Kyle Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 I'm just wondering if anyone has ever thought of sporterizing a Gew 71/84. A shipment just came in from South America with the Gew 88's and can be purchased for $40 each. These are bolt action rifles with 8-round tubular magazines based on those of Winchesters lever actions. They fire 11mm Mauser but should only be used with black powder loads due to action strength. I'm already working on a Gew 88 sporter and I was wondering if anyone has ever thought of taking on a Gew 71/84 project considering how cheap they are. If not a sporter then how about a restoration project? I probably won't attempt a 71/84 sporter project but I'm curious as to how well it would work. I've seen sporters built on rolling block rifles which I believe are from the same time period and fire a similar caliber. Has anyone thought about tackling one of these project rifles or wouldn't it be worth the effort of re-building the rifle, finding missing parts and loading in an uncommon caliber? Would a Gew 71/84 sporter have any place as a hunting gun and if so what could you possibly use it for effectively? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DigginDave Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 My buddy has one he picked up a while back chambered in 45/70. Someone started the project and never finished. It's single shot as it sits and I guess it goes bang. (We've never tried, but that's what the guy told us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkerfive Posted November 16, 2006 Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 Well, save for 6.5X55 and 7X57, I've only considered actions that handle 'modern' rifle calibers. I had a co-worker that tried to hunt deer for a couple of years with a 44magnum rifle. After they got up and ran away a few times he finally switched guns. It may be a 'novelty' but I hardly think you could make a practical sporter out of one. I've seen those 11MM cartridges ( like a .22 on steroids ) . It's hard to imagine if you tried to rebarrel with a .308 barrel chambered in 300 savage that the action would feed it correctly. That's assuming that 300 savage is even low enough pressure for the action. 300 savage is just what came to mind in a lower pressure cartridge that you could easily find a barrel for. Maybe there is a practical cartridge that the action will feed and not blow up with. If there is I'm sure someone on here will think of it. If someone can think up the magic combination, you may be on to something. Tinker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doble Troble Posted November 16, 2006 Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 I think that I saw some of these in the last few SOG fliers. I've been thinking about getting one just to leave it stock and to try to figure-out how to load for it. I bet an 11 mm bullet at 1500 fps would do fine on deer, but I thought that a 44 mag would too - maybe bullet selection is an issue? I think these are neat from a historical perspective (but nothing that you can't shoot can be of any value - but anything that has been shot can be shot again, its just a matter of persistence). Maybe I should be posting this on the Parallax board (but something tells me that having to figure-out how to make cases, bullets, and load might be close to taboo over there). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byates Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 I think that I saw some of these in the last few SOG fliers. I've been thinking about getting one just to leave it stock and to try to figure-out how to load for it. I bet an 11 mm bullet at 1500 fps would do fine on deer, but I thought that a 44 mag would too - maybe bullet selection is an issue? I think these are neat from a historical perspective (but nothing that you can't shoot can be of any value - but anything that has been shot can be shot again, its just a matter of persistence). Maybe I should be posting this on the Parallax board (but something tells me that having to figure-out how to make cases, bullets, and load might be close to taboo over there). Lee makes or made dies for the 11 Mauser, brass is avaliable, as are cast bullets, reloading ing info on the net also. Have a Model 71 that was already sporterized, doesn't have the fancy feature of being a repeater, single shot only. Here we go http://eabco.com/Lee_Reloading_Dies.html http://www.gadcustomcartridges.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FC Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 I wouldn't sporterize that gun, or even use anything but black powder. .44 magnum rifle- must've been a Henry Big Boy rifle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladymere Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 I saw a sporterized model 71 (ot 71/84) on Gunbroker once but I didn't have the buck for it. I t had a nice, ornate trigger guard on it and double, set triggers. I have a 71/84 that I shoot (and one that is to nice to shoot). I load a 400 grain cast bullet with 30 grains of IMR 4198 behind it. I stuff the rest of the case full of Dacron filler. I have no idea what iti chronographs at but I would not hesitate to use in on a deer at 100 ards or less. Vlad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbamauser Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 with the centerfire gew 71/84 Don't expect a whole lot , I ordered 2 and got a box of trash ,stocks broken through and tubes smashed most parts are missing, save your money, theres not enough in the box to even think of restoring or sporterizing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tackleberry Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 for any of you who did buy some of those SOG 71/84's, I am trying to complete one now. I have everything except the forward barrel band, wedge and keep screw. I could use the forward end of a stock too (from the second band forward).. contact me at dberry1052@aol.com if you can help me out Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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