Ruger 77 Mark II in .45 ACP....yup.

[alan in ga]

Decided to scratch an itch most people have never had. Green Mountain popped up an ad for barrel blanks 25" x 1.25" in .45 ACP. Read an article on an Argentine Mauser rifle in 45 ACP years ago and well, the barrel is here, reamers here, just waiting to pop it in the lathe and go. Just happen to have a Ruger Target Laminated stock with the forend opened up, too.
Sometimes you just gotta scratch an itch.
Barrel will be only contoured enough to result in high polish, and left in cylindrical/bench contour. Might be 24" after all is said and done. Single shot, not going to fuss with any magazine alteration as it's a "switch barrel" and will go back to .250 Ackley Improved when the itch is gone.

[Nobade]

16.25" barrel plus a good can on the end makes for great entertainment in a setup like that. (Assuming your state allows you to own one)

[MGMorden]

Pardon my ignorance on this - I'm no gunsmith - but without a functional magazine, won't the controlled feed system be an issue?  All the CRF guns I've ever seen pretty much HAD to feed from the mag. 

[mcwoodduck]

Pardon my ignorance on this - I'm no gunsmith - but without a functional magazine, won't the controlled feed system be an issue?  All the CRF guns I've ever seen pretty much HAD to feed from the mag. 

The mauser rifles fixed that in angleing the front and leaving space in the reciever for the claw to jump over the rim.
Other than that sounds like a reason to buy a new floor plate and modify it to take a 1911 magizine.
Does not have to e removable just make it so it will stay there.  Add a shelf to the side of the mag and seat it in the floor plate.

[Nobade]

Or just get a Score High single shot follower for it.

[spartacus1239]

I would kill for a .45 acp bolt gun.  When i had my gun shop the gunsmith made himself one and I tried very hard to buy it off of him.  The ACP case is suited for some really nice velocity and accuracy when loaded properly.

To scratch my .45 ACP itch I bought a Beretta carbine.  Damn accurate but kicks like a mule with 230 grain loads.

[alan in ga]

I would kill for a .45 acp bolt gun.  When i had my gun shop the gunsmith made himself one and I tried very hard to buy it off of him.  The ACP case is suited for some really nice velocity and accuracy when loaded properly.

To scratch my .45 ACP itch I bought a Beretta carbine.  Damn accurate but kicks like a mule with 230 grain loads.

I'm hoping the 1.250" cylinder profile of my 25" barrel will 'tame down' the 45 ACP round : ). Actually I'm suprised yours kicks but that Beretta is a light gun. Was tempted to buy one myself when I handled it in a shop.
Scheduled fitting/finishing of my heavy barrel 45 ACP Ruger Mark II bolt rifle is during the Christmas Holidays....gonna be fun dragging out the various .45 ACP ammo I've accumulated thru the years and plinking them out of a 'bench gun'!

Keep in touch, I may sell this barrel after playing with it a while. I do that. Action will be kept as it's already fitted for a couple other barrels.

[spartacus1239]

Ya, the little Beretta has some thump to it.  I need to get another butt pad spacer for it.  What impresses me tho is just how accurate the .45 ACP is in a long barrel.   

My gunsmith budy built his .45 ACP on an old 98 Mauser action that he cut down for the round.  Always thought that rifle would of been awesome with a silencer on it.

[mcwoodduck]

Ya, the little Beretta has some thump to it.  I need to get another butt pad spacer for it.  What impresses me tho is just how accurate the .45 ACP is in a long barrel.   

My gunsmith budy built his .45 ACP on an old 98 Mauser action that he cut down for the round.  Always thought that rifle would of been awesome with a silencer on it.

The Brits had one in WWII made on an Enfield frame that had a Colt mag for sentry removal.
Funky looking little gun.  From everything I read about it, it was effective.

[alan in ga]

After about 4 hours of contouring, threading, and chambering, it's DONE.
Shot 2 factory 230 grain PMC rounds thru it, sounded like a 22LR target [subsonic] rounds to me.
Can't wait to get it on the bench and see just what this Green Mountain barrel will do!
Sometimes you just HAVE TO scratch an itch : )
Funny thing is, borrowed two Clymer chambering reamers. Would you believe they make a roughing reamer for 45ACP??! It's a cylindrical round so all the cutting [as little as it is] is done with the forward edge of the cutting flutes. We just used the finish reamer.
It is an odd ball for sure, but it is fun!
Oh, we turned it down to 1.150" OD, same as factory barrels at the breech/chamber end.

[spartacus1239]

you should shoot it for a couple days then sell it to me!  post some pics!

After about 4 hours of contouring, threading, and chambering, it's DONE.
Shot 2 factory 230 grain PMC rounds thru it, sounded like a 22LR target [subsonic] rounds to me.
Can't wait to get it on the bench and see just what this Green Mountain barrel will do!
Sometimes you just HAVE TO scratch an itch : )
Funny thing is, borrowed two Clymer chambering reamers. Would you believe they make a roughing reamer for 45ACP??! It's a cylindrical round so all the cutting [as little as it is] is done with the forward edge of the cutting flutes. We just used the finish reamer.
It is an odd ball for sure, but it is fun!
Oh, we turned it down to 1.150" OD, same as factory barrels at the breech/chamber end.

[alan in ga]

The Ruger Varmint/Target laminated stock needs almost 1/8" of material inletted out at the forward barrel channel. It fits fine near the action but with zero taper it needs a bit more room out front. I have barrel channel scrapers but this 'glue wood' might be faster inletted over on my friend's milling machine!
I'll post pictures as soon as it's complete. Maybe a quick picture of the muzzle before....

Also, one friend has already suggested I run the reamer in deeper for a .45 Win Mag bolt gun! I've had cannons before though. THIS project was to go the other way, a 45 CB cap round so to speak : )

[alan in ga]

Well the itch has been scratched..the rifle is finished. Now to get to the range with all the 45 ACP ammo I can scrounge up.

[spartacus1239]

post some targets if you get a chance

[alan in ga]

Will do. Not sure when I'll get to the range. Wonder if the 'pistol only' indoor range nearby would let me shoot this in there? No more velocity than out of a pistol or close to it.
Gotta find out what this BIG hole barrel will do.
OH, dropped the floor plate and follower, held a 1911 clip with the lips even with the Ruger's action feed rails, and it fed ammo~!
Now we're wondering if liquid epoxy or bedding compound could be molded into a Ruger 77 magazine liner [sheet metal box in the factory gun], and be a working option.
Then I gaze at the Ruger 77/44 rifle and think Hmmmmm,,,already been done : )

[spartacus1239]

most ranges let you shoot rifles in pistol chamberings.  which is one reason why I love the rifles in pistol chamberings!

[spartacus1239]

wonder if you could use JB weld? for some fabrication?

OH, dropped the floor plate and follower, held a 1911 clip with the lips even with the Ruger's action feed rails, and it fed ammo~!
Now we're wondering if liquid epoxy or bedding compound could be molded into a Ruger 77 magazine liner [sheet metal box in the factory gun], and be a working option.
Then I gaze at the Ruger 77/44 rifle and think Hmmmmm,,,already been done : )

[alan in ga]

Getting ahead of myself. Let's see if it will SHOOT accurately first!

[alan in ga]

Here tis':

[spartacus1239]

one sharp looking rifle!

[alan in ga]

GREAT DEAL on .45ACP  blanks now at Green Mountain Barrels! 20"x 1.250 for only $33 ~!
I paid $65 for a 25" long blank! I surely would have purchased one of these if they were offered at the time!

[alan in ga]

I let someone shoot it yesterday at a gunshop. They have a test fire setup outside, a large steel tank in the ground that offers about 15' of 'range'.
He laughed the whole time, shot it 3 times and just giggled the whole time.
I told him most folks just lean over, grimace, and say "WHY"?
Ha!

[spartacus1239]

a simple "why not" would be my answer!

[alan in ga]

My answer have been:
='cause
=because [correct]
=had to scratch an itch.
=because I read an article
=because Green Mountain offered a barrel at a price I couldn't refuse.

Guys, this has been quite fun so far. If a clip fed modification were easy [might be], I would have purchased a high grade medium sporter contoured barrel!
It was quite a bit of work [time] to get the 25"x 1.250" barrel turned down to 1.150 ACCURATELY!
Ordering a contoured barrel instead of this cylindrical blank would have been easier to fit but more expensive as this was a 'on sale' barrel for only $69 shipped. Compare that to a $250+ barrel.

[spartacus1239]

still say you should just sell it to me!

[bcp]

I've often thought a Marlin Camp 45 magazine housing, with or without the integral trigger guard, would be a good place to start making a magazine housing for a 45 ACP mag-fed bolt action.

Bruce

[alan in ga]

FINALLY....got to the range. Notes:
45ACP ammo is dirty burning, at least it smokes up the muzzle way out there at 25" from the chamber.
*Federal Match 230 grain ball ammo is not accurate in this rifle [5" groups at 50 yards].
*Lead bullet loads 230 grain that SOUND and FEEL like HOTTER loads ARE accurate! 4 in 2" with one flier out to 4" at 100 yards.....show some accuracy potential is here somewhere!
*Today's shooting tells me I may wind up handloading warmer loads for this barrel. Will take chronograph next time!
*The thought occured that maybe reaming the chamber to .45 Win. Mag. might not be a bad idea after all. That or cutting this barrel back to 18" from the 25" it is.
*Will try some more lead loads or hotter FMJ bullets.
*You can SEE your .45 bullet all the way to a white target at 50 or 100 yards...Ha!

Any ideas? It was fun to shoot. My shooting friend had his .45 Win Mag Super 14 Contender pistol today. The reaming to 45WM is still a future possibility....but I surely have more ACP ammo to test. I'd like to load some hard lead bullets in some relatively 'hot' loads.

[spartacus1239]

Still say, you should just sell it to me.  I would be a great new owner....  polish it, talk to it..  you know.  treat it like a member of the family.

[alan in ga]

I was going to take my Blackberry out and snap a picture of the groups....forgot. I was suprised to see the LEAD bullet loads shoot the best! Now to find some "good" lead bullets and handload some warm ammo, this is fun so far. I think the 25" barrel was 'overkill' but since I have it, will keep it long until I think I have tried about everything in it. The thought to cut it back to 18" or so could resurface! : )

Another thing just remembered: only a smidge of leading in the bore, all in the first 4" or so in front of the chamber. Was hoping the lead ammo was not going to lead the whole bore but it looks like leading is not going to be an issue, at least with factory ammo so far.

[spartacus1239]

see, I have the Beretta .45 semi auto carbine.  But I REALLY want a .45acp bolt action.  so you should make my dream come true!!!