doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Octagonal to round with wedding ring transition

My local smith and I were waiting out a thunderstorm yesterday. Nice because we needed the rain and nicer because no one was going to come to his shop with rain coming down in buckets. During the BS phase of discussions we talked about a potential Ruger 3 conversion and if the deed was done, barrel shaping.

While the discussions started out with an octagonal barrel with a tulip at the receiver, I'd also heard about the Octagonal, to round with a wedding ring transition point. He said he'd done a few of those in bigger contours then what I was talking about (.600 finished at the muzzle) and while they were more work (work meaning shop time meaning more dollars) it could certainly be done.

Wondering thoughts on the above. Frankly had only really thought about a regular octagonal but now I'm starting to at least explore other ideas, because planning is half the fun.

I like an octagon barrel, BUT a half round-half octagon really adds a touch of class.

Jd.Steele on this site does a beautiful job of this. I Know. whitey

It adds both class and money to duplicate. It adds to my Alex Henry's sex appeal. One of these days I might even see it again if my smith ever complets the job.

The ring is a very nice touch, I have a couple of old percussion fowlers with that feature and another with out, it lacks something if you get my drift. On a Ruger you say - if you get all that done please post a pic / two. --- John Can.

What caliber are you going to use, and what was it from the factory?
Are you going to use the same carbine length barrel or longer?
If you will, do post pictures, before and after.

Gonna be a .257 Roberts. Original doner gun was a .22 Hornet. For some ungodly reason the original number 3 stock was cracked once on the forearm and on both sides of the buttstock so it most likely be used as a pattern stock. Current thought is 23" barrel instead of the 22". Machined quarter-rib that extends back over over the receiver machined for Talley sights, also to include two folding (Safari-type) sights.

Straight stock with pancake and Biesen steel buttplate.

Gonna mount a little Leupold VX-III 2.5 x 8. Wanna keep this pretty lean and mean.

PS. Well, above is at least the current plan.

Be careful to make the wedding band minimal, otherwise it will look like a two-piece barrel with a pipe fitting between.
Also for proper eye relief it is best to have the rear scope base on the top of the receiver although Ruger doesn't know this.

That sounds like a hell of a good plan to me! The .257 Roberts is a great choice of caliber. I agree with Mr. Hughes about the "wedding band". In fact the standard transition from octagon to round looks the best to me, but that just me.
One thought about the scope. As for making the rifle a little leaner, the Leupold VX-III 2.5 x 8 is a great scope, but you might consider a Leupold VX-II 2-7 x 28mm Ultralight. It's an inch and a half shorter, 3.2 Oz. lighter and not as big around.
IMO, smaller is better when it comes to scopes if one wants the handling qualities of a fine rifle, like you are building, to be really good.

I really look forward to seeing your finished rifle.
I have a Ruger No. 3 in .30-40 Krag, that I am fond of.

My smith was going to machine the quarter rib within the Lilja replacement barrel, but after discussing the scope issue with Ruger 1/3 we've decided it will be machined from bar stock so we can allow it extend over the receiver. That will required it to be sweated on, but the number 1/3 complicates a few things. Wedding ring will be quite small because I've seen the big ones and it looks just wrong IMO.

Don, I'll look at the other scopes. I've got a 2x7 on my little Remington Mannlicher. Don't even know its there its so light and compact. Leupold also makes a compact 3x9 Ultralight and that's a consideration. Agree smaller is better in this case.