Old guns are as fun as old swords
Feb 25, 2018 11:40:14 GMT
Post by stopped1 on Feb 25, 2018 11:40:14 GMT
I have strange taste and to me somethings are just better with age, wine, swords, BMW boxer engines, guns and Michelle Pfeiffer!
Thus the 1871 Mauser rifle. Made in 1880 and chambered in 43 Mauser so no need to register in most states in Aus. I picked it up for $500 in poor condition, the firing pin is broken, the stock has split and bore pitted. Good news is the last 6 inches of the bore was ok so it should shoot.
I had 2 new firing pins made up at the mate's work shop, costed me nothing but a big favor owed. Then it was the stock, the inside had cracked and dry rotted, I drilled out the rotten bits and soaked the stock in methanol to clean the oil out before fixing the crack with glass bedding epoxy.
I even added an alloy screw pillars for good measure, then the screw had to be replaced as those old actions did not have recoil lugs, only the tang and the two screws to transfer all the screw to the stock, got an american guy who makes obsolete screw, $40 shipped.
Took me about 75 hours in total, now its ready for action. Brass is available at $60/20, Lee dies available at $45 or so and 45 cal bullet molds will work if you size it to 446 (actually .451 projectiles for 45 acp will work in most 1871 but the chamber of my rifle is too tight). So I settled for 300 gr hollow based bullet sized to 466.
I may try 400gr hollow base mold next time
Added a leather ammo holder and a sling and I was ready to go. I could hit targets the size of an apple at 50 meters and man sized target at up to 100 meters, not the most accurate thing I own but hey it is 137 years old
The only complain I had was the fact that the Carbine version of mine did not have a bayonet lug.... and I like edged weapons unless i mount one this way, just kidding
Thus the 1871 Mauser rifle. Made in 1880 and chambered in 43 Mauser so no need to register in most states in Aus. I picked it up for $500 in poor condition, the firing pin is broken, the stock has split and bore pitted. Good news is the last 6 inches of the bore was ok so it should shoot.
I had 2 new firing pins made up at the mate's work shop, costed me nothing but a big favor owed. Then it was the stock, the inside had cracked and dry rotted, I drilled out the rotten bits and soaked the stock in methanol to clean the oil out before fixing the crack with glass bedding epoxy.
I even added an alloy screw pillars for good measure, then the screw had to be replaced as those old actions did not have recoil lugs, only the tang and the two screws to transfer all the screw to the stock, got an american guy who makes obsolete screw, $40 shipped.
Took me about 75 hours in total, now its ready for action. Brass is available at $60/20, Lee dies available at $45 or so and 45 cal bullet molds will work if you size it to 446 (actually .451 projectiles for 45 acp will work in most 1871 but the chamber of my rifle is too tight). So I settled for 300 gr hollow based bullet sized to 466.
I may try 400gr hollow base mold next time
Added a leather ammo holder and a sling and I was ready to go. I could hit targets the size of an apple at 50 meters and man sized target at up to 100 meters, not the most accurate thing I own but hey it is 137 years old
The only complain I had was the fact that the Carbine version of mine did not have a bayonet lug.... and I like edged weapons unless i mount one this way, just kidding