Gunsmithing Palma rifle build thread

LRI

LRI

Lance Criminal
Full Member
Minuteman
    • Mar 14, 2010
    6,342
    7,647
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    Sturgis, S. Dakota
    www.longriflesinc.com
    #1
    Enjoy.

    Step one: Layout of the blank.

    DSC_0014.jpg


    Step two: Inspection of the receiver and the computer model.

    DSC_0015.jpg


    Step three: Program verification

    DSC_0016.jpg



    More to follow as this progresses along today.
     
    #3
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Cant wait to see your progress. This rifle started out with a big chunk of wood like that, though not a palma, its my 1000 yard rifle (Model 70 in 300 WM.

    Its plain to see I dont have the equipment, nor near the talent, but it still shoots great.

    1000%20yd%20Rifle.jpg
     
    #5
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Inspection of the stock blank upon delivery showed a slight twist along the length at the show line. Not a problem. I indexed the stock off the imaginary vertical line of the buttstock and took a .03" skim pass off the top to get everything square. Makes life much easier for later operations.

    Here we are wizzing away with a monster 1.25 3 flute cutter.

    DSC_0022.jpg
     
    #6
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Grrrrrrr....

    One thing about CNC's. They are pigs! A dab of way oil dribbled on the damn stock. No biggy as i'll just whip up some acetone/baking soda to draw it out, but it's annoying as hell to have to do extra work!

    It may be time for a CNC router. . .

    DSC_0024.jpg
     
    #10
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Ultimately what I'm after is along these lines. This is my Palma rifle built 6 years ago. The Nesika logo up front is a pewter inlay. (and it mother _ _ ked me the whole time too as it was the first time I'd ever done it) The hardware is all stuff I make in house. Notice the lack of screws in the rail. I've yet to use an accessory rail that didn't snag the handstop/bi pod on the screw countersinks. SO I did away with mounting it from the bottom. Come in from the top and the problem is solved.

    Much cleaner presentation and better function I think.

    Adjustable cheekpiece is a quick detach that retains the setting. Nice for palma as a "safe gun" is one with the bolt removed when moving to and from the firing line. Most likely not very practical for a Tac rifle though. I'm kinda bummed about the fit in the stock. When I did it the fit was 1:1 but three years in the middle east (I was a security contractor from 06-09) meant no one to maintenance this thing. the stock shrunk a bit and as a result there's a big ol fat gap now between the hardware and the stock. Sucks!

    This rifle will get the same treatment only everything is going to be in steel and case colored afterward, including the action and small parts. Probably go with a titanium tactical blue falcon coat on the barrel.

    Bling Bling!

    DSC_0002.jpg


    DSC_0003.jpg


    DSC_0004.jpg


    DSC_0001-1.jpg


    DSC_0005-1.jpg
     
    #14
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Barrel channel:

    DSC_0015-1.jpg

    </div></div>

    WOW, that stock looks great. May I ask what the barrel contour is in the above pic, light palma?
     
    #15
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    To be honest I don't know. I've built quite a few palma guns and this barrel contour doesn't quite match anything I've used before. It was customer supplied. It's a switch barrel gun. This is a 6mm CM and the other is the 30 cal. (308 Gamboa chamber)

    I stated earlier the stock is English. After talking with the client yesterday I have learned its in fact a piece of Turk walnut. Almost a shame to bed the thing. The best color/figure is down inside the inlet! Beautiful marbling. I wish there was a colorless resin system that was strong enough to use for bedding. That'd be sick! Hmmmmmm. . . .



     
    #16
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Ok, back to work. . .

    Whipped up a handful of recoil lugs for this particular action this morning. CNC profiled and ground to a 16 RMS finish. My girlfriend tried her hand at programming this morning so I paid a little homage to her on the front of it with some engraving.

    DSC_0035.jpg


    Now for bedding. Action is prepped and ready. Receiver has been thoroughly scrubbed, degreased, all the holes are stuffed with clay, lug is taped off on the front/sides, and I applied the release agent in a nice, thin, even coat. No shoe polish here but I do use floor wax paste on my guard screw studs.

    DSC_0036-1.jpg



    Now for masking off the stock. This is a rather spendy piece of Turkish walnut (I earlier mistakenly called it English) so I want to be sure to keep everything sterile. LOTS of tape! The green stuff from 3M works good as it stays put.

    Before:

    DSC_0038.jpg


    After:

    DSC_0039.jpg


    DSC_0040.jpg


    Now for the easy part. Prep work is all done so its time to start mixing the goop and applying it.

    Goop applied. Now it's the waiting game. . .

    DSC_0042-1.jpg
     
    #19
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Interesting.

    Not sure why you'd use lugs on a switch barrel application when you could use Mac's recoil stud in the middle action screw hole (that you filled in). What was the logic there? Many of us run Mac's stud with no lug on that action with no problems.

    Also if you have the program for making the 1411 copy stock or access to the copier you might consider beefing up the grip size of the stock. They are notoriously thin through the grip area. Mine has a bunch of bondo on it building it up to adult American hand size.

    The alu tubes you put thu the forend sides - I assume they are there for keeping the fancy wood from cracking/providing strength? Did you put one through the wrist as well? Again, that 1411 pattern stock is very thin through the grip. Mine cracked at the wrist from a minor incident.

    Be sure and post final pics - I want to see how the wood finishes out.
     
    #22
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    I built a few rifles on the CG Millenium actions back when they were new. A very respected gunplumber out east built one and it'd string vertical from the top of the 8 ring to the bottom. He went with a recoil lug system very similar to what Barnard has. It was a painful learning curve as the owner of the gun was on the US Palma Team and he ended up not being able to shoot his brand new rifle. He had to use his Tubb gun instead which created its own set of headaches since his paperwork had already been submitted to England for the matches. (World championships were in Bisley in 03)

    So, I've taken the philosophy that a recoil lug needs to have as much surface contact with the receiver as possible. It's worked for a hundred+ years on every other action out there so I've no reason to think it won't work here. I know about Mac's lug and I have a great respect for Mr. Tilton. He's been a tremendous ally/asset for me over the years.

    This stock isn't a 1411. It's closer to the H/H prone that Ian makes. I've already added a 7/16" pin through the grip and the grip is enlarged to specifically deal with the recoil from the 308. Not my first rodeo with vertical grip wood guns. I've repaired many over the years when I worked on lots of Anschutz, Feinwerkbau's, and Walther air/rimfire rifles.

    Back to the lug. The lug is pinned identical to how the Nesika actions are done. No tools required.


    As stated in an earlier post. The inserts up front are for retaining the accessory rail. Every position rifle I've ever shot, built, been around uses countersunk screws to hold the rail into the stock. I've yet to see one that didn't snag the handstop down in the T slot. It's always been a pet peeve of mine. I solved the "problem" by coming in from the top side. The inserts are as much for looks as they are function to prevent the screw heads from eating through the wood over time. Just another way to skin a cat. These are 300 stainless, not aluminum.
     
    #23
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Thanks for the clarifications- hard to see the dimensional differences of the stock profile in the pics. Very familiar with the H&H pattern stocks. Glad to see it in wood not glass BTW.

    What precision target rifles had separate recoil lugs on them held by the barrel 100+ years ago? I'm most familiar with lugs of this type surfacing in the 50s with Savage and Remington hunting rifles. It would be interesting to know the lineage of these types of lug systems. Thanks.
     
    #25
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    It goes without saying (but doing it anyway) that you do good work. I do like to see wood! Ever done a MCM A-5 ish with adjustable cheek? In my opinion that would be a neat trick. No harder than what you've done there I bet.

    Saved your Web address. I do like the way you do things different. Wish my mind worked more that way, or had more money. Then it wouldn't matter how my mind worked
    grin.gif
    .
     
    #29
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    Update:

    I finished the bulk of the machine work today on the inlets. Just a few items left to do.

    I ended up bedding this over again. Wasn't satisfied with the first time around. Sucks when that happens, but if it's not right, it's not right. (right?)

    Much better the second time around. Now just have to chew on it some more to finish off the ejection port and other remaining features/inlets. Almost there. . .

    DSC_0047.jpg


    DSC_0048.jpg


    DSC_0051.jpg
     
    #31
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    I didn't like the surface finish due to the 6 pin holes. They really can't be seen in the photos but they were there. I have stumbled onto a process that almost guarantees an inclusion free casting. Every once in awhile though it doesn't work. Not sure why as I don't change anything. Just Murphy being an ass again I guess. I tried patching the holes once but it just doesn't work/look the same. I've gone so far as to take a drill and drill all the way through to the outside of the stock and then use a syringe to pump the stuff in while the action is in place. It never comes out perfect.

    Charging what I charge to do this stuff doesn't allow me to have many mistakes so when its wrong, it's wrong ya' know?

    Cheers,

    C
     
    #32
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    How do you clean up your bedding? In you pics if goes from just popped the action out to ta-da! Do you put it back in your VMC or do it by hand? Any insight would be great.

    skog
     
    #33
    Re: Palma rifle build thread

    I block sand the fungus off the showline edge till the green tape begins to show. the showline is my qualified edge from where everything else references from. That and the face of the recoil lug. I have made a register that mounts on a tool holder that goes into the spindle. Bring it to the Z zero offset that was used when I initially ran the stock and its right back where it started. Its a "chad proof" way of ensuring the stock is level in both directions and at the same height as it was when I started. The real work is in the primary inlet before the bedding because you have to make sure the stock is really square. Quite often (take a bag gun for instance) the bottom surface isn't right with the showline. They can be off quite a bit sometimes. In this case I'll level the stock off the bottom and skim cut the top to get it straight. Then use the locating device to center it up on the fixture and go for broke. I'm doing one right now actually on a rimfire BR gun that I'm working on.

    Almost all of the work is done with software/machines. Just different tools. Instead of a file/dremel I grab the mouse/keyboard.

     
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