a little gun talk
A few years ago I came down with the mil-surplus bug. I was at Big 5 and they had a Mauser, a Mosin, and a Steyr M95 on display. The Mauser looked big and heavy, the Mosin like something only a mother could love, but the Steyr was just so darn cute. I just wanted to have a gun to clean up and the price was right, under $100 so I got the M95. I also liked it because it was different, having a straight pull action. I really didn't care if they didn't sell ammo for it, I knew I probably could find some on-line, but really I didn't buy it to be a shooter. Anyway the bore was just so-so.
Then an on-line friend had a line on a much better quality M95, with a shiny bore and excellent wood. Of course I had to have it! It was only $130 too! I still have that one as my collection/display gun. I added the ammo pouches and bayonet.
Then one day I was bumming around the gun store and saw something that I thought might be a Mannlicher, but it turned out to be a Carcano. An Italian gun collector had me get the particulars and it turned out to be one he needed to fill in his collection. He offered me 2 M95s and 2 M95M barreled receivers for it. Suddenly I had 4 M95s!
What to do, what to do? I took one that is a good shooter and fashioned a sporter stock from a M95 long rifle stock from Numrich. I found someone to convert it to bottom load and had an over the bore scope added. Now I have a cute 8x56R sporter, maybe suitable for 200 yard shots on deer or elk (yeah! elk! that's the ticket!) I made up some hand loads with brass from Grafs. One project finished.
Then I got an offer I couldn't refuse. I traded my 2nd best rifle for a Mosin M38 in very fine condition. OK, now I could join the 'everyone should have a Mosin' club.
Now I still had one more to play with. Hmmm. After much deliberation and back and forth with a gunsmith, I'm having it converted to a sporter too, but in 7.62x54R. Turns out that's not an uncommon conversion. That cartridge is just the right size to feed well thru the action. What is uncommon is that it will also be bottom load and over the bore scope. I'm having a .308 barrel fitted (as opposed to a .311ish Mosin standard). The Lee 7.62.x54R dies are .308 it turns out so this should be a fine deer rifle, fitting between a .308 and a 30-06 in power. I've loaded up a bunch of 150 Speers that should work just fine. I'm also looking at some 130gr non-lead bullets that might give me over 3000 fps in the gun! Oh that would be very cool. I'm waiting, patiently, for that project. I also made a sporter stock from a M95 long rifle stock for that gun.
All well and good. I have 1, 2, and 3 now and #4 soon:
1) display quality M95
2) 8x56R sporter. I really think I'd use it for elk if I get the chance. 8mm 205 gr. SP should do the job to 200 yards.
3) a very nice Mosin M38
4) a 7.62x54R, .308, 600mm barrel (23.6") straight pull rifle that should be a fine field piece.
In the mean time I picked up a VZ24 in 7x57 and after due consideration had it made into a custom gun for my deer hunting. Hogue stock, Bold trigger, new bolt shroud, new barrel, turned bolt, 2x7 var. scope. It turned out to be very accurate and a joy to shoot.
So I still have the 2 M95M (i.e., WW II era 8x57 conversions of M95) barreled receivers to do something with. I'll go into the plans for those on a subsequent post.
Then an on-line friend had a line on a much better quality M95, with a shiny bore and excellent wood. Of course I had to have it! It was only $130 too! I still have that one as my collection/display gun. I added the ammo pouches and bayonet.
Then one day I was bumming around the gun store and saw something that I thought might be a Mannlicher, but it turned out to be a Carcano. An Italian gun collector had me get the particulars and it turned out to be one he needed to fill in his collection. He offered me 2 M95s and 2 M95M barreled receivers for it. Suddenly I had 4 M95s!
What to do, what to do? I took one that is a good shooter and fashioned a sporter stock from a M95 long rifle stock from Numrich. I found someone to convert it to bottom load and had an over the bore scope added. Now I have a cute 8x56R sporter, maybe suitable for 200 yard shots on deer or elk (yeah! elk! that's the ticket!) I made up some hand loads with brass from Grafs. One project finished.
Then I got an offer I couldn't refuse. I traded my 2nd best rifle for a Mosin M38 in very fine condition. OK, now I could join the 'everyone should have a Mosin' club.
Now I still had one more to play with. Hmmm. After much deliberation and back and forth with a gunsmith, I'm having it converted to a sporter too, but in 7.62x54R. Turns out that's not an uncommon conversion. That cartridge is just the right size to feed well thru the action. What is uncommon is that it will also be bottom load and over the bore scope. I'm having a .308 barrel fitted (as opposed to a .311ish Mosin standard). The Lee 7.62.x54R dies are .308 it turns out so this should be a fine deer rifle, fitting between a .308 and a 30-06 in power. I've loaded up a bunch of 150 Speers that should work just fine. I'm also looking at some 130gr non-lead bullets that might give me over 3000 fps in the gun! Oh that would be very cool. I'm waiting, patiently, for that project. I also made a sporter stock from a M95 long rifle stock for that gun.
All well and good. I have 1, 2, and 3 now and #4 soon:
1) display quality M95
2) 8x56R sporter. I really think I'd use it for elk if I get the chance. 8mm 205 gr. SP should do the job to 200 yards.
3) a very nice Mosin M38
4) a 7.62x54R, .308, 600mm barrel (23.6") straight pull rifle that should be a fine field piece.
In the mean time I picked up a VZ24 in 7x57 and after due consideration had it made into a custom gun for my deer hunting. Hogue stock, Bold trigger, new bolt shroud, new barrel, turned bolt, 2x7 var. scope. It turned out to be very accurate and a joy to shoot.
So I still have the 2 M95M (i.e., WW II era 8x57 conversions of M95) barreled receivers to do something with. I'll go into the plans for those on a subsequent post.
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