My convertible air cooled to water cooled crankfired .22

This isn\'t exactly a multi barreled Gatling gun, but it is a crank fired gun that I thought some of you might like to see

my progress on so far. It is getting real close to being finished.


My latest water & air cooled Ruger 10/22 stock build. This is my 3rd of three prototypes. This is semi auto, NOT full auto. It has the option of using a crankfire trigger activator so it can be crankfired like a Gatling gun.


This 3rd prototype is quickly convertible from truly water cooled to air cooled in about 30 seconds.


Although the final surface finish has not been applied yet, these pics give a good representation of how the convertible to air or water cooled stock will look when I finish it.


On my water cooled barrel jacket, I used a front sight of my own design that resembles a Browning 1917\'s hooded front post sight. On the rear I used a sight mount of my own design that holds and allows spring assisted raising of the WW1 Enfield rifle\'s ladder sight, that I have modified to enable to be used for windage in my sight mount. Works very well and looks historically representative of tripod machine gun\'s sights from that era my stock resembles.


My first air cooled only prototype I built in 2006-2007, 

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Last night I made the quick removable rear ladder sight bracket. That once removed, will not have any unsightly threaded holes. So that I can mount the spider sights on the air cooled version when I remove the water jacket from the water cooled version. I realized that I could mill off the triangle on the right side of the rear sight bracket and just keep the triangle on the left side (like on a real Browning 1919) and still be able to secure the sight bracket without it having any kind of looseness or \"rock\" at all. All that is left to do with this sight bracket is to drill and tap the sight riser plate for the ladder sight\'s spring, and then to drill the sight protector \"ears\" and install a small diameter bolt through them and the ladder sight so I can effect windage. The 1917 Enfield rifle ladder sight I am using did not have the ability for windage. It was a flip up type only. So I tapped its pin hole where it flipped up, so it is threaded. The small diameter bolt I will put through it will enable me to turn the bolt to make the ladder sight travel left or right on the bolt, thus effecting windage. I left the sight protective \"ears\" a little higher than I needed until I mount the ladder sight\'s spring and the sight itself. Then I may be able to trim the “ears” down some maybe an 1/8th inch or so. So when you look at it now, the protective ears may look a little higher than they will eventually be. When I made them, I figured better to have them too high and be able to trim them after I finished mounting the sight and its spring, than to have made them too short. You can always trim metal, but it is hard to add when you have cut off.



Below, prototype #2 built in 2007, water cooled only.

 

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Below, Prototype #3 (latest), Convertible to air or water cooled in about a minute and new mount for camera tripod.

First five pics I forgot to install the \"BMF activator\" crankfire trigger activator before taking pics.

So the crank isn\'t in these first five photos. Has MWG 50 rd teardrop drum mag in gun. I used everything I learned from building first two prototypes, but third prototype is a completely different design from either of the first two. I later trimmed down that threaded rod sticking out of side of rear sight bracket. Spider sight is attached to perforated shroud, so fake receiver is stand alone and works for either water cooled or air cooled versions. 

 

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These below pics were taken around Sept 2014 after I got my first GSG drum mag in Feb of 2014. 

 

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Below, ladder sight can be left on gun and folded down to use spider sight, or ladder sight bracket can easily be removed to just use spider sight.

 

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Rear sight bracket brass nut (to receiver) only needs to be removed from one side and threaded rod pulled out just a bit to remove rear sight bracket. Then push in on threaded rod with brass nut from opposite side, and reattach brass nut and washer on other side if one wants to remove rear sight bracket and only use spider sight.

 

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Brass nut removed from threaded rod that holds rear of receiver and also rear sight bracket, which removes very easily to take rear sight off with no hold in top of fake receiver. Here threaded rod is shown pushed in and flush with fake receiver so rear sight bracket could be lifted off. No screw holes for rear sight bracket. Same threaded rod that holds Ruger receiver inside fake receiver also hold rear sight bracket. Only needs to be held by threaded rod on one side since other side of sight bracket fits fake receiver tightly. Makes for easy removal too.

 

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Below four pics are of rear ladder sight housing. I used a 1917 American Enfield ladder sight, drilled its pin hole larger and threaded it to effect windage. It flips up and down under spring tension. Turning brass nuts turns threaded rod to effect windage. Notice I made one side of sight bracket triangular to resemble triangle under rear sight of Browning 1917 and 1919 guns.

 

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Below, Rear ladder sight bracket removed in below four pics to just use spider sight.

 

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Below, closeup showing brass knurled nut and washer removed ready to pull threaded rod inward a little to lift off rear ladder sight bracket. Then just push threaded rod back and re-install washer and nut. No ugly holes in top for rear ladder sight bracket to be seen if only using spider sight. Clean that way. Makes the threaded rod hold rear of ruger receiver in fake receiver also hold rear sight bracket.  Threaded rod replaces large Ruger pin behind bolt and has built in plastic sleeve over inside of threaded rod (inside Ruger receiver) to be bolt buffer and also protects threads on threaded rod going through Ruger receiver.

 

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Below, it\'s not really necessary to remove ladder sight bracket since you can fold ladder sight down to clear sight line to use spider sight in air cooled configuration. Also makes for changing from air cooled to water cooled faster since the water cooled HAS to use the ladder sight.

 

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[Dave]

Very neat! Where did you get the prints for that?

Very nice job on your gun. I haven\'t seen one of the teardrop magazines in a long time now. Where did you locate yours from?

Here\'s one that\'s belt-fed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEp_tPczvU

[quote name=\"Dave\"]Very neat! Where did you get the prints for that?[/quote]

I didn\'t get the prints from anywhere. It is my own design creation that I built from the ground up for a
MG dress up kit for the Ruger 10/22. This is my third prototype and in this one, I put everything
I learned making my first two prototypes into this one. The water jacket is truly functional
and really water cools the barrel. Then in just a few seconds I can remove the water jacket and
install the perforated barrel shroud and change the sights to change its configuration to an air
cooled version with different sights. All with no modifications of any kind to the Ruger 10/22.


.

[quote name=\"bruski\"]Very nice job on your gun. I haven\'t seen one of the teardrop magazines in a long time now. Where did you locate yours from?[/quote]

That\'s the MWG teardrop mag. I works nicely but is fragile. I\'ve had to send it back three times now to get a replacement
because it keeps breaking. I got mine from an outfit called \"Firequest\".

German Sports Guns (GSG) around Christmas is coming out with a 110 rd drum mag for the Ruger 10/22, can\'t wait.
The highest capacity mag available right now is 50 rds. So the GSG drum mag will be double that capacity plus 10!
One quick mag change to shoot 220 rds! Almost as good as a belt fed. Then my truly water cooled barrel will come into practical use then.

[quote name=\"shred\"]Here\'s one that\'s belt-fed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEp_tPczvU[/quote]

Eric at Lakeside Machining makes those mini 1919 Browning looking belt feds. Before Eric bought the company, they were known as \"Tippmans\". Eric still makes those on a limited basis. He also made some unfinished kits for those too. In addition to the mini 1919 looking one, Eric also made or still makes a .22 cal version that looks like a mini .50 cal Ma Deuce. They are fine weapons. But they are pretty expensive to make and to purchase.....unlike my dress up kit for the Ruger 10/22.

Also, normally, the Lakeside guns are not crank fired. The one in that video was specially adapted and modified to use a crank fire device. Crank fire trigger activators are not normally able to be just bolted on the Lakeside guns like can be done on my design. Eric also makes a mini 1917 Browning version that has a fake, non functioning, water jacket that does not really cool the barrel.  My water jacket really is filled with water and cools the barrel and is able to be quick changed out to the perforated shroud within seconds to change its look from a TRULY, for real, water cooled version to an air cooled version.

Also Eric\'s \"Tippmans\" because of the under 16 inch shortness of their barrels, are required by the ATF to remain permanently fixed to their tripods. You cannot legally remove them from their tripods and mount them otherwise. That\'s why you never see them mounted on anything other than their factory tripod they are permanently fixed to.

I designed my dress up kit to fit onto any inexpensive camera tripod since all camera tripods have the same thread mounting screw. And since my barrel is at or over the 16 inches long legal requirement for a rifle, mine can legally be mounted or dismounted on anything. It could even have a shoulder stock and bipod attached to it like a 1919a6.

Eric\'s Lakeside guns are excellent, just not truly water cooled, not able to be mounted on anything other than their permanently attached factory tripod, not normally able to be used with a bolt on crank fire trigger activator, and are much more expensive than my dress up kit for the Ruger 10/22. You cannot buy replacement parts for the Lakeside guns from any place other than Lakeside, whereas there are hundreds of outlets for parts for the Ruger 10/22.

The Lakeside guns are excellent, just totally different from my mini MG dress up design for the Ruger 10/22.



.

[quote name=\"Bill Akins\"]
[quote name=\"shred\"]Here\'s one that\'s belt-fed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEp_tPczvU[/quote]
Also, normally, the Lakeside guns are not crank fired. The one in that video was specially adapted and modified to use a crank fire device. Crank fire trigger activators are not normally able to be just bolted on the Lakeside guns[/quote]
Actually that crank just pops in the T&E mount on the gun and is held on by the T&E pin.  Installs and removes in seconds without tools, no mods to the gun.
It\'s my gun and crank in the video, so I think I should know  :lol:  :lol:

The Lakeside guns are excellent, just totally different from my mini MG dress up design for the Ruger 10/22.

Yup.  It all depends if you want to spend more $ on a replica belt-fed micro-1919 or something similar for less $.  If you want accuracy in dimensions, you can\'t use a 10/22 as a vehicle.. just the way the geometry works out.  I like yours better than the CCS Prints version that relies on a hidden 10/22 mag that can\'t be extended easily.

[quote name=\"shred\"]
[quote name=\"Bill Akins\"]
[quote name=\"shred\"]Here\'s one that\'s belt-fed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvEp_tPczvU[/quote]
Also, normally, the Lakeside guns are not crank fired. The one in that video was specially adapted and modified to use a crank fire device. Crank fire trigger activators are not normally able to be just bolted on the Lakeside guns[/quote]
Actually that crank just pops in the T&E mount on the gun and is held on by the T&E pin.  Installs and removes in seconds without tools, no mods to the gun.
It\'s my gun and crank in the video, so I think I should know  :lol:  :lol: [/quote]

In addition to my four plastic BMF activator crank triggers, I have another aluminum trigger crank just like that one you have on your gun Shred. It is the Gat trigger made by the same people who make that twin barreled Ruger 10/22 Gatling gun kit (but has nothing at all in common with that kit and does not go with that kit.)

This CNC aluminum \"Gat\" trigger crank is identical to the BMF activator trigger crank except it is made out of CNC machined aluminum and has a wheel with a handle on it instead of just a handle. There is also another crank trigger also called the Gat trigger but it isn\'t the same as this aluminum one you and I both have. (Makes things a bit confusing with two crank triggers both called the Gat trigger but that are slightly different and come from two different manufacturers.)

Here\'s a few pics of that CNC aluminum Gat trigger on my first water cooled prototype, that appears to be the same crank trigger that you have on your Lakeside gun Shred.....





You had to especially adapt that aluminum Gat trigger crank to fit into your T&E mount on your Lakeside gun didn\'t you Shred? Because as I said in my earlier post, crank fire trigger activators are not normally able to be just bolted on the Lakeside guns although they can be bolted directly onto the trigger guard of a Ruger 10/22 as in my above pics. To use one with your Lakeside gun, you had to do modifications didn\'t you? I\'d love to hear exactly what and how you modified it to work. I imagine you welded or epoxied a bracket of some kind onto that Gat trigger crank for it to use with the T&E pin to hold it in place for correct placement next to the Lakeside trigger didn\'t you? Could you please elaborate a bit on that and maybe show a couple of pics of it to show us how you did that and also explain in text how you did that? [/color]
Good job on that modification bye the way.



[quote name=\"Bill Akins\"] The Lakeside guns are excellent, just totally different from my mini MG dress up design for the Ruger 10/22.
[/quote]

[quote name=\"shred\"]Yup.  It all depends if you want to spend more $ on a replica belt-fed micro-1919 or something similar for less $.  If you want accuracy in dimensions, you can\'t use a 10/22 as a vehicle.. just the way the geometry works out.  I like yours better than the CCS Prints version that relies on a hidden 10/22 mag that can\'t be extended easily.[/quote]

Thanks Shred, glad to hear you like my design. I also like your modification to the aluminum Gat trigger crank to allow it to fit onto the Lakeside gun.


.

[quote name=\"Bill Akins\"]
You had to especially adapt that aluminum Gat trigger crank to fit into your T&E mount on your Lakeside gun didn\'t you Shred? Because as I said in my earlier post, crank fire trigger activators are not normally able to be just bolted on the Lakeside guns although they can be bolted directly onto the trigger guard of a Ruger 10/22 as in my above pics. To use one with your Lakeside gun, you had to do modifications didn\'t you? I\'d love to hear exactly what and how you modified it to work. I imagine you welded or epoxied a bracket of some kind onto that Gat trigger crank for it to use with the T&E pin to hold it in place for correct placement next to the Lakeside trigger didn\'t you? Could you please elaborate a bit on that and maybe show a couple of pics of it to show us how you did that and also explain in text how you did that? [/color]

[/quote]
Mine is all milled from scratch after a little staring off into the distance and contemplating the gun and various bits of metal in the shop.

Here\'s the plans (drawn after the part, natch ): http://www.shred2.net/~shred/gallery14/ ... Crank1.gif

The T&E pin holds the whole thing up underneath the bottom plate.

Bill
Enjoyed shooting the air cooled crank fire 1919 22 cal that you brought to the shoot I hosted earlier this year, 2013. Hope that you bring it to the shoot tomorrow, 11/17/2013. Fla Builders and belt fed semi machine guns shoot that I\'m holding at the Hernando Sportsman Club. Will do another one at the start of next year.
Looking forward to seeing you and shooting with you again. Also enjoyed the talk on the phone the other day about this stuff.

Later 42rocker

It\'s been a while since I last posted about my crank fire creations, so here\'s an update on my latest 3rd prototype that is convertible between being water cooled or air cooled in under a minute and showing it firing at the range. I used to use Webshots to upload my photos and videos to. But when they closed down, all the pictures and videos I had linked to there in my online posts, disappeared. I still have my pics and videos on my computer and saved to  disks, but they disappeared in all my online posts since they were all linked to Webshots. Now I use Photobucket as well as YouTube.

Here\'s a video I just finished creating showing the evolution of my crank fire dress up kit prototypes versions 1 through 3. The first one is air cooled only. The second one is (truly) water cooled only. But my third prototype is convertible in under a minute to be either air cooled or (truly) water cooled (no fake water jackets here). I learned a lot making the first two, and my 3rd prototype incorporates new design changes that I learned from making the earlier ones. In my video you will see my latest 3rd prototype firing at the range using the new GSG 110 rd drum mag and it\'s really spitting out the rounds.  Hope you enjoy it. Bill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSJi6rvNwIs&feature=youtu.be


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[Bill Akins]

Pics that disappeared in my original post when my pic upload site Webshots closed down, are now replaced thanks to help from Dave in admin.  Merry Christmas and thanks Dave. 

And a very Merry Christmas and or happy holidays to everyone. 

 

Bill.