"Target" leveractions

[JohnM]

Looking for ideas and pics to build a [presently] 336, .25-35 20" carbine into an off-hand silhouette steel clanger.

First of all: why 'DO' anything to what might be a perfectly good rifle?

Because: this 336 was a backseat/cargo box gun in the South for years.the cosmetics are pretty challenged. It also got runned over by a truck while laying on sand road [or sumthin' very like that], just aft of the action thru the wrist. That was repaired with a crudely pinned and glued stock, as well as a rough straightening of the lever]. It was originally a .30-30.

Why: the rifle has a Ballard-cut, lead-bullet barrel liner by Bienke and Bienke, which said bbl was once mounted with a 20X full length Unertal: and the combo cleaned house in cast bullet matches in it's home state. As well, the gun was a gift from a great friend, and i want to do this in remembrance of him.

Sooooooo....

1. swap out lever and lower grip for a curved rifle SPG, which gets a Treebone stock, incl curved buttplate.

2. Half-magazine job, for better balance [w/the liner is more muzzle heavy than I need for good stability]

[and related to 2:]
3. Fore-end; slenderize the wood to antique proportions, but not sure whether to go BBl band as it is, or switch over to a fore-end cap set up. Stable accuracy as the bbl heats is my PRIME consideration on that choice.

4. The action is already well-used slick, feeds and ejects fine and the trigger is crisp, so unless there is some problem undiscovered, that's OK.

5. The metal is pretty dinged and rubbed, etc. Has peened slots, burrs, and other eyesores. After polishing out flat the major stuff, a sharp bead blast and then a double hot-dip blue for a rust blue look, should complete the job.

6. Have tang and globe front mounted by my good local 'smith [Gary Cleland, Swanton, Ohio]. Zero degrees slant;nice and square, if you please, sir.

Other thots:

A.for best accuracy, the two buttstock treatments seem to be Nonneman's thru bolt to tang and McPherson's tang-bolt bedding. Any experience or comments welcome there, as to usage and testing.

B. for fore-end consistency and vibration dampening, the RTV silcone bead between the magazine tube and bbl seems tobe the best of which I've read. Anything new in that area?

For the past couple years have had nose to grindstone, and not much play time. However, this project is now topo' the heap.

OH,and btw; I do think a Marlin 94 pistol cartridge, off-hand rifle set-up like this would be a neat-o piece. 24"bbl semi-octagon bbl, and SPG -- just custom fabricate the...Nah...let the factory make THAT model - someday. ;~`)

[jdad]

Just a thought, since you are open to ideas.

This is a Marlin Ballard "Target" rifle that would cost about the same as what you are proposing.

http://ballardarms.com/8_union_hill.shtml

[centershot]

Hmmmm..........you say that you want to shoot silhouette matches; Is that Cowboy Lever-action Silhouette? If so, be careful what you do to the rifle! If it has already been re-barreled it is ineligible for competition. I know you stated it had been re-lined, but it still has to be the original barrel! Get a rule book from NRA.

P.S. Your rifle doesn't have to be a 1 MOA rifle to be competitive in Cowboy Lever-Action Rifle competition!

[jdad]

Like centershot said, if you change the original barrel & mag tube configuration it is not a legal "match" rifle. It just has to be "minute-of-ram" accurate, not moa accurate. It doesn't matter where you hit it as long as it goes down.

[Griff]

All else seems fine, but... my thoughts would be a 24-26" ½-octagon/round barrel; predicated on conversion to a forend cap & hanger, this would have several advantages.

1- a band can and often make a constriction point that can adversely impact barrel harmonics at different temperatures during firing, imo, a big part of potential accuracy;

2- increased sight radius, again, imo a huge plus with iron sights;

3- the ½-oct/rnd barrel provides additional weight for "hang" which acts as a damper to tension shakes, yet not so much as to induce even more tension.

It also has more "meat" where the tenon for the forend cap will be. With a half or button mag, there's nothing out at the end of the barrel to induce stringing shots from a pressure point if installed correctly. In effect "free-floating thr barrel, which is why I don't think using silicone between the barrel & forearm is such a good idea. imo, ANYTHING that can alter the harmonics or heat expansion/contraction of the metal is a potential problem.

I happen to like a weighty barrel, so my target .30-30 has an untapered 26" octagon:

Like centershot said, if you change the original barrel & mag tube configuration it is not a legal "match" rifle...

Are ya'll sayin' that even if in a configuration offered, because a particular rifle didn't leave the factory thusly, it's illegal? Stupid, elitist rule.

[jdad]

Griff,
It helps to keep silhouette 90% shooter and 10% equipment, not like CASS/IPSC/Tactical Rifle that have become equipment games.

I would love to be able to put a Douglas XX air gauged chrome moly barrel, on my rifles if it were legal.

[gundownunder]

I'm new to silhouette and haven't read the rulebook yet, but I know you can reline an existing barrel but not replace the barrel. (How would the scrutineers know if you used another original barrel? )
I would think that replacing a broken stock with an original type replacement would have to be allowed.
Is there a reason not to allow the mag tube to be shortened? and would that rule apply if the make and model was ever made available in that configuration, thereby setting a precedent?
Like has already been said, we don't need this to become an elitist arms race. Once every few years I might be able to afford to buy a $1000 rifle, but turning it from a $1000 rifle to a $5000 rifle just isn't ever going to be in my budget, hence my decision to shoot classic lever action rifles and not some fancy piece of equipment.

[JohnM]

OK, some good answers and more questions to ponder.

On the .25-35 -- it is not going to be used for CAS, but more for my own recreational off-hand steel banging. Soooo...the mod's are pretty open there.

On the .357 idea, and according to your input, just about any decent, stocker traditional levergun has enough grouping to work for CAS sillys? In which case, the longer bbl'd oct with some 'hang'to it,is prob'ly where I should be looking.

thanks for the replies.

[Griff]

When I say elitist, I mean that once all those original guns have shot out barrels, or otherwise aren't serviceable, there goes the game. Done. Period. No manufacturer, (FN or Remington) is likely to retool for guns that will see a much smaller market than CAS or some other shooting sports.

Frankly, just like CAS, it would still be 90% (low estimate IMO), shooter, even if replacement barrels were allowed. While SASS allows more mods than I'm comfortable with, those same changes allow persons that are challenged to safely operate firearms. While, yes, some do enhance performance, one still has to practice to fully utilize those enchancements. Top shooters in ANY shooting venue are there because they PRACTICE. Their equipment may allow them to run faster or shoot better than otherwise, but... they'd still be at the top of the game, due to their practice, not the equipment.

There could be rules to accomodate such changes... i.e.: must conform to original contours, must be of proved offered lengths, etc. NCOWS, (a more traditional form of SASS), in its' CAS events one must show that your firearms existed back in the day... they also require that for other things, costumes, etc.

Confirms why many clubs don't go the NRA-sanctioned silhouette competition route. The above is just my opinion. I built my target 94 for SASS long range matches... and while I have a couple of qualifying mdl 94 Winchesters, they're collectible pieces, and I'd rather not subject them to the rigors of a competition.

[Streetstar]

Oh my ----------


Griff,

I honestly thought i had all the leverguns i have a practical use for already until i saw the pic of yours. Drool rag is out. Is that factory, or custom?

If its custom, i need to look for a "project" model 94 myself -- that is too cool

[jdad]

Griff,
Just to clarify, relining an old barrel is ok. Our club, some 20+ years ago, created leveraction silhouette. A couple of NRA competition board members came down, competed in a match, and the rest is history.

[JohnM]

More interesting with each post. Now, I'm confused apparently about leveraction and cowboy silhouette guns and matches. I have a friend who just shoots a stock-39A in some sort of 'siily'match. Then there is a pistol caliber class, too?

I haven't followed this subject over the years, but recently it began to sound like fun, as I might even have some free weekends this year. At any rate, thanks for the continued replies and ideas. Are there any sites where leveraction accuracy nuts hash out both theory and actual practice?

[gundownunder]

The 39A would be in rimfire class, then you get pistol caliber, and finally, rifle caliber or bigbore.
Like you, I'm new to this game, but learned to like it real fast. You get instant gratification when you squeeze the trigger and get a "bang,clang,flop" right there and then, unlike paper punching.
Try a site called "steelchickens" and also "greybeard outdoors" has a section on silhouette which gets its fair share of cowboy threads.

[jdad]

More interesting with each post. Now, I'm confused apparently about leveraction and cowboy silhouette guns and matches. I have a friend who just shoots a stock-39A in some sort of 'siily'match. Then there is a pistol caliber class, too?

I haven't followed this subject over the years, but recently it began to sound like fun, as I might even have some free weekends this year. At any rate, thanks for the continued replies and ideas. Are there any sites where leveraction accuracy nuts hash out both theory and actual practice?

To make it even more confusing.....

"Cowboy" class smallbore (22LR only) silhouette allows any tube fed lever, semiauto, or pump action rifle, with iron (peeps ok) sights.