z1r Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Here are some pics of the .338-06 finally finished. I posted some pics of the stock alone a while back. Here is one of the triggerguard I used. A 1904 Portuguese veriguero guard. I welded up the locking screw holes and the serial numbers stamped on it. then I welded up the bow around the latch release and the release itself so I could fit them nice and tight. Here is a close up of handle & receiver. And here is the left rail. It's a vz24 action with a Douglas bbl, 26" long chambered in of course, .338-06. It weighs 8 lbs as it sits. I haven't decided what scope & rings to use. I am considering the Talley integrated ring & bases set and maybe a leupold 1.5x6 VX3. A fairly light scope. I should still come in at about 8.75 lbs. Not bad considering the 26" Douglas #4 barrel. I'll take it t the range so I can have some fun then send it out to be checkered. While out for checkering, I may pull the barrel and install sights and a barrel band swivel. I haven't decided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoedoh Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngtrout Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 I'll second the "WOW" very nice rifle there,,,,,nice work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemson Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 That is simply a stunning bolt handle! Also very nice trigger guard work. Are you doing bolt handles for the masses (i.e., the rest of us) yet? Clemson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
724wd Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 z1r, that's simply fantastic. we should all be so lucky to have your talent. congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwims Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 AWESOME Z !!!! I can hardly type for the druel on my keyboard. Z, I don't know what you do for a living but I can certainly tell what who should be doing for a living. Beautiful Job, How about some step by step insrtuctions and photos on your lower assembly mods. rwims Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Z I grow more envious of the skills I see in the group everytime I see a completed project. Not only do I admire your gunsmithing skills you deserve an A+ for the photgraphy. The layout with the Weatherby ammo and box with the Old Timer pocketknife is a clever picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Super nice and sleek. Excellent rust bluing too. The 338 bullets look perfectly balanced in the -06 case - nothing overdone - just efficient - like a 7 x 57's big brother. I know we're all looking forward to load work-up info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carzngunz Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Really beautiful work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manureman Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Very nice Mike,wish I had your talent. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z1r Posted August 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Thanks gents! One day, or so I keep telling myself I will move from Cali and be able to get my FFL. Oh, how I wish that day were here. It is your commentary that keeps me plugging away. Next time I do a trigger guard I'll try to post pics of welding up the locking screw holes. Clemson does some darn nice step by steps. I'll try to emulate that. But, on these guards the fit of the release lever is loose in the bow. And, this bow in particular was buggered up some at the slot. So, I welded it up and filed it straight. I also welded the sides of the release and then machined them square. The fit is pretty snug. Almost no seam. The front of the release tends to protrude from the bow so I clamped it so it wouldn't move and drawfiled it flush with the bow. Make sure the floorplate is in place when doing this so as to hold the pieces in proper alignment. More later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefly Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 That's perfection if I ever seen it.The bluing,stock and bolt handle are beautiful.That's the kind of craftsmanship I'm working towards,but have such a long way to go.What's next Mike?Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilurey Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Tom Burgess had better not stop and look behind himself, you may go bounding by him like a wolf. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken98k Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 As I have come to expect, you've once again left the rest of us bubbas in awe. Kenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flaco Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 I'm so late to the party all I can do is echo the earlier sentiments. A truly professional job, Z. I like the classic stock profile, your choice of actions--although I'd probably leave the VZ 24 stamping on the left side rail--and, well, just the whole package. Very, very well done, Z. flaco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobVZ Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 What a classic looking rifle! Outstanding work. I'm curious about two things: 1. Is that a filled, satin poly finish or multiple oil coats? 2. Did you turn the bolt handle yourself? I've never seen a delicate handle like that. I especially like the way you contoured it from the bolt root to the grasping ball. It emulates the pear shape of the knob in reverse. Similar to early BRNO commercial style but with less pronounced departure from bolt root to handle. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z1r Posted August 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 Thanks again all. While the stock is off & prior to getting it checkered I will redo the loading port. I should probably leave well enough alone but a very good stockmaker friend of mine pointed out how shallow it is and he is right. I don't know why I left it that way???? None of the others I've done are so shallow. Just my luck though that in pursuing "perfection", as if that can ever be achieved, I'll somehow screw it up. Bob, Its a poly finish that I wetsanded to fill the pores. I tried somethingnew suggested by a friend, after the initial sealer coats when I started wetsanding I added bone black. That make sthe pores take on a blacker look and also helps fill them more quickly. I'm not sure I'd do it again as it scare dthe hell out of me until I figured out how to do it right. The results were worth it though I think. I did not turn the handle but I did reshape it to my liking one it was welded on. I file it until it looks like I want it to. Then sand & polish it. DT, yes, those cartridges just look so right, don't they. You are right, it does make it look like a beefier 7x57. The .338-08 (Federal) is the same. Just a darn good looking cartridge. As if that counted for anything, lol. Although I hear that the 210 Partitions are the bomb, I'm inclined to want to use 250's in the -06 and 210's in the -08. Although those factory loads were 210's. Wish me luck. -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmsniper Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 I like the metal to wood blend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spec4 e4 Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 Boy, that an very pretty rifle. I hope that you are not going to hunt with it. LOL. I just wish that I have the time to do some gunsmithing. But being on the road as an driver, I don't have alot of time when I get home. spec.4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z1r Posted August 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 ..... I don't have alot of time when I get home. spec.4 Neither do I. I'll let you in on a secret. This rifle has been in the works for at least three years. I started with a batch of receivers that I prepped, had heat treated, and redid the bolts on. Then , one by one, I build a rifle out of them until no more ready receivers are lying around. I am working on my next batch as we speak. I had the metal work done including barrel darn near two years ago. I had the stock at least that long. It is the woodwork that takes me so long. I can really only work on one stock at a time. And the finish takes forever and a day. Now, I'm finally going work on finishing that .30-06 I posted about late last year. I'm lucky if I get to spend two or three hours a week on my projects and lately most of that time has been spent welding bolts for others. The bolts do help to fund these projects though so I can't complain. These days I try to concentrate on quality over quantity. That way I don't get too upset when things seem to take too long. Slow and low, that is the tempo. Oh, and heck yeah I'm gonna hunt with it. Only reason to build a rifle in my opinion, lol. At Jason's suggestion I am hoping to bag me a TX whitetail this year. If not, a CA hog. If I'm really lucky, and the stars are in perfect alignment, and I hold my nose just right, I may get both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest karl Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 Z1r. Your work is fine example of art/form/utility. If you do get a FFL and take up gun smithing, I would go so far as to trust you to rebarrel Boris if he needed it. Karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z1r Posted August 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2006 Wow, Karl. I know how much you like Boris. That means a lot. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donmarkey Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Z, It turned out just beautiful! You're defendantly the man around here! Thanks for the pics, it gives me a kick in the butt to do something this all the parts and pieces laying around. -Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donmarkey Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Z, Where are you finding the fn safeties? All I can find are the cheap gpc ones. -Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 A really, really, nice job. Here are some pics of the .338-06 finally finished. I posted some pics of the stock alone a while back. Here is one of the triggerguard I used. A 1904 Portuguese veriguero guard. I welded up the locking screw holes and the serial numbers stamped on it. then I welded up the bow around the latch release and the release itself so I could fit them nice and tight. Here is a close up of handle & receiver. And here is the left rail. It's a vz24 action with a Douglas bbl, 26" long chambered in of course, .338-06. It weighs 8 lbs as it sits. I haven't decided what scope & rings to use. I am considering the Talley integrated ring & bases set and maybe a leupold 1.5x6 VX3. A fairly light scope. I should still come in at about 8.75 lbs. Not bad considering the 26" Douglas #4 barrel. I'll take it t the range so I can have some fun then send it out to be checkered. While out for checkering, I may pull the barrel and install sights and a barrel band swivel. I haven't decided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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