I'd like to see a picture of this pistal. Also what was the price? Now I love the 22 mag. but I think for this the 22 lr would work out better. Something Ive been thinking about for a single shot 22 lr Nef was a 22lr clip mounted in to the hollow stock. Basicly a speed feed stock. Or a magazine tube incorporated into the skeleton stock. All under 2lbs & compact would be sweet.
Wish I had a pic AND a way to post said pic! The Chipmunk pistol sells for a little over $200 if I remember correctly.
However what I have envisioned is using a .22 rimfire-sized bolt-action that's what ever diameter such a piece of hardware is, with an 8 or 10in threaded barrel screwed into it (not pinned), squared and blue-printed like a quality Remington, Ruger or Winchester rifle would be put-together.
Size-wise consider what the upper receiver/barrel looks like from a Ruger Mk II or Mk III pistol, even using those dimensions. Of course a .22 bolt action isn't really "tiny." I suppose and 8inch version of what i'm "imagining" as I design this
back-packer/survival special would be at least 14-16 inches long (or longer) before putting on a pistol-grip frame.
If I was going to create a "simple" designed
wooden stock/frame, I'd find some laminated maple or similar stock that wasn't any thicker than a M1911A1 is wide, and would actually cut a similar-looking silhouette-piece of "stock" before starting to shape and work it. IOW, the wooden stock I envision would have a built-in pistol grip not unlike a M1911 with the same ergonomics.
But the goal would be to make it as streamlined and small and compact and lightweight AS POSSIBLE!
Now if it was possible to use a material like Kydex or the open-polymer material used by both Choate and Bell&Carlson, that would definitely be easier to shape with a rasp! But possibly not as rigid as
the laminated, M1911-looking stock.
I suppose if there were only the restrictions that pistols had to be certain dimension as well as rifles, and then a gunsmith-designer set out to design and build a Crickett/Chipmunk-size survival gun, I suppose the size could be incredibly small and lightweight!
But Congreff and the gun-haters in this country, along with F-troop (BATF) would probably complain such a small survival tool was too dangerous and clandestine for
Joe Private Sixpack to privately own!
What attracted me to the Chipmunk pistol besides its concept is that they sell for $200-$230 or so. Finding a suitable donor-action in
a Remington M700 for making a custom build (of some kind) will run $350-$400 or more. I might be willing to spend that much (overall) to build my special .22LR survival gun - if I was certain the quality and success would be there in that "tool" when I was done. The stock and other parts could be sold from the Chipmunk - to help defer part of its cost.
Otherwise I'd resort back to the numerous (altho none of them are perfekt!) .22LR choices we've each seen and often talked about here at GBO. I first identified my need for a ltwt hiker-.22 when I lived in Utah one deer season.On three successive trips/hikes/stalks I came across three rifled grouse that seemed
retarded! (can I use that word!!?? just did!). A couple grouse acted like they'd never seen humans and didn't flush nor try to escape!
Not at first.
One of them managed to walk just-faster than me staying literally just inches away from my outstretched hand! It was comical - along with being quite exasperating at the time!
A pocket-size .22 would've allowed me to pop it in the head and then into the pot! But while guns like the 3 1/2 - 4inch S&W422 existed, or the tiny Beretta or Taurus or Lorcern (sp?) sat-specials also exist, their really short 2-3inch barrels
don't provide much performance.
I've studied a lot of data about .22's, and the fellow who owns Sound Technologies (Pelham, AL) published a couple tables on ammo he's tested when building his suppressed guns.
On average most .22LR ammo max-out performance wise at 16inches - in both the M10/22 and M77/22, according to Dr. Marc White (the owner and founder). The M10/22 table breaks down as follows ......;
16 inch barrel, 100% of performance
14in bbl, 99% of performance (-1%)
12inches, 97% (-3)
10inches, 96% (-4)
8inches, 93% (-7%)
6inches, 89% (-11%)
4inches, 82% (-18%)
Also a CCI Velocitor is advertised as giving 1435fps MV.
From a 6inch handgun if those above figures are indeed correct,
one can expect to measure @1277fps - which is actually faster than the advertised muzzle velocity from a CCI Mini-Mag or other high velocity .22LR round! Personally I prefer standard velocity ammo for most of my .22 shooting, altho the Velocitor is a special application IMO, as is the Stinger (also made by CCI) and the brand of CB caps I prefer (again, made by CCI).
Too bad a company like Kel-Tec doesn't make a lightweight .22 backpacker gun! Or North American Arms doesn't offer a "buntline" model of some kind!
I once owned a pop-metal
Phoenix Arms P22 pistol with its 3in barrel (an optional 5inch bbl is available). I ran a clp-full of Stingers through it, or thought I would! Damn cheapo pistol came apart on me at about the 4th round. At the recoil the firing pin was ejected and hit me in the chest (wasn't hurt). I sold the piece after that. But that little gun had a 3.0inch bbl and was extremely accurate!!!
I could easily get by
on survival, with an 8inch version of the NAA Mini Master. I'd pack the .22WMR cylinder just because, along with an assortment of Long Rifle fodder for the std cylinder, altho standard velocity or subsonic ammo would meet 90plus percent of my needs!