Author Topic: New Handi on my web site (Read 921 times)

Fred M · « **on:** April 03, 2005, 07:02:03 AM »

http://angelfire.com/ma/ZERMEL/257handi.html

This is the final condensed write up for all my world wide shooting friends on the 257 Roberts conversion.

Woodbutcher · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2005, 10:33:27 AM »

Fred, you do nice work. Thanks for the story.
I'm looking at the 243 lite weight NEF for the same reasons you described, although the 257 would be my first choice. Thanks again.
Woodbutcher

knight0334 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2005, 11:41:43 AM »

Nice work Fred. I really like what you did. Gives me ideas for a project.

Brett · « **Reply #3 on:** April 03, 2005, 12:43:02 PM »

Wow, looks great Fred! I love the way you reshaped the stock.

allcamo · « **Reply #4 on:** April 03, 2005, 12:51:16 PM »

Very nice looking gun Fred, congrats on a great job! I love the work you did on the stock. Would you be interested in reworking the stock on my .280 Handi? The only thing I want different is I want to keep it smooth, no checkering. PM me if you are interested. I'm still working on the accuracy of my rifle but as soon as I get it shooting I would like to have the stock reworked. I plan on sending the stock and forearm out to have a Dura-Coat finish applied after it is reworked so no finishing would be required.

handirifle · « **Reply #5 on:** April 03, 2005, 01:18:56 PM »

Fred,
On the stock reshape, did you just eyeball it? or did you go by a template or another rifle?

I love the look of my laminated but not the bulk and excess weight from material not needed. I had thought of just slimming it down in the back, as you have but I really like the re-shaped grip you have.

Nice work.

How does it shoot? range report?

Fred M · « **Reply #6 on:** April 03, 2005, 05:37:52 PM »

allcamo
This is a cold weather project, and I have so many already. I don't want to take on any more. To reshape the stock is not all that big a job. The finishing is. Besides you may not want to wait as long as it take me to do this job. I like to spend my time shooting, hunting and fishing and a few other things like bird watching. When you are retired like me you don't have time for serious jobs. Here I am sitting writing when I could make money doing gunstocks

handi rifle.

This is what you call a classic type stock design. There are many lay outs
in gunsmithing books. No I did not have a template. I just draw out the new shape on the old stock. Then bandsaw the excessive wood off. From then on it's wood rasps, spoke shave, gouges, files and sand paper.

When I was a kid I used to help my grandfather in his wood working shop he did gun stocks as a side line. He was an old country master craftsman.
He had very few power tools. At the age of 12 I had all the basic knowledge of wood working and hand carving tools.

In my younger days I used to make a few gun stocks totally from scratch with block of wood. So I have a little experience. My friend did the checkering because I don't like checkering with a magnifying glass.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma/ZERMEL/300wbymkv.html
Here is one of my hand made stocks, fom solid block of African Afrorsolis wood a type of walnut.

I had an electric DemBart checkering tool but sold it a few years ago.
You need good eye sight and a steady hand for good checkering.

In my write up I mentioned how the rifle shoots, 1/2" with 75gr bullets and 3/4" with 100gr bullet 3450ft and 3150ft respectively. These are the only two bullets I tested. I will still add some handloading development on the 100gr TSX bullet which I have not tried yet, but soon will.

The trouble with TSX bullet it needs more velocity in the 257R 1-10'twist.
In a 25-06 this bullet is about as good as you can get.
A compressed load with H4831 will maybe just make it at the pressure of 51-52kpsi the Handi likes most. This bullet is much longer than the ordinary jacketed bullet. Meaning either more velocty or a faster twist.

The twist is fixed at 10 and the velocity I get is a bit shy. But usually the TSX bullet produce higher velocities than other bullets of the same weight and loads. I have a new batch of loads in my shop which I will try in the next few days when it is supposed to warm up.

knight0334 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2005, 06:18:53 PM »

I'd give body parts for a 45/70-45/120 octagon barrel 34"(or more) in length on a SB2 receiver. "Sided" barrels have always been eye catching to me.

How difficult was that to reshape that barrel?

Never was a fan of checkering, but I do like yours around the grip. Give it some more "style".

Fred M · « **Reply #8 on:** April 03, 2005, 07:26:35 PM »

knight0334.
Setting up the barrel to the proper slope and index, which determines the weight is the most time consuming. On an already finished barrel the bore will change if the barrel is not properly stress relieved. That is why you want to do the milling before reboring if you don't know.

To be sure if you want to make an octagon barrel and not rebore you need to have the barrel stress relieved.

If for instance you want to make a 45cal barrel from a 223, i would do the octagon then stress relieve and then rebore to 45cal. Most good barrel are double stress relieved.

The milling on a finished barrel has to be done with thin cuts and lots of cooling fluid. The center of the barrel has to be held in place with a vise bolted to the milling table that keeps the barrel from vibrating and bending.

Milling should be done on the top with a horizontal cutter having a 1.5" radius. I did not have a cutter like that and did the milling on the vertical side with a smaller available vertical cutter with support for bending on the opposite side.

handirifle · « **Reply #9 on:** April 03, 2005, 09:21:39 PM »

Thanks fred
nice write up on the handmade stock. Some good info as well. I guess I missed the accuracy results in the write up of the Handi. Very nice there also.

I have some wood working experience too, makingtakedown recurve bows. They're not guns but still wood. I'll have to give it a try.

allcamo · « **Reply #10 on:** April 04, 2005, 12:49:04 AM »

No appoligies necessary Fred, If I was retired I'd be doing what I wanted to do also! :grin: I'm a sheetmetal designer/worker....another words I'm a blacksmith when it comes to working with wood so I'll just have to find someone that wants to try this. I'm going to use your picture if you don't mind to show people what I am looking to have done. Thanks once again.....

nfmMike · « **Reply #11 on:** April 04, 2005, 06:10:09 AM »

Fred - fine looking rifle! That is such a good looking stock.

Like your site also, in particular the "Canoe Survival Gun".

Looks like you are having fun and accomplishing personal desires now that you are retired. Good for you!

jumbeaux · « **Reply #12 on:** April 05, 2005, 07:56:45 AM »

Mr. Fred,

Great looking rifle. What type of finish (stain, top coat, etc) did you use on this project ?? I have wondered what to use to bring out the grain pattern especially on plain old birch. Any info would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Jumbeaux

Fred M · « **Reply #13 on:** April 05, 2005, 11:37:10 AM »

jumbeaux.
Did not use any stain. Only several coats of True Oil in a spray can sanded down each time until all pores a filled with 600 grit wet paper and water.

Stock should be very smooth and have the grain raised to start with. Clean and wash after each sanding before applying more finish.

If you are going to stain a laminated stock like that you will loose the contrast.

Solid birch is best stained with a chemical solution of either nitric acid or tannic acid these must be diluted with water. Not an amateur job. Ordinary wood stains are a poor choice causing build up and can't be sanded after

Chainsaw · « **Reply #14 on:** April 05, 2005, 03:20:01 PM »

Fred, I enjoyed reading your write up on the 257 Roberts you built. Nice Job! Nice Rifle! I paid particular attention to your reloading remarks. I have shot and loaded a lot of X bullets and am presently just starting to dabble with the TSX's. Everytime I load a Barnes bullet I am more convinced that OAL has more to do with accuracy than the load density does. A slight change(.0005) in seating depth changes velocity by as much as 50 fps per second in a 308 loaded with BLC-2. Different brass produces different results, primer change produces different results. Not that this is so surprising, it's that with conventional jacketed bullets these changes are quite a bit more subtle in contrast to the Barnes. Great bullet but lots of variables. If money permitted, I would do more testing with the Barnes, but at over half a rock each trigger pull, one could go broke and still no very little...............Chainsaw

Fred M · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2005, 06:29:16 PM »

Chainsaw.
Thanks for the input. I only use the 100gr .257 TSX bullets for hunting. They do like lots of velocity. In my Ruger#1 at 3430 they shoot into one hole at 100m.

I use a near full case of Reloder 22. I load the bullets 0,015" into the lands. This load is at full throttle. Not as pleasant to shoot as the 257 Handi or my 25 Hunter. I have not tried the TSX bullets in the 25 Hunter yet. I did not think they would stabilize at 3150 ft.

In the Handi 257 I loaded them 0.006 off the lands, because the wee gun likes to do the job sleeping. I will have to do some more testing for the best load but as it is now , the rifle shoots just fine with the TSX bullets.

I know what you mean by being pretty costly, in Canada they cost about .90c each. I bought some in AZ on sale for much better price.

Fred M · « **Reply #16 on:** April 06, 2005, 06:26:18 AM »

Please note: As questions come up on this forum, I revise my write on my web page. so it gets longer as time goes on.