Swede facelift

[montea6b]

Here's a shot of the Swede that I'd like to pretty up a bit: (third from top... obviously!)

 

 

Here's what's on the agenda:

 

1. Drill and tap for scope.

2. New bolt handle and safety. (may try DT's method for forging a flag safety out of the military original.)

3. Narrow and contour triggerbow.

4. Taper the top of the tang for slimmer wrist.

5. Remove white line spacers under grip cap and forend tip.

6. Replace plastic forend tip with real ebony.

7. Shorten length of pull. Currently a hefty 15" for my long armed Father-in-law, would like to make it a light weight mountain/youth rifle. If I cut it down to 13" LOP with a 1" pad I can lose the monte carlo hump which I'm not a big fan of. I prefer the classic style. I know that 13" sounds short, but my military Mauser and Springfield are both 13" and they seem to fit me fine. This is also the same as the Winchester compact model 70. Not sure if my daughters will get into shooting and hunting, but I have two nephews who most certainly will enjoy it. If they start out real young I could always fit with a half inch pad for even shorter LOP.

8. Stock make-over - slim wrist, sharpen edges and recontour cheek piece, comb flutes, and loading gate mortise. Refinish properly, filling in all pores, and checker.

9. Bed action.

10. Rust blue all metal except for bolt and cocking piece.

 

I guess I should call this project #2 and the commercial FN .35 Whelen #3. I figure this will give me a little more experience before I go on to what I hope will be my pride and joy.

 

One question, the cocking piece has a knurled bit sticking up at the top, the only purpose of which I can figure is for de-cocking. It screams military surplus Swede. I'm certainly not trying too hard to disguise this fact as it will retain the stepped military barrel as well as the distinctive action, but I've thought about grinding this off for cosmetic reasons as I see no real use for it. Will doing so potentially have adverse effects such as changing lock time or reducing the inertial mass and hence the striking force of the firing pin assembly?

 

Comments and suggestions are welcome!

[montea6b]

Two final questions:

 

1. The aft side of the bolt handle root has a mortise in it which matches the contour of the top of the bolt shroud. With the bolt lifted, it fits, preventing over rotation. But wait, the bolt lugs would keep this from happening anyhow. I guess without it you could conceivably thread the bolt shroud on too far, but it would eventually butt into the handle and stop. I don't see any real need for it. It would certainly be easier to clean up after welding a new handle if I didn't have to worry about it and could just carry the flat surface of the inner part at the root out to the welded area I was reshaping. Any issues with this? I'll post a photo if you're not sure what I'm talking about.

 

2. Cock on opening kit... worth bothering with?

 

Time for bed! I had too much coffee with the pumpkin pie and was still wired after everyone else fell asleep. But now I'm fading....

[Horsefly]

Montea,I bought an old Bishop stock that had the plastic forend and white spacer,so I sawed it off and made a new one from bo'dark,horseapple,or osage orange,whatever you call it in your locale,and it sure turned out purty.I took the cheekpiece off too.I'm a southpaw,so the hump does me no good being there.I put my little 20'' barrel Swede in the stock,it already had the bolt forged,put on a Bold side safety trigger,D&T'd for a leopold one piece mount,and put on a Nikon 4x40 fixed scope.The sucker may weigh 6lbs.Jerry

[Guest Guest_fritz_*]

2. Cock on opening kit... worth bothering with?

 

 

 

Not in my experience. A lot of tedious work involved, and a mistake can ruin the parts.

 

fritz

[Mausermeister]

The third from the top appears to be a model 94 carbine. These are getting scarce and the prices have been climbing rapidly lately. None of the metal I can see in the pic appears to have been modified, only the stock. If all the metal is intact, it is worth far more restored than sporterized. I would sell or trade it to a collector for restoration. Then the funds or trade for a sporter project rifle. You could nearly fund the entire sporter project if the metal on that rifle is still intact and original. Just my opinion and it's yours to do with as you wish.

[montea6b]

Thanks for chiming in Mausermeister! I'll slow down and research this one a bit. It is indeed in great condition, and every little part seems to have a serial number. (safety lever, shroud, etc.) They all match with the exception of the bolt release and floorplate.

 

The only downside to originality is that on the aft section of the front receiver ring there is an Interarms importer stamp.

 

Glad you spoke up as I didn't think much of it as was prepared to start metalwork this weekend.

 

The $80 gunshow VZ-24 (bottom of photo) that has been overpolished and reblued is a much better donor rifle.

[z1r]

The lugs will not prevent over rotation of the bolt. That stop on the back of the bolt alone does that.

 

One thing to consider regarding LOP, if you have a scope maybe 13" is too small? Remember, military rifles don't have scopes to whack you in the eyebrow. This may not be an issue for you but for me it is. I like longer 14" to 14.5" lops. I have a long neck though so tend to crawl up the stock. In addition to long arms.

[Clark]

A Swede with some eye relief:

 

[Tinman]

Nice piece of wood there, Clark! I really like that! Tinman

[Horsefly]

I like that stock too,Clark!At least what I can see of it.Reckon you might show a full picture? Like MauserMeister said,if it's a '94 and not altered,there's no way I'd sport it.I saw a stock on ebay for a 94 that was suppose to be in good shape that went for 50 bucks.You could sell that '94 and buy 2 top shelf '96's to sporterize,or 7 or 8 Turks,3 or 4 Yugos,dang sure wish that 94 was mine.Jerry

[montea6b]

OK, given the opinions here plus a little internet research, I've established that it is a 94 carbine, and that it would be wise to preserve what I have. No metal surgery for this one.

 

One other comment/question on collectibility before this decision becomes final: On the front receiver ring below the Carl Gustafs crest, the year (1918 as far as I can discern from the serial number) was ground off and it was stamped "INTERARMCO G33/50". This spot was then reblued in a shinier finish. (I'll try to post a better photo at a later date...)

 

I know this seriously degrades the collectibility, but is it degraded to the point that I can have at it guilt free, or is it still worth preserving?

 

Options as I see them at this point:

 

1. Unlimited amatuer bubba-smithing as outlined above.

 

2. Restore to the best of my ability, cobbling together milsurp stock, handguard, and accessories, and then sell or keep as desired.

 

3. Sell barrelled action to anyone interested in restoring themselves. (sell stock with or without action, or keep stock for another small ring project.)

 

4. Compromise, a la Clarks photo above. In other words, keep all metal original, but make stock modifications and keep as a iron sighted sporter, or fit with scout scope. This keeps option to resell to an interested collector when the time is right while scratching the itch to tinker with it. Meanwhile, keep eye out on eBay, gunshows, and other sources and attempt to slowly accumulate appropriate parts for restoration later.

 

I am leaning towards the last option right now, but would be interested in hearing what others vote for. Keep in mind that I have no real NEED for this rifle, nor for any additional actions that I could barter a trade for or purchase with the proceeds. It was inherited, and seemed like a worthy candidate for polishing my hack skills on with the possibility of gifting it back to a nephew eventually. If I were to sell it I would give the proceeds back to my mother-in-law as she told me to keep what I wanted out of the collection, and entrusted me with finding good homes for the others.

 

Clark, I'd be interested in more info on the scout scope mount you have pictured above. Is that a no-smithing required mount that affixes to the rear sight? B-Square maybe? Also, what kind of scope? Would any long eye relief scope for pistols work?

[Horsefly]

I don't know how into collecting you are Montea,but I faced the same decision when I bought a 96 Swede unseen to sporterize,and it turned out to be a Husqvarva 38 in perfect shape,so I bought a bayonet and an original sling and put it up.Next I got a butchered 96,the stock was junk,the bolt had been forged,and put it in a Choate stock,and now have a great little light-weight hunting rifle.Later I got a regular Carl Gustuf 96 in perfect condition,so I have a nice set of Swedes.If I had a 94 and an Obendorf,my collection would be cmplete.At the price 94's bring,I'll probably never have one.I've even thought of piecing one together.Numbers mean nothing to me as long as it's shootable and an honest representation.I vote on restoring it and building a sporter from another donor.Your a lucky man to have that decision to make.Jerry

[Vladymere]

I am a collector of Mauser rifles. The date being scrubbed and replaced by the G33/50 stamp removes all collectability of this rifle for the serious collector. If it was in it's original wood it might be a place holder for a collctor until an unscrubbed one could be found. Model 94 wood when it can be found tends to go for $300 or better, then you still need to find the the front end metal which will run you another $100 or more.

 

Sporterize quilt free Montea6b, this rifle is only worth the value of its parts or use as a doner rifle.

 

Vlad

[Mausermeister]

I am a collector of Mauser rifles.  The date being scrubbed and replaced by the G33/50 stamp removes all collectability of this rifle for the serious collector.  If it was in it's original wood it might be a place holder for a collctor until an unscrubbed one could be found.  Model 94 wood when it can be found tends to go for $300 or better, then you still need to find the the front end metal which will run you another $100 or more.

 

Sporterize quilt free Montea6b, this rifle is only worth the value of its parts or use as a doner rifle.

 

Vlad

7599[/snapback]

 

 

I encouraged not using the 94 as a purely economical decision. It's his rifle to do with as he wishes. He can melt it down and forge a peace-sign belt buckle with it if he wants.

 

But I must disagree as to its collectability. While it may be of no interest to some top-end collectors already owning a couple of pristine examples, a non-matching restored rifle is very desirable to someone who doesn't have or can't afford such. I have owned and restored many such rifles over the years. As I found better examples and/or more disposable income I have replaced them with better examples. These usually went to other collectors looking for such examples to fill holes in their collections.

[z1r]

I think that is basically what Vlad said, a person might want one of these as a place holder until they can find a better example. I think the emphasis is on might. In this case by the time a buyer of the action buys a replacement stock they are well on the way to what a nice, whole example would run them.

 

I would buy it in an instant if I had a stock to put it in. But like Vlad said, carbine stocks are selling for upwards of $300. That alone wouldn't as hard to swallow if the rifle hadn't been scrubbed. MY prize vz24 is a mismatch, I can live with that, defacement I cannot.

 

Are you offering to take this off Monty's hands?

[montea6b]

Thanks guys, for the well stated opinions. This is the kind of discussion I need to make a proper choice.

 

I think I'll take option #4 above. No metal work on this one, but reshape, refinish, and checker stock, bed action, and possibly fit with a no-drill scope mount.

 

If anybody is interested in the barreled action, shoot me a PM.

[montea6b]

Can't see the front ring too good, but you have an idea what the action looks like here. The shiny area at the back of the ring is where the stamp obliterates the year.

 

[flaco]

Clark-

 

Not to steal Monty's thunder, but where'd you find the scout mount?

 

Mfr?

 

Easy to install?

 

I'm looking for a friend who wants a Swede, but doesn't want to drill and tap.

 

Thanks,

 

flaco

[roscoedoh]

Without answering for Clark, you can find many good and useful things here.

 

Jason