Doble Troble

What cartridge did the 30/06 replace?? Unofficial name ok.

The 30-03 (which replaced the 30-40 Krag).

Who invented the geodesic dome?

I did a 6.5 x 55 AI on an A&B rough barrel. The accuracy issue was different than yours, it would shoot accurately for about 20 rounds and then start to go South. Cleaning was a bear and it would actually tear patches up.

I finally resorted to J&B compound. About 10 applications worth - 100 strokes total - I wasn't messing around. This smoothed it out considerably and it shoots accurately much longer and cleans up nicely too.

I figured this was a fair trade-off for the price I paid for the barrel and I'm happy with A&B - I essentially had to lap it myself. That rifle is *reasonably* accurate, about 1.5" at 100 yds with my best load. I think that I might have done better with a better chamber - this is one that I did with a home-made reamer that didn't cut too well - long story.

Anyway, being cheap I took the cheap barrel plunge with an A&B 375 barrell again for a 38-55 that I built on a Win 94. This one had NONE of the rough bore issues of the 6.5 mm. The chamber was cut with a commercial reamer. This has turned-out to be a rifle that will shoot one hole groups at 100 yds with cast bullets.

I think cheap barrels can be a real bargain, if you're willing to lap them yourself. Next time I get a rough cheap one I'm going to cast a lead lap and do the job right from the begining prior to chambering.

The next one I was thinking about is the 6.5x47 Swiss, or a 6.5-250 imp.

What the blank is a 6.5 x 47 Swiss (I can kind-of imagine)? I think a 6.5 x 250 imp (and also probably the Swiss) are excellent efficient and accurate cartridge choices!

Keep up the great work!

That was a GREAT article about George Farr! Thanks, Z.

Regarding accuracy of military barrels, I have one issue to add. I can't think of one military rifle I have that shoots light bullets better than those considered heavy for caliber.

My 6.5 Swedes do best with 140 gr. My 30-06s do much better with 168s than 150s. 8 x 57s do better with 185s than 150s and I bet 200s would be even better, but I haven't tried them yet.

Clean up your bore. If you can, recrown and take it back a thread and rechamber to minimum headspace. After this, if it has rifling, it'll probably shoot heavy bullets just as well as a new barrel would.

Awesome!

I like 4350 in the 8 x 57 too. But looking at that group I might have to get a can of Varget.

Very nice wood. I like claro walnut. It kind-of explodes under a chisel, but when you get it finished it really looks great.

Did you bed it? If not this might help the fouled bore dependence - or not!

Nice first rifle!

What's next?

Jim,

I've got a mini-lathe that I learned on. It took me A LOT of trial and error before I started being productive with it. I got one of the bundled assortments of round stock from Online Metals and just started practicing.

The first thing I learned how to do was face the end of a round bar. Then I learned how to center drill it so I could use the tailstock center. Then I practiced turning it down to various dimensions. When I could FINALLY get a bar turned down to a pre-determined dimension +/- 0.001" I started practicing cutting threads. I still have the first screw I made - not pretty.

Somehow after playing around like this several evenings a week for months things started to get much easier - setting up became second nature and the products got better and better.

I didn't start off expecting to make anything useful. I considered just learning how to use the lathe as a hobby itself. Now it has become a useful tool, and all the time I spent wacking around with it is paying off.

The angled-forward bolt handle was precision engineered for easier throwing while turning to run.

Whoever designed it was the French Garand. I'm sure he's considered a hero over there, and they probably have foot races in his honor.

Har! This is fun (but I decided I didn't want to bring it up either)!

Jim,

My elitist streak is telling me to try to convince him that he wants a 7 x 57. You're right not to do that right away as he'll learn it himself as he starts thinking about rifle building which I suspect you're about to get him to start doing. But a 7 mm Mag really does look good on paper.

I haven't built a standard (what used to be "short") magnum on a Mauser. I have done a couple based on the 376 Steyr which is a similar case head. You'll have to open up the bolt face which only takes a few min if you have a mill - use a carbide tool as them Mauser bolts are hard (Z taught me this - thanks, Z!). If you don't have the mill I don't think it would be too difficult to farm-out if you have a friendly machine shop in the area. Post again if you need specs. I bet you can get it done nicely on the Smithy.

I am a Bubba and so immediately think that if someone else has done something that I can also easily do it. So I don't think that it will be a big deal to modify feed ramps to accept a 7 mm Mag. But I haven't done it either. I hope others will offer you better and straight-forward advice. I can offer this bit of wisdom that I'm sure you already know: measure twice, cut once. Jason gave me some dimensions for the 8 x 68 (I wound-up doing an 8 mm Steyr which for reasons I don't understand fed fine without modification) and he may have studied up on the 7 mm Mag also - he's studied Mauser's principles and equations and may have dimensions, he'll have good input for sure.

I bet that you can do a really good job - and its going to be really well appreciated.

EDIT: While I was busy typing away Z posted really good advice above!

Damn, Bob, that's about the best fix I've ever read about!

AE,

Here's a link to my reamer making method. I've made a couple of minor improvements, and should probably update the website. The most important of which is that I've figured-out how to relieve the flutes with my belt sander. You want to get the lands much thinner than what it shown on the website.

You might consider contacting the outfit that you rented the reamer from about this problem and have them send you another reamer to try. It seems like you've gotten an old one - which will probably serve well for finishing a roughed in chamber, but is too worn for taking back an existing chamber.

Another option is to buy a reamer for your next project now, donate it to the reamer Co-Op, and check-out the 8 mm reamer from the co-op. I donated that one and so I know that it only saw one chamber taken back just like you're doing now - and it worked great. See the Tool Exchange forum for more info. It's a very well run operation, and if you're going to do a few more rifles will be well worth your investment. It seems to be a much better deal than the renting route.

Looks to be attributable to reaming the new chamber.

The reamer you used is a few thous slimmer than the previous chamber. This shows in both the neck (about 1/10 above the top of the shoulder) and below the shoulder into about 1/10" into the body.

You've had an unfortunate combination of a big chamber and a little reamer. I've seen this with a few of the reamers that I've made to Clymer specs when reaming a military chamber. A few thousandths of variance can really show up on fired brass.

All of the tools we use are plus and minus. Reamers get more minus each time we use them.

Of course this isn't an ideal situation and you should be careful about it - but just the fact that you noticed is clear evidence that you're more careful than most - which will help keep you safe in future projects.

For now, if you're going to want to run a lot of milsurp through it I'd consider taking it back further so that the neck and shoulder aren't involved. Reaming further will eventually clean-up the old chamber.

You're not showing any signs of separation around the head, which is where I've seen brass let go (but I haven't seen that much brass let go either).

If you want to keep it as is, my opinion is that it may be safely done, but caution is required. I would only handload for it. I'd consider the first loads as fire-forming loads and would keep them under book max. After the cases are formed I'd neck size only and work up cautiously. What I'm saying is that if it was my rifle I'd treat is as a wildcat - which is really little inconvience for the hand loader.

If it was mine the barrel would go back into the lathe and the chamber would be reamed another 1/10. If that didn't work, I'd do it again. If you've got sights on it I'd go one thread at a time.

Look at all the "extra" fun that you're getting to have at no extra expense (this is why sporterizing is so addictive - there's always at least one more thing you can do to make it "better").

Hey fritz, you put the handle on backwards!

I love it when rifles don't blow up!

It looks like a very nice job.

I suspect the zeroing problems are probably scope/mount related. Make sure everything's tight. Are you near the end of your scope adjustment? Send the Leupold up the road for a check-up - they'll do it for free and it'll probably come back refurbished.

You'll get it figured-out. Hitting a 2' target at 300 is a greaat accuracy indication.

I was waiting for the round four report. I'm glad I didn't get it.

First thing to check is the shape of the firing pin - it should look like my father-in-law's head - he's bald and sports a nice, smooth dome.

Second thing to check is protrusion of the firing pin. I don't know what the spec is, but someone may have it and hopefully will post. Of course if the pin stickss out too far, its going to pierce primers.

If the firing pin and protrusion look good its time to start thinking about the ammo, and maybe (less likely if you can close the bolt all the way) head space.

If all that checks out you'll have me scratching my head, which isn't unusual (maybe I'll start looking like my father-in-law pretty soon).

I've heard nothing but good about Low Tech.

Thinking of having someone do this type of work for me is like finger nails on a chalkboard though.

Why not just get a Kimber or CZ now, start buying tools and books and preparing to do the Mausers yourself?

Thank God I took typing...and geometry from a good teacher. The rest was a waste, except for learning how to get along with others and competitive sports.

Does anyone have any info or insight

In my neck of the woods it isn't possible to find someone local who can do this type of work. This is a big part of why I try to do everything I can myself. The downside is that my skills are such that the end result, while functional, isn't always pretty. The upside is that things are getting prettier and prettier as I keep working.

My thinking is that those that still do this type of work are a dying breed and are worth our support to keep around when we can find them. If you can find someone who can do a good job of installing a three position safety on a Mauser chances are that it will take a while and cost a bit but both sacrifices will be worth it in the end.

Of course the other option is to start learning to do one yourself. I think that the original flag safety can be modified to provide excellent function, and with patience can look nice too (Mad Jack's recent post is an excellent example). Here's another example.

I'd love to see a close up of that safety

Me too!

Nice stock work! I like the cool footing for the bolt release. A good checkering job would really finish it off.

The West Coast is dry as a bone, and wonderful!

Even in OR where it rains for half the year, the other half is a windy dust bowl.

I really miss walking down a trail and kicking up dust with every step - to me it feels clean.

It's too damp out here in NC - but you've gotta go where duty calls.

I like the stock. It almost looks maple.

It would be nice to see the safety closed. A modified flag safety is my personal favorite for sporterized Mausers.

The functioning may be a different issue, and not hard to resolve...BUT

Given the other concerns, if it were me, I'd return it.

But you will be missing-out on an interesting challenge.

But interesting challenges should cost $35, not $100.

If we allow inflation of challenges we'll all be broke in no time - we need to stick together here.

Mike,

I'm guessing that your "cheeks" were about the color of your avitar?

I remember being out at the little public 100 yd range in Tallahasse about this time of year.

I think this actually may have helped my marksmanship everywhere else.

If you can stay focused on a sight picture with a constant stream of sweat flowing into your eyeballs while simultaneously being eating by mosquitos, then shooting anywhere else is (thankfully) a cool breeze.

better off starting off with a better floorpiece, or just getting this one fixed?

We're getting back to the questions about what you're really trying to create. The guard (assuming it functions well) will be great for a utilitarian hunting rifle. I can't tell for sure but with some file work you may be able to get it looking decent. I don't mind the hex screw in the release, but I'm a Bubba. You mention that you're shooting high with this project and in that case this guard probably is going to be trouble. In my neck of the woods I wouldn't be able to find someone to fix it up for what commerical bottom metal costs.

Maybe consider saving this for project #2 (its inevitable, and not so bad once you just give in). While other folks are working on your VZ you can work on this bottom metal.

Just some suggestions.

The trigger guard is "interesting".

As you already know its already had a lot of work done on it. It's straining my imaginination to come up with ideas about what the holes in the side might have been for - maybe to hold a spacer for really short cartridges?

You'll definitely want to break out the files to get the floorplate and guard to cooperate a bit better - especially around the hinge. Its hard to tell from the pix if files are all that are needed - it may be easier to weld-up the floorplate and inlet a new notch - just guessing - not an expert in this area.

I do like the creative use of the hex screw as leverage for the latch!

You're ready to go.

Here's some advice: Decide what you want to do. Clearly define your objectives. As this is your first one, if you're like me, you will have a lot to learn. Even with the help that you will get on this board, which will be excellent, you're likely to make rookie errors - take them in stride.

If you clearly define what you want your rifle to become, you'll have a better chance of getting close. You aren't likely to hit the mark the first time, but will be prepared with experience for your second try.