Chop Shop Time (Pics!)

[Schofield3]

Something about this rifle....
I was fully prepared to sell this @ $200 (http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=459488)

Not really any bites on it, So I said to myself what the heck, I might as well have some fun and make into a rifle I'd like, and I really couldn't duplicate it in its current state for two hundred bucks - might as well keep truckin along

SO... after some research and thought gathering I have decided to make this my little project rifle and keep a record of the progress as I go along;


First things first: stripping it down and removing those awful iron sights!

This was much easier than I thought, a simple propane torch and about a minute of heating and the soldered on sights (front & rear) can be tapped off effortlessly, leaving a smooth clean barrel.





Then time to shorten the twenty foot barrel! (29.5" manufactured length)
I landed on 22.5" and went about it at first with a pipe cutter as this has worked quite well on shotgun barrels, but quickly realized it would take years to do with just a cutter;
out comes the handy dremel tool and after a couple different size cut off wheels the barrel is a maneuverable length!









You can see above that I went ahead and did some minor touch up to the muzzle (not done by a long shot) and cutting away at the stock.....

 

[Schofield3]

I've got a ways to go but so far she is taking shape:


Before-



After-



That foregrip is still going to be pushed back, still too long for my likings....

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Glad to see someone having fun. I'll be glad when I can get back to my shop and can finish some of my projects. Looks good. Have fun!

 

[Fumbler]

That's cool.
Are you going to cut the crown with a reamer or just leave it?

You could put some bondo on the stock to shape it however you like.

 

[Schofield3]

That's cool.
Are you going to cut the crown with a reamer or just leave it?

I haven't quite decided yet i'm leaning towards chamfering it as such:




Got this idea from steve wagner's site which I found from the turk mauser site - http://turkmauser.com/gunsmithing/default.aspx

 

[Schofield3]

Glad to see someone having fun.

Amen to that! thanks

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Looks like a fun project

 

[Red Tornado]

So far so good. I'm guessing that since it's already D&T you'll just leave the scope instead of going for a scout style?
RT

 

[Schofield3]

So far so good. I'm guessing that since it's already D&T you'll just leave the scope instead of going for a scout style?

Yep, the scope is staying atop the reciever;

Another pic here after some more touch up to the muzzle





Haha from the looks of this last picture I think I was taking better photos with my phones' 3MP camera than our 8MP digital....

 

[chrisbfd]

Wow, I'm inspired. I want to chop a rem 700 sps down to a 20" barrel. What would I have to do besides just lopping off the excess barrel. I want to make a good brush gun and I want to keep it a bolt action. I found the 700 sps for under $500 with a sling and scope and figured I could learn on this one.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[offshorebear]

Don't rifle barrels need to be machined? I doub't you will get good accuracy results with a dremeled muzzle crown. But like others said, looks like fun.

 

[Fumbler]

offshorebear, it is best to have barrels cut and crowned on a precision lathe.
However, the end result is all that matters.
If the muzzle is uniform and perpendicular to the bore then the muzzle will not be the limiting factor in the rifle's accuracy.

I cut the barrel on my Mossberg 500 and used a machinist's square and a mill file to finish the muzzle.
It would shoot 1oz Brenneke rifled slugs into 2" groups at 50 yards using ghost ring sights.
I took it to a gunsmith a year later to have choke tubes installed. He told me when he cut the threads that the muzzle was already perfect.

It can be done if you have a steady hand and a good eye. If you can't see a gap of 0.0005" then you probably wouldn't do well filing a crown.

 

[Schofield3]

Wow, I'm inspired. I want to chop a rem 700 sps down to a 20" barrel. What would I have to do besides just lopping off the excess barrel. I want to make a good brush gun and I want to keep it a bolt action. I found the 700 sps for under $500

glad your inspired; If your going out and getting a new 700, save yourself time & trouble and get a barrel length you want rather than cutting a new barrel. depending on caliber 700's come in 20",24",26" and so on.....


I've started this because the rifle is a hundred + years old and she needs a makeover

Should have so more pics up today/tomorrow of the re-blued barrel~

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Cutting a rifle barrel.

As has been said it is crucial that the muzzle is perpendicular to the barrel. I cut barrels with a hacksaw using a new 24 tpi blade. A machinist square (see pic)is critical to get the cut to a 90 degree angle. My square is designed for this purpose. Once the cut is squared, it can be left as is,crowned with a commercial tool or shamfered with a round headed brass bolt in a drill using valve grinding compound. The bolt is chucked in the electric drill motor and rolled (slow speed)in a circular motion to cut the muzzle. I also use a round,hard polishing stone dipped in oil which works great.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Oops!

I uploaded the wrong picture! However they are of the same barrel.

 

[Schofield3]

Well I definitly owe you guys a progress report; things have been very painfully slow but it is coming....



I decided I want the original wood finish back and since the sander was going full tilt I might as well start taking off the paint I put on in the first place funny how that works...



Recoil pad (Kick-Eez) came out sweet, just a little more fine tuning needed









She's gettin there, still quite a bit to do (A $#!t load really)... and finishing out this fore-end should be fun

 

[Eightball]

I think your stock is just a wee bit short for that barrel length, but proportional aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder.

Just keep us updated, eh?

 

[RonE]

Looks like it is almost ready for a trip to the range. Let us know when that happens.

 

[juk]

That's turning out to be a very good looking rifle. I think you made the right choice by sanding off the paint

 

[Schofield3]

Recent Pics!

Took 'er shootin yesterday and had to share some quick pics of how the almost finished turk is looking now....




Sure has come along ways since bone-stock

 

[Big Matt]

This rifle is 8mm, correct?

 

[Schofield3]

This rifle is 8mm, correct?

Yes sir 8mm Mauser (7.92x57mm)
Born in 1893!

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

I have a Turk as well, and though I would never commit such blasphemy, lol, your work deserves an A+.

 

[Schofield3]

Why thank you! haha yes I know I might offend some with what's become of this turk but it suits my likes just fine now..

 

[Smokey Joe]

Turned down bolt handle...

Schofield 3--Did you turn down the bolt handle yrself or hire it done? And if you did it, how did you do it?

ETA--I should have said, nice customizing job! Coming right along! It's YOUR rifle--do with it what you see fit. Others can run their own personal museum if that's what makes THEM happy.

And the bottom line, of course: How's she shoot??