I had a private "First Fire" ceremony for Joe's "Washington's Hatchet Chameleon 50" last evening, late. Couldn't do too much then, it was too late to make much noise in the shop. But ... I could tell it was gonna work well.

Recall that this ledger spot was for Joe's Chameleon 32. It's late, as everything else is, and I've appreciated Joe's patience as I've dealt with what's become of my health, and related issues. Over time, I've grown to know that Joe and his Son, Wiley, enjoy hunting together. I've been invited to go too, and I just might be able to do that this year, with the new meds having kicked in to help.

The project "wanted" more power, and the option of a larger shotgun barrel. I decided I wanted them to have a more stout gun. The Chameleon was designed around a particular aluminum extruded tubing shape, with a thick short wing, and a longer narrow wing extruded in one. I designed a nifty gun, with a rotating center loading wing to expose the loading port. That extrusion didn't have enough "meat on the bone" to install a hub for a larger diameter barrel. I decided to replace the front hub with a billet copy, with the needed larger mass for the barrel hub. Once I started replacing the central parts that had made the design, it snowballed. Thus, like my personal copy of Washington's Hatchet ... "It's had five handles in it thru the years, and the head has been replaced twice". Other than that, it's totally origonal.

At this time, it's an action, in the white. What you see here will be thinned, and clad in the stock when it's made. I have been "function firing" this raw action.



Here you see the rotary breech eased aside, and a slug inserted in the breech. The rotary breech is smooth as glass on it's huge bearings.

I've used "upsized" round ball, to fit the caliber. Made my setting a length of barrel stock on a steel plate. Inserting an undersized ball. Inserting a brass rod near caliber and about 3' long ... dropping the brass rod onto the ball, and spreading it against the caliber walls. Using the brass rod to tap out the created slug. I ended up with perfectly sized .493" slugs for this smoothie barrel.



The upsized ball weigh 176.72 grains.



At 2,800 psi, with the power adjust wound down ... these ball fly @ 931 feet per second. That makes 340 foot pounds of muzzle energy.



The rough action laying on a shop stool. It's coming along. The stock is a bit short though!

Speaking of which. During testing this am, I guess I lost concentration a bit. While lining up the action thru the "shop Muzzler" safety and noise device ... I loosened my grip a bit on the pistol grip tube. When I was satisfied that the barrel was inserted and aligned correctly ... I fired. The immediate result was for all Hell to break loose as the recoil caused my fist to punch myself in the mouth, the slug was misaligned and struck the inside of the muzzler's 1" thick steel fool plate and shake the whole thing so much that stuff stored atop rained down in all directions, something struck and cut the bridge of my nose, and ... in all that ... I didn't get a good chrono reading to boot!

Yep - my teeth are sore, my nose feels stuffy, the super glue job did fine (so my good looks aren't damaged ... haha).

In the following testing, I used far more resistance against the pistol grip tube. hahah. Hey ... nothing like something to cause a flinch! haha. Guns with stocks aree easier to test.



Results for the ball.

And then, I upsized a few Barnes 46 Bishops to .493"



They weigh 301.86 and fly 749 fps for 376 foot pounds of muzzle energy. That should give us a target to work with, for developing shot loads, and perhaps a smoothy slug.

Hope you all enjoy it for a long time to come. Right ... soon as I finish it.





Gary

Joe,

There will be some difference between the amount of "loose shot" the action can push, and the above caliber tight slugs. I don't have enough experience with that to correlate. Maybe Kent will say something. I know his Justice likes it's 925 grain slugs ... and I think he shoots about 2 oz. of shot IIRC.

Were I to make a smoothy slug for this gun, I'd target about 225 grains.

Gary

Gary, that's an interesting looking gun, and nice performance figures! I like the look of that rotary breech..do you just tilt it to one side, load, then rotate it back into place? And is it held in place by a stop of some sort?
Cheers
Neil

Hello Neil,

You can rotate it either side. O rings provide a resistance and it's compressed between sections and the breech seal also provides some stiction. You just line up the sides so it looks like a gun. ;?) Stays there. If the port were left open, it wouldn't fire.

Gary

hehehehehehehehehehehehehe, looooooooking GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man that is amazing, First pictures are soooooooooooooooooooo sweeeeeet!!!!!!! Can't wait to get my hands on it, Wiley and me are going to give this one a good work out for many years. to come. Hey it's already drawn first blood and never been out of the shop!!! I hope you can make it down this deer season, we'll have you a nice spot complete with a rocking chair. There were three bucks in the field the other evening, one was looking pretty nice already.

I am amazed you are getting that kind of power with a rear hammer Gary. The throw is so short and the hammer can't have that much weight.

Glad you like it Joe. Thank you. Makes it worth it.

You are right about the hammer. And, remember, the power for the hammer is inside that smallish pistol grip. Actually, if you like it like this, you could just use it as an "Air Cane" ... ... hahaha.

I'll take you up on the deer rocker. I might find an old pc. of pipe around here, with enough power to roll a deer. ;?)

Maybe we can make a knife together to pay for my upkeep. ;?)

Gary

Well, I needed a good laugh. That was gut buster. To bad you didn't video. I know, your not suppose to laugh when somebody is bleeding.

Gun is looking good. Almost to bad you have to put wood on it.

Don't forget the camouflage blanket to wrap around his knees.

It's raining right now. You guys are next. Dory

Definitely a go on the knife, I'd love to pick up any all pointers your willing to share bud. I just came back in the house while ago, I was ginding a big ole blade for guy that plans on taking a wild boar with it, and people think airgunners are crazy go figure.

Believe I'll pass on the aircane, I already heard about some fellow that got beat up by one of those somewhere!!!!!!

This one is looking nice. Sometimes waiting some more time will bring unexpected returns.

The way I see it, now this new Chameleon version will suit better your needs. Good for you Joe & Wiley!

Julio



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2011 04:37PM by Julio.

Another project that keeps on giving! It is coming along nicely with all the big changes. I'm thinking a "Raptorish" slug?

Actually ...

I just finished cutting a mold cavity with a 50 caliber scale version of the 62 slug. Hope it works. mIt's not a 100% true computer scale version ... because .... there is some factor - some sliding scale - that prevents exact scale versions from being true. I seem to do better with an intuitive scale version.

Gary

NO! It's MINE. heheheh

Hi Joe,

The CJ likes the 7ga wads from Track of the Wolf. These are .888 for the 87 cal smoothy. I lube with crisco for the bottom thicker wad and just push it in a finger length. The shot flask (also from TOTW) throws a one ounce load. I give it a double shot as noted by Gary. A thin top card goes on and all is pushed to the closed bolt face with my DIY ramrod made with a half inch dowel on both ends of an old graphite arrow shaft. This set up works well. It looks like the wads are .015 larger than the barrel diameter. Looks like the wads they have for the 50 cal rifles are .510. If they are too large, you may need to make a die to cut a custom size from these of other stock.

The cost is 7.50 for 1000. So for 15 bucks you'll have a tremendous supply that should work well.

Hope it helps,

Kent

Thanks Kent, it does help. I looked at their web site and will get what I need when the time comes or when Gary has the time to give me the dimensions I'll need.
Julio you are correct, this gun is going to be multi purpose piece capable of taking varous size game. My palms get sweaty just thinking about it.

Hey Dory, an old wool army blanket is all I have but it should work well!!!

Joe :

Your project is coming along great. I am looking forward to seeing it in action. When is turkey season? Or will deer season be first?

Karl

First, there's "sweaty palm season!"

Garry, thats looking nice and solid and great performance figures from a rear hammer. Looking forward to seeing the finnished product. Danny.

I've made the tooling for 50 caliber slugs. I've made a mold with two different types on it. I've cast some of them for a test. The size is perfect. One size is 268.8 grains, and I made a heavier version, at 343.6 grains. The intention is for Joe's smoothy. I've made a version of the slugs that worked well for the 62 calibers (smooth and rifled). I made some intuitive alterations ... not just an exact scale version. We'll see.

I have some Range work to do. That will be as close to my "Days off" as I get, at this time.

The days are evaporating. The meds program really has been a huge help. And, today, I didn't have the darned headaches. Hope they stay away. Yeah ... who knows ... endless rain and endless headaches ... are they tied together? Well - this is better ... whatever.

I've been communicating with Joe on all the super secret stuff. Very hush hush ya know. Need to know stuff.

Never said anything, but our prayers go out for the folks in Joplin, MO. Another example of people working together. No endless reports of violence. God Bless them.

Gary

Hi Joe,

Spent much of today on your stock.

Just finished a 1 3/4" radius cutter I needed to mill the stock channel. 5/8" shaft - 1/4" thick tool steel blades - ground - heat treated - tempered - sharpened. Laying on the bench waiting for tomorrow.



GAry

Hey Gary, looks like you are having to make everything new for this one, hopefully you will be able to use the tooling and data for other projects.
Looking forward to seeing it in the stock for the first time, nothing like the first look of a new Barnes rifle, especially when it's yours
Hey Karl, turkey season has passed, deer season will be here before you know it though

Hey tomorrow well actually today now, I will have made 52 trips around the sun, and I can"t think of a better birthday present,




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2011 04:12AM by Joe Hoover.

Happy Birthday Joe

Hi Joe,

Gosh ... you must REALLY like the Sun Joe. I can't think of anyplace I've wanted to go 52 times!

Happy Birthday Dude. Hey ... wouldn't you rather just have a new puppy?

hehehe

Gary

Joe:

Happy Birthday! I hope you do something special to celebrate it.

Karl

Happy Birthday!

Thanks guys I'm at the point now that I both dread and look forward to the next one.

Vickie says I'm only 17 years old, no not because I act that way, but 17 years ago on November 21 I was struck by lightning while I was deer hunting. Got myself out of the woods, and drove myself to the closest hospital where they life flighted me to another hospital for treatment. i was in intensive care for about 6 days , in the hospital for about two weeks and out of work for about 6 weeks. Touch and go for a few days and thats why she says I'm still a teenager.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2011 08:07AM by Joe Hoover.

Good Grief!!! I never knew that. (And I know every little detail about every part of every customer's life ... ... hahhaah.

Wow. What an experience. I guess you can be found under the bed anytime it gets cloudy now.

Glad you were given the strength to get yourself to help. That's miraclous.

Gary