Hello everyone, I recently found and bought a Marlin 1895GS with the JM Stamp.
I love the rifle but want to make the rifle into more of a trapper style setup.
Not much of a gunsmith but I want to learn and I'm pretty handy.
I have a plan but I want to pick the brains of some more experienced people before proceeding.
I want to cut the barrel down to 16.5" or short enough to clear the rear front sight screw hole.
I know I need to stay above 16" so I'll measure the barrel length from the closed bolt.
I'll use a fine toothed hacksaw to rough cut the barrel down to length.
I was going to use a Brownells "One Caliber Set for muzzle crowning but I think I want to go with a Manson Precision Reamer crowning tool with a 0° cutter to true the muzzle to the bore and a 45° changer cutter to break the edges.
Then I'll use a brownells 45° cutter for the crown.
That all seems pretty clear cut but where I run into a roadblock is the front sight.
I want to use the original ramp, hood and sight insert but I'm not sure how to locate and drill and tap the screw holes.
I have access to a drill press but it isn't a real quality one so I've been looking at the Forster Sight Mounting Fixture to prevent any runout or walking.
Any advice or ways I can make this easier? Really trying to avoid the price and long turnaround time of a true gunsmith here so any help will be appreciated.
Thank you!