Lightest single shot design

bewsher500

Well-Known Member
I am really interested in a single shot rifle but was slightly disappointed when I got my hands on a Ruger no1
it weighed a ton!
just looked it up...
8.5 lbs for the varmint edition (which this was)
7.25 lbs for even the "light sporter"!

thats without scope or anything like a sling/studs etc

It is not a design area I know well but....
surely removing bolts and large actions should reduce weight considerably.
the Browning Low Wall looks light at 6.5 lbs

what else is there?
 
As far as I can tell, the true single shots are largely nostalgia traps. If you're determined to throw away the convenience of a repeater, at least do the decent thing and get a combination gun...
 
Ruger No1A (if you can find a 1A in the UK) is about the lightest No1 your going to get & mine is in 204cal it comes in at around 6-1/4 lb .
The lightest single shot rifle I have is a Baikal IZH 308 with a spare 222 & 410 Slug barrels The Rifle comes in at 5-3/4lb It's not the UK spec I brought mine in France as a handy truck gun , apart from spending a few hours working on the trigger it is surprisingly very accurate indeed ..
 
Go and have a potter in Dicksons - they had a couple of lovely single shot 7x65rs in there a couple of weeks ago.

Some of the Merkel, Ferlach, blaser and kreighoff Kiplaufs are 5 1/2 lbs unscoped.

When I was last at the game fair, there was a European gunmakers stand and I looked at a very nice and petit falling block .222 on a Ruger no 1 type action, and about a year ago there was a very nice little 22 Hornet Daniel Fraser that was nt much over 4lbs, but felt beautifully balanced.
 
The 1885 Low Wall, with a tapered 24-inch barrel, in .223, .243, or 6.5x55 is a really nice rifle. It is solid, strong, accurate, and beautifully made and finished.
 
The 1885 Low Wall, with a tapered 24-inch barrel, in .223, .243, or 6.5x55 is a really nice rifle. It is solid, strong, accurate, and beautifully made and finished.

I'm not sure I'd do Low Wall in 243 or 6.5x55.I have built several on High Walls, and Falling Block Works High Walls but left the Low Walls to lower pressure cartridges.~Muir
 
The Browning ( Miroku ) Low Walls seem to do well with the .243 and .260.

My personal lust for a Low Wall is in .357 Magnum or .30-30 with open sights, tang peep sight, and crescent steel buttplate, but I doubt that would be what this hunter seeks.

The 1885s and Ruger 1-A are a lot less expensive than the break action Merkel, Blaser and Heym, which are really light weight, accurate, and elegant.
 
Wickliff Stinger in 22 Hornet:

WickliffStinger22Hornet_zps38a01202.jpg
 
that is a thing of beauty.
tad out of my price range ...

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I did have a good look at it at the Holts preview - absolutely a thing of beauty and the pictures don't do it justice. Whilst petit and action scaled accordingly, it was still full size enough to be usable by somebody 6ft with long arms. One day me hopes....
 
I bought a Baikal Izh-18 single shot a few months back in 308W. I have not shot it much but I handle it daily and I find it to be a very handy little gun. I put an old 4x32 Zeiss Jena on it (from my Brno ZKK days) with a mount like this one:
http://www.autokompo.sk/e-shop/acti...va-jednodielna-iz-18-mostik-s-podhladom.xhtml
This combination is considerably lighter than my bolt stalking rifles. The factory trigger was not good, heavy with a loooong creep, so I replaced it with a new one which is a bit lighter and without creep. I bought it second hand online from a fellow in Italy who said it was made by a gunsmith there. Accuracy is certainly sufficient for stalking.



I am really interested in a single shot rifle but was slightly disappointed when I got my hands on a Ruger no1
it weighed a ton!
just looked it up...
8.5 lbs for the varmint edition (which this was)
7.25 lbs for even the "light sporter"!

thats without scope or anything like a sling/studs etc

It is not a design area I know well but....
surely removing bolts and large actions should reduce weight considerably.
the Browning Low Wall looks light at 6.5 lbs

what else is there?
 
Thompson Center single shot, break actions are strong, accurate, lightweight, and come in a huge variety of chamberings and barrel lengths, blue and stainless steel. Don't know if you can get them in the UK.

EA Brown makes some small, accurate falling blocks in chamberings like 6mm BR, 6.5s of various flavors, .30-30, 7mm-08.

Two friends are thrilled with their Merkel K1s, under 6 lbs without the rings and scope.
( I want the other way, like an 1885 with a 26 inch barrel ).

If you want stunning looks in a falling block, a Dakota Model 10.
dakota-m10.jpg
 
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Hard to beat the original Franz Jaeger break-open block action in a kipplauf style rifle. extremely popular in the Germanic alpine regions due to its low weight (4.5-6lbs) as well as perceived status as a gentleman's stalking rifle. These are generally the Germanic versions of the British Best gun. Custom and very expensive. However, Merkel makes good production kipplaufs and BRNO/CZ offers an inexpensive option.

Here is some good reading on this style of single shot: http://www.holtsauctioneers.com/Admin/In%20The%20Gun%20Room/March%202012.pdf


I've played with a few and hunted with an old Suhl kipplauf (took a mulie west of Rocky Mountain House) in 7x57R. Wonderful little rifle.

We also have one of the best single shot falling block makers here is Canada: Hagn Rifles & Actions Cranbrook, British Columbia Canada

His rifles can be made very light. Again, expensive.
 
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