Spiris

I'll try to address tronman's and Dr.Hess's questions as well as I can. First off, parkerizing is labor intensive as far as prepping the metal but it is a fairly easy process once that's done. tronman, I was faced with that question when I started toying with the idea. I found that solution trays are not cheap(i am) but found an article somewhere that dealt with just flushing the bare barreled action with parkerizing solution using a heated basin and standing the barreled action in it, or above it and carefully pour the solution from the top. I used the solution from Lauer, the makers of Duracoat but there are other brands available and I believe some on this site make their own mix. Directions say a 4 to 1 mix but I found 3 1/2 to 1 works better. I prep my barreled action and the smaller parts with emery cloth to smooth them out prior to sand blasting them. It's a personal preference thing to decide how smooth you want it with emery cloth and how fine the grit you finish with. I plug the barrel and chamber with good fitting dowels. I sandblast and clean with brake cleaner. You need to heat the parkerizing solution to about 190 degrees and maintain around that temp through the flushing procedure. I flush for about 10 minutes until that gray patina looks fairly even. I also start with the barrel warmed up by the sun or, in my case when it's cool, a kerosene torpedo heater. I toss the trigger guard and other small parts in the basin while I'm flushing the barreled action. I use a propane camping stove to heat the basin. I just use a plastic measuring cup to pour the solution down from the top. Just use a wire in the rear screw hole to support and control the barreled action. After you finish, flush the metal parts with water and wipe off if you like or place it where it will dry quickly. If the parts are going to be sitting for a few days, wipe it down with oil. Run a patch through the barrel to make sure you do not have any moisture in it. Just remember that you need to be super clean to spray the Duracoat and have it adhere properly. I try to combine the parkerizing with the finish coating and avoid the oil. Dr.Hess, You may need to prime your pipes before coating with the stainless Duracoat. Smooth finishes like your pipes may be too slick for the paint to grab and if you rough the pipes up with sandpaper, it may show through the paint. With parkerizing, it seems to give the Duracoat something to bite, that's why I do not use a primer on the gun parts. I hope that I helped. Spiris

As long as you expose bare metal, you can use any method at your disposal. Harbor freight has inexpensive sand blaster guns if you have an air compressor that can maintain good CFM levels. I use the play sand available at Lowes. Be aware that sand blasting will get into places that normal hand sanding cannot match. You absolutely have to have a super clean surface for the parkerizing solution to give you complete coverage. I drench the surfaces with brake cleaner spray prior to parkerizing. Spiris

Wow, dig those stainless hose clamps! Spiris

Parkerizing is the first step in giving your steel surfaces a protective, rust preventative. Duracoat epoxy paint is then airbrushed over the parkerized surface to give an extra seal to the elements. Duracoat is available in many shades of color to customize to your personal touch. It is very tough and less prone to scratches compared to a blued surface. Some people like Duracoat, some don't. It works for me. Here's a Turk mauser with the stainless Duracoat over the parkerized steel that I made. Spiris

I parkerize with the barrel on the receiver to eliminate the chance of marking the barrel with the vise. And I plug my barrel prior to parkerizing to maintain a smooth bore. Parkerizing is actually an chemical etching process and not a plating procedure. I sand blast the surfaces prior to the process. I then use the Duracoat epoxy process on a dry, clean, slightly warmed surface making the firearm nearly impervious to the elements. Spiris

I would not recommend it. The max pressure of the original 7mm mauser is listed as 51,000 psi and the 7-08 is listed as 61,000 psi. The older mauser 93's thru 96's were not made for those higher pressures and you would be taking chances in stressing them, especially if you used factory loads. A 7-08-98 would be much safer. Spiris

I ran across this web site that has some unissued Finn M-39 rifles available. Not real cheap, but I'm sure they will only become harder to find. I guess these are the cream of the Mosins. http://www.gunsnammo.com/ Spiris

I did not realize that there was such a major drought of the intermediate bolts for the yugos and 03 turks, & etc. What happened? The few complete bolts available are $70-80 as a rule. Numrich has stripped 03 turk bolts for $50 but you can't get most of the other parts to complete. I have a nice complete 03/38 Turk rifle that I was saving for posterity and I paid less than $50 for it three years ago. The good budget Mausers are definitely drying up. Century Arms still has some good Mausers for under $200. I would guess the best deals are the 24/47s that's still available at a few places. Spiris

Starting price is $9,999.95! http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=89601472 Spiris

Thanks for your information, richp41. I'm thinking that I should get some linotype to raise the hardness a bit. I have not shot that much cast in a rifle, only handguns and they are more forgiving. My powder selection is a little limited but I should get results from one of them. I have some 700x, Alliant 410, Imr4227, Imr4198 and of course Unique that should work in reduced loads. I've heard good things about the high volume TrailBoss too, but do not have any at this time and need to research it more. I'll get around to casting when it warms up a little. Thanks all. Spiris

And this infection will probably only get worse. Spiris

Is the world ready for this? http://abcnews.go.com/Business/GadgetGuide...tory?id=4113059 Spiris

Way to go , montea6b. A steady hand and frequent checking is the key. Every one of mine that I have done has been by hand with the barrel mounted. I'm sure yours will be fine. Happy shooting! Spiris

I'm curious as to how the measurements were taken. Was the bullet pulled and measured or was the bullet measured in the casing ahead of the crimp? If done in the case, it's possible it is not full caliber at that point of measure. Just wondering. Spiris

Welcome to the site, Plank Road Farm. You have a good plan going and hope you get what you want. To make a "tweede" with an original swede barrel will take a little searching. Original Swede 6.5x55 barrels are few and far between. But you have some good choices available in new barrels from different manufacturers in that caliber. A good Turk K.kale action is a fine starting place, and we have on this site, some fine gunsmiths who have built some nice rifles and are willing to answer your questions. Let us know if we can help you. I too live in NC. Spiris

According to this site, barrel shank is .975 with 16 tpi. http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinSpec.htm Spiris

That truly was a great weekend. Thanks for sharing the adventure. Nothing like good food, good friends and great memories. Spiris

Hi 762cavalier, there are questions as to how involved was the action in the fire. Was it stocked and if so, was the stock consumed in the fire. A big key here is the condition of the springs in the magazine, the bolt, and the ejector to name a few. If any of the springs are sacked, it obviously was subjected to excessive heat. I'm not sure if any parts are salvageable if they were indeed subjected to excessive heat, but perhaps others here can give you a better guess than I. Perhaps there is a test that you can do or have done to check the action's suitability. Like I said, I have more questions than answers. Spiris

HEY HBB, this guy has a store front on ebay and he molds grips to order. Maybe he can help you out if u email him your wants for grips for your sealed 8. Won't hurt to try. Good luck! Spiris

I'm glad to see you have the mettle of your convictions, wfpack14. You have been offered a leg up by a dedicated Gunsmith who does beautiful work. I would go for it because z1r will make the experience even more positive. The 260 Rem or 6.5x55, ballistic twins virtually, are excellent choices. Keep us posted and take pictures to post here. Spiris

I would never try to discourage anyone who frequents this site from building their dream rifle from a surplus action. There is an abundance of information available here with some very knowledgeable people willing to help with your questions. Personally, there is nothing like creating your own rifle and the feeling of a job well done. The reality is that it takes dedication and quite often a good amount of cash to see your creation to fruition. This is especially true cash-wise if you have to farm out a lot of the reworking due to lack of equipment. With the availability of good surplus Mausers drying up, this problem is only magnified. If you would actually like to get a 300 Win mag, in a sweet shooting rifle, and not have to mortgage the farm, then perhaps you should look at a new Stevens Model 200. This rifle is available on Gunbroker.com for around $270.00 from several sources. Z1r swears by his Stevens 200 and many here know that it is a great bargain in a rifle. They are available in several different calibers. Again, I would like to emphasize that rejuvenating surplus arms is some of what we do here and I welcome you to the fraternity, but there is certainly no shame in buying a new rifle to hold you over while suffering from milsurpitis. Best of luck! Spiris

Here's a little bit of info from Brownell's. It has dimensions at the end of the article. Includes part#'s of taps for small ring and large ring. http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/General/D...kishmausers.pdf Spiris

Amen to that DT! With my moving down from central NY, that bad habit of the south had me cussing quite often. But I have learned to love the biscuits N gravy. Spiris

Thanks for the look, DT. I've never seen anything like that. It's good of you to bring something like that back to operational status. Spiris

That's a great looking rifle, rdfrench31. Your dedication to the project is reflected in the final product. Looks good and obviously shoots good and you cannot ask for much more than that. Thanks for the documentation. Spiris