Frankenstein gun projects?

[dualsport]

I have always had a weakness for stuff (junk) other people wouldn't bother with. A dumpster diver mentality I guess. Old guns with little hope, bicycles, tools, camping gear, you name it. Over the years my gunsmith friends have let me dig thru the 'junk' barrel in the back of the shop and take home my treasures. A few have really panned out, like a free '91 Argie that is about a MOA shooter, but many others that need a lot more help. I drug out an old project, a J.C. Higgins bolt action shotgun, 16 ga. The entire magazine and feed assembly is missing, but I'm going to fill in the hole and call it a single shot trunk gun. Looking for an easy to install rifle type sight system. I can cut a dovetail, maybe just use muzzleloader sights? Anyway, I was curious about what other guys might be up to. Not restorations, junk gun salvages that could be called 'Frankenstein' guns. Along those lines I'm also looking for recomendations for a starter kit/book on engraving and checkering, just very basic hand tool type stuff.

[Gunslinger1911]

Haven't done any salvages, but my "Frankengun" started as a Llama Mini Max in 45 acp. (Officers ACP size 1911), add a Commander length slide (.40 S&W) and a Govt length bbl (.40 S&W.

Still trying to get the durn thing to cycle 100% LOL

[Harter66]

I offer these, not really frankenguns but certianly fit w/ your Argi.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=124310

[Harter66]

The 1851 Navy on the bottom was slopped out and chopped at . I still need a cylinder stop/lock for it . In the close up you can see the notched bbl frame that it came to me having. I spent a fair amount of time getting the parts match up and move freely again.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_123384f2067ad1c0f9.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3588)http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_123384f2067ad7430e.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=3589)

[justashooter]

a true frankengun is one that is made from the parts of a bunch of different guns. i have built a few semi-auto frankenguns from milsurp subgun kits. in one case i started with a beretta 38A and added an AK FCG and a bunch of hand made parts. in another case i started with an AP9 upper assembly and mated it to a suomi kit with a wire stock similar to a grease gun stock. in a third case i jammed a pps43 kit onto a KG99 upper.

[flounderman]

checkering and carving gunstocks, I believe by monte kennedy is the bible for cherking info. I can give you the basics, but you are better off buying, borrowing, or whatever way you can, that book. checkering takes time, patience, good eyesight, and some artistic talent and a lot of practice. if you take your time and have good instructions, your first job can turn out ok.

[dualsport]

Thanks flounderman I'll check amazon for that book. Still have some gift certificates from Christmas to spend. The JC Higgins stock looks like a 2x4 although decent walnut. A large palette to whittle on for a starter. It did cross my mind that it would be cool to convert it to use Saiga magazines. Probably not realistic though.

[flounderman]

not exactly a frank gun, but I was given a 1917 that had been thru a fire and deposited in a dumpster. I sent the action to colorado to be reheat treated. I had a barrel blank from a pawn shop in w v, just over the hill from douglas. had the bolt handle straightened, used a springfield milled trigger guard, lengthened to enfield bolt spacings. had the barrel installed in 22-250, and obtained a fiddleback claro walnut stock blank for a sako for 35.00. stock had a 25.00 pachmyer pad already installed, rose wood tip and cap.

[flounderman]

current project is a drill purpose pattern 14 receiver and bolt, bolt handle straightened, springfield 03 lengthened trigger guard, english walnut sako blank, take off 7 stw barrel from a model 70 laredo. plans are for the enfield threads to be extended for an adjusting nut like the savage 110 system, because the barrel is big enough for the threads, but not big enough to shoulder to the receiver. stw chamber to be made into a 7 rem mag.

[dano440]

I built up a Ruger Mark III frame with all Mark II internal parts with Government Target Bull Barrel 6 7/8" that shoots like a house a fire, but have a magazine release like 1911 since it has mark III frame. Volquartsen hammer & sear, also extended bolt release.

[leadman]

I am close to finishing a Smith Corona 1903a3 Sporter that I bought as a junker. The guy was thinking of throwing it away! The scope base was gone, missing tang screw, stock had minor cracks and no finish. Bluing was almost non existant but very little rust.
Glass beaded the action and cold blued it. Filled the extra holes with plugs and mounted a Leupold base, replaced the recoil pad. Worked the outside of the stock down to good wood and filled 3 of the 4 rear sling stud holes. Mounted an old Weaver 10X target type scope.
Got it to shoot cast real well but the old "C" stock had been worked over thru the years and the accuracy was not consistent. About 1/8" or so of the wood in the bedding areas was soft so I ground it to solid wood and am done with bedding it. Now have to take it to the range again to check accuracy, then if ok will apply the final finish to the stock.

Now I am going to change my old 1893 Mauser in 7X57 to a 7.62X39 as the bore is oversized, pitted, and the throat is so long a 175gr bullet won't touch rifling.
I'm thinking of making this a switch barrel gun with maybe a 257 Roberts barrel. I have a 25-06 for a 98 that I can use for this.
Thinking about a laminated blank and making an ambidexteous thumbhole stock for it.