Making a Videogame Rifle

[1940izhevsk]

So I've been playing a lot of the videogame Borderlands, and there's this type of rifle, commonly used as a "sniper rifle". I've thought quite a bit on how I could make it into a real rifle. It runs on a revolver system, revolving via fore-arm pump. Usually, long wheel guns don't work out (take the Colt 1855 10 gauge shotgun, for example.), with the cylinder gap and all. I have thought about a way to work around that, either by basing off the Nagant 1895 revolver, using the gas-seal technique, or by grooves in the cylinder used by the fore-arm, locking the cylinder to the barrel, preventing escaping gas. The way the cylinder opens for reloading is rather unusual, swinging out from the front on the z-axis, rotating about 40-50 degrees. I could use some ideas on what cartridges to use, but rimmed cartridges seem like the best option. Cartridges like 30-30, 7.62x54R, and .303 Brit. I've taken screenshots of some examples, although if I were to put it into production, it will look very different than what the in-game examples look like.

[CarJunkieLS1]

I'd be very careful taking a nagant revolver pistol and adding a stock to it...that would become an NFA item called an SBR...it would require a tax stamp and paperwork otherwise that would be a huge violation that would lead straight to jail time.

I'd look at a rifle called a Rossi Circuit Judge that may give you an idea and something more suitable to build off of.

[1940izhevsk]

I meant as in using the action's design, with the cylinder locking into the barrel, not as in using a 1895 as a base.

[1940izhevsk]

Here's an example of a rifle in Borderlands

[1940izhevsk]

ok,I finally figured out how to insert images, here it is

[TXAZ]

1940izhevsk said

ok,I finally figured out how to insert images, here it is

Maybe you want to try again.

[tahunua001]

how has no one mentioned the circuit judge yet? it's been around a goood 10 years or so with no signs of giving up the ghost. I'm just waiting for S&W to release a governor rifle for the fan boys to piddle themselves over.

[Model12Win]

Check out the Taurus "Circuit Judge" revolver rifle. it would be a great base gun for your project.

[CarJunkieLS1]

LOL Tahuna001 I mentioned the Circuit Judge in the first reply...

[FrankenMauser]

I'd build from scratch.


Some idea seeds:
(intended for ideas, or reference to some small portion of their operating principle; not necessarily large portions of the design)
J.M. Browning's gas seal method on a harmonic rifle.
Pancor Jackhammer cylinder operation.
Webley Fosberry operation.
One-off handmade revolving magazine.
Roper Revolving Shotgun.

And that's the limit for URLs in a single post.

[FrankenMauser]

Additional thoughts:
I'd avoid bottle-necked or heavily-tapered cartridges.
They tend to wedge themselves against he recoil shield (frame) when fired in revolvers.

Rimmed or belted rifle cartridges that are nothing to sneeze at, but straight-wall or close to it:
.32 WSL (lower power)
.35 WSL (lower power)
.351 WSL
.38-55
.375 Win
.401 WSL
.405 Win
.444 Marlin
.450 Bushmaster (no rim)
.450 Marlin
.45-70
.45-90
.458 Win Mag
.458 Lott
.450 Nitro
.50-90
.50 Alaskan
.577 Nitro
.600 Nitro
.700 Nitro


Plus, of course, the 'uber-magnum' "handgun" cartridges:
.414 Super Mag
.445 Super Mag
.454 Casull
.460 S&W
.475 Linebaugh
.500 S&W


My personal preference would be for .444 Marlin or .38-55.
They're of reasonable length. They're good performers. They run at moderate pressure levels (no excessive pressures). And they aren't expensive to load.
But if one were not a reloader, and needed to buy factory ammo... it would be advantageous to drop .38-55 in favor of .45-70.

[1940izhevsk]

You were saying about the Webley-Fosbery's and Jackhammer's grooves in cylinder, I had that same idea in my head, I kind of used a S&W 637 to visualize a groove for travel.

[Jimro]

I've taken screenshots of some examples, although if I were to put it into production, it will look very different than what the in-game examples look like.

If you are already willing to have it look "very different" are you also willing to have it perform "very different"? Because a custom one off firearm is either a labor of love, or a rather nice car worth of money.

If you could get your hands on a .410 MTs-255 revolver shotgun it would look closer to the Borderlands rifle, but you would need to change out the barrel rib for a picatinny rail, and either add a rifled shotgun barrel for shooting 45 Colt or accept that it would only be shotgun accurate.

I think the easiest way to achieve something that looks similar is to use a Rossi Circuit Judge, pull the iron sights off and add a barrel sleeve to make it longer and add a cosmetic square bit in front of the action, then bolt on a picatinny rail to the top of the action and barrel sleeve. That's a lot of machining work for something that won't actually be sniper rifle accurate.

If you want something that looks "old west space steampunk" like from Borderlands or Firefly but actually is sniper accurate (at least to WWII levels of sniper accuracy), look into getting an Enfield rifle and modifying that with a scope mount and scope (if you are ok going with a bolt action), or a Rem 760 pump rifle and "tarting it up" a bit with a faux revolver cylinder on the left side of the action.

Jimro

[g.willikers]

You are aware that video game guns are the figments of someone's imagination.
Good luck with your adventure and don't blow yerself up or put out an eye.

[Mobuck]

Buy a big rubber mallet and use it to hit your forehead until the thought passes.
Repeat as needed.

[1940izhevsk]

What I mean as in "won't look exactly like in-game examples" is that it'll look a little more realistic, without all the bulk that the examples have.

[T. O'Heir]

Video game programmers rarely have ever seen a real firearm. None of 'em have the slightest idea how any of 'em actually work either. Video games, like movies, are not reality. Nor even close to it.
Revolving rifles were a 19th Century(c 1855) attempt at getting more shots into a rifle. Used a paper cartridge that caused issues with the likelihood of 'sympathetic detonation', as in the whole cylinder going bang at once. Not exactly accurate enough to be even close to any kind of sniper's rifle.

[GarandTd]

Consider the Becker semi-automatic shotgun or the MTs-255 for examples although they are shotguns.

[Jimro]

What I mean as in "won't look exactly like in-game examples" is that it'll look a little more realistic, without all the bulk that the examples have.

Then I recommend you just get a Rossi Circuit Judge in 45 Colt, slap a scope on it and call it good. It won't be as accurate as a sniper rifle, and it won't be "pump action." But it will be obviously a revolver rifle. There are some cosmetic things you could do with the wood furniture if you are so inclined, but I'm not sure exactly what "look" you are going for.

The MTs-225 in .410 would look a little closer to the video game rifle, but it would take a little more work to get a scope mounted. If you shoot Brenneke style slugs you can get fairly accurate performance even from a smoothbore barrel.

If you are looking for a real long range sniper solution on a revolver mechanism...that would be a bridge too far in my opinion.

Jimro