M38 Turk Cast Boolit Gun Ideas

[Uncle Grinch]

I was given a 1944 Turk that is shot out and am thinking of making a peep sight cast boolit gun out of it. Knowing the limitations of Turks and my limited, ie... fixed income (retired), I want it to be low budget.

My thoughts are...

.308 as my only other .308 is a 1916 Spanish military

7.62x39, but feeding may be an issue

.35 Rem seems to be a viable option, but I already have a .358 FN sporter with receiver sights

7x57... this seems interesting as I already have a SR 19" barrel. This may be my best option.


Any other ideas?

[mooman76]

Are you sure it is shot out? I have heard of some people giving up on guns they think are shot out and come to find out all they needed was a real good cleaning removing the metal deposits or such!
Other than that I'd go with the 7x57. I got 2 and one doesn't shoot that great and the other is even worse but there is something about that cartridge!

[Uncle Grinch]

Mooman76..

Yep, I'm sure it's shot out. I've tried everyting I've got in it. It patterns like my turkey gun at 50 yards!

[todd987]

Are you interested in keeping it 8mm?
I have two Turk barrels and I'm thinking one of them looked pretty good.
Let me know if you want to put one on and see how it headspaces.
I have gauges, action wrench and barrel vise.
I'm not too far from you.. NE of Atlanta.

[Junior1942]

Mike, your rifling may be gone at the last few inches of the barrel. I hacksawed off my Turk barrel to 20" (wish I'd made it 22") and it now shoots MOA 100 yd 3-shot groups. If you plan to sporterize it anyway, I'd try a hacksaw before I went to the trouble of installing a new barrel.

[rhead]

The bore on mine sluggedat .326. The 8mm Max from mid south and a lee sizer opened up to a .327 got it to shooting fine for hunting and plinking purposes.

With the .323 sized cast the bullets were hitting sideways at 25 yards when they hit the paper at all.

Try the cheap stuff first. If you just want to rebarrel also consider a 35 cal. The existing barrel could be rebored and rechambered.

Good luck!

[joatmon]

That Turk and the 7X57 barrel sound like a marrige just waiting to happen!

[trooperdan]

Are you interested in keeping it 8mm?
I have two Turk barrels and I'm thinking one of them looked pretty good.
Let me know if you want to put one on and see how it headspaces.
I have gauges, action wrench and barrel vise.
I'm not too far from you.. NE of Atlanta.


Hey Todd, sounds like you must be near Rome! I grew up there, graduated West Rome high, class of '60.. My school was a year old when I gradualted and now it has been a mall for over 10 years or more!

[Uncle Grinch]

Thanks for the responses....


Junior...Just for hoots, I will try cutting the barrel back a few inches at a time, but from the looks of by egg sinker that I slugged the bore with, I seriously don't think it's make any difference. I could barely see any rifling marks on the slug. I think it slide right over everything.

Todd...I appreciate the offer, but I already have a couple of 8mm's that shoot fine and with this 7x57 barrel on hand, maybe I can make something different out of it.

I envision keeping it military looking, ie...use the original stock and handguard, but cut it down to the 7mm barrel. I have a Williams FP receiver sight and some Remington front sights, so maybe I can put together a "military sporter" of sorts.

Thanks!!!