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Here's the solution explained:

The Rifle: This is the empty WSM case peeking out of the bridge tunnel with the bolt fully retracted. Not much there to initiate inertia and not much wiggle room. Brad

What Worked: Left - orignal unmodified ejector blade. right - extended ejector blade with notch to allow folding into the ejector box.

What Didn't Work: Upper row: Left - ejector cut on the recurve to enable lead point to strike farther into center of the case head. Center - standard original ejector blade. Right - ejector lead edge notched to move the point of impact for ejection out towards the outer edge of the case head. Lower row: Left - ejector box/bolt stop with the bolt stop ground back to cause the ejector to protrude farther past the bolt face. Right - stadard unmodified ejector box for comparison. Two more to come.

Jerry, I understand your thoughts on opening day. Sitting by the fire with a group of good friends is always something to look forward to. I'd miss it too.

Jerry, I feel your pain. I've got so much going right now (and so little disposable cash) that I haven't even bought a hunting license. Personally, I look forward to the Thanksgiving hunt every year. It's a family tradition spanning the last few generations. Hopefully by then my rifles will be back and fully assembled and it'll be cold! I'll also add that we generally skip opening day every year anyhow. There's so many yeahoos here in East Texas that'll shoot just about anything that moves that we think of missing opening weekend as more of a safety measure than anything else. Plus, we like wait until opening week when there's nobody actually in the woods and we have the lease to ourselves. Jason

Fritz, I take the game laws as a matter of course. They're the rules to the game; play 'em. I've read it and understand it. And some folks still think I'm nuts for wanting a law degree?

We're talking about the ejector blade, right? I have wondered how hard it would be to trace the blade onto a piece of similarly gauged steel and cut out a new one + some extra metal to allow for ejection modifications? I presume after the mods were made, the new ejector would have to be rehardened? This is just a little more food for thought, but would making up a new blade be easier (for experimental purposes at least) than brazing the original? Jason

Brad, Thanks for posting! You answered many of the questions I had. One other area to look at is your magazine geometry. If I can dig it up, I have some information on how to figure this out. If I can find it, I'll PM it over. Anywho, keep at it. Persistence is the key! Have a great day and good luck. Thank you, Jason

MB, I'd be game for a hunt or something similar. If all works out for me as I plan...I aught to able to afford it. Now if I could get the time off from a new job; that may become the question. Never-the-less, here's some food for thought: plan the hunt(?) within reasonable driving distance of an airport. Since we're scattered everywhere, I imagine some of the interested parties may wish to fly in. Further, I'd plan it as a Friday arrival/ Sunday departure kind of thing. It could be that I think in terms of weekends, but they've always been the most convenient for me to travel around on. Further, we need to decide if we want a hunt, shoot, bonfire, BS session or just what exactly. The first thing that comes to mind would is a hog hunt in Texas. Point of fact, there are some guys on another board that get together once a year and go on a Texas hog hunt. It's doable and is probably our least expensive game animal. I'm just throwing this out there and I don't yet have a preference either way. I'll also add that depending on what part of 2006 this thing falls on, the good Reverend may be able attend as I believe he said he'd be home by June 06. In any event, I think MB has seized upon a good idea. I'd love to get the chance to meet some of you folks and shake a few hands myself. Please keep me in the loop on this. Thanks, Jason

You can get a decent deal on a Kel-Tec pistol in .380 or .32 Auto. I know a policeman that keeps one in his back pocket most of the time. If money is a problem, tell 'em to keep looking. But please don't compromise and try and use a 22lr. It won't stop a determined body before its too late...

Thanks for posting sonic. Thats what I was looking for! I may do an ebony forend and grip cap though. I have a big block of ebonywood that's been begging me to do something with it. I'll get started on this project as soon as I get settled... Jason

Neither can I. At the place I work, we're all about customer service. I'm the senior employee and I sort of "manage" the other employees. I've had co-workers in the past who've been less than responsive or rude to customers and on the few times that's happened, they've been confronted by a Rude Jason - never a good thing - and then a very rude boss. Generally, after this experience, they either can't wait to be nice to customers or end up beating the bushes for a new job. I can tolerant accidents, mistakes, and mishaps, but damn it in a retail operation customers are vital and I absolutely won't put up with unattentive or unfriendly customer service. That said, on the few times I've had dealings with Natchez, they were responsive and polite. Could it be that you got the one guy that was having a bad day? With as much competition as Natchez has, I can't imagine they would condone poor CS.

Fritz, I'd buy a used car from you pardner! Honest Jason

Tom, Thank you for posting, but I'm looking for an aftermarket sporter type stock. Further, I'm kind of after something with more of a pistol grip and cheek piece than the straight grip military look. Looking at it now, this will more than likely become an after Christmas project as I'm looking into changing jobs and relocating soon. I will say that I used an AIM SMLE stock to remilitarize my SMLE and I was impressed with the results. Thanks for the help though! Jason

Why? So far as I know, its no illegal to shoot at night as long as you're out in the country. My next door neighbor is a game warden. He has yet to do anything about the guy down the road who spends his summer evenings shooting up his pasture with an SKS. I shoot at night regularly enough too. Point of fact, most of the dudes I know that hog hunt do it at night. Fritz I think you have a jerk game warden in your vicinity. But, then doesn't part of the training state law enforcement officals receive entail being an arsehole? I've always wondered that - most of the State Troopers and Game Wardens I've met were in one way or another. And since we seem to have digressed from the original topic: How bout that 300 Weatherby? Any of you guys shoot anything that big? Jason

I happened upon this link somehow and thought I'd pass it along. It seems the Zastava factory in Yugoslavia is making a 7.9mm marksman type rifle based on an AK platform. I further assume that 7.9mm is really 7.9x57, the 8x57JS all us Mauser fanatics are familiar with. Now, I know that M48 Yugo Mausers saw service up through the current wars fought over there. Therefore, I'm guessing they chambered this rifle to utilize their stores of 8mm ammo? In any event, I found it interesting that someone would still be making a military arm chambered for the 8x57JS cartridge. Zastava 7.9mm Semi-Auto Rifle Jason

Oh No! Mine are now worth that much more!

Forgive him Father, for he knows not what he did...

The bubba'd up stock on my favorite No. 4 Mk 1 is producing less than desireable accuracy. I can't do much with it as whomever owned it prior to me whittled it down about as far as it can be taken. I'm thinking that I'd like to look into a quick and cheap restocking project for this rifle to hopefully gleen some better results with it. Has anyone here done anything with a No. 4 Mk 1 in terms of restocking? I know Boyd's makes a complete set for something like $65 and I'm looking heavily at it. However, if anyone knows of any other stockmaker's offerings, I would like to look at them before making any decisions. Also, if anyone has any photos of their restocked LE, I would like to have a peek at them to get a feel for what my finished product may look like. Thanks, Jason

Fritz, No muzzle break here! I didn't see any on any of the rifles at the range yesterday. And I'm kinda glad for that too - I have hearing problems already and don't need them compounded. That big 300 was plenty loud enough too. I want to say the gentlemen who owned them were headed to Colorado for Elk on Wednesday. I know some rum-dums who hunt East Texas with 300 Weatherbys, but I'd have to call that a smidgeon overkill! Still, I kinda think of myself as a "gun guy." Why not try to own one of everything? I could get by with my 30-06, but how much fun would that be? I wish you luck on your hunt this coming weekend. My family used to maintain around 1000 leased acres around Harper expressly for deer and turkey. Most, if not all them hunted with a 6mm or 243 if a 30-30 wasn't available. You'll be most pleased with the results of the 6mm on deer. A wall in my Dad's living room is covered with antlers from all the deer he shot with a family 6mm. And to answer your question, no thankfully, we are not in an experimental county. I wonder if TP&W has trained the deer to hold still while you run out and measure their tines with a ruler? I guess we'll find out... It seems that every year, TP&W comes up with even more screwball regulations. Ever tried deciphering the special waterfowl suppliment? I wonder what the brain surgeons at TP&W will come up with next year?

Dad and I went out to the deer lease and cut some firewood yesterday morning. Once that work was done, we adjorned to the gun club for an afternoon of fun. Dad took his new Blackhawk 45 Colt out for a spin and I plugged away with my No. 4 Mk 1 sporter. It'd been months since Dad and I have had the chance to both get out to the range. We had a blast! Since this is the beginning of hunting season(s), there were several hunters at the 100 yard range busy sighting in rifles. A pair of them had Weatherby Vangards in 300 Weatherby. I got my courage up and asked if I could try one when they were done. The elder of the two gentlemen handed me his rifle and chambered a round for me. I don't know if it was the stock design or the new recoil pad, but I have to admit, for being such a light rifle and such a big cartridge, I didn't notice any recoil; the rifle just jumped around during the shot. Both gentlemen informed me that each could fire a box of shells before their shoulders started to bruise. If such is the case, and the recoil isn't as bad as I kinda thought it was going to be, I may have to invest in a 300 Weatherby one of these days. I don't need one right now, but what the heck? Everyone aught to own a cannon, right? All in all, Sunday was a good day! Jason

...It's raining again. Forecast looks like it'll rain tonight and tomorrow. I'm pleased as punch that its raining because Lord knows we need it. But what a bummer it has to rain on Halloween. At least its raining slowly and not coming down in buckets! You should've seen the clouds of dust my .303 made at the range yesterday! It hasn't really rained much in the last couple months and the dust exploding off the birms was sumthin' else! A definited sign that it's time for precipitation. Hooray for the rain!

Howdy Yall! I've been gone all weekend and I'm getting caught up on my reading. ----------------------------------------------------- If I may add a little to this discussion: I remember reading a post written by BobVZ on the our old message board explaining his results of converting a 7x57 to a 280 Remington. IIRC, his findings were, due to the twist rate of the military barrel he used, rather displeasing as he was having a hard time finding an accurate load for his rifle; especially with lighter bullets. Further, I want to say he used one of the 19" carbine barrels, but they may have a different twist rate than the longer, early barrels. Lastly, I believe he resolved at the end of his post that in his opinion, the result he ended up with wasn't worth the time to do the conversion and in the future, he'd just stick with the 7x57. I'll add too that Bob seems to be pretty knowledgable and has built a few Mausers. So, based on his findings (as I remember them), I think I would either stick with the 7x57 or purchase a 280 Rem barrel brand new. Furthermore, I have looked at several custom 7x57's online and can find loaded ammo locally; all of which tells me this caliber is still pretty popular. I myself am planning a Mannlicher 7x57 using a 7x57 carbine barrel. In fact, this is the next project I have on the docket - I'm just trying to get my '06 and 6.5 out of the way first. Moreover, I like Morgansboss's idea of using the 93 action to make a 7x57. It sounds like a project a fellow could get together pretty quickly and be shooting sooner than later. Again, this is just my $.02 so take it for what its worth. Jason

Jim, Most of those pot-bellied pigs are bought as pets and usually fed some gourmet slops. I reckon they'd taste pretty good. Especially if you were to wash it down with an ice cold beer!