you think I should have chambered this rifle for?

I'd have gone smaller for accuracy, say 222 or 219 or 218... They'd shoot like the little sub cal cartridges they used to use...30 rook wasn't it? I don't think the action will have a problem handling .44 mag, just the range of the cartridge will have quite a rainbow to it's trajectory... Might be OK at 100. It should fall about 3 inches or so. Just hardly a match cartridge...

That is really great machine work. 44 Mag with the long barrel and hand loads will surprise the heck out of the doubters. Remember Rugers carbine in 44? Major deer danger!
I think that what you have one is commendable.
Ed

Make no mistake, I'm not a novice. I've had 44 mag rifles. That's how I have the info I speak about. The thing the Ruger 44 mag carbine did with regularity was break it's aluminum trigger housing. If it had been steel, no problem.
The cartridge works OK out to 100 and then the drop after that is shocking. Up to that it's about 3"...depends on your zero. And I reload for everything I shoot, specially .44. Too expensive to buy...

Mr. Skeels, Thanks for the kind words! Several other people told me I'm an idiot for doing this rifle in 44 magnum. Maybe they're right, but 44 magnum is what I wanted. I see that you don't live very far from me. The next time you find yourself near Asheville, let me know.

You're not an idiot by any stretch...at 100 you'll likely be OK, depends on how you zero. I'll be curious to see how it groups. Have a look at the trajectory diagrams for .44 mag and you'll see what I'm talking about...

The rear tangs on your receiver and like the original Winchester Hi Wall or somewhat like the Remington rolling block, easy job to lay-out. Locate the center line and you can even mill out most of the upper and lower tangs. You don't have to worry about a stock bolt used on other single shots. I done stocks for both the Hi Wall and Remington.

I did build a small action Martini in 218 Bee years ago, always a problem with finding a high scope mount. Birdseye maple was most difficult to work with.

You should be able to find an old stock to use as a startAttachment 66738Attachment 66739Attachment 66740Attachment 66741

Dave, I have a Cadet "take off" stock that may be close to what you need. No tang slots of course.
It's a high comb aftermarket one, probably ***en from long ago.
EM me at ejsentah@aol.com if interested. Can't hear on the phone (or anything else).
Price is right-free.
Ed

RCS,

Your 218 Bee Martini is absolutely beautiful. I'll be thrilled if my rifle turns out half as nicely as yours. That wood is stunning - very nice job.

I think I understand what you're talking about regarding milling the tang slots. Someone suggested to me I use a cheap piece of wood to test fit to the receiver. I looked in my garage an found an old piece of pressure-treated 2 by 6. I milled the slots as you suggested, however, I did not put enough time and planning into the wood-to-metal fit. The results look sloppy. However, at least I can now shoulder the rifle and get a feeling if the comb is too high. I roughly copied the stock shape on my son's Henry 22 lever action rifle.

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Pretty ugly huh? Have you ever seen a rifle with a stock made out of a 2 by 6? One of the things that makes the inleting tricky for me is that both the upper and lower receiver tangs are tapered. I got fed up with this and milled the upper tang to remove the taper, and I'll do the same to the lower tang. The reasoning here is to make the stock inleting easier for me.


Mr. Skeels,

That's a very generous offer you made me, however, I really don't want to destroy your stock. That's a piece of history. It was very kind of you to offer it to me - thank you. I think the 2 by 6 stock is working okay as a rough template. I may even inlet another piece of 2 by 6 as practice before I move on to the final claro walnut blank.

Thank you again for the help!

Dave

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Originally Posted by dasa2131

Have you ever seen a rifle with a stock made out of a 2 by 6?

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My first reaction was "What's that material?" But as you say, it for a test and adjust purpose so it'll be fine until the gun's almost done.

That is a great start to what will be a really nice range rifle. Making a stock would finish it very nicely indeed.
I am just starting a new sporter stock for a martini in 303 British and as I am also making a pattern stock for another chap for the MK 3 Lee Enfield I started them at the same time so I could do the butt stock through bolt
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von gruff, you might want to be careful showing the uncut LE forend take off... your inbox will fill up with pm's. :D

there is some beautiful work being shown in this post.

I have done quite a few lee Speed styled rifles and the martini is a lovely action to stock.
The Lee Enfield is for a Mk 3 pattern stock.and is finished except for a little sanding now.
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This is a link to a couple I have donehttp://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/topic/19093/Bills-Lee-Speed-cure#.VkfGH8uhfIV
And a 400 Lee Speed
Forums.NitroExpress.com
There are a few more but you get the idea.

On the martini front the blank in the pic above has been done but I was talking to its owner yesterday and I am going to cut the tip off the forestock and put a piece of buffalo horn on for the tip to make it a bit special for him.
This is where it sits at the moment. The thread on the build A couple of stocks - Enfield-Rifles.com - Page 1
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This is a couple of martini builds I have done
A Martini Enfield 303 -- again.
LSA MH 577-450 in Martini-Henry Forum Forum

Von Gruff,

I visited the links to the other rifles you built. Wow - your work is beautiful. Very nicely done. I get the impression you've been doing this for while!

Dave

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Originally Posted by dasa2131

Von Gruff,

I visited the links to the other rifles you built. Wow - your work is beautiful. Very nicely done. I get the impression you've been doing this for while!

Dave

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Thanks Dave.
Mostly it was wanting them for myself and not wanting (or being able to afford) to pay someone else to do it for me. There have been a few over the last couple of years I have been doing for friends as well so having the practice I have learned a thing or two along the way.

Have altered the martini forestock to give it a buffalo horn tip.
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Sorry for the thread hijack Dave. Will leave it to go back to your range rifle. Looking forward to seeing the results after your test piece.