<XMP><BODY></xmp> One Hole Rifles


One Hole Rifles.


        I think there is still a very valid role for an economical lightweight, no-nonsense single shot rifle. My Friend Ed has christened these "One Hole Rifles".
        I'm wary of calling these "Survival Guns" since my personal definition of this is for a weapon that provides self-defence capability as well as being used for hunting. For the former role I'd like at least a second shot. On the other hand, the One Hole rifle would be a useful food procurement item, and I'd not complain if I found one in an emergency kit. Possibly Backpackers and other non-hunters could carry One Hole Rifles as part of their "insurance" when entering the wilds.

The Action.
        For upmost simplicity I've suggested a single shot weapon, which to many people will mean a break open action. Nothing wrong with these, but I see a falling block action like the Sharps being sturdier. The Remington rolling block is also a possible configuration. I'd have an external hammer on the design so that the operation and status of the weapon is really obvious.
        The weapon would be a takedown design, so it could be easily stowed, and both the sights would be on one half to maintain zero. The stock would have a storage compartment for ammo and/or a survival blanket.

Calibre
        I think it was Buckshot that told me all you really needed in North America was a .22 and a .30 rifle.
        A 22 One Hole Rifle is an obvious model. There are plenty of .22 rimfire single shot rifles in existence already –where the One Hole would differ is that the chamber would be designed to accommodate the .223 Rem centrefire round (aka the 5.56x45mm). By using chamber adapters the weapon could also load .22 CB, short, long, LR and Mag rounds, as well as smaller centrefire rounds such as the .22 Hornet. The chamber could be changed so that the One Hole rifle could chamber other 22 rounds directly.
        The smaller 22 rounds have obvious applications in small game hunting, and many of the suggested loads are very low noise when fired from a rifle barrel. The 223 is probably the most potent round available in this calibre. Loads such as the 220 Swift, .224 Weatherby and .22-250 may have a shade more velocity but use lighter bullets. Even with FMJ ammo the .223 won't produce more than 14" of flesh penetration, which is a little shallow for larger game unless you can be certain of your placement.
        A .30 calibre One Hole Rifle would have a chamber to take 30-06 or .308 (7.62mm NATO) rounds. By changing chambers, the 7.62x39mm, 30-30, .300 Win Magnum and 7.62x54Rmm Russian rounds could also be accommodated. These rounds obviously have capability against larger game such as deer. By using chamber adapters for .30 M1 carbine or .32 ACP they can also be used to take smaller game.
        In one of his books Ragnar Benson talks of a single shot .25-20 that he has. By using bullets ranging from 60-117gr in weight he believes this will taken anything from rabbits to deer. By using a range of bullet types and charge weights a One Hole rifle could be very versatile without the complication of chamber adapters.
        If any reloaders reading want to contribute their favorite recipes for "Squib" loads I'll place them on this page. Include the game you use them on and range they are used at.
uncle-phil@lycos.com


FEEDBACK
Ed Sackett writes. (my responses in green)
        Thanks for crediting me w/ the term One Hole Rifle. I hope a legion of ghostly old-time shooters doesn't arise and come after me for plagiarism.

        (Hauntings by ghostly old time shooters should be directed to me, not Mr.Sackett)

        Let me suggest that instead of a Sharp's action you use the Winchester 1885, aka the Highwall. No other action compares to it for strength.
        Tipping barrel actions like the Thompson Contender carbine and Encore rifle have the advantage of changing calibers easily, w/out the complications of chamber inserts. Perhaps 2 barrels, .223 and .308, w/ just one chamber insert each? That would give you 4 calibers if you needed them. (Chamber inserts are a bother to keep clean, they can stick, and there might be trouble w/ erosion and belling over time.)

        Don't think you can avoid having to clean your gun. I'm thinking not so much chamber inserts as alternate chambers that can be screwed in. You'd carry the basic gun in .223 or .308 and load a lesser round in a chamber adapter for small game. Chamber adapters are a convenience for field work -if you want to do lots of practice shooting with the smaller chamberings, you'd fit a different chamber (these might be components in common with the Deuce)

        I think the tipping bbl deserves serious consideration for another reason: it's a takedown by its very nature. I -do not- advise a takedown form using any other type of action: play develops too damn fast. Also, if the bbl uncouples from the action, how can guys like me trust their receiver sights? I say: unbolt the shoulder stock when you want to make the weapon compact.

        Hmm -I was limiting myself by thinking of a takedown as being only two parts -and AR7 type stock (even using that component) would be a sound idea.
        It's quite possible to make a barrel that has part of the receiver top attached for your aperture sight -this would be a curved U shaped piece with a big slot in it for loading.
        I can see these rifles having a compact but durable case that will fit easily into a daysac or rucksac. The foam lining would have a cut out section to accomodate any scopes the user is likely to mount on the barrel (see later comments on sights)

        I'm damn sorry to hear Ragnar Benson talk about hunting deer w/ a .25-20. Bad medicine, and illegal in most parts of the US.

        I assume that it is not where he is (Idaho or Washington state I think)- though I'm personally dubious about trying to take a deer with a .25 117gr bullet. This was given as an example how one case with different powder and bullet weights could take a range of game.
        I think for this weapon, there should also be marketed squib loads for the non-reloaders out there.
        .223 cases with rimfire bullets and .308 or .30-06 cases with a FMJ flatnosed .32ACP bullets for small game and a 100gr soft or hollowpoints for turkeys and bigger animals.

        Buckshot's right about needing only a .22 and a .308 for N. America most of the
time. BUT: some of us hunt elk and moose, and we want a .300 magnum of some type for them heaps o' meat.

        You've asked what these rifles might look like?
        For the 22/223 I'd like to see something like the classic Sharps Carbine (left).
         The barrel would likely be thinner, maybe fluted, and the furniture would probably be something like Nylon 66 for lightness and durability. I've read that some shades of Nylon 66 such as "Mohawk Brown" look alot like fine grained walnut.

        For the .30 rifle I'd have a slightly different look. I'd be quite happy if it looks like the shorter barrelled versions of the Martini-Henry/Metford (left). The most obvious difference would be an external hammer, but the basic lines would still be there.

        I was thinking about what you said on aperture sights, and thinking if you can have a long eye-relief scope, wouldn't it be possible to do the same with an aperture sight? Then it occured to me this was exactly what the ring sights in vogue are. Maybe these might be the ideal sighting system for the take-down one hole rifle? For use with a scope the rifle could use a long eye relief model as has been used for the Scout rifle and several other weapons. These are supposed to give a good field of view and quick target acquisition.

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