I build cool rifles in the shop and do custom gun smithing as a hobby and would like to share the old-style gun smithing work with you so that you can try some of these projects on your own because if we don't get young people into this trade, it will definitely be just another thing of the past! DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOUR NOT CONFIEDENT IN YOUR SKILLS! Feel free to reach out if you have questions ether in the comments or on FACEBOOK in messenger.
You can pretty much write your own ticket as far as modifications on those old military actions. Just stay away from the locking lug areas or anything that secures the bolt. Why all the holes in the right side of that action? Enfield actions are pretty strong.
Absolutely, when I do my 416 R. I'll use a modern custom action I do like messing with the military stuff, but the Enfield parts are getting tough to source. Thank you for the comment!
I have built several of those kits. Mostly Ballard and Sharps. Working on a Borchardt now in 38-72 Win. Be ware of shrinkage on some parts especially internal small parts. If it is a Storie kit they are pretty good. Patience is the key with kit building. Take it a step at a time and think your way through. You will get there...
I started with a Craftsman lathe many years ago. Did a boat load of work with it over the years. The 375 H H is a good old school round. Should work well with that Mauser action. I just subscribed by the way...
Stick a wet rag into the back of the bolt body, and leave some of the rag hanging out the back. Have a squirt bottle of water handy so you can keep the rag wet. When you heat up the bolt handle the wet rag will keep the cocking notch in the back of the bolt from annealing. So long as the rag is giving off steam its drawing the heat away from the bolt. I think that you might have drawn the temper from the back end of your bolt and the cocking notch. If that's the case, heat the effected area up until it just starts to glow orange, then dunk the bolt into a can of used motor oil. (be careful of flames and have something ready to cover the can and smother it if it starts burning) This will re-harden the back of the bolt. After you do this you'll probably have to clean the carbon scale off with some steel wool.
@DeepCreekIronWorks Yeah, that's a bummer. I didn't think to mention in Iowa we were straight wall cartridges for years since they have lossened up on that so that now it's anything over 35 cal. A 35 Rem would probably be a dandy handgun cartridge for deer.
I worked with a guy who told me a similar story. He said that he was discharged from the airforce back in the 60s and when he got home he wanted to go hunting but all he had was a single shot. 22. When a pheasant flushed he said that he got just the righ swing on it and downed it. With a head shot as I remember.
1..In the states l know, its illegal to shoot birds with a rifle. 2.. I had a combo gun, but got rid of it, because the pull was hard, and caused the rifle to be inaccurate. If you lighten the pull for the rifle, it could ruin it as a shotgun.
Is Asiatic water buffalo horn. Available at Petco as dog chew toys. Very brittle. Used extensively on Continental guns English use it on forend tips and accents.
I had one just like that on my hip hog hunting right out of college. I heard one grunting but never saw one while we were gun hunting. We did chase a few down with dogs the next day.
