THE .

50-CALIBER
RIFLE CONSTRUCTION
MANUAL
PALADIN PRESS #« BOULDER, COLORADO
The .50-Caliber Rifle Construction Manual
With Easy-to-Follow Full-Scale Drawings
by Bilt Holmes

Copyright © 2002 by Bill Holmes

ISBN 1-58160-346-0
Printed in the United States of America

Published by Paladin Press, a division of

Paladin Enterprises
Gunbarrel Tech Center
7077 Winchester Circle
Boulder, Colo:ado 80301 USA
+1.303.443.7250

Direct inquiries and/or orders to the above address.

PALADIN, PALADIN PRESS, and the “horse head” design

are trademarks belonging to Paladin Enterprises and
registered in United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, no

portion of this book may be reproduced in any form
without the express written permission of the publisher.

Neither the author nor the publisher assumes

any responsibility for the use or misuse of
information contained in this book.

Visit our Web site at www.paladin-press.com

 WARNING

Although at the time this book was published it was perfectly legal for an individual to manufacture a firearm for personal use,
exper-
imental purposes, or research and development, it is possible that new laws have been enacted since then. It is the reader’s responsibility
to carefully research all pertinent laws before any firearm construction is attempted.
Technical data presented here on the construction, use, adjustment, and alteration of firearms inevitably reflect the author’s beliefs and
experiences with particular firearms, equipment, and components under specific circumstances that the reader cannot duplicate exactly.
The information in this book should therefore be used for guidance only and approached with great caution. Neither the author, publish-
er, nor any distributor assumes any responsibility for the use or misuse of information contained in this book. This book is presented for aca-
demic study only.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction l

Receiver 3

Barrel 7

Barrel Accessories 13

Bolt 17

Trigger Assembly 29

Butt Stock 41

Scope Mount 43

Bipod 43

Muzzle Brake 47

Assembly and Firing 61

Vii
 INTRODUCTION

Some time ago when Paladin and I made The Home Workshop rifle is its greater range. As long as a suitable backstop is used
.50-Caliber Sniper Rifle video, we opened a can of worms that nei- and the shooter knows where the bullet is going, even this
ther of us had anticipated. This video was never intended as a complaint is nullified.
construction guide whereby one could simply look at it and build As of this writing it is legal to build such a gun for one’s own
a gun; rather it was simply to show methods used to fabricate the use, provided the maker’s name and address and a serial number
component parts. It never occurred to me that anyone would actu- are stamped on the receiver. Keep your eyes and ears open on this
ally expect to build such a gun simply from a video. though. There has already been at least one bill introduced in the
However, shortly after the video was released both Paladin and U.S. Congress trying to make .50-caliber rifles illegal. This bill did-
I were deluged with requests, even demands, for a set of drawings n't get anywhere, but rest assured there will be more attempts.
and dimensions to allow the building of such a gun. I began the Sooner or later the politicians will sneak a bill through to outlaw
project, but since I am now 72 years old, almost blind, and afflict- the .50-caliber rifle—and they probably won’t even tell us about it
ed with Parkinson's disease, my work went rather slowly. But here until they come to seize the weapons. So stay alert.
it is, finally, and I apologize for any distress or problems the delay Please remember that since we have no control over the mate-
may have caused anyone. rials or workmanship used in the project, neither Paladin nor I can
Many people seem to feel that the .50 is an awesome small accept any responsibility whatever regarding the safety or condi-
cannon that is dangerous to shoot and only good for criminal tion of a gun that someone else makes. However, if proper materi-
operation. In truth, this gun, just like any other, is no more als are used and heat-treated correctly, a decent chamber is cut, and
dangerous than the person shooting it, and if any serious the firing pin is set at the right protrusion, there is no reason why
crimes have been committed with one, the news has been kept your gun should not be safe to shoot. Mine is.
awfully quiet. I have never heard of an incidence. Actually, the It is recommended that you obtain a copy of The Home
only thing more dangerous about a .50-caliber than any other Workshop .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle video before you attempt to build
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

one of these rifles. It may clarify some of the methods used that |
failed to describe clearly.

The .50-caliber rifle is an effective and safe firearm with many uses.
 RECEIVER

The receiver body is made from a 36-inch length of 2 1/4-inch- supports the rear end of the barrel, is positioned and welded in
diameter (2.250-inch) seamless 4130 tubing with a .120-inch wall place through these holes by what is known as rosette welding.
thickness. It has an inside diameter of 2.010 inches, which gives This part, however, should not be welded in place until the barrel,
.010 inch of clearance over a 2-inch-diameter bolt body. This allows bolt, and barrel extension are completed.
the bolt to reciprocate freely, without binding. Now comes the fun part: cutting the bolt slot. If two vises are
Both ends of the tubing must be squared and perpendicular to the available, both should be used, one near each end of the cut. A fair-
length. Unless a lathe with a hole through the headstock spindle that ly close-fitting piece of round stock should be placed inside to pre-
will accept this large-diameter tubing is available, you will likely have vent the tube from collapsing when the slot is cut, and the cut
to use the milling machine to accomplish this. You must square the ends should be stopped just before it cuts through at the rear. This tub-
because unsquare ends will cause the rifle to fire groups erratically. ing has a tendency to spring open when cut all the way to the end.
Most measurements shown in the drawings were made using It should have the two screws in place through the buttstock exten-
the forward end as the starting point. A line should be marked sion before the entire cut is made.
along the exact top and bottom sides to measure from. On the guns The narrow section between the back end of the loading / ejec-
I have built, I used six rows of oblong openings spaced equidis- tion port and the bolt slot should be included just to keep the
tantly around the forward portion. These actually serve no good receiver tube from spreading open slightly at this point.
purpose except maybe to cool the barrel slightly, but they do The trigger and sear base are now welded, or silver-soldered,
improve its looks somewhat. These openings can be positioned in place, and this part is laid aside until the rest of the receiver com-
however you wish or can be eliminated entirely with no ill effect. ponents are fabricated (along with the barrel and bolt) and fitted
The ejection port should now be cut to size, as weil as the sear and assembled.
opening, and six rows of two each 1/4-inch (.250-inch) holes are Note that the receiver drawing (enclosed as a separate foldout)
drilled as indicated. The barrel-retaining sleeve, which secures and shows the receiver at full size.
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Barrel and receiver.

le s

= ; + mT 2
er s ai. ~

a
Front end of receiver.
 RECEIVER

Receiver, showing ejection port,

Trigger mounting bracket and middle threaded section for barrel-retaining nut.
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

. = ee
.

Barrel threads for retaining nut and muzzle brake.

Breech end of barrel with locking lug section in place.

 Ay |e
4 2.250”

RIGHT SIDE

REAR VIEW

250”

\ LIN | a
\ > 4
r 1.500” —oh<g- 3.250”
>
[—

RECEIVER BOTTOM
 ~ 20.750”

13,375 _

RIGHT SIDE

: ay [
.250” Dia.

eT“te —am= 5,750" —

RECEIVER BOTTOM SCAL

 4.875 . —_ ° 4.250 “ 79g
4
ee aie = —— a iin

250” Dia.

4.875” = 1.250° :

| seessenepeeenenn ~ 6 ROWS OF
500" TWO EACH

_— .
~ ' 300”
90" RIGHT SIDE WELD

anemp pee om = ~~

t | |
— ) : — a
SCALE: 1/1 RECEIVER BOTTOM
 15.250” —— il
([" - 2

| } f n
1

wae . 10.750”

Y
RIGHT SIDE

RECEIVER BOTTOM
 BARREL

The barrel can be turned from a commercial blank or made don’t give up. Wrap a length of masking tape around the diam-
from a surplus military barrel. M2 barrels are presently available eter of the part, measuring the length precisely. This is then
from Oyster Bay Industries (31 South Street, Oyster Bay, NY 11771). divided into three parts and rewrapped, and their positions are
These are new barrels, and their biggest drawback is that they have marked on the barrel extension. These marks are then used as
enough Cosmoline on each one to protect a tank. On the other centerlines to cut the lugs with the milling machine. Some file
hand, they contain enough surplus material to allow making up work may be required in the shaping of these. If care is taken, a
most of the other barrel parts. precise fit will result.
Included in the barrel assembly are the barrel proper, barrel When smaller lathes are used for this, it will be necessary to
extension, barrel support sleeve, muzzle brake, and barrel-retain- turn the barrel one-half length at a time (assuming that a large
ing nut. enough hole to accept the smaller portion exists). If the end with
The M2 barrel is sawed into sections large enough to make the the smaller diameter is pushed through the headstock, the larger
designated parts. The barrel sections, as well as all other parts, are end can be turned to size and threaded. Do not attempt to cham-
squared on the ends and turned to size. All threads are 12 threads ber the barrel until the barrel extension and bolt are made. The bar-
per inch (TPI). rel is then reversed in the spindle and the smaller portion turned.
Both the barrel section, which contacts the barrel retainer, The threads for the muzzle brake and barrel-retaining nut are cut
and the retainer are turned with a matching 4-degree taper. This at this time.
causes a solid, in-line lock-up and support for the barrel at the The military surplus barrels from Oyster Bay are heat-treated to
breech end. The barrel extension must have three locking lugs a hardness that is slower and harder to machine than that of com-
(which mate with the bolt lugs) machined into it. This is best mercial barrels. However, the barrels are tougher and will usually
done with some sort of dividing head. But if none is available, wear better arfd last longer than their commercial counterparts.
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Barrel and receiver.

Pi
- i

“a
+

a. 2 i.
. =
ri a

¥79 |
= "a ba
al ' i

ee 4 ei : F
—_ -

F| 1 irs
so bs -_ it

= =

dhe
Ce. | a
’ a
a

all Fr i.

Muzzle end of barrel showing muzzle brake threads.

Barrel threads for retaining nut and muzzle brake.

Breech end of barrel with locking lug section in place.

THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

4 -_

! es
—_—_
meme: soe

ed LENGTH AS DESIRED
FROM BARREL NUT TO MUZZLE

BARREL, FORWARD END

16
 BARREL ACCESSORIES

The barrel-retaining sleeve is made from 4140 or 4340 material. this. The front end is now threaded to fit on the barrel tenon. This
This should be a slip fit inside the receiver tube. The inside of this is 12 TPI pitch by 1 1/2 inches diameter by 1 1/4 inches (1.250 inch-
part (sleeve) should be closely fitted by tapering to the same es) deep. This thread joint should fit snugly, with some effort
dimensions as the barrel shank (I used 4 degrees) so that when required to screw it home.
pulled into place inside the receiver, and with the barrel nut tight The barrel should once again be placed in the lathe and the
and under a slight amount of tension, a solid installation results. In chamber cut. I recommend that a roughing reamer be used first,
many cases this enhances accuracy. followed by the finish reamer. Accurate headspace gauges
The muzzle can now be crowned and the threads cut for the should also be obtained and used because there is sometimes
muzzle brake installation and the barrel nut. Both are cut 12 TPI. quite a bit of difference between cartridges obtained from differ-
The barrel extension, which contains the locking lugs that mate ent sources. Clymer Manufacturing Company is an excellent
with the bolt lugs, is made from a close-fitting section of good- source for these gauges.
quality steel, preferably 4140 or 4340. A 1-inch hole is bored It should be emphasized here that ammunition obtained from
through the center of the part. The hole is then enlarged to 1 1/2 different sources would not even fit into a standard chamber. U.S.
inches (1.500 inches) inside diameter by 1 3/4 inches (1.750 inches) military and Israeli ammunitions are fairly consistent, but those
in depth. The shoulder remaining at the bottom of this enlarge- from some other countries may not even allow the bolt to close.
ment should be smooth and square since the bolt lugs lock against Ammunition must be made to fit a standard chamber, not vice versa.

13
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Barrel nut (top view).

14
 BARREL ACCESSORIES

THREAD 12 TPI

——— WF 7 Ed

1.750” 1.50" ___ 2.0" 2.0” 1.420”

2.250”

<— 2.0" —} |
250” Pr ‘ . 375"

BARREL BUSHING BARREL NUT

THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

THREAD 12 TPI

meee 1.0”
1.500”
2.0”

BARREL EXTENSION

16
 BOLT

The bolt, constructed from the same material as the barrel adding the outer sleeve establish clearance for the sear and loading
extension (4130, 4350), is only slightly more difficult than those ramp, as well as reducing friction considerably.
built for smaller actions. It’s just larger and takes longer. However, At this point, the bolt is reversed in the chuck (preferably a
several drill extensions must be made up to drill the firing-pin hole four-jaw one) and centered using a dial indicator. You can now pro-
through the bolt. ceed to drill and bore the inside to the dimensions shown. You will
With the ends of the blank squared, a small hole is started need to add extensions to some of the drills. Drill the holes as deep
through one end using a #2 center drill. This is then enlarged and as possible, using new, sharp drills before using the extended ones.
lengthened with a 3/32-inch (.087-inch) drill. This will provide the With luck and all possible care, this hole will meet and center on
opening in the bolt face for the smaller end of the firing pin. Drill this the small hole started from the other end.
to a depth of 3/4 inch or so. The drill used here, as well as all the A slot must be milled, as shown, to provide clearance for the
others used in this bolt construction, should be new and sharp. sear, and the locking lugs must be machined to mate with the lugs
When in use, they should be withdrawn frequently and cleaned and in the barrel extension.
relubricated. A counterbore, two hundred thousandths of an inch With the barrel in place and the bolt in a forward position,
deep and to a diameter that will just accept a case head, is machined ready to close but unlocked, the bolt handle position is scribed
in the bolt face. The bolt face so formed must be very smooth. through the opening in the receiver slot. The bolt is removed from
While chucked in this position, the bolt body should be turned the receiver, and the handle is welded in place. This should be
to a diameter of 1 1/2 inches (1.50 inches), as shown in the draw- made up slightly oversized and fitted by removing material to the
ing, and the groove should be cut to form the flange that forms the point that the bolt works freely. That is, it opens and closes and
locking lugs. The rear side of this groove should be very smooth moves forward and back without effort.
and square with the bolt body. The rest of the bolt body could be The extractor should be machined and installed in the upper
kept at a constant 2-inch diameter. But turning it as shown and right-hand bolt lug. When the bolt is opened, this pulls the empty
17
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

case to a point where a finger can be hooked over the mouth of the
empty case and the case pulled free. No ejector is used in this
design since, as a single shot, it is desirable to save the empty case
for further use with as little deformation as possible.
The cocking cam is located and marked through the receiver
slot and cut as shown. As in other instances, this should be fitted
during construction and assembly and may not conform exactly to
the dimensions shown.
The firing pin is turned from 1 /2-inch (.50-inch) material. This
is best done in three stages: (1) forming the front portion, (2)
reversing the pin and turning the rear section to size, and (3)
threading the rear section,.with the front portion formed first.
The bushing, which holds the firing pin in place is made as
shown. The cocking piece also is made from 2 1/4-inch-diameter
material (2.250-inch-diameter) and, again, fitted as assembled.
A hole is drilled through both the bolt body and the firing pin
bushing to hold the assembly in place. This should be done in one
operation, with the parts assembled and in place. The entire assem-
bly is now fitted and polished until smooth operation is achieved.
The three bolt-lug openings are laid out on the face of the bolt,
an equal distance apart, using a dividing head or spacer of some
sort. If neither of the latter is available, this spacing can be accom-
plished by wrapping a piece of masking tape around the diameter
and marking the exact diameter on the tape, which is then Bolt with firing mechanism removed.
removed and marked off in three parts. It is then again wrapped
around the bolt, whereby each line becomes the centerline of each
lug. The openings can now be cut, 1/2-inch wide and 1/4-inch
deep, using a 1 /4-inch end mill. The radiused corners can be made
square, if desired, with the use of a small square file.
No attempt should be made to chamber the barrel until both
the bolt and barrel extension are finished.
The barrel-retaining nut is a straightforward lathe job. It is
threaded inside to match the barrel threads. The outside is turned
to the same diameter as the receiver tube, and one end is turned to
just fit inside the tube.
Bolt, right side.
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Bolt, bottom side.

Firing mechanism.
 THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

8.250”

=| LF
ete 4.750" —_— |

ie
_ 2.0° —t— J “ . . > —e |.
- 200”
1
r
basin

ae ; hoe
BOLT
5.0”

22
irre irZL
r AL
a gygeeaazaa VA
Pz mele ok nl
+ | ~ | J
1 L
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

UPPER RIGHT BOLT 187” SPRING POCKET

LUG, FROM FRONT

.087” PIN

EXTRACTOR

24
 BOLT

~~ 8.350” .
.200”
6.500” i 1.0” + 650”

087”
FIRING PIN
.250” 400” —-.225” os 15° op /
THREAD 250” DIAMETER
1!4 X 26 \ 250" |
ty

1.125”

- | ' | 217”
A ) | sf f 1.900”
> _¥

RETAINING PIN
—
RETAINING SLEEVE o> 750" he 300" | | |

THREAD 1/4 X 28 COCKING PIECE

STRIKER ASSEMBLY

25
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

1.0”
| 300”

REAR

BOLT, END VIEW

26
 BOLT

1.500”

5.0” .

oe

BOLT SLEEVE

27
 TRIGGER ASSEMBLY

A mounting bracket for the trigger and sear to hinge from is The trigger guard could be bent to shape from a sheet-metal strip
made by milling a slot through a piece of 5/8-inch (.625-inch) square and welded in place, but the milled-steel guard, made similar to
material that is contoured on the upper side to fit closely against the the one shown, looks quite a lot better.
receiver body. It is then silver-soldered or welded in place. There are those who would have you believe that a safety is not
Both the trigger and sear should be cut to the approximate necessary on a single-shot firearm. If you are of this mind-set, then
shapes and dimensions shown. Some fitting may be required by all means leave it off. If, like me, you want to be pretty sure that
before these parts work as desired. It is a good idea to drill the the sear won't slip off and cause the rifle to fire as the bolt closes or
pivot pin holes through the mounting bracket first and then put otherwise fire when you don’t want it to, then you should take a
the trigger and sear in place and mark the hole locations through little extra time and add a safety.
the previously drilled holes. This can save some fitting. The grip is made from a hardwood block and can be left in its
The trigger housing is made by forming 14-gauge sheet metal natural color with a clear finish or painted black, whichever suits
around a block and welding the ends and trigger guard in place. you best.

29
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Trigger and sear.

 TRIGGER ASSEMBLY

Trigger and sear ready for mounting. Trigger housing.

a1
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

eal S ; “a renee es a

‘ i
Se AT as
= ' ve
ee es ype
>" . — -
i anes k .
rs
= i al | ' al Fi F | i / 4 Lj i - _ :
. 7 af “s i » " Sry eis ct "

*,

=,
;
fe

a
Fd

Trigger housing, bottom view. Grip.

32
 TRIGGER ASSEMBLY

Grip and trigger housing assembled,

33
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

—
—-—

-—_*
-—

TRIGGER, SEAR ASSEMBLY

34
 . ay
ao 4 |

od
600 n
es

1200"
.

So Def- 1.050" Rakim 125 DIAMETER

B
|

Tee ai

4.750" — ai

.200 SPRING
6 X 40 TP a and 125 DIAMETER
mT
® 1]
1 |

000"

625” a

2.800"

375"
LI
pn Lag <i
sb
9 500" pe
SEAR

TRIGGER |
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

_—
y 4
500”

1.375”
7

ra
/-—

i
— . |

=|

a
le —— 1.900” we 750” a 2 650" __ pe or 300”
e700" Bo

Y
T
TRIGGER HOUSING 14 GAUGE

36
 TRIGGER ASSEMBLY

3.450”
.£00”

6.350" yf

TRIGGER HOUSING PATTERN

37
THE .SO-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

, )
L/, y, Y WELD

iA
o f?¢ Yo
VA
ad f
fl 4
an aa M/s) a oe

TRIGGER HOUSING ASSEMBLY

SHAPE TO TASTE

38
 TRIGGER ASSEMBLY

300”

) |
m| ar be 5.750”

GRIP, SHAPE OPTIONAL

39
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

3.250"
500” Le
nam PT

1.500”

SHAPE AS DESIRED

TRIGGER GUARD

40
 BUTTSTOCK

The buttstock is simply a section of 2-inch-outside-diameter wide and 6 inches long. These are made by Pachmayr, and the only
tubing with a mounting plate for a recoil pad made from 12-gauge thing wrong with them is that they cost about as much as some
sheet metal and welded to one end. This is inserted in the receiver rifles and pistols. This pad, or whatever other type you choose,
body, and the holes are drilled through both parts in the same should be bolted to the mounting plate and the plate dressed to
operation. This should be done before the bolt slot is cut complete- match the contour of the pad.
ly through the rear end because, as mentioned before, the tubing If desired, a bracket can be silver-soldered to the lower end
has a tendency to spring open slightly when it is cut completely of the mounting plate and a brace, or stiffener, bolted both to
through and the tension released. it and the bottom of the grip. This strengthens both the grip
The top-side bolt holes should be enlarged to accept a thread- and buttplate. Although not necessarv or even desirable if the
ed bushing that, while acting as a nut, gives more thread depth rifle is to be used as a target or bench rest rifle, it could bea
than is possible with the tubing alone. worthwhile addition if the rifle is intended for use in field or
The biggest recoil pads I have been able to find are 2 inches combat situations.

41
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

WELD

7”

| 7 |
SL 4, oes 10 OR 12 GAUGE BUTT PLATE

42
 SCOPE MOUNT

A base to mount the scope on (which will raise the sight line bar is made to accept it and silver-soldered to the top of the ele-
approximately 1 inch higher than is usual on a standard rifle) must vating blocks. The one shown in the drawing is for use with
be constructed. Even though this .50-caliber rifle generates no Weaver-type rings; if the steel rings used are of the same type as
more recoil than most other large-caliber rifles, this base should be those made by Redfield and others, a sturdy mounting system is
solid and sturdy. ensured. If other types of rings are used, they can simply be
Two short steel sections should be contoured to fit against the screwed to the blocks as they would be on a standard rifle.
receiver tube and silver-soldered in place atop the receiver in the This base should be drilled to accept four screws and clamped
location that the bases will occupy. These simply add thread area in place and the mounting screw holes drilled through the receiv-
as they are drilled and tapped through both these and the receiver. er. They are then tapped to accept proper screws. I recommend
Two steel blocks are contoured to fit the receiver tube, and a using 10 x 32 screws for this.
slot is cut down the center of each to fit over each of the reinforc- Be sure that vou have enough eye relief to avoid being hit in the
ing bars described above. eye with the scope when firing. Try to mount the scope as far for-
Depending on the scope bases you intend to use, a connecting ward as possible while retaining a complete field of view.

43
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Scope and mount in place on rifle.

 SCOPE MOUNT

oll by
6.0”

150" ot feo IHs A soe

; |S

SCOPE MOUNT

45
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

6.0”

60° 875"

125”

| ma amanine

Y =; t
Toe an

SCOPE MOUNT COMPONENTS

46
 A rifle such as this produces quite a lot of torque, or twisting, seamless tubing welded in place. The lower ends can be shaped as
to the right when fired, so a sturdy bipod is in order. It would be shown or modified as desired and pinned or welded in place.
nice if one could simply obtain one of the ready-made ones and A template should be made to locate the locking pin holes. To
mount it in place. The trouble is, there are simply no satisfactory be effective these holes must line up exactly. If they don’t, there is
ones available—at least not that I know of. a good chance that the bipod will collapse when the rifle is fired.
The center section, which mounts at the front end of the receiv- The spring-loaded detent, or locking, pins are made from drill
er and is held in place with screws, is machined from 2-inch round rod with the push buttons silver-soldered in place.
stock. This should be contoured to a close fit with the receiver and In use, the button is pushed in and the leg extended or fold-
a bar silver-soldered over the mounting position and drilled and ed against the receiver, where it will lock in place when the hole
tapped just like the scope-mount screw holes were. and pin line up and the spring forces the detent pin into place.
The hinged ends of the legs are made from the same 2-inch This process is repeated on the other side to place both legs in
round stock, with the legs made from .065-inch-wall-thickness the same position.

47
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Bipod ready for mounting.

Lower and of bipod leg. Bipod with right leg folded.

49
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Side view of same.

Bipod mounted in place.
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

Finished bipod.
 BIPOD

1.125” R

Ae ) P THREAD 1/4 X 28
qt
250”

-290” DIAMETER

: 4.500” ~—

7D
aa

BIPOD, CENTER SECTION

53
THE .SO-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

—_ 2.0" —t]

o
THREAD TO MATE WITH

1)
OUTER LEG —

anak
eens

ie —
+
5° TAPER

a — 7.500”

BIPOD, INNER LEG

54
 BIPOD

ee wa some ew ee a ee tn a ~. -f-oOoo—-

L
rT

THREAD
750” X 24
3° TAPER

WELD y

7.5”

BIPOD, OUTER LEG

55
 MUZZLE BRAKE

The function of the muzzle brake is to reduce felt recoil. This is the same boring bar used for the other components.
done by causing the gases that propel the bullet to push against the The smaller section at the rear is now threaded with 12 TPI by
enlarged flat surface at the front end of the brake, which gives the 1.300 (one and three-hundred-thousandths) inches. This part
gun a push forward while the bullet exits the barrel through a hole should be threaded before the barrel threads are cut because if any
just slightly larger than the bullet diameter. Most of the gases are recutting is required it is far easier to pick up an outside thread.
dissipated through a series of holes spaced around the brake body. This thread joint should be a snug fit with little or no play between
The brake design shown here has served me well on a number the threads to ensure that the exit hole in the brake remains in
of homemade firearms and reduces recoil as well as or better than alignment with the barrel bore.
others I have experimented with. This opinion is not mine alone; it The threaded end should be caught in the chuck, the tail stock
is shared by several others who have used these same rifles. center placed in the exit hole, and the fins turned on the outside as
Construction of the muzzle brake described is begun by insert- shown. I admit that these fins are mostly cosmetic, but they do
ing a section of quality steel, 2 inches in diameter and 5 1/2 inches reduce recoil slightly.
long, in the lathe chuck. A hole, 1/2 inch in diameter, is bored Six rows of half-inch holes are spaced and drilled equidistant
lengthwise completely through the material using a new, sharp around the circumference of the brake body. If no mechanical spac-
drill secured in the tail stock. It is then enlarged to a diameter of er is available, these can be located by using the tape method
1.100 (one and one-hundred-thousandths) inches and to a depth of described earlier.
5 1/4 inches. This will result in a wall for the gases to push against The barrel is again mounted in the lathe, and the thread is cut
at the forward end of the brake. A 3/4-inch (.750-inch) length is left to attach the brake. As mentioned previously, the thread joint
at the extreme rear of the brake to be threaded to mate with the should be a snug fit with some effort required to screw it home.
barrel. The length forward of this and stopping at the front wall Tightening it can be accomplished by using a 1/2-inch bar pushed
should be bored to a diameter of 1 1/2 inches (1.5001 inches) with through the vent holes and used as a wrench.
57
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

The exit hole must be bored slightly larger than the bullet diam- small exit in one end and threading the other. It may not look quite
eter (.510 to .520) inch. To ensure concentricity, this is done while the as good, but it is easier and faster to build than the one described.
barrel is still in the lathe. If any misalignment is present, the bullet Please note that the length and diameters shown are not
may rub one side of the exit hole, resulting in poor accuracy. absolute. You can probably build one shorter or longer or smaller
It is also possible to fabricate a fairly efficient brake by welding in diameter with no ill effects. The sizes shown work for me, and |
a plug in each end of a length of seamless tubing and boring the have never had occasion to change them.

side view of muzzle brake.

 MUZZLE BRAKE

End view of muzzle brake.

a9
THE .50-CALIBER RIFLE CONSTRUCTION MANUAL

5.700”

010” — .520”
1.750”
1.500” ;

PIV | av WPT,
f
THREAD
1.300 X 12 TPI

al - 200” 500"

ae
—

_)}
MUZZLE BRAKE

2.00

60
 ASSEMBLY AND FIRING

Assembly is begun by sliding the barrel in place through the The gun was then disassembled and examined thoroughly for
rear end of the receiver and securing it by screwing the barrel nut cracks and battering. Since all was as before, guns made after this
as tight as possible. The muzzle brake is next threaded on the end were test-fired without any extra precautions and with no ill
of the barrel. Again, it should be as tight as possible. effects. Just because I have no better sense than to do this, howev-
The bipod assembly is now bolted in place, followed by the er, that is no reason for you to do it too. Be careful.
scope mount and trigger assembly. While the gun is apart, final polishing of the parts is done and
With the bolt in place, the buttstock assembly is inserted into the parts are colored by bluing, painting, or whatever finish you like.
the rear end of the receiver and bolted in place. If using surplus military ammo you will soon discover that all
Don’t forget to bore the exit hole in the front end of the rounds are not exactly alike in terms of dimension. I have found
muzzle brake slightly larger than the diameter of the bullet the U.S.-made Lake City and the Israeli-made cases to be fairly
and to screw the muzzle brake on as tight as possible. During consistent, but some of the rest won’t even go into the chamber.
the final assembly it is a good idea to apply LocTite or a simi- Remember, you have a precision-cut standard chamber cut to the
lar product to the threaded joints of both the muzzle brake and correct dimensions, and cartridges used must fit the chamber, not
the barrel extension. vice versa. Do not try to force junk ammunition into the gun. Only
The gun can now be test-fired. My own first gun was tied trouble will result.
across a truck tire and fired by pulling a string tied to the trigger. Also, I'd just like to reiterate that since the publisher and I have
Since nothing out of the ordinary took place, it was then fired sev- no control over materials or machining methods used by others,
eral times from a bench rest. Headspace was then checked and we cannot accept any responsibility for any misuse of this product
found to be correct. or problems encountered in its construction or use.

61
 n this companion book to the best-selling Home Workshop .50-Caltber
Sniper Rifle videotape, Bill Holmes takes you step-by-step through the
process of designing and constructing your own .5U-caliber nile easily
and inexpensively. Using full-scale fold-out drawings and precise dimen-
sions, the master gun maker shows you how to make your own recerver, bar-
rel and accessories, bolt, trigger assembly, buttstock, scope mount, bipod,
and muzzle brake using commonly acquired materials. Once you have made
all the component parts, Bill then instructs you in the nght way to assemble
and test-fire your new rifle.

his 1s the book that do-it-yourselfers anxious to try building their own
50-caliber nfle have been demanding since the video first came out.
It's for those hands-on people who preter to have clear drawings and
instructions to study and refer to before beginning any project. With Bull
Holmes as your guide, construction of your own .50-caliber nile 1s a snap.

arning: It is your responsibility to make sure that you have com-

plied with all local, state, and federal laws with regard to the manu-
facture of a firearm. The author, publisher, and distributor of this
book disclaim any liability for the use or misuse of information contained
herein. This book 1s for academic study only.

A PALADIN PRESS BOOK

ISBN 1-58160-346-0

IAN LU) sci

9 "78158

Vistt our Web site at 4 ww. paladin press.com