Finnish M39 rebuild/experiment

[ball3006]

Just to keep apples to apples...

here, the reason I installed a scout mounted scope is because my 67 year old eyes, after cataract surgery, won't allow me to shoot iron sighted rifles. When I still could see the sights, I could shoot my '43 Tikka 91/30 to the tune of one inch groups. It is hell getting old......It only will take about 5 minutes to reinstall the original rear sight on my M39.....chris3

 

[lencac]

New Pics

So I go to the hardware store ............. just looking at "ways"
This is what I came up with. It requires absolutely no modifications to the rifle and is 100% foolproof and will fit any M-39 and probably some other models of the Finnish Mosins. I don't see a particularly attractive way to do this on Russian Mosins.
Anyway, with like 1/2 turn past bring everything shug it would feeeeeeeel like it's reducing the downforce the barrel is exerting on the stock. It seems that would indicate the stock wants to pull down, away from the barrel. If, and I say if that is true I would think with the bedded forearm the POI can be brought down a bit for sight-in. Sorry, I shoot American, what's on top of the post .................... DIES
So now I need to put one of these back together so I can try it out. I got 'em both all torn apart again

 

[caribou]

Rock On, Dude!!

Keep us posted

 

[lencac]

Range results

Well howdy folks: I finally got one of those M39's put back together and got it, bullets, range and targets all in the same place at he same time.
To briefly recap: I have completely gone through 2 "like new" M39"s. Basically blueprinting the barreled action to the stock including epoxy bedding in 3 places.
My experiement was to make the cleaning rod a tuning rod for the stock allowing the stock to be drawn up between the end cap and the threaded cleaning rod insert in the stock.
My thought was that if tension it applied to the stock between those 2 points how would affect POI.
Well, long story made really short, at 100 yrds the rod was a perfect bullseye


Ok, the rod didn't go anywhere, just mucking with you.
The result is that it didn't seem to make one tiny little bit of difference
Oh, well that's cool, how ever the rifle shot spectacularly
So I could be sure of shot placement I was shooting at only 50 yrds. off the bench. My 57 year old eyes don't agree with those old military iron sights. I did use handloaded ammo.
It was putting rounds on top of rounds. You know how, when you're shooting for groups, and how it feels when you break the trigger and you just know you threw the round high or right or whatever? And you look in the spotting scope and it's right where you thought you threw it? That's a good rifle. No headscratching No WUT-DA:banghead:
So the experiment was a bust but the rifle is awesome.

 

[Cosmoline]

It was an interesting experiment though.

I've recently picked up a replacement stock for my M28 and I'm going to steal your bedding method at any rate. Are the pics in Post No. 1 showing all of the bedding spots?

 

[lencac]

Hi Cos: Yes, those 3 spots are the places that the barrel and receiver load the stock. Before you do any bedding you need to make sure the barreled action will sit in the stock completely neutral when tightened. I find the spots that need relieving using a .0015 in. feeler gauge between the stock and the receiver. To find the tight spots. I will relieve the stock where needed by the rear tang, the recoil lug and at the forearm. It just takes some patience to get a feel for what needs to be done. The recoil lug is the fulcrum. All said and done you want that barreled action, when tightened into the stock to sit in the stock without applying any left or right tension to the barrel and with only slight down pressure on the forearm. Like 2 lbs. Too much down pressure you need to shim just behind the recoil lug and not enough down pressure you need to shim under the rear tang. Then the handguard needs to be fitted so it fits tight under the retainer at the rear sight and then put just enough pad under it at the forearm to hold the barrel in the channel you just bedded.
Do that and you should see a rifle that will put the rd. where you point it. No surprises.

 

[Cosmoline]

What about using black to find the high spots? That's what I do when fitting flintlocks barrels.

 

[lencac]

Yep, I've used that as well as modeling clay. I found the feeler gauge is quick and easy. It pretty much can get where you need to go. Not always though.

 

[caribou]

Still a viable experiment, even if the results were not an improvement, it diidnt hurt it.

However, we should always strive to improve, and try try try I keep my eyes and mind open all the time, and such ideas and thoughts should always be shared, discussed and carried through with, 'cause Accuracy is 'where its at!!'

Keep up the good work!!

 

[lencac]

Thanks Caribou. I highly regard your encouragement
It was worth a try. I am kinda surprised that it didn't seem to make a difference. I did not put a lot of tension on it, but enough to see if it would do something. I got nothing jeez, I've affected POI on rifles by just loosening or tightening receiver screws. I thought this would do something