October Rimfire Match:

[KSCCHTrainer]

KSCCH,

Sounds like a fun project. I'll be real interested to follow along and see what all you do. Unfamiliar with that model. Adjustable trigger?

If the trigger is adjustable, I ain't figgered out how yet. It is, however not too bad and it's right up there in the "decent for a military rifle" type. Pull seems to be right around 4-5 pounds and not a lot of creep.

Haven't fired it yet, but tested the trigger pull with snap caps as these Romanian trainers have a reputation for busting their firing pins. Someone on surplusrifleforum.com's .22 military trainer subforum said that Century has spare firing pins for the M69 in stock fairly cheap, somewhere around 5 for $20 or something like that. I'll probably pick up 5 spares just in case if it turns out to be a good shooter. Range session this morning before I start stripping the stock to see if it's worth the effort.

 

[shootr]

Well here's hoping it does. Such projects are fun and rewarding when things all come together. Tall order though to get it shooting with your Anschutz!

 

[Maverick223]

nbkky71, welcome to the match and great shooting! Looks like you have a near perfect score of 49 (only missing the flame on the candle once).

KSCCHTrainer, sounds like you have a good project to work on, but I have to agree with shootr, I wouldn't sell that Annie quite yet.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Mav,
I was only kidding on the Annie - I remember a couple of months ago, you were wanting to offer up some small sum for it and of course, I said no.

I did get the M69 to the range this morning for it's initial outing. Didn't take any of the flame targets with me because I was just checking function and seeing which ammo it liked.

Turned out it also had a feeding problem. It didn't matter what ammo, it wouldn't feed from the magazine. Shot about 50 rounds single loading it and then shot 5 for record at 25 yards (Iron sights). This target isn't for the match, but just to show off a bit. I had to make a cardboard pinhole to put over my glasses to help my shooting eye to see the sights and target at the same time (I am older than dirt don'cha know).

Trigger has a little creep but manageable and it breaks crisp at just over 4 pounds on a borrowed RCBS gauge. Unfortunately it ain't adjustable, but then whadd'ya expect for a 1983 vintage Sov Bloc military trainer? Stock is hanging in the garage right now with some stripper on it to get rid of the shellac and then I'll do a Tru-Oil re-finish on it.

Shootr,
From this morning's group, if I had optics on it, I think it would actually give the Annie a run for it's money. These Romanian trainers are reputed to be great shooters and this one seems to bear that out. It isn't grooved so I'll have to drill & tap it if I want to put glass on it and I may do that myself just to see if I can do it. Not like I'll be out a lot if I mess it up and it will still shoot with irons.

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

I remember a couple of months ago, you were wanting to offer up some small sum for it and of course, I said no.

Small sum?...I was going to have to mortgage my truck and my dog to get that money?

From this morning's group, if I had optics on it, I think it would actually give the Annie a run for it's money.

Impressive; I look forward to hearing, and more importantly seeing, more.

 

[shootr]

+1 LOL!! Oh boy... that's a great-looking group! I think you're going to have some fun with this one.

Now I'm itching to clear off the bench and get busy on a similar project.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

+1 LOL!! Oh boy... that's a great-looking group! I think you're going to have some fun with this one.

Now I'm itching to clear off the bench and get busy on a similar project.

Just finished the preliminary re-finish on the stock and temporarily put it back together for pictures. Not complete yet as I need a couple more coats of Tru-Oil on it and then some stock wax to finish it off, but it's looking almost good enough right now to just wax it and leave it alone. It had at least 5 layers of chipping/peeling shellac on it - Now, the sunlight won't glint off of it and spook the tree rats - :LOL: Next project will be to drill and tap the receiver flat top so I can put a scope mount on it. Gotta wait till a buddy gets back from a Cape Hatteras fishing trip so I can use his garage machine shop for that though.

 

[Maverick223]

So far it looks great. I think you did just enough to restore the original beauty of the wood whilst keeping the character that it has earned from its yeas of service...I like it!

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

So far it looks great. I think you did just enough to restore the original beauty of the wood whilst keeping the character that it has earned from its yeas of service...I like it!

Thanks Mav,
That's why I decided not to attempt to steam out the big ding in the fore stock and the smaller one in the butt. Now, it looks more like a military trainer than it did before, even if the Sov Bloc countries did lean more to heavy shellac as a cheap method of finishing stock wood. Took far less effort than the oil finishes others used.

This one will keep it's character for many years.

I am going to drill and tap it for optics myself. I need to learn how do do this anyway and I just picked up a drill press this morning. Ordered the 6-48 tap and matching drill along with a Leupold mounting rail from Midway last night. After I get the glass mounted, just for grins & giggles, I'll run a comparison between the Anschutz and the M69. Should prove to be interesting if that Iron sights target I posted yesterday is any indication.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Gathered up my courage and decided to see if I could manage to drill & tap the Romanian M69 for a scope mount myself without screwing it up too bad. Figured since these things aren't really prime collector's items and I only had a hundred bucks in it, even if I didn't get it right, it would still shoot with irons. Ordered a 6-48 tap & drill set and a Weaver rail with a Ruger 10-22 hole pattern from Midway which came this morning.

Prepped the flat glare reducer on top of the receiver by coating it with "White Out" and carefully marked the center line with a pencil. I squared up the rail and centered the pencil line in all four holes which I then marked with a transfer punch. Further deepened the dimples with one of those spring loaded center punches and checked to make sure all 4 dimples lined up with the pencil line and the hole centers in the rail.

Once I was satisfied that they were marked & punched right, I clamped the receiver in my drill vise using some scrap leather on the jaws to keep from dinging the metal and leveled everything up using a chunk of 2 x 4 and some other scrap as shims under the barrel. Set the depth stop on the drill press so it wouldn't drill too deep and still allow enough depth to get enough threads in the holes for the mounting screws to snug the rail up tight. Next I carefully drilled all four holes followed by tapping them (used cutting oil so not to break the tap off. That would have been nasty).

Everything went smoothly and the whole operation only took about 45 minutes, including cleanup and mounting the rail.

I had some 1" rings and a BSA "Sweet 22) scope that wasn't being used so I mounted it. After making sure the vertical cross hair was aligned perpendicular to the bore (level the flat top of the rifle and sight on a plumb line hanging on the wall while carefully tightening the rings in a cross pattern to keep it straight).

Worked like a champ. Now for another trip to the range to sight it in and finish the job. Then I'll shoot them flames with it to see if I can snuff 'em out.

 

[Maverick223]

Looks like you did a great job on the mount. I look forward to seeing if you can put out a few fires with it.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

5 shots per image/15 shots total. Scored as 1pt. for any shot made "in the black", 2pts. for hitting the candle/lighter/matchstick, 3pts. for hitting the flame; bonus of 5pts are awarded for hitting the flame all 5 times on the match image. Maximum score of 50pts.

Shot this after initial sight-in of the scope. Pretty much from a squeaky clean bore and it was still settling in. Order of fire was lighter, candle, match. Position sitting on a chair, elbow on the shelf, 50 yards, indoor, magnified optics set to 9 power. Can probably do much better but thought I'd show what an old Romanian military training rifle could do with an amateur drill/tap job on a scope mount. Gun will definitely thump tree rats at 50 yards and beyond.

Maverick 223, check my score to be sure please.
Candle 20 points (5 in the flame) Lighter 9 points (3 in black, 2 in flame) and matchstick 9 points (3 in the flame, 2 misses) Total 38 points

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

I, regretfully, cannot in good conscience agree with your score...

...add a point for hitting the black on the matchstick.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Thanks Mav, but I think it's torn paper, not the bullet hole hitting the black. That's why I didn't count it. Here's just the matchstick blown up a bit for better view.
i
Jim

 

[Maverick223]

That left shot still looks good to me, but I will go with whatever you decide as you can see it better than I. Either way that was a good showing for a newly scoped rifle!

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

That left shot still looks good to me, but I will go with whatever you decide as you can see it better than I. Either way that was a good showing for a newly scoped rifle!

Well, I'll take it. I wish I had one of those "Rig" hole spotters that used to come out every match to check line cutter shots. Had one for .22 and .45 which were the main handgun matches I used to shoot. These neat monthly "postal/internet" matches on the various forums are the only small bore rifle matches I've gotten involved with since I used to shoot NRA smallbore my senior year of High School (even carried my .22 to school on the city bus and stored it in my locker). I'll be 69 in April of next year.

Someone on another forum told me I should try and get some of the older Russian or some several year old Wolf stuff as he said these old M69's seem to love that even better. May have to try some if I can find it. I still can't believe I actually managed to drill and tap that thing myself without screwing it up. One of those "works the first time, but don't try to duplicate" things I'm sure.

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

Jim, you earned it.

 

[Orlando]

Good job

 

[unwise11]

If I were to take my .22 to school I would be shot.
then again. the resource officers nod at my glock hoodie, and im clean cut, so the last of their concerns.
either way. .22 .223 .308 or .357
no guns at school.

 

[Clint C]

I graduated in 1999 and I took my shotgun to school everyday of hunting season. Left it in my truck, so did lots of my friends. We would never take them into school though. I guess that was one advantage of growing up in a small town. I wonder if any of them still do it.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

I should have qualified my statement about keeping my rifle in my school locker a bit more. The DCM range I was shooting the smallbore matches on was located under the Gymnasium of the high school. They even supplied the ammo, and you could get 100 rounds a week for free to use for practice. All ammo for the matches was supplied free of charge. BTW this was in Dubuque, IA in the late 50's.

No way, today!

 

[shootr]

Well I'd say you have that little trainer shooting as well as it looks! That's a great job on the D&T. Good job on the targets too.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Thanks Shootr,
To top that off, I found another minor problem with it this morning. Turns out when I ran the rasp down the barrel channel to float it, The action (held in by only one screw) rocks around the screw as a pivot point. I was in too much of a hurry yesterday and didn't notice it before hitting the range.

Now, I put some cork sheet under the chamber area just ahead of the receiver and tightened the action back down like I do with the Mosin Nagant 91/30's. No more rocking and you can still run a dollar bill down the barrel channel without it binding.

Gotta take 'er back to the range again early next week and re-shoot the flames

 

[Maverick223]

Never heard of using a bit of cork, but that sounds like a good idea...good luck!

 

[Clint C]

I should have qualified my statement about keeping my rifle in my school locker a bit more. The DCM range I was shooting the smallbore matches on was located under the Gymnasium of the high school. They even supplied the ammo, and you could get 100 rounds a week for free to use for practice. All ammo for the matches was supplied free of charge. BTW this was in Dubuque, IA in the late 50's.

No way, today!

I love hearing those stories. Yeah no way that would happen in Dubuque now days.