Hmmmm now
Mannyrock the Germans like a particular style to their rifles, like the Bavarian stock and then there is the Tyrolean stock both of which are not that popular out Germany/Austria and what was the Czech Republic. Now some of us find American stocks far to "Clubby" for our liking. The forestocks are too large and the wrist of the stock ......................... well
The Remington synthetic stocks are awful, or should I say were awful, in this respect. I have not handled one or shot one in years. My friends original VSS was the most uncomfortable rifle to shoot I have ever tried. He got on OK with it but then he is kack handed being a leftie
.
One of my project rifles is a Century Arms sporterised P-14 and the stock will require extensive modification and re-shaping to make it comfortable and pleasing to my eye. I realise that the Century is not a very good example as the stock is of poor design to begin with. The forestock has a "Roach belly" for a start
and the wrist/pistol grip is far too square but at least it has enough excess wood to do something with even if it's a real cheap bit of wood at that. I will know better once I strip off that awful brown varnish/stain they used. If worse comes to worse I can ditch the stock and fit an old P-H sporterised one that came off an old targetised ERA P-14 that was scrapped many years ago. This one:-
This is the Century P-14:-
Much work to to on it I am afraid
it has already had the chamber altered to 303 Imp as the one it had in it's new barrel was soooooo tight it was causing problems. That little job cost nearly twice the price of the rifle .................... I was not amused
as that was not the price quoted. Century Arms didn't even deign to answer any e-mails about this rifle which was new when brought.
So far we have not even been able to find out what scope mounts it was supposed to use hence the cobbled up mount in the Photo. I have now decided to re-machine the action to the same profile as my BSA sporterised BSA (Model E) and fit a reciever sight and ramped foresight to it. Not sure whether to cut off the bolt handle and replace that as yet
.
Now as to the M96 Slide Bolt being ahead of it's time? Now let me see if had a remarkable straight pull bolt, a quite superb adjustable trigger and used a bedding system of new design. It also had more locking lug bearing surface than any rifle then in production and a barrel that could be easily swopped by the user with the use of two allen keys. Maybe a bit too radical for the average American sporting shooter but then again they have always been slow on the uptake for new types. Just think about that, when the rest of the world had accepted the Bolt action the American rifleman was still wedded to the lever action. It took a world War and actually putting a good bolt action rifle in the troops hands to educate them
Oh and that good bolt action with the US Model of 1917
. Hmmm where is the "Tongue in cheek" emoticon when you want it?
Now mauser98us ,
There is no such thing and a .303 Martini Henry
it's either a Martini Metford or Martini Enfield depending upon what barrel is fitted in a Military one. Commercial ones were of course different but I have never heard of a .303 with Henry's rifling. They changed from the Metford as it wore too quickly with the hard jacketed bullets and Smokeless powder and especially with Cordite! The one I had was in quite poor condition on the outside, due to it being found in a damp celler propped in the corner but the bore was good. After removing the surface rust it was painted with British Army "Suncorite" paint:-
Made in 1888 as an IC1 then converted by the HRB & Co (Henry Rifle Barrel Company) in 1898 and according to the stock disc last issued to teh Army Pay Corps in 1906 before being sold out of service to the Cadet Corps. I acquired it in 1996 an it had to go to proof before I could pick it up as it had no vaild commercial proofs on it.
Sorry I don't have any full length photos of the carbine. Oh I even picked up the correct bayonet for it which I sold afew weeks ago. The Martini sold just before Christmas and it fetched just under $500 US. Now to make you drool just a little here are the three P-H sporterised rifles I owned:-
Two P-H sporterised SMLE's in Supreme configuration with the P-H modified P-14. The P-14 had had it's barrel shortened by then. Durign a preiod of unemployment I had to sell the two SMLE's to pay the rent
but now have this one a No4 Supreme:-
I can't say that I like the No4 as much as the SMLE though.
