Saturday, January 31, 2009

The $65.00 project shotgun part 1


Here's the $65.00 project shotgun. That was the dealers price tag. I was out trying to find a new owner for a box full of old gun books when I came accross this gun. After selling the books my out of pocket costs are more like $35.00. It's a 12ga 3" Rossi single shot. Cut down to a youth gun of sorts. 19" barrel, 33" oal, 12.5"lop. Previous owner cut it down for his grandson to shoot. Shortening the barrel left it a cylinder bore, and sightless. The length of pull is so short my short armed teenage daughter even has trouble holding it. Though she did call it "kinda cute" when she first saw it. I shot it with trap loads and it kicks like a minature mule. Though it's bark isn't as bad as I expected. So, I suppose it is "kinda cute", pit bull puppy cute, that is. We're going to make it into a deer/turkey hunting machine. We're also going to play with some chamber inserts allowing it to shoot various rifle and pistol ammo. Future instalments on this project will include.
Installing a set of fiber optic sights purchased last summer for $2.00 (garage sale)
Making a cast lead buttplate to lengthen the stock and add some recoil absorbing weight.
Making a slip on leather recoil pad, to hide the lead buttplate and lessen recoil.
We will test several brands and types of chamber inserts.
We may also try our hand at installing screw in chokes, providing the expense doesn't take us out of the low budget category.
Woods

3 comments:

scoutinlife said...

Nice find I just picked up a Rossi Matched Pair 22/410 a couple weeks ago. Great project gun and hard to beat a good single shot utility gun.... Hey Woods can you email me the asking price for the draw knife at Scoutinlife@gmail.com.... I'm interested vary much and would it be ok to send cash or a money order instead of paypal... I don't use a bank or credit cars any longer.......


Thanks,

John

woodsrunner said...

Scout, email sent. Yes it's a great little project. And I need a low budget one to play with. Last year I finished a 1870's era Remington rolling block. Somebody back in the 50's or 60's made a lamp out of it. I made it a little 357 magnum woodchuck gun out of it. By the time I was finished I ended up spending 3 times what I could have bought a good replica for in the same caliber. And I took almost four years doing it, because I scrounged around for the parts to keep the cost down. From now on I'll be playing with cheap guns.

Anonymous said...

I bought a similar gun at a gunshow last year, a single 12 Kassnar. Stock is standard length, but cut down (legally) tube - I call it my 'Junkyard Dog', something that will do alot of what needs done. Good luck with those inserts - have a few of them myself, and though not as accurate as a firearm dedicated to them, kinda neat having one that will shoot them. .45acp, .357 Magnum and Savage Four-Tenner among them.