Tripod mounted today.

[Bill Akins]

I finished making the tripod mount bracket today for my air/water cooled Ruger 10/22.
I mounted the gun onto the tripod for the first time today and it fits and operates perfectly.
I am thinking about welding four small triangular braces on the outside of each bend on the
mount bracket though, because I do notice just a slight bit of springiness flexibility in the mount.
The welded triangular bend supports will fix that.

Next I have to fabricate and install the sights, anodize it, and it is finished.

My air/water cooled convertible 3rd prototype in air cooled configuration
with mount bracket mounted to heavy duty camera tripod for first time. All below pics taken today.





Quickly changed while on the tripod to a truly water cooled version.







I like a heavy duty camera tripod because it is very cheap to pick up for anyone anywhere. A good one from a pawn shop for maybe $30. to $35 dollars. I like the heavy duty camera tripod though, not a thin spindly one.
I couldn't build a tripod less expensive than that, that also has all the adjustments a camera tripod already has. With its legs fully extended it looks somewhat like an MG42 AA tripod, (only with all the neat camera tripod head adjustments the MG42 tripod doesn't have). It is also cheap and easy to paint the tripod to better match the eventual anodized finish/color of the dress up kit.

1. My tripod has tilt from side to side and the ability to lock that tilt at any point. That means if I am on uneven ground, I can adjust the head of the tripod to be level instead of having to adjust all the legs as in a conventional machine gun tripod.

2. Elevation and de-elevation and the ability to lock it at any point.

3. 360% windage and the ability to lock the windage at any point.

4. I can crank up the tripod pole way past the tripod head, enabling me to get instant height to shoot sitting on a stool or standing. This extra height and adjustment you don't even get on an MG42 AA tripod. Plus, I still have the tripod legs that I can let in or out for any height adjustment I need. But once I have the tripod legs set to an approx height I want, then I can just
crank up the pole head for whatever exact sighting height I need.

5. It has a bubble level for both tilt, elevation and for leveling the head to legs.

6. It is much lighter than a full size MG tripod.

7. It works using an extremely simple mount bracket that can taken off if desired and another mount bracket can be easily made (if one desires), to fit it too almost any real machine gun tripod. "Coffee Cup Stains" sells plans for a mini Browning tripod (you can build, they don't make them) and with slight adapting of my mount, I have no doubt it would fit on them too. But I prefer the camera tripod mount myself after I multiple test fired them on both types of tripods where I realized it was all I needed for a .22 and had a greater variety of adjustments not normally found on MG tripods.



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[CHS]

Awesome! That thing looks great!

[nrakid88]

Just one question, if your going through such great pains, I can tell this wasn't just a weekend project, why not make thumb firing controls for the spade grips? Kinda silly to have those grips and hang a hand loosely under the action to actuate the trigger.

[Bill Akins]

Just one question, if your going through such great pains, I can tell this wasn't just a weekend project, why not make thumb firing controls for the spade grips? Kinda silly to have those grips and hang a hand loosely under the action to actuate the trigger.

I like how you think and I'm going to do exactly that nrakid88.

I experimented with doing that two years ago with my first water cooled Ruger prototype. A crank that is turned by both thumbs that goes to either a wheel and strut linkage (like a locomotive) to the BMF activator's spindle on both its sides, or using the same principle but with gears and a chain or belt. The strut hole in the wheels are positioned slightly off from the other wheel to help the other wheel over its "hump" when its strut is fully extended. That would only be an issue with the locomotive strut/train wheel type set up. With gears and a chain or belt, no strut full extension would occur. But either method will work. It will require a wheel/gear attached to each side of the BMF activator's spindle which is double sided already to allow the crank handle to be ambidextrous. Then another set of wheels/gears on each side that is setback just under the grips. Then from that last set just under the grips, the struts/chain/belt goes upward to the thumbcrank between the spade grips.

I designed the faux receiver's back cover plate to be removable, so I can attach the thumbcrank to another back plate and by attaching the strut linkage, or chain or belt to the wheels/gears attached to the spindle stems on both side of the BMF activator, to have an optional drop in thumbcrank accessory to the BMF activator that will allow you to keep all your fingers on the spade grips while manually cranking with your two thumbs.

http://good-times.webshots.com/video/3025655810099763970ivXHkP

Is that something like what you had in mind nrakid88? I've got it covered and been experimenting with it. As you can see from the video, very do'able.

It would be the only Ruger 10/22 convertible air or water cooled, mini MG dress up stock in existence that allowed you to manually crank fire with you thumbs while still keeping all your other fingers on the spade grips. And for California and Minnesota, (the only two states where it is illegal to install a crankfire trigger activator) I also have designed the faux receiver to allow enough room to accommodate a pistol grip immediately behind the factory trigger, and by removing the two dual spade grips and replacing them with one single spade grip (ala the Lewis gun), it would be fired normally without any crankfire trigger activator attachments.

I also have a design I've drawn that belt feeds the magazine without any modifications to the firearm in any way. I've started on machining out the housings
for two belt fed mags, but that got put on a back burner until I can finish this prototype. The belt fed mag design would also work for any box type magazine fed firearm. No questions on the belt fed mag design please, for obvious reasons I intend to patent that one.

But first I have to finish the sights and get it anodized before working on the thumb crank and belt fed mag.


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[CHS]

Just out of curiosity, is this the same Bill Akins of the Akins Accelerator fame?

[nrakid88]

I can honestly say that's the best response I've ever gotten on calguns. Seems like an amazing project... I can't wait to get some nice tools someday, I love seeing these projects come together.

[Bill Akins]

Just out of curiosity, is this the same Bill Akins of the Akins Accelerator fame?

Yes.


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[nrakid88]

Wow. My condolences for how the BATF screwed you. I feel honored to be in the same chat room. I think you might be able to improve on the trigger actuation, by using thumb paddles on the top of the receiver. It would just be a more positive feel than two weird poles, but I am not sure how economic it would be. I have a crude drawing I could send your way since words don't articulate mechanics very well.

[CHS]

Yes.

Thank you for dropping by the forums. I have to say it's honestly a pleasure to (virtually) meet you and have you here. Thank you for your contributions, and I would also like to extend my condolences for what you had to deal with at the hands of the ATF.

I'm loving this 10/22 project!

[BroncoBob]

Pretty cool rimfire. Akins sure took a beating at the hands of the ATF.

[Bill Akins]

Wow. My condolences for how the BATF screwed you. I feel honored to be in the same chat room. I think you might be able to improve on the trigger actuation, by using thumb paddles on the top of the receiver. It would just be a more positive feel than two weird poles, but I am not sure how economic it would be. I have a crude drawing I could send your way since words don't articulate mechanics very well.

Thank you nrakid88. I'm not tracking on exactly what you mean by "thumb paddles on top of the receiver", or the "two weird poles" you spoke of. Of course I know what thumb paddles are, I just don't know what you mean by the paddles being "on top of the receiver", or what the two weird poles are. I would love to see your drawing. I know what you mean by a picture is worth a thousand words. Please send it to me in an I.M. if you can. Otherwise just e mail me at Akins_Bill@yahoo.com


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[Bill Akins]

Thank you for dropping by the forums. I have to say it's honestly a pleasure to (virtually) meet you and have you here. Thank you for your contributions, and I would also like to extend my condolences for what you had to deal with at the hands of the ATF.

I've loving this 10/22 project!

Thank you very much bdsmchs.


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[Bill Akins]

Sights selection & mockup evaluation.

Although nothing is anodized yet, the following pics give a good representation of how the convertible to air or water cooled, 3rd prototype, dress up stock will look when completed.

On my first air cooled prototype dress up stock I started on about 4 years ago, I designed it from the start to just have a rear spider sight and tall front sight to resemble a Browning anti-aircraft gun. It had not occurred to me to build a water cooled one yet, not to mention an easily convertible to either air or water cooled one.


On my first water cooled prototype I used a front sight on the water jacket of my own design that resembles a Browning 1917's hooded front post sight. On the rear I used a sight mount of my own design that holds and allows spring assisted raising of the WW1 Enfield rifle's ladder sight, that I have modified to enable to be used for windage in my sight mount. Works very well and looks historically representative of tripod machine gun's sights from that era my dress up stock resembles.

After making an air cooled and a water cooled dress up stock. I had taught myself a lot. In looking at both my designs I realized there were improvements I could make. On my 3rd prototype, I redesigned the way the water jacket seals and thus made the water jacket easily removable and able to be replaced in just seconds with a perforated air cooling shroud which has the front sight for the air cooled version built in. Thus by changing out the front end of the stock from one version to the other, you still continue to use the same rear sight but the front sight is replaced.

So with this 3rd prototype I could have one sighting system for each version that would only change the front sight when switched between versions.

Or so I thought at first.........

I agonized and agonized about the sights for a long time. I thought of every possible combination of sights, and how that would factor into ease of building. Something less complicated that can do a better job than something more complicated, all while keeping my requirement that they be aesthetically appealing.

At first I thought about using the exact same design of of my first water cooled prototype's rear sight, for the rear sight on this 3rd prototype. And in some ways I have done that, but in other ways, I don't use that sight and replace it with a spider AA sight.

(I also have been experimenting with an enlarged, extended bolt handle design that changes the bolt handle's look dramatically. It needs further testing and evaluation, I haven't had the opportunity to shoot with it yet, but I really like the looks of it and it makes charging the bolt a breeze. It isn't available anywhere not yet anyway. I checked, no one makes the bolt handle I wanted, so if I want it, I have to make it. I also attached a BMF crankfire trigger attachment to the trigger guard so it can be crank fired in the same way a crank is turned for a Gatling gun. These pics will be very close to the final configuration.)

These mockups show the approximate positions of where the sight will be located. Naturally, I have to mill certain slots and ways to attach some of them, not to mention also construct some of the sights, their bases and brackets. But these mockups give a good general idea of how they will look.

1. "Four bolt rear sight"
I call it this because four bolts hold it to the top of the faux receiver.
This first sight mock up I did was to take the rear sight off my first water cooled prototype and set it on top of the faux receiver of my third prototype as if it were attached. The mount of this sight has four holes in it that correspond to four threaded holes in the top of the faux receiver. Then I put the water jacket on the stock, and set an unattached yet, front sight hood on the front end of the water jacket just for mock up photos. I have not yet constructed the front post that goes under that hood. Here are those pics......













Continued to next post due to 6 pics per post limit......


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[Bill Akins]

Continued from previous post.

2. "My easily detachable, triangular bracket, rear sight".

In looking at my first mockup, I realized that there was a way to attach the rear sight block to the faux receiver without having to drill and thread any holes on top of the faux receiver. I took a piece of black paper and folded it over so it fit over the top of the faux receiver, yet was UNDER the rear sight block, then its folded down portion I cut into a rounded end triangle equidistant to the length of the sight block, and made it project downward where it has a hole on each downward projecting side that corresponds to the already existing attachment point knurled brass nuts and thus secures to the faux receiver. Now if I want to, I can completely remove this "triangular" rear sight bracket and with no holes in the faux receiver's top, you never knew it was there. By designing this rear sight block to be easily removable without leaving unsightly screw holes, This enables me to use other types of sights. Remember, the triangular part going down the side of the faux receiver, is just black paper for mock up evaluation, although it looks more solid in the picture. Here's the triangular bracket rear sight mockup.....









3. The air cooled 1919a4 style front sight

Next is my mock up for a 1919a4 style front sight on the air cooled model while still using the triangular rear sight I used on the water cooled model. The front sight mock up sitting on the front sight base of the perforated cooling shroud, is just a piece of foam board cut and painted with black magic marker to look like a 1919a4 receiver front sight that is attached to the shroud rear at the front of the receiver. Which makes for a shorter sight radias, but is authentic to where this style sight was located on the 1919a4.






Continued next post.......


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[Bill Akins]

Continued from previous post.



4. The air cooled AA spider sight system.

My 4th sight mockup removes the triangular rear sight & block from the faux receiver (leaving no unsightly threaded holes). Then the 1919a4 type front sight is removed from its slot on the perforated cooling shroud's sight base, and then replaced with a windage adjustable rear AA spider sight while a removable band tall front sight is attached to the muzzle end of the cooling shroud. Thus giving a totally different sighting system. The nice thing with the air cooled version's sights is that you can choose the triangular rear sight and 1919a4 type front sight, or convert it to an AA spider sight with tall front sight version. The tall front sight in the below pics does not have its band built onto it that will fit over the cooling shroud. But you can imagine it. Same as a scope band, but with a tall front sight on top of it. Right now that plastic tall front sight mockup, is just sitting on the end of the cooling shroud held in place by a small blob of grease to keep it temporary stuck to the shroud for mockup evaluation pictures.









Continued next post......



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