Receiver Opinions Please

[FrankenMauser]

Thanks for the link.

[tobnpr]

little pocket of sap on the fore-end. Since I actually like a few defects,

Personally, I find some sapwood can add character as long as it's not in a "wrong" (structural) location like the wrist or recoil lug area. End of the barrel certainly isn't an issue- nice looking piece of wood.

It'll be really nice to be working with a "soft" wood.

LOL....guess it is all relative. I'll still take Maple over the birch laminates...cut just a few stocks and the bits are off to be sharpened. Damned glue...

Butt pad. As is, I could make a butt plate from the brass that I used for my .444 Marlin project. But, I'd rather not. It doesn't fit the style of the build.

You don't want to fit a commercial pad like a Limbsaver or Pachmayr to it?

[FrankenMauser]

You don't want to fit a commercial pad like a Limbsaver or Pachmayr to it?

I plan to. I just don't have one yet.
I need to figure out what I'm doing for the grip cap and fore-end tip. That will decide the color for the recoil pad.

I simply phrased the statement the way that I did, because I don't consider a recoil pad / butt pad to be a necessity with .270 Win. Rather, it's an optional extra - an upgrade from a solid butt plate.

I have some birdseye maple, marblewood, snakewood, and something else (black palm as an accent?) coming from suppliers that let me choose the specific pieces that I wanted. We'll see if the pieces look good enough in person to tweak my gigglers, and where that takes me.


It may all be a moot point, at the moment, though. The humidity has spiked in my basement, again (which usually lasts all summer). And, last night, I noticed minor, but definite, swelling in the screwbean mesquite stock that I've been shaping lately.
If I can't get the humidity under control, the moisture content of the wood could theoretically increase to 9.2% by the end of summer. ...And that's nearly double what I want when I seal the wood; since my firearms spend most of their time in very dry environments - at just 10-30% RH.

Right now, I have all of my hygrometers scattered around the house and garage, hoping to find a place that's more stable at no more than 36% relative humidity.

[FrankenMauser]

I think I have a winner.

Marblewood. - One or two of the pieces that I ordered, anyway. The other wood will be used for something else.


(The inlay is still up in the air - if I even do it.)

Dampened with mineral spirits, and overly-yellow in the photo:
(Sorry about the aggressive cropping. I had to get the file size down.)



Dry, with the stock:

[Dixie Gunsmithing]

FrankenMauser. That would make some nice looking pistol grips, too.

[FrankenMauser]

Indeed. I plan to let as little as possible go to waste.

[CowTowner]

Great choice. Looking forward to seeing the finished stock.

[Clark]

I am working on a Dumoulin Mauser with #3 taper Shilen select mach stainless 4 ratchet riflings in 8" twist with Boyd's pro varmint stock with a chunk of Aluminum in it for a recoil lug / front pillar / bi pod and sling mount.

I took the flat bottom modified Weaver S46 and S54 scope bases off and scored the receiver so adhesive can get a better grip.

I broke the sharp edges to make it more ergonomic. I went after the back of the safety shroud, the safety lever, the receiver, and the ejector box. That also removed some bluing. I used a soft abrasive wheel in an arbor I made from a 5/8-11 bolt and put it in the mini lathe.
https://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=MK317-1741




same as below

[Clark]

Here is a pic of the bottom of the modified scope bases.
Here is some calculations I did on scope bases.

Scope base screws are not stressed in shear, but in tension.
If my 142 gr bullet [Nosler accubond long range with 54 gr H4350 per Quickload] maximum acceleration is from 500 fps to 2000 fps in 0.4 ms then an 8 pound rifle will try to accelerate from 1.27 fps to 5.07 fps in 0.4 ms. This is an acceleration of 9500 ft/sec squared.
If a 2 pound scope were part of that 8 pound rifle during that acceleration the force between the rifle and the scope would be
f = m a = 2 pounds 9500 f/ss = [9500 f/ss] [2 pounds / [Gc = 32 f/ss]]= 594 pounds.

If there were 4 screws in shear that would be 148 pounds force / screw.
That screw has a 0.12" minor diameter
A = pi r r = .011 sq in
Grade 5 bolt [American cap screws] has a shear strength of 72,000 psi
Each screw would have a shear strength of 814 pounds.

But they are not in shear.
They are in tension.
Grade 5 bolts are good for 127,000 psi in tension.
Each screw is good for 1436 pounds force in tension.
They are pre loaded to about half that, making a clamping force of 700 pounds.
The coefficient of static friction between the steel scope base and the receiver is ~ 0.6
So each screw provides a static state up to 420 pounds recoil force.
4 screws 1680 pounds.
But the hard kicking lightweight rifle and heavy scope only have 594 pounds peak force between them.
1680 pounds friction is greater than 420 pounds recoil, therefor the bases stay put.

I think I learned something. I have long been puzzled. With my hundreds of beater rifles and those I help at the range, half the time the problem with poor groups is loose base screws. Never the ring caps or cross bolts. Why do just the base screws get loose?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction

Scroll down to steel on steel coefficient of static friction.
Clean and dry: 0.76 - 0.80
Lubricated: 0.16

0.16?
That would case the scope to come loose.

Who would put oil on a gun?

link same as pic above

[Clark]

To increase the static friction between the flat topped Dumoulin bridges and the #S46 and #S54 Weaver bases modified to be flat bottomed, I have put Loctite 242 between them.

To keep that bases aligned until the Loctite is hard, I have modified an AR 15 riser to use as a fixturing device.

http://www.amazon.com/UTG-1-Inch-13-.../dp/B003TWX8HS

[Clark]

I had the trigger fail on one of my Dumoulin actions today, so I had to figure out what is in there.

[FrankenMauser]

How did it fail?

[Clark]

The trigger force spring is stuck down in the threads of it's hole.

I substituted a $38 Bold 98 Mauser trigger on [type without a safety] adjusted it down to 2 pounds, and I am back on schedule.

[CowTowner]

Clark, I sure am sorry to see you're working that hard on these when mine went together easier.
Too darn hot to do any serious range work here. I'm waiting on cooler weather before I get serious at the loading bench for the 35 Whelen.

[Clark]

What?
Go to the range?
I can't go a few hours without making a gun forum post.
I can't go a few weeks without buying a gun.

But go to the range.....except for single shots into the dirt and a varmint here or there, it has been 10 months since I shot a paper target.

[FrankenMauser]

The trigger force spring is stuck down in the threads of it's hole.

Interesting.
I'll have to take a closer look at mine for potential failure points.

[Clark]

Don't screw in that screw too far or it will happen to you.

Then you will be forced to spend $38 on a very similar, but better trigger.
The Bold swaps the positions of the over travel and spring force screws.

[CowTowner]

Unfortunately Clark, I live in an urban environment. In order to test loads or just go plinking, a trip to the range is required. Since I'm a part-time employee it costs me nothing but the fuel and ammo.
Oh, to be able to walk out the back door a zero the sights for 200 yards.

[Clark]

I could go to the range 1/2 hour from here, but....

I have 3 out of state deer tags for 900 miles from here. I want to take 3 new rifles plus a backup rifle.
I plan on showing up a month early to the hunting grounds with reloading facilities in my vehicle and do long range target practice.

I have got 2 rifles built, scoped, and ammo loaded:
1) 1903 Turkish Mauser 6mmRem Douglas barrel
2) 2015 Dumoulin Mauser 6.5-06 Shilen barrel

I have chambered and bedded, I am working today on feed lips and mag well mill out:
3) 1939 Mosin Nagant 300WinMag Krieger barrel

What does it all mean?
I may not produce a Dumoulin range report until late October. And my write ups from out in the sage brush are usually bad.

[Scorch]

OK, I am coming back to this thread a little late, but here is my very European-looking rifle on a DuMoulin action. XX English walnut stock, Dakota grip cap and sling swivel mounts, 1/2 octagon barrel with integral rib, wraparound checkering front and rear, epoxy finish, topped with an older Leupold 3-9X I had sitting around, mounted in Leupold QRX rings. Chambered for 7X57 like a proper Mauser should be. Weighs in at a very respectable 7-1/2 lbs.
[IMG[/IMG]

[Dixie Gunsmithing]

Scorch, that is a very nice looking rifle, and a job well done. I bet the stock cost a pretty penny.

[Scorch]

Thanks, Dixie. The stock cost me plenty of sweat equity, and yes, the whole rifle has cost waaaay too much. I was figuring it out last night, and it scared me so I stopped. Shilen barrel blank, stock blank, about 8 hours of machine time, about 40-50 hours of bench time, and of course the cost of the action and small parts, plus bluing. If I had made it for a customer, I could afford to go hunting this year.

[FrankenMauser]

Very nice, Scorch.

Don't feel bad about being "late" to the party. Mine is still sitting in the safe as a hand-tight barreled action with the rough-shaped stock next to it, with nothing done to clean up the parts that were rough from the factory.
I have everything that I need to finish it, except for the butt pad/plate. ....and time.

Right now, hunting season keeps getting in the way. ...No complaint here, though. I have all winter to work on projects, after the hunting seasons are closed. (And my basement will be at a reasonable humidity level, again.)

[CowTowner]

Very well done Scorch. You've done the action proud I must say.
Sometimes, it's only all about the beauty of the finished product. You nailed it.

[Jim Watson]

Very handsome, Scorch.
That full rib looks kind of naked without express sights, though.