BUILDING
SGN-22
Matthews is at it again with a series of
pieces on building a gun from scratch.
This time it’s an inexpensive self-ejecting
single-shot .22 rifle he calls the SGN-22.
Ready to try building a gun largely from scratch? Here’s a
simple self-ejecting single-shot that’s easy and cheap to build.
I
f you have been a regular reader of SGN for the last three
years or so, you have probably read some of my gun build
articles. If you’ve built some of them, you have learned a
lot about firearms fabrication. You may have thought about
going a little deeper into firearms building by actually build-
ing a gun from homemade parts rather than using a collec-
tion of manufactured components.
With that in mind, I recently wrote an article series on
building a 9mm semi-auto carbine known as the SGN-9
(4/20/08, 5/20/08, 6/20/08, 7/20/08). The SGN-9 was blow-
back-operated semi-auto 9mm Luger chambered rifle that
featured tubular construction and many self-made parts
along with some purchased parts.
The skills and tools needed to build it went far beyond
what was needed to do a simple kit building project. I thought
of it as a good beginning project for those who wanted to
advance to actually making their own guns rather than just
assembling parts made by others.
The SGN-9 project required the use of a lathe, milling ma-
chine, welder and a multitude of hand tools. It also required
extensive hand fitting of parts. While it didn’t seem all that
hard for me, since I have been doing hobby gunsmithing for
more than 25 years, it may have been intimidating to first-
time builders.
So I decided I should try an slightly easier project.
Design Parameters
I decided to retain the basic look of the SGN-9, since its
tubular construction made it easy to build. I would just scale
down the size. I also felt this would make it appealing as a
“baby brother” to the SGN-9.
I decided to scale the project down to .22 Long Rifle. By
utilizing the low pressure .22 Long Rifle round, it would
make building easier and more be forgiving on issues of
strength. I wanted the action to be easy to build and at first
thought a bolt-action would be the way to go. The more I
thought about designing a locked breech and rotating bolt
action, the more I realized that a straight blowback action
would be easier to make.
the
By Steven Matthews
Part 1
If the builder had a few of the parts lying around, as many
hobbyists do (we all have that drawer full of gun parts!) and
really scrimped on finishing, the cost could be very low. If,
however, you had to buy everything, the cost would be at the
high end of the price range. I had some of the parts so this
Magazine feed, however, would make it harder to make, project cost me about $125.
and the original idea was to make it as easy to build as pos- Once I had the basic design and parts selection figured
sible. That’s when I got the idea to make it a straight blow- out, I had to figure the easiest way to build the project. I
back type like an autoloader, but to leave off the magazine have a well-equipped hobby machine shop, so I can make
to ease the build process. just about anything, but I wanted this project to be able to be
The added benefit would be self-ejection of the fired case.
made with the minimum of specialized tools.
The unlocked breeching system would be very forgiving and The methods and tools are what I consider the bare mini-
the home builder wouldn’t have to worry about the action mum. Many operations and procedures are highly impro-
giving way when the bolt was locked in place and fired if vised gunsmithing. If you have better tooling and methods,
they didn’t build it just right. by all means use them. The more tools you have, the easier
This is not an original idea. If you read Tom Gaylord’s the project will be.
article on the Wham-O guns (9/20/08 issue), they, along with Some may look at features of this project and say there is
the H&R Sahara, were self-ejecting single-shots. a better way to do it and they may be right, but I designed
For the fire control system I decided to use the AR-15 this project for those minimum of tools and skill. As far as
fire control group since it had worked well on the SGN-9 equipment goes, the minimum needed is a small drill press,
project. I would just scale it down to fit in the smaller arc welder (MIG type preferred), basic home workshop
trigger housing of the new project. Using a manufac- hand tools, a small powered hand grinder like an air grind-
tured fire control group would ease the build for those er or Dremel tool, a good set of dial calipers, and a small
not ready to make hammers and triggers from scratch. hobby lathe.
This project would require a
specialized bolt I’d design myself.
This, along with the receiver and
trigger housing, would be the
main self-made components of
the project. The self-made bolt
could be made from about $10
worth of materials and would be
as easy to build as I could make
it.
I wanted a readily available
barrel that was inexpensive and I
found one that fit the bill perfect-
ly. The SGN-9 project cost about
$175-$250 to make and I wanted
this project to be less expensive.
What I came up with could be The parts required are minimal: a Ruger 10/22 barrel, an
built from $75 to $175 depending AR-15 trigger assembly and pistol grip, and some steel
on how frugal the builder was in stock and tubing. This is a very cheap rifle to make.
obtaining the necessary materials.

This job is easier with a milling machine, but Matthews says a cutoff wheel and a
Dremel tool will cut the ejection port into the steel tubing that will be the receiver.
Small table-top metalworking lathes adequate for this proj-
ect are available from suppliers like Grizzly Tools or Harbor
Freight for as little as $350, so this project may be the incen-
tive to buy this versatile machine tool. For those who don’t
have a lathe and don’t want to buy one, there is an option.
A couple of the lathe operations can be hired out and the
remainder can be done on the “poor man’s lathe.” You can
shape many small items with nothing more than a drill press
to spin the parts and some files to shape them. This impro-
vised turning method is a lot of work, but you can get qual-
ity results if you have the skill and are patient.
I have made many small round parts over the years before
I had a lathe with nothing more than files and a drill press to
spin them. Since this project would look like a scaled down
version of the SGN-9, I decided to name it the SGN-22.
Parts Acquisition
The first part needed for this project is a barrel. There is
one common and readily available barrel that is perfect for
this project. The large numbers of hobbyists customizing the
Ruger 10/22 with special barrels mean there are many take
off/used surplus barrels for sale. At the last gun show I at-
tended before I started this project, there were a half-dozen
used barrels to choose from. Prices ranged from $10 to $35.
The Ruger 10/22 barrel should be a tight
fit in the receiver tube. You may need to
heat the tube for a shrink fit or ream it
slightly on the inside. Then pin the barrel.
I found one with a poor exterior finish that was excellent
inside for $10. Since I was going to be doing a finish job on
this project, the $10 barrel was perfect. The Ruger 10/22 bar-
rel is 18.5 inches long and features a 3/4" smooth shank sized
at . 685-.687" diameter.
This shank will fit in a 1-inch diameter by .156" wall piece
of 4130 chrome-moly seamless tubing quite well. I decided
to use this size for the receiver just for that reason. This type
of high strength tubing is available from many steel suppliers
and also from aircraft suppliers such as Wicks Aircraft.
You will need a couple feet of this tubing for this project,
but you really should buy extra in case you make mistakes
and have to make a part over. It is priced at about $6.50 per
foot. For a barrel shroud, I was going to use the same outside
diameter, but didn’t want it to be that heavy.
The widest part of the 10/22 barrel is .930-.935" diameter
and I found that 1-inch by .035" wall chrome-moly tubing
would be just about right for the purpose. It would slide right
over the barrel at the breech end. About one foot would be
right for the project, but luckily I took my own advice and
ordered extra. I made a couple mistakes and needed the ex-
tra material. This size tubing runs about $3 per foot.
For bolt fabrication, I bought a couple feet of 3/4" 4130
chrome-moly rod, also available where you find the tubing.
I especially recommend buying extra bolt raw material since
the bolt is very easy to screw up and it may take more than
one attempt to get it right. You only need a foot for the proj-
ect but you never know! This rod is about $3 per foot.
A faux flash suppressor will be made from a 21/2-inch piece
of 7/8" x .120" wall chrome-moly tubing, but any type of steel
would be fine if you can find this size. The trigger housing
for the SGN-22 will be made from a 6-inch piece of 3/4 x 11/2
x 3/32 (approximate thickness) wall rectangular mild steel
tubing that should be available from local
structural steel suppliers. A foot or two of
this material should only run you a couple
bucks.
A couple feet of 1/2 x 3/16" flat steel
will be used to make part of our stock. It
should run you less than $1. The buttplate
can be fabricated out of a 6-inch piece of
The barrel shroud is
made from 4130 thin
wall tubing. The hole
size and spacing is
up to you, but use a
drill press and vise
to keep the holes
aligned and spaced.
Plug weld the shroud to the barrel itself, then weld it to
the receiver tube to fill the joint. Use several small welds
with cooling time between them to avoid overheating.
11/2 x 3/16" flat steel, also priced under a dollar. I used a cou-
ple pieces (one piece of 3/4" rod and one piece of 1/2" flat
stock) of scrap aluminum that I bought at the scrap yard for
a couple dollars to make the faux magazine and the recoil
spring plunger.
Since the magazine is fake, you could make it out of any-
thing you want-wood or plastic or even steel if you don’t
mind the weight. You will also need a couple more miscel-
laneous pieces of steel and some screws and pins.
To ease the build process, I used several factory-made parts.
I got several DPMS-made AR-15 parts from Brownells, an
excellent source for gun parts, both original equipment and
custom. You need these AR-15 parts for this project: hammer,
trigger, disconnector, the springs for these parts, safety/selec-
tor lever, firing pin, pistol grip and two hammer/trigger pins.
These parts can be bought individually, but it’s usually
cheaper to by one of the sub-assembly parts kits and save
the leftover parts for future projects. A few of the other parts
can also be obtained from Brownells. I used a Weaver #81
scope base to attach a scope and vertical foregrip.
Since this rifle features a straight-line stock, I used tall ex-
tension scope rings to raise the scope high enough. I also
selected a Pachmayr RP250 black recoil pad.
Since my eyes aren’t what they used to be (getting old
stinks!) I ordered a compact 4X scope from SGN advertiser
CDNN . This imported scope was only $18.
Disclaimer
Before we get into the actual building of this project, it’s
time for the customary legal disclaimer since I am just a hob-
byist gunsmith and am simply documenting my own ama-
teur efforts. This article is not a step-by-step build tutorial. It

Drill rows of holes in a length of tubing, then file out
the remainder to make a muzzle brake. It then can be
silver-soldered to the barrel after removing the finish.
will only cover the high points of the build process. I will give
some general dimensions and procedures, but the builder
will have to supplement the project with his own gunsmith-
ing skills and knowledge.
As in any self-built project there will be builder-induced
variations or mistakes that will have to be compensated for.
If one part is made slightly out of spec. another part may
have to be heavily modified to make the project work cor-
rectly. This is part of the “art” of gunsmithing. Hand-made
parts by their very nature generally need to be hand-fitted for
proper function.
The recess for the
cartridge head must
be precisely located in
the bolt face. A lathe is
best, but a drill press
will do. Drilling to the
proper depth is critical.
This should not discourage potential builders, it’s all part
of learning gunsmithing. One learns very little by just read-
ing an instruction sheet that says place part B into slot C
followed by part A. That is simply “assembling,” not build-
ing a gun.
When you make, fit and modify your own parts you be-
come intimately familiar with your project and are learning
gunsmithing skills far beyond a simple assembly job. This
learning process has inherent dangers associated with it since
firearms are sometimes dangerous items.
You must accept and understand the hazards involved in
building and using firearms. If you do not understand what
you are doing you will be putting yourself at risk and you
should not do this project. Neither SGN/ Intermedia or the
author assume any responsibility for the construction, use,
legality or safety of your self-made project. It’s your project
and you, the builder, assume full responsibility for your own
project.
Receiver Fabrication and Barrel Installation
The receiver of the SGN-22 will be made from 1-inch
by .156" wall 4130 seamless chrome-moly tubing. You will
need a piece about 20 inches long. This is slightly overlong,
so that when the project nears completion, you can cut the
receiver/stock to the preferred length of pull. Be sure to
square the ends after cutting, since you will be measuring
from the ends.
While the specifications for this tube would indicate an in-
ternal diameter of .688", there are manufacturing tolerances
to consider. Your actual size may vary a couple thousandths
from the stated size and this will need to be compensated for
during building.
The first step is to cut an ejection/loading port in the re-
ceiver tube. This cutout needs to be large enough for the user
to comfortably insert a cartridge. Since I have fat fingers, I
made this port roughly 13/4 inches long by 11/16" wide. I lo-
cated it about 3/4" back from the front of the tube. This will
result in the rear of the barrel being just about even with the
front edge of the port.
This port can be cut out with a milling machine or by
hand with a Dremel type tool with cutting disc. Once cut,
smooth up all edges. The barrel can now be installed in the
front of the receiver tube. The shank of the barrel needs to
fit snugly into the tube.
Manufacturing tolerances in the barrel and tubing mean
your barrel may fit just right or be too loose or too tight.
Mine was a little loose, since my tubing measured .687" and
my barrel shank was .685". To get a snug fit, I had two op-
tions: either shim the shank with .001" shim stock or shrink
the tube.
I chose to shrink the tube diameter a couple thousandths.
This is easily done by placing the end of the tube in a vise
and lightly clamping it in place. One side of the last 3/4" of
the clamped tube was heated red hot with a torch. This heat-
ing expands the tube wall and since it is clamped, it can’t
expand and therefore swells slightly and thickens.
When the tube cools, the wall
contracts, and since it is now
slightly thicker, the diameter is
slightly reduced when cool. This
is only a few thousandths of an
inch but that is all that is needed
on this project. This brought
mine to a good snug fit.
This isn’t a real precise method,
but it does work. If it shrinks too
much, file, ream, grind or sand it
to the right size. If, on the other
hand, yours is too tight to begin
with, you will just have to file
your barrel shank a little smaller
or open up the tube diameter a
little by grinding, filing, etc.
You can also just lightly heat
the tube with a torch to expand it,
A milling machine makes cutting the hammer slot in
the bolt a lot easier, but you can do it by drilling a se-
ries of holes and filing out the spaces between them.
then insert the barrel while the tube is hot, When you insert
the barrel into the receiver tube, you will need to index the
barrel to locate the extractor groove in the right place. Install
your barrel so that the extractor notch in the face of the bar-
rel is about 1/8" above the bottom edge of the ejection port.
This should leave adequate clearance to keep the ejected case
from striking the receiver when being ejected from the gun.
Once the barrel is in the correct position, the barrel needs
to be locked in place. I pinned my barrel in place by drilling
a 5/16" hole through the receiver wall and about .100" into
the barrel shank. Be sure you don’t drill too deep and drill
into the chamber.
I tapped in a tight-fitting pin and then cut it flush with the
receiver and welded over it to permanently lock it in place. I
then ground it flush to the receiver tube.
I also used the barrel shroud installation the further to
lock the barrel in place. I made a ventilated barrel shroud out
of a 7-inch piece of 1-inch by .035" wall tubing. The hole size
and spacing can be to your preference. My tubing was a little
undersized, so I had to reduce the barrel diameter slightly to
get the shroud to slide over the barrel.
At the rear of the shroud, I drilled two 5/16" holes on op-
posite sides so I could plug weld the shroud to the barrel. The
shroud was slid over the barrel till it was about 1/8" from the
front of the receiver. This thin groove will be a weld groove.
Before doing any welding, be sure your shroud is oriented
correctly so the holes look good.
Also be sure the barrel is centered in the shroud. You don’t
want your holes to be running off at odd angles or have un-
even gaps between the barrel and shroud. Plug weld the two
holes to secure the shroud to the barrel. Use only enough
weld heat to lightly penetrate the barrel and allow it to cool
before you do the other hole to keep heat down.
Now weld the shroud to the front of the receiver tube.
Weld in the groove and use enough weld heat only lightly to
penetrate the barrel surface. Only weld about a half-inch at a
time and allow for cooling before doing more welding. After
welding, grind down all the welds smooth with the receiver
and shroud.
The shroud is now attached to the barrel and to the receiv-
er, so this is further locking the barrel to the receiver tube.
This, along with the pressed-in pin, is more than adequate
for a rimfire.
Next month (4/20 issue): Building the bolt.
Building the SGN-22: Part 1: ready to try building a gun largely from scratch? Here's a simple self-ejecting single-shot that's easy and cheap to build.

Building the SGN-22: Part 1: ready to try building a gun

largely from scratch? Here's a simple self-ejecting single-
shot that's easy and cheap to build.
Print

Author: Matthews, Steven

Geographic Code: 1USA
Date: Mar 20, 2009
Words: 3120
Publication: Shotgun News
ISSN: 0049-0415

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

If you have been a regular reader of SGN for the last three years or so, you have probably read some of
my gun build articles. If you've built some of them, you have learned a lot about firearms fabrication. You
may have thought about going a little deeper into firearms building by actually building a gun from
homemade parts rather than using a collection of manufactured components.

With that in mind, I recently wrote an article series on building a 9mm semi-auto carbine known as the
SGN-9 (4/20/08, 5/20/08, 6/20/08, 7/20/08). The SGN-9 was blow-back-operated semi-auto 9mm Luger
chambered rifle that featured tubular construction and many self-made parts along with some purchased
parts, The skills and tools needed to build it went far beyond what was needed to do a simple kit building
project. I thought of it as a good beginning project for those who wanted to advance to actually making their
own guns rather than just assembling parts made by others.

The SGN-9 project required the use of a lathe, milling machine, welder and a multitude of hand tools. It
also required extensive hand fitting of parts. While it didn't seem all that hard for me, since I have been
doing hobby gunsmithing for more than 25 years, it may have been intimidating to first=time builders.

So I decided I should try an slightly easier project.

Design Parameters

I decided to retain the basic look of the SGN-9, since its tubular construction made it easy to build. I would
just scale down the size. I also felt this would make it appealing as a "baby brother" to the SGN-9.

I decided to scale the project down to .22 Long Rifle. By utilizing the low pressure .22 Long Rifle round, it
would make building easier and more be forgiving on issues of strength. I wanted the action to be easy to
build and at first thought a bolt-action would be the way to go. The more I thought about designing a locked
breech and rotating bolt action, the more I realized that a straight blowback action would be easier to make.

Magazine feed, however, would make it harder to make, and the original idea was to make it as easy to
build as possible.

That's when I got the idea to make it a straight blowback type like an autoloader, but to leave off the

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Building the SGN-22: Part 1: ready to try building a gun largely from scratch? Here's a simple self-ejecting single-shot that's easy and cheap to build.

magazine to ease the build process.

The added benefit would be self-ejection of the fired case. The unlocked breeching system would be very
forgiving and the home builder wouldn't have to worry about the action giving way when the bolt was
locked in place and fired if they didn't build it just right.

This is not an original idea. If you read Tom Gaylord's article on the Wham-O guns (9/20/08 issue), they,
along with the H&R Sahara, were self-ejecting single-shots.

For the tire control system I decided to use the AR-15 tire control group since it had worked well on the
SGN-9 project. I would just scale it down to fit in the smaller trigger housing of the new project. Using a
manufactured tire control group would ease the build for those not ready to make hammers and triggers
from scratch.

This project would require a specialized bolt I'd design myself. This, along with the receiver and trigger
housing, would be the main self-made components of the project. The self-made bolt could be made from
about $10 worth of materials and would be as easy to build as I could make it.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

I wanted a readily available barrel that was inexpensive and I found one that fit the bill perfectly. The SGN-
9 project cost about $175-$250 to make and I wanted this project to be less expensive. What I came up
with could be built from $75 to $175 depending on how frugal the builder was in obtaining the necessary
materials.

If the builder had a few of the parts lying around, as many hobbyists do (we all have that drawer full of gun
parts!) and really scrimped on finishing, the cost could be very low. If, however, you had to buy everything,
the cost would be at the high end of the price range. I had some of the parts so this project cost me about
$125.

Once I had the basic design and parts selection figured out, I had to figure the easiest way to build the
project. I have a well-equipped hobby machine shop, so I can make just about anything, but I wanted this
project to be able to be made with the minimum of specialized tools.

The methods and tools are what I consider the bare minimum. Many operations and procedures are highly
improvised gunsmithing. If you have better tooling and methods, by all means use them. The more tools
you have, the easier the project will be.

Some may look at features of this project and say there is a better way to do it and they may be right, but I
designed this project for those minimum of tools and skill. As far as equipment goes, the minimum needed
is a small drill press, are welder (MIG type preferred), basic home workshop hand tools, a small powered
hand grinder like an air grinder or Dremel tool, a good set of dial calipers, and a small hobby lathe.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Small table-top metalworking lathes adequate for this project are available from suppliers like Grizzly Tools
or Harbor Freight for as little as $350, so this project may be the incentive to buy this versatile machine
tool. For those who don't have a lathe and don't want to buy one, there is an option.

A couple of the lathe operations can be hired out and the remainder can be done on the "poor man's lathe."
You can shape many small items with nothing more than a drill press to spin the parts and some files to

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Building the SGN-22: Part 1: ready to try building a gun largely from scratch? Here's a simple self-ejecting single-shot that's easy and cheap to build.

shape them. This improvised turning method is a lot of work, but you can get quality results if you have the
skill and are patient.

I have made many small round parts over the years before I had a lathe with nothing more than files and a
drill press to spin them. Since this project would look like a scaled down version of the SGN-9, I decided to
name it the SGN-22.

Parts Acquisition

The first part needed for this project is a barrel. There is one common and readily available barrel that is
perfect for this project. The large numbers of hobbyists customizing the Ruger 10/22 with special barrels
mean there are many take off/used surplus barrels for sale. At the last gun show I attended before I started
this project, there were a half-dozen used barrels to choose from. Prices ranged from $10 to $35.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

I found one with a poor exterior finish that was excellent inside for $10. Since I was going to be doing a
finish job on this project, the $10 barrel was perfect. The Ruger 10/22 barrel is 18.5 inches long and
features a 3/4" smooth shank sized at. 685-.687" diameter.

This shank will fit in a 1-inch diameter by .156" wall piece of 4130 chrome-moly seamless tubing quite well.
I decided to use this size for the receiver just for that reason. This type of high strength tubing is available
from many steel suppliers and also from aircraft suppliers such as Wicks Aircraft.

You will need a couple feet of this tubing for this project, but you really should buy extra in case you make
mistakes and have to make a part over. It is priced at about $6.50 per foot. For a barrel shroud, I was going
to use the same outside diameter, but didn't want it to be that heavy.

The widest part of the 10/22 barrel is .930-.935" diameter and I found that 1-inch by .035" wall chrome-
moly tubing would be just about right for the purpose. It would slide right over the barrel at the breech end.
About one foot would be right for the project, but luckily I took my own advice and ordered extra. I made a
couple mistakes and needed the extra material. This size tubing runs about $3 per foot.

For bolt fabrication, I bought a couple feet of 3/4" 4130 chrome-moly rod, also available where you find the
tubing. I especially recommend buying extra bolt raw material since the bolt is very easy to screw up and it
may take more than one attempt to get it right. You only need a foot for the project but you never know!
This rod is about $3 per foot.

A faux flash suppressor will be made from a 2 1/2-inch piece of 7/8"x .120" wall chrome-moly tubing, but
any type of steel would be fine if you can find this size. The trigger housing for the SGN-22 will be made
from a 6-inch piece of 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 3/32 (approximate thickness) wall rectangular mild steel tubing that
should be available from local structural steel suppliers. A foot or two of this material should only run you a
couple bucks.

A couple feet of 1/2 x 3/16" flat steel will be used to make part of our stock. It should run you less than $1.
The buttplate can be fabricated out of a 6-inch piece of 1 1/2 x 3/16" flat steel, also priced under a dollar. I
used a couple pieces (one piece of 3/4" rod and one piece of 1/2" flat stock) of scrap aluminum that I
bought at the scrap yard for a couple dollars to make the faux magazine and the recoil spring plunger.

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Building the SGN-22: Part 1: ready to try building a gun largely from scratch? Here's a simple self-ejecting single-shot that's easy and cheap to build.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Since the magazine is fake, you could make it out of anything you want-wood or plastic or even steel if you
don't mind the weight. You will also need a couple more miscellaneous pieces of steel and some screws
and pins.

To case the build process, I used several factory-made parts. I got several DPMS-made AR-15 parts from
Brownells, an excellent source for gun parts, both original equipment and custom. You need these AR-15
parts for this project: hammer, trigger, disconnector, the springs for these parts, safety/selector lever, firing
pin, pistol grip and two hammer/trigger pins.

These parts can be bought individually, but it's usually cheaper to by one of the sub-assembly parts kits
and save the leftover parts for future projects. A few of the other parts can also be obtained from Brownells.
I used a Weaver #81 scope base to attach a scope and vertical foregrip.

Since this rifle features a straight-line stock, I used tall extension scope rings to raise the scope high
enough. I also selected a Pachmayr RP250 black recoil pad.

Since my eyes aren't what they used to be (getting old stinks!) I ordered a compact 4X scope from SGN
advertiser CDNN. This imported scope was only $18.

Disclaimer

Before we get into the actual building of this project, it's time for the customary legal disclaimer since I am
just a hobbyist gunsmith and am simply documenting my own amateur efforts. This article is not a step-by-
step build tutorial. It will only cover the high points of the build process. I will give some general dimensions
and procedures, but the builder will have to supplement the project with his own gunsmithing skills and
knowledge.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

As in any self-built project there will be builder-induced variations or mistakes that will have to be
compensated for. If one part is made slightly out of spec. another part may have to be heavily modified to
make the project work correctly. This is part of the "art" of gunsmithing. Hand-made parts by their very
nature generally need to be hand-fitted for proper function.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

This should not discourage potential builders, it's all part of learning gunsmithing. One learns very little by
just reading an instruction sheet that says place part B into slot C followed by part A. That is simply
"assembling," not building a gun.

When you make, fit and modify your own parts you become intimately familiar with your project and are
learning gunsmithing skills far beyond a simple assembly job. This learning process has inherent dangers
associated with it since firearms are sometimes dangerous items.

You must accept and understand the hazards involved in building and using firearms. If you do not
understand what you are doing you will be putting yourself at risk and you should not do this project.
Neither SGN/Intermedia or the author assume any responsibility for the construction, use, legality or safety
of your self-made project. It's your project and you, the builder, assume full responsibility for your own
project.

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Building the SGN-22: Part 1: ready to try building a gun largely from scratch? Here's a simple self-ejecting single-shot that's easy and cheap to build.

Receiver Fabrication and Barrel Installation

The receiver of the SGN-22 will be made from 1-inch by. 156" wall 4130 seamless chrome-moly tubing.
You will need a piece about 20 inches long. This is slightly overlong, so that when the project nears
completion, you can cut the receiver/stock to the preferred length of pull. Be sure to square the ends after
cutting, since you will be measuring from the ends.

While the specifications for this tube would indicate an internal diameter of .688", there are manufacturing
tolerances to consider. Your actual size may vary a couple thousandths from the stated size and this will
need to be compensated for during building.

The first step is to cut an ejection/loading port in the receiver tube. This cutout needs to be large enough for
the user to comfortably insert a cartridge. Since I have fat fingers, I made this port roughly 1 3/4 inches
long by 11/16" wide. I located it about 3/4" back from the front of the tube. This will result in the rear of the
barrel being just about even with the front edge of the port.

This port can be cut out with a milling machine or by hand with a Dremel type tool with cutting disc. Once
cut, smooth up all edges. The barrel can now be installed in the front of the receiver tube. The shank of the
barrel needs to fit snugly into the tube.

Manufacturing tolerances in the barrel and tubing mean your barrel may fit just right or be too loose or too
tight. Mine was a little loose, since my tubing measured .687" and my barrel shank was .685". To get a
snug fit, I had two options: either shim the shank with .001" shim stock or shrink the tube.

I chose to shrink the tube diameter a couple thousandths. This is easily done by placing the end of the tube
in a vise and lightly clamping it in place. One side of the last 3/4" of the clamped tube was heated red hot
with a torch. This heating expands the tube wall and since it is clamped, it can't expand and therefore
swells slightly and thickens.

When the tube cools, the wall contracts, and since it is now slightly thicker, the diameter is slightly reduced
when cool. This is only a few thousandths of an inch but that is all that is needed on this project. This
brought mine to a good snug fit.

This isn't a real precise method, but it does work. If it shrinks too much, file, ream, grind or sand it to the
right size. If, on the other hand, yours is too tight to begin with, you will just have to file your barrel shank a
little smaller or open up the tube diameter a little by grinding, filing, etc.

You can also just lightly heat the tube with a torch to expand it, then insert the barrel while the tube is hot,
When you insert the barrel into the receiver tube, you will need to index the barrel to locate the extractor
groove in the right place. Install your barrel so that the extractor notch in the face of the barrel is about 1/8"
above the bottom edge of the ejection port. This should leave adequate clearance to keep the ejected case
from striking the receiver when being ejected from the gun.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Once the barrel is in the correct position, the barrel needs to be locked in place. I pinned my barrel in place
by drilling a 5/16" hole through the receiver wall and about .100" into the barrel shank. Be sure you don't
drill too deep and drill into the chamber.

I tapped in a tight-fitting pin and then cut it flush with the receiver and welded over it to permanently lock it

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Building the SGN-22: Part 1: ready to try building a gun largely from scratch? Here's a simple self-ejecting single-shot that's easy and cheap to build.

in place. I then ground it flush to the receiver tube.

I also used the barrel shroud installation the further to lock the barrel in place. I made a ventilated barrel
shroud out of a 7-inch piece of 1-inch by .035" wall tubing. The hole size and spacing can be to your
preference. My tubing was a little undersized, so I had to reduce the barrel diameter slightly to get the
shroud to slide over the barrel.

At the rear of the shroud, I drilled two 5/16" holes on opposite sides so I could plug weld the shroud to the
barrel. The shroud was slid over the barrel till it was about 1/8" from the front of the receiver. This thin
groove will be a weld groove. Before doing any welding, be sure your shroud is oriented correctly so the
holes look good.

Also be sure the barrel is centered in the shroud. You don't want your holes to be running off at odd angles
or have uneven gaps between the barrel and shroud. Plug weld the two holes to secure the shroud to the
barrel. Use only enough weld heat to lightly penetrate the barrel and allow it to cool before you do the other
hole to keep heat down.

Now weld the shroud to the front of the receiver tube. Weld in the groove and use enough weld heat only
lightly to penetrate the barrel surface. Only weld about a half-inch at a time and allow for cooling before
doing more welding. After welding, grind down all the welds smooth with the receiver and shroud.

The shroud is now attached to the barrel and to the receiver, so this is further locking the barrel to the
receiver tube. This, along with the pressed-in pin, is more than adequate for a rimfire.

Next month (4120 issue): Building the bolt.

COPYRIGHT 2009 InterMedia Outdoors, Inc.

Copyright 2009 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

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