Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
Special Interests - Groups & Societies => The Barracks => Topic started by: Niederlander on July 20, 2020, 09:11:00 PM
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Gentlemen, My plan is to build a full scale mock up of an 1895 Colt "Potato Digger" based on a Ruger 10-22 to use on 1/4 scale targets at our Brigade Muster. I've got a receiver coming, but now I'm looking for .920" diameter barrel, either 26" or 28" long, and a regular wood 10-22 stock, the more beat up the better. In fact, the stock could be broken at the wrist as long as the action and barrel inletting are okay. I know there will be more needed, but that would get me started. Just thought I'd see if anyone has stuff laying around that would work!
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If you can’t come up with the longer bbl, I have a 24” .920 barrel. If too short, sleeve it, & make the sleeve a fake muzzle break.
Only stocks available are synthetic.
Brian
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Hi
I sold the Rugers decades ago, they patterned as opposed to grouped.
Later
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I'm trying to envision a "Potato Digger" from 10/20 that would use the wood stock ? unless its the core to cradle the actual exterior.
I've seen 10/22 conversions into Thompsons, a Garand , M1 carbine, even a twin barrel machinegun in two different designs....
I'd like to see your design...sounds cool
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I've been wanting to do something like that for a while, but never had the time. Was considering using either an SKS or an AR for the basis. SKS might be easier because it's top loading. Potato Digger should be easy, since the body of it is just a rectangular box. But this morning I had another thought. What about a completely hollow mock up, with something like a Ruger 22 auto pistol , or some other fixed barrel auto pistol, clamped into the rear where the pistol grip would be anyway. Just firing through the body of the machine gun, or even clamped into the barrel tube and firing through it? All the normal controls would be exposed, no complicated trigger linkages needed. But....I wonder if it might draw disapproval from the BATF, converting a .22 pistol into a crew served weapon?
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I have a crank somewhere ::)
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Have you found an oliphant yet?
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We could mount it on the wooden horse!
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If you can’t come up with the longer bbl, I have a 24” .920 barrel. If too short, sleeve it, & make the sleeve a fake muzzle break.
Only stocks available are synthetic.
Brian
I will definitely keep that in mind, Brian. Thanks!
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I'm trying to envision a "Potato Digger" from 10/20 that would use the wood stock ? unless its the core to cradle the actual exterior.
I've seen 10/22 conversions into Thompsons, a Garand , M1 carbine, even a twin barrel machinegun in two different designs....
I'd like to see your design...sounds cool
Just need it for the inletting. I envision it cut down and firmly epoxied into the body of the gun. I've got the design in mind, now I just need to make it all work!
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Ned, I'll send the stock with the other parts. Let me know if you need anything else. Al
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Sounds great! Thanks!
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Please photograph the progress/steps , looks to be worthy project.
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I will try. Should be an interesting project!
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This one is cool early Tripod-mounted Maxim machine gun, chambered in .303 British.
The first automatic portable machinegun in the world was invented and created by Hiram Maxim in 1884
The Maxim Gun was adopted by the British Army in 1889. The machinegun was first used by the British colonial forces in the Matable war in 1893-1894
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Colt Potato Digger
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The Maxim wouldn't be too hard to copy, either. Especially the tripod, much simpler than the one on the Potato Digger.
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That was my thought and why I posted it.....Hmmmmmmmmmm !
I need to fid a 10/22 myself :-\
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I don't want to be guilty of hijacking a thread... But I really want to know more about the Tommygun conversion. More precisely, where can I get the kit?
I found posts and reviews, saying the kits we're simple to use, and only a couple hundred bucks. Can't seem to find anything. I did find a completed one listed on a gun auction, and listed at like $1,500.
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10-22 fun gun Thompson conversion
https://www.tactical-life.com/gear/fun-gun-kit/ (https://www.tactical-life.com/gear/fun-gun-kit/)
https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=14457 (https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=14457)
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10-22 fun gun Thompson conversion
https://www.tactical-life.com/gear/fun-gun-kit/ (https://www.tactical-life.com/gear/fun-gun-kit/)
https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=14457 (https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=14457)
"See more at 1022fungun.com."
"This site can’t be reached
www.1022fungun.com’s server IP address could not be found.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN"
Brownel's link is just a video talking about how great and easy the kit is. No mention of it being carried or not. And this is sort of how my search has been going, but thank you for taking the time to share the links.
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I seem to recall reading, these were not longer manufactured..
I saw a completed gun at my LGS on consignment it didn't last long , I don't recall the asking price but do remember it was out there beyond my wheelhouse.
I remember it had a couple of 30 round banana mag. s looked kinda goofy with those...looks better with drum in link photos
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You are correct Major, Brownel's said they were discontinued some years ago. The rediculous thing is, the finished conversions are around a grand or more. If I had that kind of "spare change", there is a gun shop about 15 minutes south, and they have a real Thompson for $1,300.
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My LGS had a Kahr Auto-Ordnance 1927 on consignment @ $1100,
it was cool as beans,
but heavy and the length of pull was unwieldly for me. at the end of the day my sock drawer remain un molested.
It was gone in short order anyway...
I recalled the price of that one , when the 10/22 kit gun was offered a month or so later , the consigned price was in the same ballpark :o maybe $100 less.
It was nice but not a grand nice, I passed
a Kahr- A/O Thompson for $1,300 or upward is about the going jingle on line...
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Yeah, $1,000 and up, which is why I got overly excitable at the prospect of a $400-$500 .22 imitation. If anybody has a reasonably priced kit, please let me know.
And now, I'll go back to spectator mode. I had never heard of the Potato digger, and I'm downright curious to see the results.
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Yeah ! my apologies for my part of deviation too.... :)
Back to the Potato Digger
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Cpt Quirk, The Potato Digger got it's name from the way it's action worked. Instead of a piston and operating rod, It had a lever that was driven down by gas from a gas port in the bottom of the barrel. You can see it in M-2s picture at the front of the action body. I have read that they tended to raise a dust cloud in dusty conditions, sometimes they would put a tarp under the gun so escaping gas wouldn't do that.
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The late great R. Lee Ermey demonstrates a Colt Potato Digger here
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=ymyy-t-MYTST101&p=potato+digger+machine+gun#id=51&vid=53501aba94f20d6ae178ee25b6d61a28&action=click
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Cool video! Hopefully the crank system I have in mind will give us about that rate of fire. By the way, I can pretty much guarantee the one I'm building will NOT have that lever going back and forth, as cool as that would be........
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By the way, I can pretty much guarantee the one I'm building will NOT have that lever going back and forth, as cool as that would be........
Sur, just bore a hole in the bottom of the barrel, add a lever with a weak spring. Real weak, since it's a 22.
I can see why it wouldn't be the best choice of machine guns for trench warfare. Looks like it can't get any lower than at least 8-10 inches from the ground.
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I can see why it wouldn't be the best choice of machine guns for trench warfare. Looks like it can't get any lower than at least 8-10 inches from the ground.
"Better shoot low Sherriff, they're riding Shetlands!"
;D
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Coming to Ruckus, let me know if you want me to bring barrel. Looks like Jerry may be there also. Easier to hand off vs ship. I know you are looking for a wood stock, don’t have one, I have a polymer stock I can drop off also.
Brian
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Yes, I'm planning to be at Ruckus
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Brian, go ahead and send the barrel with him. I'm planning to use a .920 barrel, so even if it ends up being too short it will allow me to build until I can get a longer one. (I won't really know just how long it needs to be for sure until I have the receiver, etc. I've got a wooden stock coming.)
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Dropped barrel off at Post Office this afternoon.
Sent to Jerry.
Brian
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Sounds great! Thanks!
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Thank you Dusty, I received the barrel. I have not had a chance to get it over to Ord.
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Any updates on project?
Brian
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Not yet. It's going to be more of a Winter project, but I have sort of laid things out to start getting an idea of how it will all fit.