Where to start on a Project Gun : At a gun show?

[Stuart C.]

As we all know, there was a time when you could buy a doner rifle for the action fairly inexpensively.
You could take it and have it barrelled and have the bolt handle bent, checkered, etc.
Then you could inlet and finish a nice Fajen shock and rebarrel it to something cool.
Is this still economically possible today?  Or is something like a off the rack new Savage going to beat it in terms of accuracy and cash outlay - making the project rifle just not worthwile anymore.

I'd like to build one if not just for the fun and satisfaction of doing it.

What could/would you look for (at a gun show lets say) to start with?

At what price?

Would you buy a Rem 700 that had seen some use but with a receiver mechanically ok?  An older military action?  Which one?  What should you AVOID?  Even the old Mauser 98s that might have soft steel are pricey!

What do you think?

[Cecil]

I did such a project 2 years ago, Looked at building on  Mauser action, I even own one, but by the time you spend the money on gunsmithing its cheaper to build on a modern action unless you can do the metal work your self, I ended up buying a new Ruger mark 2 Having ER Shaw build a barrel , Acurate Inovations build a stock , gunsmith set the head space. I lapped the bolt, tuned the trigger, Smoothed the action myself. All cheaper than I could of done it on a Mauser action.

[mannyrock]

  Pretty simple questions really.

   Can you economically build a sporter (bent bolt, drilled/tapped, sporter stock, etc.) for cheaper than a new good quality rifle?  No.  No even close.   The Stephens/Savage  rifle has put that to rest.  And, you can always get a really nice used Rem 700 in a common caliber for around $350 to $375 at a big gun show.
Or better yet, a used Interarms Mark X Mauser for about the same price.

    If you want to do it for fun, then that's OK, but that fun is gonna cost you.  The cheapest way to go would be to find a cosmetically beat up Rem. 700 or Mark X rifle at a big show, take the receiver from it, and start from there. (Starting with a used military mauser action, and then paying to have it tested, and to add a safety, and a trigger, and a bent bolt, and to have it drilled and tapped  and re-blued will cost you ALOT more.)

   Or go to a big show and find an old "bubba-ized" 1903A3 Springfield, or high serial numbered 1903 Springfield, take the action from it, and start from there.
   

[351 power]

+1 on that bubbized rifle. especially if you find a caliber you want to work with

[JimFromTN]

I went to a gunshow a couple of weeks ago for this very reason.  It was a waste of money and time.  There were no mausers or any old miltary bold action rifles at the gunshow for that matter.  There were hardly any new rem 700's much less any old ones on sale for cheap.  All the gunshows that come to Nashville are trying to sell Ar's.  There were hardly any AK's and maybe 1 or 2 sks's.  I used to love to go to the gunshow whenever it came to town.  Don't know that I will ever go back.

Your best bet is to go on gunbroker which is overpriced to begin with and then you have to pay an FFL fee, shop around on sites like this and again pay an FFL fee, look around on hunting sites specific to your area where you can meet face to face and avoid the FFL Fee, or hit the local pawn shops.

You will never be able to build a rifle for less than a Stevens 200 or a Marlin XL7.  If you do it, saving money isn't one of the reasons to do it.  You can probably buy a nice remington 700 for what you will end up paying to build a rifle on a mauser action.  The only reason to do it is for fun and a learning experience.

[Stuart C.]

Yes, I was just at a gun show and did not see ANY old military rifles that had actions worthy or inexpensive enough to consider.  But maybe I wasn't looking for the right thing.  Worn out 1903A3s were very expensive.  Couldn't figure it out.  Maybe the supply of old usable actions has just been depleted and the newer stuff just makes more sense.

What do you guys mean by 'Bubba-ized'.  Do you mean something that has been damaged or altered incorrectly in some way?

[CGPAUL]

Boy, after doing lots of "builds" I go with the Rem action. Just has everything you want..including many after market parts.
Not cheap anymore, but I will find one now and then in our local newspaper. I get it, then wait till the mood strikes me.

[Catfish]

Yesterday I picked up a barreled action at the smith. It was on a CV 24 action, I paid $ 89 for the rifle. The barrel was a Midway special, $ 89 and I have $ 30 in the stcok for it. Smith work, finishing chamber, replacing bolt handle and bluring $ 225. If I replace the trigger it will be close to $ 100. I now have a nice hunting rifle, but could have bought a good used rifle alot cheaper.  Pick up a Savage and if you want a different round you can change barrels yourself.

[Graybeard]

Personally I would NEVER EVER use an old military rifle of any sort as the basis for a custom rifle project. Yeah that was what was commonly used long long ago but that was before the days of excellent quality low cost commercial bolt rifles.

These days select the brand of your choice and get a commercial bolt gun and go from there.

[moorepower]

Get  Stevens 200 and customize yourself. You can change the barrel yourself, there are several options for threaded and chambered barrels in lots of calibers and barrel weights. There are several wood, lamy and plastic stocks. Two or three different options for triggers, and a lot of do it yourself coatings, to suite your desire. The 700 Remington does offer more options, but the barrel install by a smith is required and can blow the budget up quickly.

[mannyrock]

Stuart,
   A "Bubba-ized" rifle is a rifle that somebody's cousin Bubba (read that as a dummy) ruined, by doing his own very cheap "sporterizing" job on, probably in his basement, generally on an old miliatry rifle, but often on a sporter model  (such as a Rem 700).  Common features are  a cut-off (shortened) barrel with no front sight, a sawed-off military stock (commonly the forestock, yet often the butt-stock), a cold-blueing job, hand-carvings (sometimes notches) in the stock, a camo paint job on a wooden stock, and sometimes even a spray painted  action and barrel.  Often these were done to full sized, surplus military rifles, with the best of intentions, expecially in the 1950s and 1960s, but the end result is to totally ruin the collectability and resale value of the rifle.

   When you find one of these, they are really worth no more than the action itself.   Dealers selling these at gunshows are fully aware of this, so don't fall for their BS about how it is a great "shooter" and worth  almost the same as a  regular used rifle in good shape.   The Dealer paid no more than $75 to $100 for it, and you should pay no more than $150 to $200 for it.

   Couldn't find one at the first gun show?   That's OK, keep going to large shows, and eventually you will find lots of them.   Do the sellers have high prices on them?  So what.  Ignore the prices.  Go to the shows on Sunday at 2:00, bring cash, and only offer what it is worth.  Be prepared to walk away. You will get one.

[eye shot]

Why can't you change the barrel on a Remington your self?

[wareagleguy]

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