Modifying a firearm in the UK

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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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Wouldn't be very easy to control or carry - there are better full auto shotguns out there - but no, you wouldn't get permission for one!

Back to the question though, barrels can be cut, threaded, fluted etc.

For what you are trying to do, its probably not worth it (on a .22 RF). Start with a receiver and buy the right sort of stock, barrel and controls to get the gun you want. You can certainly build a supressed, bullpup .22 rimfire based on a Ruger 10/22 receiver. I would personally not thread for a moderator though, just put in a fully supressed barrel from the start :)

Talk to Roger Francis - the very best man there is at 10/22s imo

http://www.rimfiremagic.co.uk/

If it can be done to a rimfire, he has probably done it before!
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
I remember when I was younger I entered a competition in one of the airgun magazines in order to win a B&M Daystate bullpup - was convinced I'd win and very disappointed that I didn't (it was a while ago and this might not be the right gun, but it was a wooden bullpup)

http://www.mygunshop.co.uk/listings/daystate/daystate-bm-bullpup-huntsman-mk2/

Thinking now that a .22LR action is a damn site cheaper and might be fun making a wooden stock to fit it. I'd go for a ready moderated barrel, rather than try and modify one myself (don't think my lathe is up to the job). I'd either fit a scope or my Rusak collimator (although the latter is probably not very accurate)
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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Scopes are good - but if you can imagine a sight option, its out there - even digital night vision and thermal imaging!

The stock would be doable - but the trigger linakges to set the receiver back in the stock would be very tricky without making the trigger very graunchy (which bullpups suffer from at the best of times)

Its been done though!

augsidel.jpg


Thing is in the UK, you have to keep the fixed length of the gun over 24". You can build a 10/22 with a conventional stock to that with a 12 1/2" barrel. So no real advantage beyond aesthetics.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
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Florida
I'm thinking it would be cheaper to find and buy a bullpup you like than to try to convert from a conventional rifle.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I think they made .22LR SA80's for cadets - whether these made it onto the civilian market I don't know and I don't want something military anyway (although the rim fire magic guy is selling UZI's... :))

Is that a purpose made SA80 in 22LR? Or more likely a standard 223/5.56 with a 22 converter. At one time we did the same thing back in the late 1970s with the M16 (used a 22LR converter) to reduce training ammo costs.
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
Is that a purpose made SA80 in 22LR? Or more likely a standard 223/5.56 with a 22 converter. At one time we did the same thing back in the late 1970s with the M16 (used a 22LR converter) to reduce training ammo costs.

On further investigation it was a conversion kit. I think it was to enable use on indoor ranges
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
Pretty sure that's just a L98A1 conversion - manually cycled straight pull

From Wikipedia:

"It allowed .22 rounds to be fired semi-automatically using direct blow back against the bolt to cycle the next round. If the kit was fitted to the L98A1 a standard L85 cocking handle had to be fitted to allow semi automatic fire"
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,731
1,983
Mercia
Ahhh - if you change the cocking handle to allow blowback, then yes, it would work :) Either way, its an insert, so, sadly, not a manufactured rimfire, so a no no for you :)
 

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