There is no reference as to the caliber
The stock had been bedded. No rear sight.
Pro Patria-Ne Desit Virtus
The center pic in post #21 shows some odd marks on the receiver ring. Front looks like someone used a pipe wrench on it. Is the mark on the rear receiver ring just ding in the metal or is it a crack. Before investing a lot of $ have it checked by a gunsmith and particularly check headspace. If Bubba did a barrel swap (wrench marks make me wonder) there is no way to be sure if the barrel was fitted properly. There is no way to put it back in military configuration unless you replace the barrel, but if it checks out perhaps you can install a new or used receiver sight and have a shooter.
It appears to me, is was grinded on, making a flat spot. Then added a weld to bring it back. The bore looks pitted. Slugs at .321. The slugs shows very little grove marks. I think it's done.
Plan: Boyds stock, Shaw barrel in .308. I'll just use the receiver to build on. Of course I already talked to my smith about it.
Yep..gonna cost me money.
Pro Patria-Ne Desit Virtus
I'd check the rcvr closely as well. At one time there were some cut receivers that were welded back together.
I don't like the looks of the front receiver ring, looks like two spots that have been welded, may be brittle.
Charter Member #148
To me , those marks on the receiver look like Vice Marks like I have seen on other receivers that had the barrel removed without the proper action wrench.
( Which can also cause Cracks or making the receiver ring Out of Round )
To me , it is worth further investigation.
I wasn't looking for a project. But, it was free. I thought a set of sights and on the road.....nope. Maybe later on this winter I'll have my smith give it a good looking over. The way I see it, the barrel is shot out. The receiver does need to be looked at real close. The smith I always used for these old guns, retired and closed up shop. He was good!! I know I have a barrel,stock and sights for a VZ...but where? Gremlins.
Pro Patria-Ne Desit Virtus
load up some cast for it, it might suprise you. ive had mosins that have very little rifling left shoot good with PC cast and the 13g red dot load
Judging from the pictures that is one Bubbafied gun. The ramp for the missing front sight indicates that the military stepped barrel was replaced with a sporter barrel at some point. The recoil pad on the cut down military stock indicates that whoever did that work was of marginal technical skill. There are two things wrong with the receiver that are apparent from the picture of the receiver ring. Most obvious are the dents or gouges that look like the rifle was used as a hammer, but even more concerning are the ground off welds. It looks like there were scope mount holes drilled and tapped into the receiver that have been welded over. These welds are way too far back on the receiver which means that the rear hole may have been drilled into the upper bolt lug recess. These aren't precise TIG welds: they look like they were done by someone with the same low technical ability as whoever destroyed the rest of the rifle. I have no expectation that the receiver was re-case hardened after it was welded on, so it's very likely that the case has been drawn from the top of the receiver ring. I would caution you that this action is unsafe to use. On top of that I've converted two Mauser 98's to 308 and there is considerable work to be done to get them to feed properly with that shorter, larger shoulder diameter round. I think that this particular rifle would be unsafe with such a high pressure round, and in consideration of the damage done to it would be hardly worth the effort. I would NOT build a rifle on this receiver.
You know, after seeing the receiver and reading weld, I think the best thing for this rifle would be one of the Rhineland .45 ACP conversions. Low pressure and less risk, if you really need to get this particular gun shooting again.
If you just want a new .308, for yourself or your brother, a brand new Savage will be cheaper than parts and labor on a Mauser.
Robert
yup if it shoot exceptably id leave it alone and have fun. Would make a real good cast bullet chucker.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |