West Texas rail

[Joe Duke]

This rail was built by Leon Gass from Odessa, Texas. Leon shot this rail in competition as well as using it to test the bullets he sold.
He built the rail all himself. The guides are tool steel rods embedded into the bottom of the top. They run on delrin bearing points on the base of the rail. The barrel block is v-bottomed and flat on top. Leon simply used a piece of target paper as the cushion between the barrel and the block. The gun shoots very well. Not necessarily a work of art but a monument to west Texas practicality and functionality. The action is a right bolt, left port, right eject. Note the bullet box mounted on the rail to neatly catch the empties when ejected.

The rail is currently owned by Darryl Duke.

Joe

[Mr.T]

Looking at the design of the derlin balls and solid guide rod one thing is striking , most rails use forward and one side V rail and a flat rail on the other corner so that things don't bind due to geometry shift in due to side to vindage adjustment, this one seems to run all 3 'rails' in V contact.

[Joe Duke]

It indeed runs two in a Vee if you will and one on a flat.The front rail and one back rail run between two balls. The other back rail runs on a flat piece of delrin. From the back of the base, it is the right hand side or in the photo, the upper right corner.

joe

[Mr.T]

I see it now ,its kinda like this

[Joe Duke]

Yes Sir, except flat on the back where yours is raised.

The geometry is very good on this rail. When the top slides back under recoil, the crosshair moves maybe 1/2 a bullet width to the left. So it is very straight. When Leon set the top up on the mill, he cut all three guide rail slots before disturbing anything.

joe

[Chism G]

Yes Sir, except flat on the back where yours is raised.

The geometry is very good on this rail. When the top slides back under recoil, the crosshair moves maybe 1/2 a bullet width to the left. So it is very straight. When Leon set the top up on the mill, he cut all three guide rail slots before disturbing anything.

joe

Joe...Where is Leon Gass? Is he still making bullets?



Glenn

[Joe Duke]

Hi Glenn, Leon got out of the bullet making business a couple of years ago. Sold all his bullet making gear to Darryl. He bought it just for his own use.
Leon has pretty much gotten away from shooting although he still has a rifle or two; just in case the itch strikes again.

Joe

[Chism G]

Hi Glenn, Leon got out of the bullet making business a couple of years ago. Sold all his bullet making gear to Darryl. He bought it just for his own use.
Leon has pretty much gotten away from shooting although he still has a rifle or two; just in case the itch strikes again.

Joe

Thanks Joe




Glenn

[Mike Bryant]

Joe...Where is Leon Gass? Is he still making bullets?



Glenn

Leon stopped by Sunday at the Buffalo to say Hi to everyone. Dave Williams also dropped by Sunday. Dave wanted to come shoot, but that pesky thing called work got in the way.

[C.L. Peterson]

This rail was built by Leon Gass from Odessa, Texas. Leon shot this rail in competition as well as using it to test the bullets he sold.
He built the rail all himself. The guides are tool steel rods embedded into the bottom of the top. They run on delrin bearing points on the base of the rail. The barrel block is v-bottomed and flat on top. Leon simply used a piece of target paper as the cushion between the barrel and the block. The gun shoots very well. Not necessarily a work of art but a monument to west Texas practicality and functionality. The action is a right bolt, left port, right eject. Note the bullet box mounted on the rail to neatly catch the empties when ejected.

The rail is currently owned by Darryl Duke.

Joe

Joe:
In picture #1 it looks like you have some material (tape ?) wrapped around the barrel--is that correct??
Also same picture looks like you have an insert in the V block between the barrel and the V block--Is that correct and if so what is that material and does it help that you can determine??
Just wondering.
Thanks for your time.
CLP

[Joe Duke]

There is tape on the barrel both before and after the clamping block but it is just there to identify the barrel and to record the shots thru the barrel.

You are correct that there is material in the block as well. It is a folded thickness of target paper. It is there to reduce / damp vibrations much as the delrin blocks do. Leon had set it up that way and so we have not changed what he was doing. It seems to work judging from the way the gun shoots.

Joe