Surplus Rifles: Pictures and Questions!

[Nightcrawler]

Big question: Who here hunts with Surplus rifles? Mausers, Enfields, Mosin-Nagants, etc. Anybody take a deer with a K31? A Nagant?

Oh, and this is a good time to show off those beauties of a bygone era.

Let's see some pictures!

 

[ACP230]

I hunted deer with a cut down Enfield 1917, a sporterized Swedish Mauser Carbine, and an M1. Missed a doe with both the 1917 and the M1. Never got a shot while carrying the Swede.

I do better with a scoped rifle.

 

[swingset]

In Ohio we can't take deer with High Power, shotgun or handgun only but I've used my Enfields for all kinds of critter disposal.

Here's my No4T doing groundhog duty. Yes, the .303 is overkill and I like it!

 

[Dr.Rob]

I took a sporterized Enfield 303 on a deer hunt once.. awfully heavy for what it was.

Also toted a 1903a3 Springfield as a back-up rifle when I had a scope go south. Feared seeing a deer as I really didn't know how to use the sights, and had only shot it at 50yards at the time.

Surplus bolt rifles make fine hunting arms, being robust and firing heavy cartridges.

A good sling eases carrying it in the woods.

Never got a chance to fire either rifle 'in anger' so to speak.

 

[LostCajun]

Hmmm... If you're HUNTING,
Wouldn't that be firing shots "in hunger"??
LC

 

[Kharn]

LostCajun:

Thats not right.

Kharn

 

[OEF_VET]

My dad bought a Mosin-Nagant from a friend to use for hunting, more than 20 years ago. He never did get anything with it, but he only took it out a few times, and I doubt he ever got a shot with it. By the next hunting season we had moved from Michigan to Montana, and he upgraded to a Savage 110 in 30-'06.

When I first took hunter's safety and was looking for a deer rifle, I almost bought an old Enfield from a co-worker of my dad's. Dad and I took it out to test fire it, and it turned out to be WAYYY too big and heavy for me (I was kinda small when I was 13.). If I knew then what I do now, I'd have bought it in a heartbeat. He was asking $75 for it, even 20 years ago, that was a pretty fair price for a rifle in as good a condition as it was in.

Frank

 

[El Rojo]

I have hunting loads for my K-31 (Sierra 150 gr. SBT) and my M1 Garand and 1903 (how hard is that since I have a Rem 700 ADL in .30-06). I have yet to take them out yet. I am afraid my dad won't like it and since I do all of my deer hunting with him, I do what he says at this time. Some day I might be old enough to tell him, "I am hunting with the iron sighted K-31! Deal with it." Ironically by then I will be too old to probably use the iron sights. Maybe soon. I am 26 afterall.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Bigfoot Wallace, my "heavy" is a custom '03 Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen (the most radical form of the .35 Whelen.) This rifle was built by CW Fitch of Phoenix in the late '60s or early '70s, and he knew how to build rifles. He bored out and re-rifled the barrel, fitted a great, recoil absorbing stock (the .35 B-W DOES kick a bit), and added all sorts of touches. And in the process produced a rifle that will make cloverleafs at 100 yards with good handloads.

 

[Okiecruffler]

I don't partake anymore, but next week my son is going out with his boss. Decided he wanted to tote my Ishy around. Worked up his own handload, and he's probably run 200 rds thru it in the past week. This will be his first deer hunt, should be interesting.
http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php?photo=66215&sort=7&thecat=500&password=

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I've hunted for about 15 years with a Swedish Mauser of one form or another. Most lately I've been using a reworked M94 Swede carbine. I've also hunted with my Garand a few times, and one year, from necessity, I hunted with an Uzi, but it was that or no hunting for me. To my credit, I didn't see anything on that trip.

I may hunt later this year with that brand new Mosin-Nagant M44.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Here's my No4T doing groundhog duty. Yes, the .303 is overkill and I like it!

That is too cool. Someday, I WILL own a No.4 Mk.I(T).

 

[StuporDave]

I don't hunt (yet), but my son (18 yrs old) has taken two whitetails with my No4 Mk1 Enfield.

Dave

 

[standingbear]

ive shot groundhogs with a m48 yugo mauser and a russian sks.sure they arent varmit rifles but for what they are and cost,you get your moneys worth in fun.for close in plinkin,it works for me...no i dont shoot the groundhogs for meat cept to feed the buzzards and such.

 

[Gewehr98]

Two of my favorite venison rifles...

1903A4, from stands near cornfields and winter wheat fields, using SilverTip handloads:



BSA No5Mk1, heavy woods and walking fencelines (perfect all-day walking rifle):

 

[standingbear]

that pic of the 03...i bet it shoots pretty durn good.ive been wanting one of those for the last 15 years. they are outta reach for me.

 

[Kestrel]

Gewehr,

That 03 is beautiful. Did you refinish the stock, yourself? What kind of stain/finish is it?

Steve

 

[Gewehr98]

Long story on that 1903A4...

I found it as a stripped receiver with bobbed barrel. The offset serial number clued me in on it's pedigree. I found a short-chambered new barrel from the same month as the receiver, a proper 1903A4 bolt, all the metal, scope, and wood over the course of a couple years. I didn't go for a 100% restoration, because it was a mismatch from whenever Bubba got a hold of it. There aren't a lot of C-Type original stocks out there anymore, so this one came from Dupage Trading Company. The handguard is an original NOS for a 1903A3. The wood is walnut with a Minwax mahogany stain and about 20 coats of hand-rubbed linseed oil, knocked back down with steel wool after each coat.

Since it wasn't internally original, it received a Timney trigger, the barrel was chambered with a match pull-through reamer, and it's glass bedded around the receiver and first inch of the barrel. The handguard is free-floated, with a slight upward pressure under the forward barrel band. The results, with the vintage 2.5x scope and my 168gr MatchKing handloads, look like this at 100 yards:




Here's my stepson having some fun with M2 Ball, straight from the Garand clips:



And here's the 1903A4 enjoying stacking swivel priveleges with a Garand and 1903A1:



Or with two Garands:

 

[russlate]

Vern H., I also had an 03-A3 rebored by Atkinson to 35 Brown-Whelen. Unfortunately, that was shortly before my dad passed away and I never shot the barreled action. No dies, pre-factory ammo, no drop-in stocks at the time ( '74-'75 ).

Son-of-a-gun! I just realized that's where my 03-A3 went!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Russlate -- Bigfoot Wallace is an 03, not an 03A3, and the ammo is still not factory -- it has to be fire-formed (an interesting procedure for this cartridge.)

If this was your rifle, it has had some superb craftsmanship put into it!!