Buckshot
11-13-2009, 05:14 AM
http://www.fototime.com/566180B726E79D1/standard.jpg
............My brother gave me this rifle probably 8 years ago. He'd bought it at Big 5 and said it wouldn't shoot very well, so he gave it to me. I quickly understood why it wouldn't shoot so well with one glance up the barrel. If there were lands they were well disguised as merely faint spiral lumps in an otherwise scabby tube of reddish dusty flakes.
http://www.fototime.com/8DED0E73D2BBD85/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/B793B9D77F31C73/standard.jpg
Since itd been rebarreled to 308 I figured I'd best put that somewhere in case someday somebody else aquired the thing. I did a pretty good job of stamping that 308 on there, eh? :-)
http://www.fototime.com/7BE522D5C3D9764/standard.jpg http://www.fototime.com/F7F864BB0B5CAC0/standard.jpg
Came complete with a buffed crest, mismatched bolt and a stock renumbered to the receiever. It certainly isn't anything special collector wise, but is a good solid old rifle of great craftsmanship and the old beast has apparently been there and done that. I felt kind of sorry for it as it had been around the block a half dozen times but hadn't given up yet. Brownells had military countour Mauser type barrels ready to go and short chambered in 8x57 or 308.
I had plenty of 8x57's but not a single 308 (at the time). I got the barrel and then let it acclimate itself to the new surroundings for a couple years before commencing the barreldectomy. All I had to do was to re-attach the front and rear sights. The rear sight base wasn't going to be a big deal, but the front sight would require the muzzle end OD to be reduced to .535". That was the main reason I made an outboard spider for the spindle of my lathe.
http://www.fototime.com/6D7581FF165F19F/standard.jpg http://www.fototime.com/5776C3FC6321004/standard.jpg
There is no wood missing from the stock, but it is literally COVERED in small compressions and creases. It gives the rifle a nice comfortable 'lived in' look. On the other hand you might think the troops never racked them. Like they just had a big box and after maneuvering for the day they'd walk past and toss'em into the box.
http://www.fototime.com/DDF25CD83D101BF/standard.jpg
I did think that front sight protector was a pretty snazzy thing. [smilie=w: After getting it all put back together I slugged the barrel and as it's brand new the .300x.308" bore-groove was expected. It has a .310" throat. I loaded up 100 new R-P cases with 39.0grs of surplus 4895, and used some cheap old Rem 150gr RNSP 30-30 slugs I've had on the shelf mildewing since forever. They were seated out enough to require the bolt to cam them back into the case the last couple thousandths.
I fired them 15 rounds at a time, allowing the barrel to cool between times. Three 15 round groups at 50 yards proved it a consistent 1.5" shooter, and with the sights, my eyes and the 'as delivered' trigger (which I REALLY need to doctor a bit) I was happy. I spent the rest of the rounds shooting offhand at a basketball sized rock just behind the 300 yard line. Once I found where to put the elevator on the sight staff it was satisfying to raise a puff of dust off it pretty regularly. The barrel cleaned up easily. The 3rd application of Sweets produced a clean patch. Now to load some Saeco RG-4's to see what the old beast will do.
So yes, I took an ole beater missmatched rifle that was free and spent $250 on it so that I'd now have a VERY missmatched old beater that will shoot, HA! Like I said, I kinda felt a bit sorry for it.
.................Buckshot
............My brother gave me this rifle probably 8 years ago. He'd bought it at Big 5 and said it wouldn't shoot very well, so he gave it to me. I quickly understood why it wouldn't shoot so well with one glance up the barrel. If there were lands they were well disguised as merely faint spiral lumps in an otherwise scabby tube of reddish dusty flakes.
http://www.fototime.com/8DED0E73D2BBD85/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/B793B9D77F31C73/standard.jpg
Since itd been rebarreled to 308 I figured I'd best put that somewhere in case someday somebody else aquired the thing. I did a pretty good job of stamping that 308 on there, eh? :-)
http://www.fototime.com/7BE522D5C3D9764/standard.jpg http://www.fototime.com/F7F864BB0B5CAC0/standard.jpg
Came complete with a buffed crest, mismatched bolt and a stock renumbered to the receiever. It certainly isn't anything special collector wise, but is a good solid old rifle of great craftsmanship and the old beast has apparently been there and done that. I felt kind of sorry for it as it had been around the block a half dozen times but hadn't given up yet. Brownells had military countour Mauser type barrels ready to go and short chambered in 8x57 or 308.
I had plenty of 8x57's but not a single 308 (at the time). I got the barrel and then let it acclimate itself to the new surroundings for a couple years before commencing the barreldectomy. All I had to do was to re-attach the front and rear sights. The rear sight base wasn't going to be a big deal, but the front sight would require the muzzle end OD to be reduced to .535". That was the main reason I made an outboard spider for the spindle of my lathe.
http://www.fototime.com/6D7581FF165F19F/standard.jpg http://www.fototime.com/5776C3FC6321004/standard.jpg
There is no wood missing from the stock, but it is literally COVERED in small compressions and creases. It gives the rifle a nice comfortable 'lived in' look. On the other hand you might think the troops never racked them. Like they just had a big box and after maneuvering for the day they'd walk past and toss'em into the box.
http://www.fototime.com/DDF25CD83D101BF/standard.jpg
I did think that front sight protector was a pretty snazzy thing. [smilie=w: After getting it all put back together I slugged the barrel and as it's brand new the .300x.308" bore-groove was expected. It has a .310" throat. I loaded up 100 new R-P cases with 39.0grs of surplus 4895, and used some cheap old Rem 150gr RNSP 30-30 slugs I've had on the shelf mildewing since forever. They were seated out enough to require the bolt to cam them back into the case the last couple thousandths.
I fired them 15 rounds at a time, allowing the barrel to cool between times. Three 15 round groups at 50 yards proved it a consistent 1.5" shooter, and with the sights, my eyes and the 'as delivered' trigger (which I REALLY need to doctor a bit) I was happy. I spent the rest of the rounds shooting offhand at a basketball sized rock just behind the 300 yard line. Once I found where to put the elevator on the sight staff it was satisfying to raise a puff of dust off it pretty regularly. The barrel cleaned up easily. The 3rd application of Sweets produced a clean patch. Now to load some Saeco RG-4's to see what the old beast will do.
So yes, I took an ole beater missmatched rifle that was free and spent $250 on it so that I'd now have a VERY missmatched old beater that will shoot, HA! Like I said, I kinda felt a bit sorry for it.
.................Buckshot