Making a Mauser Military Target Rifle

[Dan Chamberlain]

I have a Yugo 24/47 in 8mm and I'm not a Mauser collector, but I'm not interested in sporterizing another Mauser.  I have a nice 09 Oberndorf that's been nicely sporterized.  

I'm thinking of "subjecting" this rifle to a treatment similar to the Swede target version.  It will still retain the military flavor, but the mil stock will be modified a bit, exposing the last 1/3rd of the barrel, free floating it and removing the excess junk like the bayonet lug and cleaning rod, but leaving the front sight and hood.  I'd change the front dovetailed sight blade to one a little more precise than the inverted "V" and ad an aperture rear sight.  

Am I crazy?

Dan C

[Mikey]

Dan - you can have a lot of fun doing that.  As for the sights, get a set of Swedish Mauser front sight blades - Samco or Sarco - they are nice and square and can be picked up easily.  For the rear sight, just open up the 'V' notch with a small Swiss file and square that off to match the front sight blade - picks up much more quickly and easily.

As for the stock - you don't need to cut it down, really.  The Swedes did that for their target rifles but they had different barrels on those than the M38s did.  What you can do that is fairly easy is to free float the barrel within the stock and bed the action.  This allows your barrel to free float inside the stock without having to cut the stock down and it leaves you with the mil-spec look but better accuracy.  You can also work the military trigger with some moly lube to smooth it out, or you can get a replacement trigger that looks the same but gives you a great 'let off' and no after travel.

Are you crazy - no more than the rest of us.  Welcome!  Mikey.

[S.S.]

I have an in-line Muzzle loader that fires Lead BB's
That I made from an old Brass Air rifle barrel !!!
I am in no way qualified to judge weather
    someone else is CRAZY !!! :-D

I am itching to get a 6.5 Swede and set the barrel back
and rechamber it to 6.5 Jap.   Now Who's Crazy?

I like to refer to myself as UNIQUE , Special, maybe a little
TOUCHED, But not CRAZY !!!

[anweis]

no need to cut the stock. before you spend any money make sure the rifle shoots worth a darn.

[Dan Chamberlain]

Can a barrel be free floated with the barrel band at the front?

Dan C

[1911crazy]

S.Sumner why would you go from a 6,5 swede to a 6,5 jap round?  Is the jap round better, is there an advantage or you just want to have a jap round in a better swede action?                       BigBill

I think being different is good thing, I'm building a hakim sporter from a parts gun.  But i'd still like to get a Saiga Shotgun  "Belt Fed" that takes the 3 1/4" magnum rounds with "00" buck thats the ultimate urban bad guy hunting weapon.  What a weapon for Iraq.  Thats how many 9mm's comming at you at one time?  Is it "12"?   Ouch.......I'm a sick man.....

[Mikey]

Dan - you can pretty much 'free float' the barrel under the front band.  The front band rests both on the front of the stock and on the very front of the top portion of the handguard.   The trick is to leave the band supported on the wood - it means a bit of judicious relief work (just a bit) to get the band off contacting the top of the barrel.  The same goes for the bottom part of that front band.  When you have finished, the  handguard (top part of the stock) will ride on the bottom part of the stock and not contact the barrel.  The bands will ride on the wood, not the barrel - the only one you have to fiddle with is the front band.  I did that with my Swede before sporterizing it, just to make certain it shot well.  HTH.  Mikey.

[1911crazy]

Mikey; Please explain the thing about a free floating barrel.  Is it because the stock can influence the barrel from being straight by putting a slight bend in it?  So we make the barrel loose but how loose can too loose be too much?  Where talking just a little play but doesn't that throw the accuracy off by the barrel having movement in the stock?  I'm just curious?  Sorry for the dumb questions.                BigBill

[Dan Chamberlain]

Bill;

The barrel experiences a pattern of vibrations and whip during the firing process.  The most accurate situation to have would be a barrel that has no contact points front of the receiver.  Warpage of the stock can destroy accuracy as well, but free floating is aimed more toward eliminating all barrel/wood contact.

Dan C

[Mikey]

Mornin' BigBill - Dan got the answer right, at least from my perspective.

Yes, if there are contact points on the barrel they will affect the pressure on the barrel at these points as the barrel heats up.  Free floating the barrel eliminates those pressure points.  I usually bed my actions so that the barrel is bedded only as far as the end of the chamber.  That seems to set up the barrels well enough so I can determine if the rifle is going to be accurate enough to scope or sporterize.  When I am finished bedding a mil-spec stock there is enough room to slip a playing card or matchbook cover between the barrel and the stock.  That's loose enough. HTH.  Mikey.