Another Contender wildcat

[Rodgervich]

I've been working on this thing for a while now, part time here and there and finally about have it ready to shoot. Barrel is turned from a Green Mountain blank I've had around, the lug I machined from 4140 and TIG welded together, finished out at 21.25" long.
This was my first time cutting flutes with my milling machine and it came out pretty good, the picture is not impressive but in person it looks like a REAL fluting job. This was also my first time making a forend from scratch for a Contender. I used maple but the router took a bite and I had to glue a chip patch in, didn't look so good so went for a rattle can enamel finish. It has steel pillars and is 2.25" wide, should be nice for shooting off a rest/bags.
Cartridge is .17 Sprite (.17/.32 H&R Magnum, close to .17 Flickertail). Case between .17 AH and .17 Scamp (.38 Special) second pic is forming sequence. A fireformed case (Starline brass) holds 14.5gr H2O to top of neck. I have 50 pieces formed and will be assembling development loads this weekend, if the weather holds I'll test a few powders next weekend.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/RMEngineering/cartridges/flutesprite002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/RMEngineering/cartridges/flutesprite001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/RMEngineering/contender/flutesprite007.jpg

[wblodgett]

It looks great.

I had nearly convinced myself I didn't need a Contender :).

I'll be curious to hear your range reports. I have a couple of the Ruger 32 H&R Pistols and they are great fun (I shoot more of those than I do 22 RF these days).


-Bill

[Dan C]

That's cute Paul. Nicely done. I am however a little upset that you have a milling machine, you dog. What did you get?

[Rodgervich]

Dan, I got an old Van Norman #12 last summer, vintage 1942. It's about 7x14 table, no quill but the head swivels. It came with a set of collets which is good because they are odd Van Norman proprietary style (5V) and EXPENSIVE if you need to buy them. It also came with a vertical slotting attachment (like a shaper) and the overhead arm to convert to horizontal milling. The main gearbox is a little leaky and I had to replace the headstock bearings but otherwise it is very clean and fairly tight, even a gear driven table feed! It's accurate too, and heavy for a small machine, quality American Iron from the good ol' days.
I paid $700 for it, plus $125 for a phase converter (cheapo static type), $50 for new bearings, some gear oil and a $20 vise from the surplus pile at work.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/RMEngineering/Van%20Norman/vn12-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/RMEngineering/Van%20Norman/flutingbarrel007.jpg

[Mntngoat]

Paul do you use the dividing head and indexer to align the barrel where you want it fro each flute? I assume the indexing head is calibrated for specific degree's of rotation so each is the same distance from the next depending on the number of fluted wanted? Looks like a shim under the barrel to keep it from flexing?

Michael

[no_1]

That is a nice looking mill Paul. Most people want a huge machine but can't fit it in the garage. Some settle for mill/drills but find they are not stout enough. I think what you have will keep you happy for life and the price could not be beat. The slotting attachment was worth the total cost since now you have 2 mills in 1.

The rifle project looks great!

Robert

[Easy_E]

Forgive me for being nosey but is that a broom duct taped to a fluorescent bulb?

Great job on the Contender barrel . I have a 22 hornet barrel that I want to stub in to a contender barrel cut off.

[Rodgervich]

no_1, I have a little mini-mill also, it does decent work but it takes WAAAY longer and is not super accurate. It's better than nothing and I did some good stuff on it but it sits unused now that I got the VN.
E- That's a little hand hand broom duct taped to a stick of aluminum tubing. I use it to brush the snow off the satellite dish.

[Larry in VA]

Man; I envy you guys with the metal working machines and the know how to use them.
It must be great to be able to cut, thread and chamber a barrel any time you want.:cool:
And Yes I too noticed that broom and gotta ask; what the heck is it used for?:confused:
Larry

[ray h]

Easy E, glad you asked that, been racking my brain what in the world Paul used that for.

[Rodgervich]

You guys crack me up, scratching your heads over a broom on a stick! :rolleyes:
Larry, it's true, it IS nice to have the tools and know how to use them. A little surface grinder is the only thing I would like to add to the shop, I have everything else I need, it would be nice but I get by pretty well.
The only thing that's really missing is the time part of "any time you want".

[Mntngoat]

Paul, satellite will not work if it is covered in snow? We just have the fires burn through the lines or your "neighbors to the south" steals the dish entirely, as our problems.

We don't have that problem so I'm asking

ML

[Rodgervich]

Mine didn't get signal if it got more than a dusting sticking to it. Even if I swept it off if the snow was really coming down hard we couldn't get a strong signal and the picture would cut out. I was on Dish Network, can't speak for other providers, maybe they are better but I found D.N. to be pretty weak.
We switched to cable a few months back, no problems from the snow any more.

[Rodgervich]

I got to shoot a few ladder loads a couple of weeks ago. No chrony data and onlt shot at 50 yds. Powders that show promise are H110, AA1680 and H4198, fireform loads and varied powder charges turned in .375" groups at 50 yds, LilGun and VV n120 were poor performers with the 20 VMAX. Needed to anneal the necks properly though, seating force varied quite a bit. I have annealed the rest of the prepped cases and are ready to load so I'll get on that soon, also want to try the new 20gr Dogtown HP bullets!

[georgeld]

Can't beat those OLD tools. The makers knew what they were doing when they built them.

wish I had it of course, am looking for a vise like that now too. IF there's another in that pile. Please check on it for me.

Impressive looking display of cases.
Thanks for posting all this.