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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Its Gettin' There


roscoedoh

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As some of you may have noticed, I've been making noise the last few months about the Lee-Enfield rifle and the .303 British cartridge. Simply put, I love both of them as much as I love my Mausers - if not a little more. My first centerfire rifle was a Yugo Mauser complete with the metal buttplate and firing those 198 grn FNM's wasn't much fun without my PAST pad. Well, being a collector of sorts and always on the lookout for a good deal, I picked up a used and sporterized No.4 Mk1* at a local pawnshop with a box of ammo for a $100 last year and I have really grown to enjoy it. Comparativley speaking, the cartridge has no recoil and the rifle is more accurate than any of my milsurp Mausers. It was however quite ugly due to the fact that whoever had it before me didn't do their job well when they cut the stock down.

 

So the stock had to go. Living the country, I need a knock around rifle and I don't like to refer to my custom Mausers in such a fashion because they cost so much to complete. Therefore, I need a handy "house" rifle. Having just come off two very involved and expensive Mauser projects, I wanted something quick cheap and easy. So, I ordered a new stock set from Boyd's (that only took for four months to ship clear) and some gunmetal blue paint from Lauer Custom. My plan is to restock it with the Boyd's, bed it properly, and recoat the metal with gunmetal blue epoxy. Many Lee Enfields were coated with some difficult type of paint like coating so recoating it with epoxy is not that big a sin. Also, whatever this finish is, its virtually impregnable to all but a bead blaster. Well, I don't have a bead blaster and neither does my gunsmith; but I do have time and I spent the last week or so sanding and polishing in the evenings and I am pleased to report that things are coming along.

 

IPB Image

 

Here's an action closeup.

 

IPB Image

 

And if you thought a Mauser was a pain to polish, have a gander at this.

 

IPB ImageNooks and crannies galor!

 

I also carved out a nice pistol grip out of the buttstock. The buttstock that Boyd's supplies ain't much to look at. And although I'm not exactly bragging about my limited abilites, I think mine looks a heck of a lot better.

 

IPB Image

IPB Image

 

You may also notice my new and improved technique for holding the buttstock will sealing and finishing. I was holding it by hand and managed to drop it on the parking lot outside and ding the hell out of it. Necessity is the mother of invention...

 

Anywho, I just thought I would post some project pictures for everyone to look at. I'll be sure to post somemore pictures once everything is complete.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Jason

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Damn, Jason. Nice polishing and especially nice carving on that grip. It looks really good!

 

How's the humidity out there? Maybe its time to try a rust blue (with that polish it would look awesome).

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Man, we have humidity to spare! Especially in the evenings because we have been getting quick afternoon showers every three to four days. Still, this rifle isn't quite up to a bluing polish yet and I am afraid I do not have time right now to attempt.

 

My next rifle however, an 8x60s that I plan to build into a guild gun of sorts, will be slow rust blued to perfection! But that's at least three months away because I have some tooling I still need to do everything properly. Plus...I still need to do the metal work and polish it!

 

Thanks,

 

Jason

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I'm familiar with a deer gun, and elephant gun, even a squirrel gun but what the heck is a house gun? When is house season?

 

Looks good so far!

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When is house season?

 

Right after Snipe season and a week or so before Jackalope season!! :lol: I've always thought a house gun as one, usually a 22 or something women could handle kept handy in the kitchen or mud room on the farm or ranch for pests.

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I've always favored a splatergun myself. :-)

 

Well, I imagine a .303 would make short work of jackalopes and pests. Not sure how effective they are on houses though. Trailers are a different matter.

 

 

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Oh, I'd bet the .303 would be just as effective on houses as it would live oaks as we discovered one night. On trailers though, that may be a different story - my trailer in particular. Mine is built like a Timex watch: continues taking a licking and keeps right on ticking. Just over look all the bondo and caulk I've got covering the rust spots and bullet holes and this actually ain't a bad bachelor pad! I am building my house rifle, not to merely blast houses, but also the creatures one finds outside them - likes coyotes and of course dear Fritz's favorite, the feral hog. As well as rats, cans, stumps, and the occasional cottonmouth too!

 

Bobvz,

 

Come to think of it, I know several mechanics in town and so I will ask around to see which of them has a bead blaster that I could use. However, I am not in a position to begin rust bluing right now and finish this project in any immediate time frame as I had intended to do so I am going to hold off till my next Mauser project for that. I'm thinking I'd like to try a bottle of Gun Goddess?

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I am building my house rifle, not to merely blast houses, but also the creatures one finds outside them - likes rats, cans, stumps, and the occasional cottonmouth too!

 

 

Damn! Jason

 

A .303 seems like a lot of gun to use on a snake or rat.

Maybe down there In Texas them rats and snakes get big

enough that it takes a .303 to kill em.

I'm sure that you will rest easier at night knowing that

you are armed with the venerable .303 in case of a vicious

can or stump attack.

 

Tinker

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your right these things are hard to polish..a blaster makes quick work of it..have one i put a .45 acp barrel on really fun to shoot..i emailed rhineland arms about there clip adapter ..got back a reply they did"nt have any right now, they did"nt bother telling me when they would....

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your right these things are hard to polish..a blaster makes quick work of it..have one i put a .45 acp barrel on really fun to shoot..i emailed rhineland arms about there clip adapter ..got back a reply they did"nt have any right now, they did"nt bother telling me when they would....

 

Sonic would it be possible to post a picture?? A 45 ACP rifle has always been one of those mind projects I've day dreamed about building. I shot an 03 Springfield 45 ACP conversion about 30 years ago. I was with a co-worker that inherited it. We shot bull frogs at an old irrigation canal distribution point in a Cottonwood forrest. He had a single shot follower in it because Arizona hunting law, even for varmits limits mag size. He told me the rifle if I recall correctly could use either Grease Gun or H&R Reising mags. I know he had to use reloaded ammo, loading the 45's with rifle primers. The 03's firing pin pierced the softer pistol primers.

 

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Right after Snipe season and a week or so before Jackalope season!! :lol: I've always thought a house gun as one, usually a 22 or something women could handle kept handy in the kitchen or mud room on the farm or ranch for pests.

 

Your fake snipe hunting must be somthing you guys only do down south. Up here most people think when your going snipe hunting your shooting a small water bird with a really long bill.

 

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Ahhh, the old snipe hunt, southern style!

 

Once you have experienced one, you learn a lesson. But it is just an innocent indoctrination into a group of joking hunters. Most fellows don't fall for it.

 

I remember a movie about a hockey player turned golfer---in his first tournament the local pros invited him to a special party to be held on #18 green at 10 PM. Well, 10 PM was the time that the automatic sprinklers come on.

 

He learned a little that night. Nothing wromg with a good old snipe hunt.

 

fritz

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Anyone ever go on "Mail Bouy Watch" on ship? Or try to get a roll of shoreline from supply? Or a tube of frequency grease from the comm shop? Ahhhh yes the fun of it all.

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Keith,

 

You guys ever send someone down to the boiler room for a bucket of steam?

 

We actually do have snipes and a snipe/woodcock season. It runs concurently with duck season last I checked and I saw quite a few of them back in my waterfowling days. That said, the snipes I sent the youger Boy Scouts out to hunt at night are an entirely different and far more elusive quarry. Generally, the younger guys would show up right around the time myself and the rest of the older scouts dealt the fifth or sixth hand of poker. Good times!

 

Sonic, that's a hell of a Enfield you're working on! I love the octangonal barrel. That's a good looking stock as well. I opted for the cheekpieceless buttstock for mine just to try something different. I put the stock on the rifle this afternoon and my eye aligns to the rear sight perfectly. If only my metal finish would arrive, I would be able to finish this thing!

 

Kenak,

 

PM sent.

 

 

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Sonic thanks for the pictures!! If I stick around on this planet long enough I hope to put one together some day. Most my handgun shooting since having hand surgery is 45 ACP revolvers. As accurate as the 45 ACP is with lead slugs, I bet the long rifle barrel could print some real tight groups. I really wish Marlin, Rossi or somebody would build a 45 ACP lever action. It wouldn't make a good hunting rifle but would be a great tin can killer. I heard somewhere, don't recall where though, that Colt had a 45ACP in an AR-15 on the drawing board but opted to put the 9MM in production instead. Sorry I'm rambling at the keyboard again, needless to say I'm a 45ACP lover.

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A Buddy had a Marlin camp carbine in 45 ACP that was an absolute joy to shoot. Very "scopable" and accurate. A number of years later I went looking for one, read some on-line reviews containing horror stories about internal mechanical failures, and decided to look elsewhere. Too bad, as it used 1911 magazines.

 

I have read about the M-1 carbine conversions to 45 ACP. Reading through Ackley's books, a number of .473" head cartridges are listed for carbine conversions; I don't know that anyone still does this work. I always thought that the 30 carbine necked to .22 (the .22 carbine) would have been "sweet".

 

Ruger does have their lever rifle in 44 Mag. It's not a 45, but to a handloader it should be a moot point. Bullseye and W231 will burn equally well in a 44 Mag with mild cast bullet loads.

 

I think the only way to get the 45 ACP rolling in a rifle is with the Rhineland conversion; would be a fun-gun indeed.

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I always thought that the 30 carbine necked to .22 (the .22 carbine) would have been "sweet".

 

There is or was a 30 Carbine/22 wildcat, I'm guessing I think it was called 5.7 Johnson. It was developed by the Johnson of Johnson Rifle fame for the M-1 Carbine around the mid 60's. I know about a year or so ago there was a seller on Ebay selling brass, dies and other items for it. I'll look it up tonight and see if I can find anything on it.

 

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