Mr. Single Shot's Book of Rifle Plans

[pivotaction]

This book called Mr. Single Shot's Book of Rifle Plans - from the reviews I've read has plans for a "Chicopee" receiver.  I do not know if this is for the M219 or not but would like to know.

[Garnett]

Amazon has several copies used and new from $60 to $70.  I plan on buying one soon.

[pivotaction]

$22 at brownells.

http://www.brownells.com/books-videos/books/gunsmithing-books/rifle-gunsmithing-books/mr-single-shot-s-book-of-rifle-plans-prod25750.aspx

[Garnett]

Thanks for this info!

[Mike Armstrong]

As I remember de Haas' actions are all falling blocks or "falling/rolling" blocks, no break actions.  He had several frame sizes, and I think the "Chicopee" was the smallest action, suitable for rimfire and the smallest centerfire (.32 S&W Long, etc.).   His larger actions were suitable for centerfire ctgs. like the .32-40 and .38-55, maybe a little hotter than that like the .30-30 and .30-40. 

But I'm working from memory here and at nearly 73, that's NOT a "reliable source."  Get the book.

Mike Armstrong

[Garnett]

Mike, thanks for this input!

[Garnett]

I have always been "A day late and a dollar short", and owe the readers of my forum an apology.  Soon after these original posts in January of 2016, I ordered the book from Brownell's.  When it arrived, I checked the "Table of Contents" for "Savage 219 Single Shot Rifle" and found no listing as such, and put the book in my book case and it has sat there unread until today.  I noticed that a reader had looked at that old post.  For some reason, I pulled the book off the shelf and looked again at the "Contents" section.  I had missed the fine print on the Chapter 11 listing, "Gunsmithing Ideas For Two Break-Opens".  The fine print lists several things that can be done to improve the M219 Savage rifle, including trigger pull, and restyling, among others.

[Mike Armstrong]

Garnett, one of de Haas' other books, I think it's called "Mr. Single Shot's Book of Gunsmithing Projects" or something like that, has fairly detailed instructions on how to "improve" the 219 and the Harrington and Richardson hammer single shot rifles.  I once had a copy but loaned it to someone.... 

As I recall, most of his suggestions were pretty obvious for the 219 (some, like how to replace the firing pin--very useful) and some of them I wouldn't recommend like rechambering a .25-20 to the wildcat 255 Dean or a .22 Hornet to other small .22 CFs like the Mashburn Bee.  Why cut up a perfectly useful rifle to get a few more fps and make yourself case forming hassles?  Never made sense to me, even when 219s were common and cheap.  He talks in the book like he actually had or at least worked on, a 219 in .32-20.  Maybe it was the only one!

I had some correspondence with Mr. de Haas when I was a kid and still keep those letters.   He was a very blunt and yet very decent and kind man.  If you asked a question, you sure got an answer!