Downwindtracker2

I have one of those 798 stocks. I did NOT refinish it. Mind you seeing how much better you shaped it, I would be tempted. I used it for a Zastava action, and 6.5 barrel, chambered 6.5x55.

A 6.5x55 . Even the Weaver 4x , a 60B, worked. I had it rebuilt years ago and never mounted. A gunsmith friend of mine had a comment, "How come the guys in El Paso could make a scope that tracked, whereas those in Beaverton Oregon couldn't ?" Mind you, with 4x, I needed fat lines. I make up my own targets from dollar store poster paper and a Sharpie , this time it was the 1" Sharpie. I was very pleased. The rifle is a true project. It started out as imported from Sweden sporter . It had a side trigger block safety installed. There must have been a kit available in Sweden. I was unsuccessful at converting it to cock-on-open. I followed the instructions too closely., they were more of a general idea ,so I ended up messing up the bolt. I found a turned down bolt on the web, and then checked the headspace.The gauge was a month clearing custom , held up on both sides. I then fitted and bedded it to a gunshow find , Husqvarna 1600 stock. That original stock proved that not all Swedes had good taste. The shimming the scope bases took some trips to the range. I don't think I will make a hinged floor plate, but I will make release button. They are easy, just a piece of longer 1/4" round stock with an offset oval at the end .

Pure tung oil take a long time to dry. It a good finish for things that come in contact with food. Polymerized Tung Oil had driers in it, works much better and quicker. Here is what I do: When I tung oil finished . I used Lee Valley's Polymerized Tung Oil. It has driers in it. I made up sanding blocks out of 2x4 on edge with 1/4 foam backing. It was a gasket material from work. I stapled strips of wet dry on them. I even got fancy and routered finger slots.I sand to 220 grit dry then I started at 320 grit wet sanding . I would wipe across grain. I continued each night until I got a " finish ", About two or three evenings . I used the same grit sanding block, the wet oil seemed to renew the block. I would then move on to the next grit down 400.I worked my way down to 1000 grit,or more it was so easy. It might have taken half an hour each night, likely less time. In a couple of weeks I got truly great finishes . When you are sitting on a clearcut and not seeing any deer ,you can always admire the walnut. Even ho-hum factory wood looks great. I had to use analine dye on that one, the walnut they used was the colour of spruce. I guess Winchester got a deal. The method I picked off the net, the choice of tung oil from furniture experience.

I thought to give a report. A project rifle rewarded me with an good group, on target no less. The rifle is M96-M38 II, a made in 1944 Husqvarna . As it was raining, I didn't chrony it. I had a heel of left over RL-19 and a few Sierra 140 BTSP . I still have some RL-19 so next load will be Core-Locs 140s. I'm using up a mixed batch of bullets bought at a gunshow. I used 44grs of RL-19

I think I remember reading the 222 Magnum is only slightly shorter than the 556. Someone who had more interest and a better memory can go into the relationship.

The Newton 256 is a 6.5 as is the 264WM. One is bore, the other bullet. You are a year younger than me., youngster. But in the '70 Canada went metric, sorta. We end up using both. I found on machines, it was often easier to use the system it was designed in. Bolt spacing would have some odd number until you used metric, then it would be simple, like 70mm. 25.4mm is an inch. Engineers tend to like round numbers. Bearings and the shafts are almost always metric. I have 14" Beaver brand bandsaw, made in the nearest I could fiquire, 1947, right after the war. It takes a very standard off the shelf metric bearings. Beaver woodworking tools are common in Canada.Callender Foundry was taken over by Delta in '52. Delta was still using Beaver brand into the late '80.

If my old memory works, that's not a given, the 6.5x57 would use a 8x57 headspace guage, not a 7x57. I was going to build my 6.5x57 on a commercial Zastava Mauser. The one that ended up 6.5x55 Velocity depends on who is loading. At a F-class meet a ten years back or more, I was in the butts with old timer, he was telling me the velocities he was getting with a surplus action 6.5x55, they were up there with my 264WM. They out did my 6.5-06 .I have a thing for 6.5s . I guess they were safe enough, otherwise he wouldn't be there to tell me about them.

You need a couple more if you're skinning out a moose. If you hit moose hair it's like dragging a blade across a stone.

I worked at a wire mill. We got our rod from a couple of steel mills, one in Kobe Japan and another from a mill in Brazil. We used Kobe steel in wire for aircraft arresting cables and Brazilian was OK. Kobe had an earthquake and the Brazilian mill went broke . So with out any suppliers, they went on the open market and got some Spanish rod. It was terrible stuff, it would break in our wire drawing machines constantly. That was my experience with Spanish steel. Metallurgy made great strides during the first half of the 20th century, much like electronics now. Before that, the Swedish iron ore had some impurities that made it prized in steel making. The alloying of steel is a much underappreciated.

The Swedes bought some of the M93-M95 as the shorter cavalry rifle version first and liked them. So they contracted with Mauser for the regular army rifles. A M96 is really a M93 made with Swedish steel. Or that's my understanding of it's history.

I still have the original two stage military.After dealing with the HVA model 1600 trigger, that's a good thing. There is a button on the front of the housing that comes up through the floor and matches up with a milled recess on the bolt, so it won't fire unless it's in battery. When I lowered the shim under the front mount, the screw got in the way of the bolt lug. That was before the last time, when it was sitting at home. It's tough to test a rifle at the range when it's at home.

The rifle is my Swedish sporter. Tradex imports used rifles from Sweden. Sweden limits the number of firearms a person can have, so used rifles have little value. This one is a 1944 Husqvarna made M96/38. It was the last year of any production of the model 1896. They started modifying them in 1938. HVA made a run of them during the Second World War. That's where this one comes from. The stock proved beyond all doubt that Swedes can be as tasteless with the worst of them. I fitted a HVA #1600 stock on it. The #1600 stock is a fine a hunting rifle stock as any factory rifle ever had. The # 1600 is a small ring Mauser actin, so it wasn't too difficult a fit. It came with a mounted scope and a side safety. The scope was a Weaver K4 60B ,late '60s, and with Weaver mounts. He had Weaver high rings. and very high check piece added on to the military stock. But he had botched the mounting. There was a .080" shim under the front mount. I dropped it down to a .046" front shim. I use Burris Signature Zee rings., the ones with the plastic inserts. They can be had in different thicknesses. If you turn them sideways , you can adjust windage. I used a +/- .020" on the front and another +/- .020" on the back for .040 of twist. .020 is the biggest they make. But it's under a 1/2" from the center at 25 meters. When I can see better, I can do load development at 100 meters. To complete, the stock needs the checkering to be pointed and I need to make a hinged floorplate.

Last Thursday,It didn't go bang again. This time I picked up the other identical black soft case.. I have 260 and 6.5x55 ammo. Friday morning I got a couple of holes.

The trigger wouldn't move. A Swedish Mauser has a button that comes up from the floor that mates up with a relief cut into the bolt. If the bolt is removed the trigger works, I think the bolt is not in battery. This is the second problem, first the trigger shoe jammed on the guard, now this. If nothing else. I'm getting a good education on the workings of the M96/38.chuckle. Basically I have been dealing what the original owner did, a Swede , when he sporterized the rifle. I only live half an hour from the range, so it's not like these trips are a big deal for an old retired phart.

Another day with no Bang. Yesterday it did, today it doesn't . It sure makes it hard to check the scope when you don't get any holes in the paper. I have been lowing the front base, so may be there is a too long screw. ?? It had an .080 shim under the front base, when I got it. I then put a .046 under it , last night I changed that out to .021. I'm cutting up SS pre-cut shims so that is why I've got such odd numbers.I'm also dealing with windage. I'm glad I stopped to write out my misadventures, it gave me a chance to think about what I had changed. I lately have changed around some scopes, the other rifle today was a FN Mauser 338-06 shooting 225gr at 2650fps, one heck of lot more snap then a 6.5x55 with a starting load for 100gr. Damm near got me.The second shot, I was more careful.

I have a P-17 that didn't want to feed 308Norma after a rechambering. I noticed a commercial M98 fellower had the edge"broken" ( smoothed, rounded) I did the same, and it worked. My FN Mauser 338-06 doesn't feed well with a single but is fine with two or more. I'm thinking the spring needs more tension. Hope these helps

I haven't attempted sewing with my leather work, yet. Though I do have a Yankee sewing awl I've used on nylon webbing. At the fleamarket, garage sales, and thrift stores good Swedish axes weren't uncommon, but sheaths are. So that's when I started . I just use a sling for shoulder carry as I go for a walk in the fall woods.

After the the finely polished deep blueing and the hand rubbed oil finished walnut, a nylon and neoprene sling is just out of place. A rifle needs a leather sling. Even my attempts look better with a leather slings. Leather work isn't that hard.

I've heard franken plane on woodworking forums. The curse of the collector of wood working planes. As a user of old wood working tools , collectors aren't a favourite group, anyway.

Yeah, I was interested enough to look into it. It was never a military cartridge, or least it was never taken up. The barrel was chambered, but unfired. ??? A gain twist he said. I did find a couple of boxes 6.5x57R ammo at a gunshow. A rimmed version which was a bit more popular in Europe. The Swedish Mauser is fixed, maybe. The shim under the front Weaver mount was .080", that's 64" at 100 yards if my math skills haven't deserted me . At near the bottom of the adjustment of the old K4 Weaver, it was still 18" high after bore sighting. I wonder what he was shooting ? With the base off, it was a 1944 Husqvarna, the last year of the M96/38 .I replaced it with a .045. He screwed up the drilling and gave up, so he had a third hole on the base. I'm sorta stuck using it. I also got a GO gauge,that day,too. after 5 weeks in the postal systems of our two countries. It wouldn't even come close to closing with the GO and a .010 shim. A bit redneck. I don't have any .008 shim stock. Now that I'm back working on old rifles, I find I'm missing gunshows .

Today's misadventure. I went to the range this morning with a couple of Swedes, not the blond kind ,the 6.5x55 kind. One was Charles Daly Zastava action and unknown barrel. It had been chambered 6.5x57, I had rechambered to 6.5x55. 6.5x57 is made from necked down 8x57, not 7x57. And then having to buy custom dies. With a new scope, I got it within 4" of center with a load I will never use again.It's about as well as I can see. The M96/38 sporter on the other hand wasn't so successful. First off the scope wouldn't depress far enough to see the bore sighted target and when I was willing to just hear a bang, I couldn't pull back the trigger. I think the trigger shoe is hitting the trigger guard. This is the one I fitted to a HVA 1600 stock. The front base has a rather health shim under it. I wonder if that has anything to do with the scope.chuckle.

Good Day, I hope this finds you well. When we moved into our house, it was on the edge of town. In the past 30 years the town has grown past us. Being on a rural circuit, every time the wind blew ,we would lose power with trees on those country roads taking out lines. We live in the Fraser river valley, about 40 miles from the ocean. Sometimes during winter a high cold pressure ridge will build inland with it's high cold winds blowing down the valley to the ocean. They are called outflows. That first winter we had a week of no power and bitterly cold winds. My wife was very miserable . That summer we installed a new natural gas fireplace up stairs and a heater/fireplace downstairs. $$$. That fall BC Hydro put us on an underground urban circuit. Since then out outages have been just a few hours at worst.chuckle In my hunting camp gear , I used a three burner Coleman white gas stove and a double mantle white gas lantern. Pretty high class. It went with a 12x14 wall tent and wood stove. A gallon can of white gas is easier packing than a twenty pound tank (40#) of propane. I got too old to break camp by myself, it has to be done in one morning, so now I have a camper. The wood in that M98 semi-inlet is working poorly. It's a very light and soft walnut. The carving chisels have to be super sharp. I'm finding I appreciate good dense walnut over showy.

My skills as a secretary are sorely lacking, I wrote old instead of out. Talk about stupid. I try to cook outside as much as possible with a little BBQ and the camp stove. One of the secrets of camping is to offer to do much of the cooking. The wife is always willing to go camping and It's good practice for hunting trips. I'm working on that Boyd's M98 stock now. I have a Sako Finnbear to copy some design inspirations from.

I hope your treatment goes well AzRednek. I have played around with old Coleman lanterns and stoves too. In years gone by, I could go into small town hardware stores and they would have a drawer full of Coleman parts Not any more. .I restuffed a lantern generator, once even. Lanterns are tricky. Stove generators only required cleaning. Now white gas is over $20 a gallon ! The old side stove on the travel trailer is a 1974 Canadian Coleman propane that I bought new. It's like a Canadian Tourist model, running on propane. The Canadian Coleman stoves were slightly smaller than their American counter parts. Those Band of Blue burners can simmer so low as to barely keep the pot of coffee warm and yet boil water quicker than any current stove.

I do not think I'll be going to that level, it's a sporter on a gunshow find stock. But I might fill the gaps with filler., though more likely to say good enough. Epoxy filler is made with micro balloons instead of mini fibers . they are much easier to sand. West makes some pretty good instructions on the uses of epoxy.