Second 93 Mauser Conversion To 7.62 X 39

[leadman]

Awhile back I tried to convert a well worn 93 Spanish Mauser to 7.62 X 39 with limited success. Feeding was iffy and my goal to use the cheap steel case ammo did not work out. I had one factory Tula round lock up the action. This was over 200 fps faster than the rest of this I had fired. So I admitted defeat and replaced the X39 barrel with a new A&B 7 X 57, tthe original chambering for the rifle.

I bought a bubba'd 93 recently for $100, maybe too much but the guy needed the money. Has an aftermarket stock, is D&T'd with a scope on it. Also has an aftermarket bolt safety. Barrel is like a plugged sewer pipe.

I was considering rechambering the X39 barrel to several different cartridges but thought I would see if this rifle would feed the X39. Installed the barrel hand tight, feed kit in the magazine. It fed pretty decent and with a little polishing I think it might be ok.
I am replacing the bolt because Bubba ground the front face of the root of the bolt excessively and it doesn't start to cam out the cartridge until the handle is about 2 o'clock.
I'm a lefty and got to ttinking it would be nice to set this up for left side operation. I mounted a Contender base(weaver 92a) on the front rec bridge and dropped a Weaver 2X pistol scope in the rings. Looks like this will work with a couple more screws in it.
I also am considering mounting the bolt handle facing up to about 2 o'clock so it can be reached easily with my left hand. The scope is just back of the front bridge so plenty of room.

Has anyone here done this before and how did it work?

[MBTcustom]

Sweet idea! It would be sweeter with pictures though. Keep us posted!

[Hamish]

Pictures would be good,,,,,,, Inquiring right hemisphere minds would like to see.

[leadman]

If I get my bench cleaned up tomorrow I will reassemble it and take pics. I was blasting the parts with aluminum oxide today and my compressor starting acting up. It is only about 37 years old! So I went out and bought 2 today, first one no good.

[leadman]

This is the concept that I am going to try out on this rifle. The bolt handle idea may or may not be done, will wait and see how it handles when it is assembled. If I left the "new" bolt handle straight it would be ambidextrious, or have 2 handles?
The stock is not inletted to the barrel yet.
I am going to try to fashion a spacer for under the scope base on top of the barrel. May try to solder a piece of steel to the barrel and D&T it or just make a spacer and D&T the barrel.

Have all the parts now so I tightened the barrel into the receiver and "checked" the headspace with a new a couple of new cartridges and some tape. I had headspaced this barrel on the other receiver and had used actual headspace gauges on it. I then added .002" thick tape to a cartridge to see if this was a backwoods way to check the headspace. I used the same tape on this receiver and barrel and the bolt handle stopped in about the same spot so it should be good to go.
Alot of work yet to smooth out the receiver pitting which isn't very deep but covers about one side of the front ring. I may call K-G and ask if I can spray the metal, let it dry and then sand it to build up the coating in the pitting to help smooth it out.

[gzig5]

I'd put two or three screws through that base into the receiver and call it good. Not enough recoil to require more in my opinion. Tying the base to the barrel could cause some accuracy issues, or maybe not. Remember not to drill too deep.

[leadman]

There are already 2 screw holes in the front receiver ring so I will match those existing holes by drilling the base. I'll give that a try, if it causes problems I can always modify it.
Think I will leave the handle on the replacement bolt straight for now and see how it works. One son is a lefty, the other is a righty so should suit either when I am gone.
I took the other 93 with the 7 X 57 barrel on it and it is ok to go so will pull the barrel and coat it and finish that rifle before proceeding on this one.
K G said there coating is not good for filling pitting so may just remove the pitting the old way with a file.