Homemade Rolling Block for low pressure from laminated steel?

[USSColorado]

Would it be possible to bolt together plates of steel to form a copy of a rolling block?  Then thread for a barrel, heat treat, and use it for .22 rimfire or handgun cartridges?  It seems to be the only action I could built without a lathe or mill.  What steel should I use?

[gunnut69]

I've not seen a roller made but falling blocks can be made thusly.. Almost any mild steel can be used with case hardening done to enhance wear resistance..

[keith44]

The sheer mass of the pivot pin, hammer nose and pivot block make me say no, at first.  Laminates stacked in such a manner would require very precise alignment and careful fitting of the pins and all screws...drilling and tapping laminated plates could be an issue as well.  But, if you really want a rolling block, cold roll is sufficiently strong for rimfire rounds, so long as you have a quality steel barrel.  If you are patient, and careful, the rolling block can be built from a single block of cold roll using files, a drill press, hand taps, and a hand drill and / or a dremel type tool.  Sight installation will be the only hangup.  If you can heat treat properly, A-2 would be an excellent alloy for the low pressure rimfire, and likely black powder handgun rounds (44-40, 45 Colt, .38 special, .32 S&W, etc).  With the multi plate method you are asking, keep it to two or three plates, and file fit...just have one side plate and a main plate where the main plate is thicker at the barrel threads so that you are only threading one piece of steel, then the side plate bolts into place then you can fit the hammer, rolling block, and extractor.  After that make and fit your springs, next the trigger and sear are fabricated and fitted, finally bore and thread for the barrel...


Unless you are doing a class project, or just want to build your own action it is much easier to buy an action and fit the stocks and barrel of your choice

[jedman]

   There are plans available to build a rimfire swinging block rifle using the laminate plate methood.  It is one of 4 rifle actions that Frank De Haas designed for people without lathes or mills to build with mostly hand tools and a drill press.
  The book of plans is called , Mr. Single Shots book of Rifle Plans  by Frank De Haas.   The rimfire action is called the Chicopee RF action, It uses mostly flat cold rolled plate for most of the parts and the barrel is threaded in to a receiver block that is soldered, brazed, or welded between flat plates that form the frame. The breechblock is also built from 2 flat plates with the hammer, trigger, sear, and firing pin block sandwiched between the plates held together with pins and a couple screws.
  Your idea of a rolling block action sounds as it would be possible to build using this methood but this Chicopee action is a proven design and the plans give you full scale drawings of the action parts and would make a safe shootable rifle.
  Also De Haas has designed a similar swinging block rifle thats able to shoot shorter and less intense centerfires.  I plan on building one of these myself at some point, being I have a mill and lathe to use I will change a few details but the finished rifle is very handsome to my eye and would make a great action for a .357 Max deer rifle.
 
   Jedman