Some time ago I picked up a 16ga J Blanch shotgun- single, Jones, side hammer, damascus.

Very pretty, but the bore looks as if someone cleaned it with a twist drill - would be first cousin to a sewer pipe.

So, what to do?
Ah-ha! Make a single shot rifle.
Lesee - I have a 40-65, a 38-55, but not a 32-40. Everybody should have a 32-40, right?
Cut the barrel? Nice Damascus? No way!
Gosh, Found a nice 32-40 barrel liner - Hmm.
So, made a 16ga adapter and soldered it onto the liner.
Other thingy is the extractor.

Ran a reamer thru the barrel to even it out a bit - took out 0.001 to 0.002.
Then a bushing on the end of the liner to fit the bore, and one mid-way. The groove in the bushing is for an O ring, if required.

Front sight is a home made clamp-on.

Here it is assembled. Rear sight is a lollypop replacing the original tang screw.

Shoots extremely well, got a 1 1/2 inch group at 50 yds first time out. Great fun.
No antique guns were irreversibly modified in this "experiment"!
Enjoy.

Excellent idea. Smile in my project line Smile I also have a fancy European or British.?? SS. Maybe about a 28 gage. Broken side Hammer and needs new hinge pin. And right beside it a 32 cal liner Smileee. Now everyone will know there is two of us that think alike. Smile Whitey

I like it.

I just bought a 28 gauge H&H with a trashed barrel that I'm going to have sleeved to 450-400 2 3/8" BPE.

Whitey,
I think there are more than two.
Mike

Mike I think your right. Smile Sure wish more posted their projects. JMO Whitey

[quote=Mike Harrell]I just bought a 28 gauge H&H with a trashed barrel that I'm going to have sleeved to 450-400 2 3/8" BPE.

Wow, I am not sure I would want to fire it more than twice in that light a piece!
You may find the trigger pull OK for a shotgun but a mite too heavy for a rifle - altho at 450-400.....
I replaced the sear spring with one of spring wire - saved the original, of course. Much better now.

I love it, why can't I think of projects like these! Keep them coming your inspiring my creative juices.

Jerry

oldstarfire,
The 450-400 2 3/8", is not nearly as brutal as 450-400 3 1/4" or 3".
Mike

The last 450-400 2 3/8" I had I shot 41 mag bullets in it and the Alex Henry double regulated in 3 loads. Shot a black bear with it at about 70 yds went clean through taking out the far shoulder. Dropped like a rock.

Mike:

Just out of curiosity, what style and weight .41 mag bullets were you using and what kind of velocity were you getting out of the 450-400 2-3/8"? I have a Swinburn's Patent Martini that was converted to .22 rimfire at some point in its past and I'm thinking of restoring it to centerfire, but haven't settled on a cartridge choice. The 450-400 2-3/8" is a candidate, but I want something that I could use as a deer rifle out to about 150 yards and an elk rifle out to 100 or so. It appears that your loads in this cartridge might make the grade.

Thanks.

Rem

My question, Oldstarfire, is what is the wall thickness of the liner just in front of the false chamber insert? And what is the pressure of a .32-40 at that point? Obviously, it's worked so far, but I thought that some of the strength of barrel liners comes from the original barrel into which it has been closely fitted and sweated into place. Thanks for sharing your projects with us. Always interesting.

Liner OD is .5625, bore is .323, wall about .110
Pressure? Don't know, cant hold my finger over the muzzle tight enough to feel (Joke).
I am shooting a 160 cast with 7 gr Trail Boss, seems very mild.

I did similar with a 38-55 in a 20 ga with no problem, later epoxied the liner into place as I did not like the accuracy. Found the problem was actually a bad crown.

Rem I used Hornady .410 diameter 210 gr hp/xtp bullets. Used the H4198 for black formula. I started at that and I think I had to go up 2 grains to regulate. I do not know the velocity.

Mike:

Thanks.

Rem