Rhineland 45 ACP Kit

[greenmntranger]

I bought one in 45 win mag, but I have not finished it ..... have you shot yours yet?

Wish they still offered the Win. Mag option...checked out the Rhineland site and no go

.45 Win Mag would be sweet

.45 LC would be nice too

GMR

[izzyjoe]

thanks for the heads up Larry, i am fixing to dive into my project too, and i might need some help to work out the bugs.

[dano440]

I am in hopes to order my kit Tuesday. I got to shot a similar type design over the new year's holiday. it was based off a Mauser 93 7mm rifle and converted to 45 ACP. now I am wanting to get my kit and finish mine up. Mine is a Turkish Mauser stamped GEW 98 built in 1943 has all of it's prep work done, lapping bolt lugs to 80% contact, squaring bolt face and squaring front receiver for locking ring is done. Now all that is left to do is weld on the Brownell bolt handle on, and do firing pin protrusion adjustment, and install the barrel and magazine adapter, and I will be in the game.

[dano440]

well I got my kit today I am fairly impressed by it as I took it out of the box. I hope to have it together in a few days.

ordered it January 4th and got it by January 9th. not to bad considering they were on vacation the week before.

[dano440]

how rough of finish were there on the bull barrels???

my military contour barrel was very roughly finished, I sanded on it for over and hour to get something that smooth enough that it didn't feel like it was threaded.

I have some cousins that are watching my build to see how mine turns out before they start theirs.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I got mine today and have spent the last hour trying to fit the barrel. Threads are a little big, but will file into fit eventually. I own a machine shop but don't have a Engine lathe to chase the threads, so I will continue to file until I can make head space.

I got a small ring Mauser kit which I am fitting on a M98 Turkish action, which is the large ring receiver with small ring barrel threads.

I played with the ejector, and as stated before, it leaves alot to be desired. I can make it work but I really want something a little more attractive. It is well made being laser cut, but there has got to be a better way to do it. I will cogitate on it and post my results when I get to it.

The magazine adapter is nicely made and I see no problems with it.

I got the mil contour barrel as well simply because they didn't have any others, and I didn't want to wait. Mine has a decent turned finish on it. The threads leave a little to be diesired but they are serviceable. If these barrels are made of Cro-Moly then the finish is actually pretty good . That material is extremely hard to get a decent finish on no matter what.

I will make some kind of front sight that goes onto the front step, and then put a receiver sight on the receiver. I am probably going to use a Ruger rear sight like the one off my Gunsite Carbine, or the Mini 14. They are relatively inexpensive and will be more than enough for this gun. I am also considering putting a red dot sight on it, as that would make it more usable in the dark.

Lots of ways to go on this project and I have some good ideas, we'll see how it turns out.

Randy

[dano440]

I worked on mine some more tonight still trying to fit the front sight on and get the rear sight to fit the barrel and the stock. the original sight was to small diameter but got another one out of the bone pile the front one I hope with a little work will fit. the magazine adapter I messed with a little and I think i am ready to drill some holes to make it stay in the old magazine well




still a lot more work to go.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I ended up going back in the shop this evening and filed on the barrel threads until I got the barrel to thread all the way into the action. It took me about 1 hour total. It is easy to make head space on this project as all you have to do is screw the barrel down on a cartridge that is .898-.900 and then back the barrel out about 1/8 turn. Max length on a .45 ACP chamber is .920. So 16 TPI equals .062 per turn 1/8 of .062 is about .007 so .900 + 1/8 turn should be about .907 and this is in the middle of the go/ no go regime.

I still have to face a little bit off my lock nut to get it to have the spanner wrench slot in the down position so it doesn't show when in the stock.

I keep looking at the ejector problem and I think an ejector made just about 1/8" longer than the stock one might just do what we want. My kit ejector will not go into the action, and would require some filing to even get it to fit. I don't like the way it sticks out in the breeze and it would be just begging to get picked off.

I saw how the Enfield conversion works, but that style won't work on a Mauser due to the presence of the locking lug. A similar one might work if the spring loaded plunger was a blade instead of a pin and could be prevented from rotating. More thought required.

I also spent some time polishing my feed ramp, just cuz, and took my trigger apart and buffed it and cleaned up the sear a little. I had already done the sear on the striker but more work is required. The trigger spring is pretty stiff on mine so I will be removing some of it to lower the pull weight. This is simple to do by just grinding it shorter about 1/16" at a time until you get it where you want it. Shouldn't go below about 3-4 lbs on a trigger like this. I might just get a Dayton-Traister trigger for $30 for it, and get rid of the military double pull trigger altogether.

I have a gun show this weekend and I need to pick up a 1911 mag and an extended mag release.

SHOT Show next week so everything comes to a halt for that trip.

Randy

[dano440]

I altered my military trigger to a single stage and done some buffing on it and some stoning. still have the heavy spring.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I went to my gun show today and bought an 8 rnd Novak magazine for $20, an extra ejector housing to modify and a striker spring I can cut down for a lighter trigger pull.

I saw one extended mag release and the guy wanted $30 for it. He also had some stock mag releases and wanted $24 for them so I dropped it back in the bin instantly, as I was completely offended by the price.

I will get one from Brownells for half that! I need a few other things anyway.

Going to play with my new parts in the garage.

Randy

[dano440]

I got my sight put on today and finish pinning the magazine adapter in. I hope to take it out and shoot it Sunday afternoon. if things go well I maybe firing up the bluing tank next weekend, if I get all the prep work done in time.

[deltaenterprizes]

I hope you plan to remove the aluminum adapter before bluing!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Well after playing with my parts I found out virtually everything I bought at the gun show was junk!

My Novak magazine has a follower that allows the round to fall forward just after the feed lips release it which doesn't allow the extractor to pick it up. Result; jam.

I messed with this for an hour and then realized after reviewing the hundreds of mags in the brownells catalog that this Novak mag was the only one with this type of follower. I ordered a Pachmayer follower for $4.00.

My new striker spring was from a Springfield and is too small in dia so now I have an extra spring for my Springfield.

I also bought an extra ejector box for $5. I am looking at attaching it to the front of my existing one to move the bolt stop and Ejector forward into the thumb slot on the receiver. This looks like it may work, and would cure the hoakey ejector problem.

We'll see.


Randy

[dano440]

Well after playing with my parts I found out virtually everything I bought at the gun show was junk!

My Novak magazine has a follower that allows the round to fall forward just after the feed lips release it which doesn't allow the extractor to pick it up. Result; jam.

I messed with this for an hour and then realized after reviewing the hundreds of mags in the brownells catalog that this Novak mag was the only one with this type of follower. I ordered a Pachmayer follower for $4.00.

My new striker spring was from a Springfield and is too small in dia so now I have an extra spring for my Springfield.

I also bought an extra ejector box for $5. I am looking at attaching it to the front of my existing one to move the bolt stop and Ejector forward into the thumb slot on the receiver. This looks like it may work, and would cure the hoakey ejector problem.

We'll see.


Randy

let me know how the Pachmayer follower works out, I am curious. I played with mine this weekend a little on Sunday, it feed round nose great and semi-wad cutter 200 grain great, flat round nose and the truncated cone nosed dived and jammed on the feed ramp. I am using those cheap magazines from Sarco. The original sights were right on target, bad part my eyesight getting pretty bad and the rear sight is real fuzzy, now looking at a rear peep sight hoping to overcome this problem. it works for me on my Marlins 81 and 336.

it sucks to get old (eyesight anyways)


Dano

[W.R.Buchanan]

Dan: I was looking at installing the rear sight from a Mini14 or RGS on he rear ring of mine. These sights are relatively inexpensive but you have to go directly to Ruger for the part as nobody else has stock. they are also very small and don't look out of place on the gun. I think they are made by XS for Ruger. Same sight for Mini 14 or RGS carbine.

I have the one off my RGS which I am not using right now, and that was what I was looking at. Only problem I found was the sight has to be mounted above the the stripper clip cutout. to get it far enough forward so it doesn't foul the bolt handle. This would require a small adapter plate attached to the rear receiver ring to mount the sight to. The adapter plate would have to be contoured to ride the rear portion of the rear receiver ring which on my gun is not symetrical or flat. It would be a little challenging to get right.

There are other XS brand Peep sights that might go on there too, or a Lyman receiver sight would go too. I was looking at one of those also as I have one of those in the box too.

I like the simpler XS style sight for this application as it is very minimal, and is the right size for a really small rifle.

I am also looking for a side mount rail to mount a small scope or red dot.

All of this will have to wait til next week as I am leaving for the SHOT Show tomarrow and won't be back until Friday. I am however going to stop at Richard's gun stocks on the way to look at, and maybe buy a stock for this gun and my Springfield. I'll post what happens when I get back.

Dan, there is very little that doesn't suck, about getting old! I am experiencing several symptoms as I write this.

Randy

[Clark]

In late 2000 early 2001, I built a 45acp with:
a) 1903 Turkish Mauser action and stock, the rifles were then $50 at BIG5 or 4 for $100 delivered to C&Rs from Century.
b) Shilen .452" groove 28" 16" twist bull barrel from Brownells for $104
c) A .469" straight fluted reamer from Boeing surplus $1.
d) A .45acp throater with .4415 PILOT from Brownells $30.

I wanted to make it accurate, so I made the chamber the same size as the ammo, 10 or 20 times tighter than the SAAMI fit.
I saw that the 45acp brass was going coming out of a .467" carbide sizing die and springing back to .469"".
I have to resize the loaded ammo.
I load to ~ 50,000 psi, well below the primer falling out.
The groups look good at 100 yards.
The best accuracy is with 230 gr FMJ.

[TCLouis]

Clark

Any measured or guessed velocities on that load?

What is a good looking group at 100 yards when converted to inches?

Curious . . . well OK, nosey minds wanta know.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I picked out a stock from Richard's Micro Fit Gunstock seconds last Tuesday on our way to the SHOT Show in Vegas.

I got a Camoflage Laminate Classic Sporter for $79.00+tax. Walked out with it.

I had to order the stock for my 03-A3 as they had nothing in stock whatsoever for it in the style I wanted, which is similar to the Griffin & Howe Springfield Sporters of old.

I consider this type of rifle to be the quintesential American Sporting Rifle, and since I could never afford one actually made by Griffin & Howe building my own is the next best thing and I get the satisfaction of the build. I just ordered a Timney Trigger for that gun also so it should be coming together in a few months..

Richard's is a very small outfit and they basically occupy a old house on San Fernando Raod in Sunland CA. He has about 6 or so employees, and has orders coming out of his ears. Literally every square inch of space in this place has either a stock, a blank or is full of wood dust.

They do however have a zillion stocks to chose from. Most are blanked out on the outside of the stock and await inletting to make them action specific. There is also alot of unmachined blanks in several racks that stretch from floor to ceiling.

If you call them you can find out if they have a stock ready made in a style and type of laminate or wood that would suit you and not have to wait thru the lead time of having one cut for you.

I talked to Randy Boyd of Boyd Stocks at the show and he was very cool. He gave me some pointers on using a painted finish that he uses that is so durable you can soak the stock in gasoline for a week and it won't even touch the wood. This sounds like the hot tip for this gun after I have arrived at the final color

The Camo Laminate is pretty cool looking and I saw several at the Show that were done in the same laminate but were finished.

IN the pics you can see mine is not finished at all. There will be some fitting to be done to get it in the stock as regular Mausers don't have the barrel lock ring.

When finished it will be much darker. All the ones I saw at the show were only finished with a clear coat which darkened the color but it was still way too light for my tastes.

You will notice that I have about 6" to cut off the fore-end. This left over piece will be the test piece for staining.

I had to order the Springfield stock, and it will be made off a pretty nice piece of fancy grade walnut. I expect to see this stock in about 6 weeks, and given the amount of work these people are doing I think that is a fair lead time. I am in no hurry on that project anyway so the wait will be no big deal. This place is about 1 hour from my house so they will call me when it is done, and I'll drive down and pick it up. That way there won't be any surprises, and if it is not up to snuff I can reject it there rather than having to haggle over the phone after it is delivered. I always like to see things like this before I buy them. It just makes it so everyone is happy.

It was $114.95 +tax.

Randy

[deltaenterprizes]

I got to shoot my conversion on Wednesday the 18th! What a blast, like shooting a 22LR, no recoil, mild report.
Open sights at 25 yds 2.5'' groups. The front sight is hard to see, I need to highlight it with some orange, red or yellow paint.
Mag feeds fine with 5 rounds but with 8 it nose dives and jams against the feed ramp. I plan to make 8 dummy rounds and try a different mag.
Any other suggestions?

[W.R.Buchanan]

On another note, I found some things at the show that were directly applicable to this project.

I have been in a quandry on sights from the beginning. I wanted an aperature on the rear and some kind of battle sight on the front which I would integrate onto the flash hider. I found exactly what I was looking for on the last day.

Some might have heard of Smith Enterprises? They make a variety of doodads for Garands and M14's including sights flash hiders and compensators. I have one of their compensators for my Garand.

Well they just happen to have the coolest little front sight for an M14 I have ever seen. It has either a tritium line on it or a tritium dot, which makes these the ideal sight for night time usage with an aperature rear sight. I tried very hard to get the guy from Smith to just give me one as he had a bunch of them just laying there on the table, but no luck.

I am now having trouble deciding on the verticle line or the dot. I'm thinkin' dot will eb easiest to use in low light, as you just put the dot on the target and yank the trigger.

I also bought a Chip McCormick 8 rnd mag at the Show for $17.

All the piece parts I ordered from Brownells have been just meandering their way to the west, and even though I expected them to be mailed Priority Mail, they still aren't here. USPS slips again.

When they do arrive I will have my mag release, and will be able to get that part of the build going. You really need to fit the mag release before you drill for the pins. That way you are insured of getting the whole thing in the right place.

Randy