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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Opening-up Rails


ken98k

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I've started work on a 375 Ruger and will need to open the rails as the cartridge is FAT.

I've never done this so I've attached a crude sectional drawing of the areas I think will need to be milled.

I plan on using a 1/4" ball mill to releive the underside of the rails to allow the catridges to spread out.

Any opinions, suggestions, criticisms, or comments would be appreciated.

 

Kenny

 

rails.bmp

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Ken, I think you'll need a larger size ball end mill to open up the rails. It has to match the contour of the cartridge.I've used a 1/2 in. ball mill, but I think a 9/16 would work better. I don't know what the diameter of the 375 Ruger is.

 

Here's a P14 Enfield I opened up the rails on

 

MVC-022F.jpg

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I recently had a JC Higgins M50(FN 98) converted to .375 Ruger. Besides opening the rails, the gunsmith opened up the rail lips, thinned the top sides of the magazine box, reconfigured the rear half of the sloping portion of the follower and polished the the feed ramp. Actually, he may have reconfigured the ramp - not sure.

 

I also had him adapt the extractor so that it will snap over a push-fed round. In order to do this I have to squeeze the rear portion of the extractor as I'm turning down the bolt handle.

 

The rifle has a capacity of 3+1 and feeds those big, fat rounds perfectly.

 

The only fly in the ointment is when I eject the last case, it hits the upper corner of the right lug race in the receiver bridge. This causes the case to eject very weakly or to sometimes fall back onto the follower. All other cases eject as they should. This problem will be address before hunting season.

 

Sorry, I can't resist showing a picture - original stock(with mods) and all.

 

P6020079.jpg

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