Guest
Interesting to note, if one has been following Cooper's thoughts on the scout rifle over the years, the M94 carbine has been addressed by him numerous times as suitable for use as a scout. Mostly he mentions as little as the addition of a receiver sight being necessary. I have been interested in the scout rifle concept since it's inception. Over the years I have had several and have used them extensively.
I have had a couple scout rifles, including a M94 with a 1.5 Burris scout scope, that met all the criteria listed by Cooper. However, over the years I have not been too concerned about the weight or overall length criteria if both are kept within reason. I have found if it works I will carry it within reasonable weight and a short barreled rifle is only useful in transportation when getting in and out of vehicles. I have never found, in my experience, a really light weight and short barreled rifle to be any advantage in hunting or CQC.
One that I used most often was an M1A that I shortened the barrel to 18" and remounted the flash suppresser (a couple years before the advent of the Bush rifle). I also removed the hinged buttplate assembly from the GI plastic stock and installed a recoil pad. This both lightened and shortened the rifle to almost scout specs when used with a 5 round magazine. I also installed a SA handguard and scout scope mount along with the Burris 1.5X when they became available. This was a very handy scout rifle that I used enough to shoot the barrel out (10,000+ rounds with a TE of 9.5).
The M94 worked quite well but somehow a M94 carbine with a scope on it just doesn't "look" right, no other complaints, just didn't look right. Went back to using just the receiver sight on it. Can't see the front sight to clearly anymore so the grandson gets the carbine and I've picked up a M94 Legacy. With a Lyman receiver sight I can focus on the front sight again.
I have a M91 Mauser with a Burris 3X LE on it that is working out quite well. The barrel is 22" and I've shortend the stock and put a recoil pad on it. Also have forged the bolt for manipulation when the rifle is still shouldered. A Lyman receiver sight 57SME compliments the scout scope as backup. It is still a pound over weight and of course the cartridge is not "universally available" but neither bother me. It's .312 150 gr bullet at 2800 fps is ballistically a 7.62 NATO anyway.
Another I have is a M36 Swede I've put into a sporter glass stock with a blind magazine. The bolt handle is also forged for better mounted manipulation. A Leuplold 2X scout scope is in low rings on a modified one piece base mounted on the rear sight base. An old style Redfield pop up aperature rear sight is affixed to the rear of the one biece base. The barrel is still original length but by not using the issue trigger guard/magazine the rifle makes weight. It has also been converted to cock on opening and a commercial trigger installed. Don't know if 6.5 Swede is "accepted worldwide" but it suits my purpose anyway.
Last is a FR8 in 7.62. I have forged the bolt handle, removed the hokey original rear sight and replaced it with a Lyman 57SME, removed the CETME style front sight and flash suppressor and replaced it with an M14 flash suppressor/front sight and installed the M1A scout scope base on the barrel. The handguard was inletted to fit over the base. The 1.5X Burris scout scope is on it. It meets all the criteria of Coopers scout rifle concept except it too is 1/2 lb too heavy.
All three of the above bolt action "scouts" can be loaded with single rounds and via 5 round stripper clips. I prefer the strippers to a magazine change. Along with the two modified bases above I have made several others for other "scouts". They are modified so the occular lens of the scope sits over the front receiver rings of the actions with minimal clearance (1/32 to 3/32s). Eye relief is then perfect and one does not have to search for the sight picture, it is just there as you "snap" the rifle in. I have compared the ergonomics and shootability of these three rifles to a Steyr and a Savage in proper scout configuration. I could find no difference between them and found all to be very useful and pleasant in their use.
I do not contend that the scout rifle concept is the panacea of rifles. I do say, and find, them to be quite useful within their intended purpose. I have other conventionally scoped rifles that I frequently use also. But as my eyes won't let me use aperture rear sights (my life long favorite for close to medium range shooting) on short barreled rifles anymore the scout scoped rifle concept becomes more valid and useful. They are handy and very accurate to use.
I have to say that most of the so called "scouts" made on military rifles and some commercial rifles with commercial scope bases or some home made ones are not very user friendly. The scopes are way to high requiring one to search for the sight picture. Stocks are often left to long and bolt handles are left straight. None of these come anywhere close to the true usefulness of even the basic scout rifle concept. Many who try these are not overly impressed and rightly so. I'm sure this is what Cooper is implying.
Larry Gibson
Jeff Cooper's Random Thoughts
http://www.beast-enterprises.com/jeffscout.html
The Scout project has "charged off madly in all directions." I guess I should not be surprised. Nobody owns the word "Scout," and anyone is free to call anything whatever he wants except on American university campuses, of course.
