[HiBC]

I've said this before.
Today,for the most part,it does not make economic sense to build a rifle on a milsurp,especially if you are paying a smith to do it.

But,before folks get wrapped up in disdain for Bubba,I suggest you take a long,hard look at the history of the bolt action sporting rifle.Wnnington and Remchester were not necessarily the innovators .

A large part of the crotchety old local gunsmith,stock suppliers like Bishop and Fajen,barrel makers like Douglas and Obermeyer,reamer suppliers like Clymer triggermakers like Timney and Canjar,Brownell's,etc,pretty much made the resources we have today economically feasible as enterprises.Reworking the Milsurp was the market.

One of the big draws to NRA membership was a means to buy DCM bolt rifles,most in military trim,and,I suppose some of the milsurp purists would not recognize or appreciate an original NRA DCM sporter.Or a Sedgley Springfield.Griffin and Howe Sporter?Suppose PO Ackley would have been successful?Would we have Trinidad State Junior College's gunsmith school?

Yes,its true,a lot of nice milsurps ended up in poorly fitted,strangely shaped Herters stocks with enormous rollover Monte Carlos,bleach bottle white lines,drill press semi-precision? drill and tap jobs,etc.But,to the Bubba,each one was his own treasure.

How many of you got the Mauser or Springfield your dad or grandpa built?

Now,think about this.If this cottage industry around converting milsurps had not grown to something of an economic force,

Why in the world would our government permit a bunch of cheap milsurp bolt guns to be imported ? I'll bet Winnington and Remchester did not lobby for the import.

Nope,if it were not for the Bubba market,near all of your precious pieces of history would have been chop sawed,sheared,torched and mangled to become Honda Super 90 cc connecting rods and swingarms.

I think the C+Rs would be far more rare than they are today,as the channels of import...oh,like Springfield Sporters,would never have been established.

Your Bubba is the 50's and 60's and 70's NRA member and rifle enthusiast.Some of those Bubbas bought an old South Bend,maybe a band saw.Some even bought a mill.Maybe,along the way,Bubba had some "learning pieces".But it is Bubba that evolved into the man who can thread a barrel,cut a chamber,fit wood to steel,and he learned on milsurps.Remember that if you know a good one,next time you ask him for help.

Now,I'm going to stay friendly,and not express contempt for folks who only have the skills to throw down money and buy what someone else has made.

Or gather them all up and put them in a safe so they can "have them"

Because there is room enough for all of us to have fun.

It is generally a form of being rude to make negative comments about another man's spouse,kids,dogs,pickup,and in particular,his taste in guns.

A whole lot of folks are happy and proud with their modern bolt action sporting rifles.Enjoy!!They are fine,functional firearms.

For my own tastes,I like controlled round feed and forgings.No put down on any other rifle.Most modern bolt rifles are redesigned for manufacturability.They shoot real good,but for me,I just do not connect.