A Great Day For Rifles!

[Mike Venturino]

What a great day I have had for finding rifles! First I got a fine looking K98k 8mm off the internet. If it is all that it looks to be it will be a winner. Then I went to a gun show and found a very nice SMLE No.1 MkIII .303 made in 1943 in Australia at Lithgow. Then I found a Swedish M1896 6.5x55mm made in 1900 that is museum quality. I forsee a LOT of shooting for me in the coming weeks!

Mike V.

[RayinNH]

Glad to have you posting again Mike. I hope your doing well. It does sound like a good gun day for you...Ray

[docone31]

Mike, I have the same year Lithgow. I believe you will LOVE it.
Try it paper patched!
First 20 or so will clean up the bore, then it gets accurate!
I size mine at .314. My wife says it is her favourite to shoot after her 2A.
Sounds like a catch to me.

[Dutchman]

Swedish M1896 6.5x55mm made in 1900 that is museum quality.


"museum quality", huh?

Would that be the Carl Gustaf factory museum or Shish KaBob's Desert Emporium & Rattlesnake BBQ in Del Rio, Texas?

I have a little thing for the m/96. I'll be anxious to see the fotos.... and have some fun [smilie=s:.

http://images39.fotki.com/v1228/photos/2/28344/157842/rifle2-vi.jpg

http://images42.fotki.com/v1377/photos/2/28344/157842/theoKarlina1-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v1591/photos/2/28344/1676633/DSCF1354yy-vi.jpg

http://images9.fotki.com/v449/photos/2/28344/1676633/fsr42-vi.jpg

[Bret4207]

Dutch and his gun pron....drool!

[Mike Venturino]

Dutch: Probably Mike Venturino museum quality. By the way, its got that little square plate on the buttstock like the one in the photo.

Mike

[Greg in Malad]

If that '96 swede is in museum shape, then it needs used, an unused battle rifle is like a muscle car that never gets drove. By the way, neither one runs good on unleaded.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I`ve gotta start going to Montana gun shows!!!Robert

[dualsport]

I picked up a 1915 Lithgow years ago, it's a beauty. Very good condition with a excellent bore. It has the green parkerizing, I think it may have been through a rehab treatment sometime in the 40s. It has a row of Xs on the front receiver ring where I've seen "England" stamped on other guns. Not sure what was X'd out, I wish it could talk! Mike, congratulations on a great day and some awesome finds. Maybe we'll see these in a future article?

[sd95B]

I have had a couple of Lithgows over the years and currently have one made in 1942. They were all outstanding shooters but my current version takes the cake. You will love it! Mine does not care if I shoot cast or jacketed, it will stay UNDER 1.5 inches with iron sights at 100 yards all day long. Good luck with yours Mike!

[roverboy]

What's the date and markings on your K98K? I've got a bcd Gustloff-Werkes made in '42.

[mike in co]

mike--i posted elsewhere..but if the rifle will be a low volume shooter...consider a lee (hand)loader for the rifle......it builds accurate ammo.


but i'm biased..i own just under 100 of them......


mike in co

[Mike Venturino]

Roverboy: I actually can't say about the K98k right now. I'll have to post after it arrives. I bought it due to its having been accurized instead of its collector's value. I have an S/147 made in 1937 and an ac42 (I think that was it) that has the zf41 scope.

I didn't get to go back to the gun show today after all. I woke up about 6am with some stomach bug and squired from both ends all day. I'm just now feeling good enough to sit up at the computer.

But, you can tell a true shooter, I sent my wife back over there to pick up the 6.5x55 dies a friend is loaning me. Maybe tomorrow I can get some rounds put together.

MLV

[jumbeaux]

Dutchman....what type/make scope mount and scout scope are you using....have a 1917 M96 and can't see well enough to shoot it with any accuracy. Thank you sir..

jumbeaux

[mike in co]

Dutchman....what type/make scope mount and scout scope are you using....have a 1917 M96 and can't see well enough to shoot it with any accuracy. Thank you sir..

jumbeaux

dutch makes his own!!!

and the scope is typically a ncstar 2-7x pistol/ler......


i could not wait for dutch, so i went with s&k mount......his recommendatiom...and solid as a rock..i have three now .


mike in co

[Dutchman]

Dutchman....what type/make scope mount and scout scope are you using....have a 1917 M96 and can't see well enough to shoot it with any accuracy. Thank you sir..

jumbeaux

I'll be making a large batch shortly.

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/ler.html


Dutch

[Dutchman]

Dutch: Probably Mike Venturino museum quality. By the way, its got that little square plate on the buttstock like the one in the photo.

Mike


A really nice condition trajectory plate can add a nice premium if everything else is "nice".

http://images5.fotki.com/v58/photos/2/28344/157842/buttstock6-vi.jpg

[Mike Venturino]

Dutchman: If you will give me total cost of the LER mount for this new M1896 and a mailing address I will send you a check. I'm one of those guys whose eyes are getting fuzzy with iron sights like you mentioned in your website.

I didn't see any ordering instructions there.
Thanks
Mike V.

[scrapcan]

You guys will be very happy with Dutch's mount. Read his site for insight into choosing a long eye relief scope, you will be far ahead. I am using a burrins 4x pistol scope and it is going to work I think.

[jumbeaux]

Dutchman I would like price and mailing address info also sir...

jumbeaux

[Dutchman]

I don't have any m/96 mounts at present and I don't collect funds until I have the pieces ready to ship. I should be starting by 2-3 weeks. I have a few single pieces to do first.

I have steel in-route from Minnesota right now. I'm going to try and do 40-50 of the Swede mounts. The first batch was 12 and while they took a while to sell they did all sell. I have a lot of requests now for the m/96 mount stacked up. Doing 40-50 should leave a few left over.

I hope by hunting season this year to see some photos of Bambi, Bullwinkle or even Bugs with a m/96 scoped with one of my mounts laying across the massive mount. (a rifle across Bambi's rack.. we could go a whole 'nuther direction with that..).

Jeremy got the first one. I've since smoothed out the procedure for doing a quantity. The next ones will be more "drop-in".


Dutch

[jumbeaux]

Dutchman how does someone get on the list or do we just keep checking the forum ??

jumbeaux

[roverboy]

Sure hope you feel better Mike. Sounds like you got what I had about a month ago. Hope you have some good shootin' when you feel better.

[Mike Venturino]

Roverboy: I must be feeling better - I just got 50 rounds of 6.5x55 loaded up.

Dutchman: Like the fellow above, what do I have to do to get on the waiting list for one of your mounts?

Mike

[Dutchman]

As long as you've expressed an interest in this thread that's all you need to do. I'll refer back to here when I have them finished. I do save emails and forum emails and start at the oldest and work forward.

There hasn't been a whole lot of feedback on the mounts yet as the first batch was only 12 pieces. Jeremy in this forum has given positive feedback (which I appreciate muchly). Its not my opinion that counts. It's the guy who buys it and expects it to install and perform the same as mine has done for me, which is pretty dang good with the several rifles I have them now mounted on. I can't hardly enjoy shooting milsurp anymore if it doesn't have a LER scope on it.

If anybody else wants one we should probably stop tacking stuff on this thread. Send me an email at swede1894 @ gmail.com (remove spaces)

Mike - I'll be glad to give your m/96 a detailed inspection/assessment.

These pages will give you a good idea as to what areas to inspect and what to look for:
http://dutchman.rebooty.com/foto_study.html

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/ObieWanFrankenSwede.html

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/CG1905.html



Dutch

[scrapcan]

Mike V and Dutch,

I sent you guys a pm.

[Mike Venturino]

Well I gave the Swede its first try (by me) today and quickly was disappointed. It didn't want to group, putting a couple of shots together and then moving to another point. I pressed on the front sight blade with my finger and it fell off. Mystery solved and only 10 rounds wasted.

[j20owner]

Haha. I had a 1917 Eddystone that did that, except that the whole front sight came off. It's roll-pin was missing.

[Dutchman]

Easiest way I've found to tighten a front sight base dovetail:::::

Stand the rifle up with the front edge of the front sight base resting on the edge of a steel plate or edge of an anvil.

With a 4 oz hammer give a couple/three taps on the backside of the rear sight base and that'll tighten up the dovetail nicely. I found it easier to stand the rifle with the butt upwards instead of trying to find a steel surface tall enough to rest the backside of the front sight base.

Dutch

[ELFEGO BACA]

Mike, My 1901 Carl Gustaf is a real cast bullet shooter. One of my favorite bolt action rifles.

[Dobetown]

Mr. Mike glad to see you back I don't think Shrapnel does too well without your oversight. In several books on the West Virgina coal mines wars the pictures show stacks of rifles taken by the Army after the battle of Blair mountain. They show a lot of Winchester, Marlin, and old Militaries. I wonder what became of them?

[jumbeaux]

Checking in sir about the Swede mounts.... also have a ?? Have you tried the Burris 2X Handgun scope ?? Also you mentioned a 10.5 gr Unique load with a 150 Gr cast bullet. Have not started any casting yet....is there a sourse for these bullets ?? I believe they were Lorein style ?? I appreciated the assistance....I was gonna get rid of my M96 because of sighting problems...old blind eyes....so you have given me a nice project to look forward to...

rick

[Dutchman]

Checking in sir about the Swede mounts.... also have a ?? Have you tried the Burris 2X Handgun scope ?? Also you mentioned a 10.5 gr Unique load with a 150 Gr cast bullet. Have not started any casting yet....is there a sourse for these bullets ?? I believe they were Lorein style ?? I appreciated the assistance....I was gonna get rid of my M96 because of sighting problems...old blind eyes....so you have given me a nice project to look forward to...

rick


These guys have RCBS and Lyman 266469 in both linotype (L) and heattreated (HT).
I'd prefer .266". You might ask them about .266"
http://www.montanabulletworks.com/page5.html

6.5 .266" Lyman 266469. Get 'em while you can. There's not a lot of places offering
http://moyerscastbullets.com/pricelist.html
cast rifle gas checked bullets anymore. Wayne Douda went belly up. Gardner's Cache is extremely limited production. I bought thousands of cast rifle bullets from both them when prices were way lower than they are today. Generally they were $45/500. I still have a goodly number stashed.

Swede LER material is cut and milled to length, awaiting further milling.

Best way to get ahold of me is email off my website.


Burris handgun scopes are too rich for me. I'm a po'cruffler, a bottom feeder. My regular email address is @crufflecarp.org. The etymology of the word "crufflercarp" can be traced directly to yers truly.

I'm one of the original crufflers when the word was born and made manifest and all the world was right with free shipping from Century and 3/fer $99 m39 Finn Mosins. It violates cruffler ethics to put a $100 scope on a $60 rifle. It so sayeth in the Book of Cruffler (a sacred text not available to the unwashed milsurp heathen).

At present I'm very satisfied with the $43 NcStar 2-7x32 handgun scope. It has generous eye relief and positions the scope 8-9-10 inches in front of your eye. Much better than some handgun scopes that really have looooong eye relief. The NcStar are really intermediate eye relief. That's good for using with all the LER scope mounts I make.

I'd love to try the Burris 3-12x scope. I'd hate to have to buy it at $400-500. And put it on a $60 rifle? What kind of world would think such a thing is acceptable behavior for a rational man?

Dutch