Weird Rifle Projects

[Cosmoline]

The topic re. a single-shot bolt action got me thinking about all the bizarre ideas for custom projects I've had. Of all of them, the one that's stayed with me is rechambering an NEF Handi Rifle or H&R Ultra Comp to 7.62x54R. I think that cartridge would be ideal in a single shot given its big rim and decent power level. Plus I have about 1,000 rounds of it around so finding it wouldn't be difficult.

What other wild projects to THR'ers have in mind.

 

[eatatjoes]

the six pound .338 lapua magnum comes to mind.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have an old (shotgun safety) Ruger Model 77 in 7mm Remington Magnum I never use. I'd like to rebarrel it to 7mm-375 -- just neck up the case to .375.

Of course, I already have Bigfoot Wallace, a custom '03 Springfield in .35 Brown-Whelen, which is a nice substitute for a .338 Mag and a .375 Mag.

 

[tex_n_cal]

I have a desire to take one of those Stevens Favorite replicas and refinish it, add nice wood & a tang sight to turn it into a really pretty little .22 single shot.

The Browning Lo Wall single shot in .22 is nice, but I'm not interested in a $700 .22 with plain wood and a heavy, hard to adjust trigger.

 

[pbhome71]

Bolt action upper for AR15.

I would do a side feeding, like the UltraMag 50cal BMG upper, but in smaller calibers.

 

[cpileri]

Pistol grip mauser

Here's a thread i started about a short mauser project, which alot of people think is wierd.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62005

Here's a pic of someone who beat me to it, though was super cool about sharing his ideas.


Is this wierd enough?
C-

 

[bigjim]

I think it would be cool to cut down a mauser action to shorten it. Cut and weld the bolt to shorten it. drill out as much metal as you could to lighten the action as much as you could. bed it into a Light weight fiber glass stock like those old brown precision stocks use a 16 inch pencil tapered barrel chambered for the new S@W 500 magnum. Or maybe the .50 AE

about a 4 lbs pig rifle that will kill anything in North America out to 1 hundred yards?

What do you think guys?

 

[Freedomv]

I don't know if it is wierd or not but I have been building single shot .22Lr out of M-1 Garands so I and my shooting buddies can practice offhand shooting with out the noise and recoil of the 30/06.
THEY ARE FUN.!!!

Vern

 

[schromf]

Martini-Henry

I have have no idea why but I have wanted a Martini-Henry or a Peabody-Martini for years. I have never run across one is the only reason I haven't got one now. My luck is when I do find one it will be a Zulu War one and I won't want to change it.

I know it is not really practicle and would be more of a varmit and range rifle but this is close to what I had in mind:

http://64.177.205.5/martini/17beer9.jpg

http://64.177.205.5/martini/218mbeb.jpg

 

[JShirley]

Those are beautiful.

 

[cpileri]

ati stock

So, anyoen got a used ATI mauser stock they want to sell?
C-

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

I have an unreasoning desire to build an H&R handi rifle in .45-70 with a 16.5 inch barrel, with williams GR rear and XS big dot tritium front.

 

[cpileri]

45-70

Andrew Wyatt,
that doesn't sound unreasonable at all. In fact, i have looked into one just like yours but in 50-70. i think SSK industries will build any of those.
Why not 50-110? Why not?

C-

 

[Gewehr98]

Getting closer to finishing a couple pet projects of mine...

One is a Siamese 98 Mauser in .45-70. Nothing really new under the sun there, save for that I'm having the barreled action plum browned, instead of blued.

The other one is a big "what-if". My ultimate pig-hunting gun, if you will. Started out as a Saiga .410 AK-pattern autoloading shotgun. Now it has a .458" rifled barrel getting installed and gas-ported for the Kalashnikov action. Instead of being called an AK-47, it'll be called an AK-45-70. I'll be one of the first kids on the block to have an autoloading .45-70 rifle. I'm spending the extra money to get a Hartt's Dead Mule mercury recoil reducer for inside the buttstock, just in case.

 

[tex_n_cal]

hmmm...there definitely are some wierd rifle projects here

An autoloading .45-70? hmmm...I think I like that one.

As far as the Martini's go - putting a nice piece of wood on a Martini is like putting a teeny bikini on a woman with no teeth. It might theoretically be an improvement, but, it's still an ugly action!

I forgot to mention one Arisaka I have seen, that was sporterized in a Mannlicher style stock. Probably the last gun you'd pick for that project, it actually looks pretty nice.

 

[cpileri]

awesome!

G98-
That sounds AWESOME!!!!
Can you post or email me a bit (ok, alot) more about the ak-45-70?????
That sounds like it RULES!!!
C-

 

[Gewehr98]

All in good time folks...

All in good time.

 

[Johnny Guest]

tex_n_cal wrote:

An autoloading .45-70? hmmm...I think I like that one.

It IS interesting, isn't it - - But not necessarily in AK-format, as suggested by cpileri .

Something over 30 years ago, my gunsmith in Fort Worth, Bill Shipp, had a Tokarev 7.62x54 autoloader (sorry, I don't recall the model number) out on his bench one evening. He was pondering a conversion to .45-70. Don't recall the details he was considering, but I can picture a five or six round big bore semi, with, say, a 20-inch barrel and peep sights.

Unfortunately, I moved away and lost touch . . . .

Best,
Johnny

 

[cpileri]

yeah, now the creativity is comin out!

That dragunov does sound kinda cool.

Gibbs did the 303 brit Jungle carbine conversion to 45-70, so maybe to steal a little from that:

maybe take a Bren mag and modify it/chop it down so it holds 10 (no more than that!) rounds of 45-70 and stuff that into a semi-auto rifle...

Or use the original saiga or dragunov magazine and insert the 10-rd bren 45-70 mag into it; so it serves as the magwell sleeve conversion unit. Might get away with not having to make so many mods to the rifle itself that way.

Me? I am still pumped up about my little "handi-mauser" project.
C-

 

[cpileri]

JP recoil eliminator

found the attached pic of the jp recoil eliminator (www.jprifles.com) on the net. Looks like it can be slid on over existing front sights, but can't find the name of it; there are several types listed on the JP website.

Anyone have any experience with these in general?

OK, they look like you used your rifle to pick up soda cans to recycle. But hey, this is the 'wierd' projects thread?

All the reviews I can find sy they are remarkably effective in recoil reduction, which is exactly what I want in my handi-mauser.

Truth: I want on on a 454 Casull SRH!

C-

 

[JShirley]

That muzzle brake looks like those on field pieces, doesn't it?

 

[cpileri]

maybe you guys can help me

Maybe you guys know: what is the barrel dimensions/taper of the standard 98/22 8mm mauser barrel? Czech if that matters? Or at least the muzzle O.D. and the shank O.D.?

My plan is to cut it down to a length greater than 16 inches, hopefully to the point where installing one of the styles of JP Recoil Eliminators is the most facilitated.

In the process, i am going to do 3 to 5 shot average velocity measurements with some Turk or Equadorian ammo to see the effect of barrel length on velocity.

I dont have the 98/22 infront of me, so if anyone knows the dimensions of the original barrel (not a replacement) or can point me to a diagram I would really appreciate it.
C-

 

[cpileri]

artillery

JShirley-
Yeah, they do. Maybe that's why I like them. I still think it looks like a beer can speared by a stick, but cool in a space-age-artillery kind of way.
Actually, despite its looks, I can conceptually understand its ability to redirect the gas out and up and back, while keeping the gust of flame out of line with the front sight.

Most other brakes i have looked into direct the blast (in many directions but at least) up into the line of sight.
Unforunately, the JP brake will be the most expensive part of the project. The whole idea was to create a 'TC Encore-like' piece, dubbed the 'handi-mauser' by me, for a fraction of the cost!
So far: Czech 98/22: $70
Ramline Syn-Tec Stock: 60
scope mount: 40
scope and rings: 30 (I know, I know, a cheap scope- if I like this project ALOT then I will augment the optics)
Minor costs for labor, re-blueing, recrowning, etc- all tools already owned.
Actually, i already owned alot of this stuff, so the money spent wasn't originally spent solely on the handi-mauser.
Total then is about 200 bucks- less than the cost of a 30-06 barrel alone for the TC!
Now I add 90 bucks, plus possibly threading for the brake. Well, I guess i just really want to try out that brake. If I try it myself, i will have to buy a threa starter and die set; or else a soldering gun and silver solder and some set pins. More $$$.
Say, anyone know if Silver braze paste works well? Will it work in lieu of silver soldering?
Besides, and perhaps most important, this is FUN!
C-

 

[cpileri]

reloading 8mm

Does anyone reload the 'match' bullets in the 8mm? I have been thinking about it.
Like these:
http://www.lostriverballistic.com/LRB/ItemDetails.cfm?CNum=17
yeesh, 30 bucks for 20 but a BC of .770!
or
http://www.sierrabullets.com/whatsnew/index.cfm?fuseaction=2002
the sierra seems like the 8mm sS FMJ BT surplus projectiles, the ones on the German and Equadorian ammo: which both have about a .52 BC.

So since the BC of the SURPLUS projos is so high, is it really worth it to spend such big bucks to get an even better one IN A STOCK RIFLE?
i.e. is a TOTALLY SURPLUS (i.e no new barrel, etc) but cleaned up mauser is intrinsically accurate enough to bother splitting hairs with these fancy-dancy bullets.
Is it?
Now if a full accurizing project to include a match barrel was done, then i can see the point. But for the rest of us...
C-

 

[provec]

Ishapore w/ FAL mag

I'd like to figure out a way to modify my Ishapore 2A1 or Navy Arms .308 Jungle Carbine repro to accept standard FAL magazines...
At first look I think modifying the mags would be far simpler, the mag well on the rifles is too narrow toward the front and it doesn't seem as though one could demill the well without having to scrape away all of the housing....
A definite project in process though!
Rob