Rhineland 45 ACP Kit

[deltaenterprizes]

I used a Wilson mag and it fed 200 gr SWcs!

[greywuuf]

but did it Fire them???

we want pictures of the range session. :P

[deltaenterprizes]

Ain't there yet, but close. It may be a while before I get to shoot it, the range here is still a dangerous place!

[trench]

That's a really pretty piece of wood. A modern stock with that much grain would cost a week's pay.

[deltaenterprizes]

I finished my rifle today, now I just need to find a place to shoot it!

[greywuuf]

Nice!. got any better pictures ?. My kit should go in the mail Monday. Very interested in your initial shooting experiences and how it all goes .

Dan

[deltaenterprizes]

I will have to take some and post them.

[d4xycrq]

Folks,

Bought this Fabrique National large ring Mauser years ago - in the $38 range, if my memory servers. (the good ole days)

It was a complete rifle. Here shown below are pictures that show the state of the action - looks fine at first glance, but unfortunately, the receiver ring is heavily pitted.

My assumption is that if I can get the barrel off, the receiver ring is likely in good enough shape to safely shoot .45ACP. What do you folks think? I'm hesitant to spring $160 for the kit (and another $55 for the barrel wrench), only to find out the barrel is seized to the action.















Opinions and advice requested!

And does anyone have a barrel wrench I can borrow? If I can't get the barrel off, then my only option is 'wall-hanger'.

Best regards,

Ray

[greywuuf]

it is pretty pitted, but to My admittedly untrained eye it looks to be a perfect candidate for a 45 acp. I would have a go at getting the barrel off before you spring for the kit though. there has been some advice posted that you can turn the barrel at the reciver barrel shoulder junction to releive some pressure before trying.

Dan

[deltaenterprizes]

Go for it, perfect donor!

[rockrat]

Heat it up a bit, with a hair dryer and put some Kroil there where the barrel/action meet and let soak a few days

[d4xycrq]

Rockrat: I've got the rifle sitting on top of my coal stove warming up as I type - you and I think alike!

Deltaenterprizes and Greywuulf: I appreciate the encouragement!

Keep those comments coming!

Ray

[d4xycrq]

My honkin big Record vise was actually too big to hold the action in the jaws - so I did some lateral thinking. Pictures are worth a thousand words.













The log splitter wanted to lift off the ground when I was applying torque, so I had to attach it to the tractor. Done!

So, now that the ring is easily inspected, I think it is not as bad as I thought. And not nearly as rusty as it could have been. Essentially, the rust only went in half way to the first thread - so the threads are not compromised.

Comments and opinions welcomed. Think I should get the Rhineland kit on order?

Best regards,

Ray

[deltaenterprizes]

A sporter version will be easier and quicker. I did the stepped military version and used the original stock and sights. It cost less but took a lot of time to figure out how to set the sling band and barrel band back and cut the wood to fit by hand.
I am pleased with the results but there are plenty of things that could have done better.
It looks better than what I started with.

[d4xycrq]

Delta,

Rhineland says they have nothing but military contour barrels in stock. Bull barell are available in about 10 days. I said I'd wait on the Bull barrel.

I chose the non-military contour as I have two large ring Mauser stocks to choose from. The stock this FN came in is not pretty enough.

Best regards,

Ray

[W.R.Buchanan]

Since you are probably going to paint that gun after you are done building it, I would go so far as to smear some bondo in the pits to fill them out. and then sand them fair.

I know it sounds like body work on a gun but it would make the end result much more pleasing to the eye. I'd even go so far as to build up the front of the receiver where the barrel stepp bottoms out. The barrel will index off the good portion of the receiver anyway and just look alot better in the end. I'd fill all the pits everywhere before I painted it with Duracoat or something good. Rustoleum is not appropriate here, although I did see one of the Army Markmanship Team guys showing you how to Camo a gun for any environment on Shooting USA. He used Krylon paint, and when it gets chipped up you just spray some more on it.

I would either sand blast, grit blast, or bead blast before I painted it. It will make whatever you put on it stay on there for good.

I don't really think you have to worry about the strength with the .45ACP cartridge even with the heavy pitting, as it is only 21,000 PSI in full house loading. The 8MM cartrigdge is twice that and more.

I do want to do one of these conversions, just need an action and some time.

Your action vise was very innovative!

Randy

[frkelly74]

I want to see how it shoots, That really looks like fun.

[d4xycrq]

Randy,

I'm thinking of JB Weld or MarineTex for filling in the worst of the pits. Bondo would work, too. I am going to use some sort of specialty finish like DuraCoat (or Durabake). DuraCoat actually makes a FN Green!

Pictures to follow.

Thanks gentlemen!

Ray

[W.R.Buchanan]

Ray' JB Weld would be a good way to go, but a better product is Devcon epoxy filler.

They have a variety of products with different types of fillers. I have used the Stainless steel filled material to fix injection moulds, and the stuff is as strong or stronger than the aluminum the mould is made from. It is easy to work with a file or sand paper and can be machined also. It will even take coarse threads if you are really careful with the tap. IN any event you need to make sure you build up the area you are working above the finished as you want the fill to be complete, and not layers of material.

It is available from McMaster-Carr or most any industrial supply house.

You could accomplish the same thing by sweeping up the filings from a bench grinder or disc sander and mixing it with JB weld too, and it would be cheaper as well.


It works kind of like the aggregate in Concrete. you get the strength of the aggregate, bonded into the binder material resulting in something that is stronger than just the binder itself.

I would do all of the pits in the entire action the same way, but I would figure out a way to leave that big FN logo showing, as that would add a touch of class.

I assume you will alter the bolt handle while you have it apart too?

Randy

[d4xycrq]

Randy,

I ran the action through the electrolosis bath over night, gave it a good scrub, and have the epoxy filler applied. It's been not yet 24 hours, and it looks like I can start sanding. We'll see how it goes.

And that big FN logo is untouched!

As for the bolt, I am considering bending the bolt handle down myself as this is a low buck project.. We'll see.

Thank you for all your suggestions.

Ray