And, I still at'nt dead. Heh heh.
I've long had a liking for single-shot rifles. But, finances,
rather lack thereof, fored me to get rid of all my firearms long ago.
However, I recently came across a nice little Marlin 915Y. It's a
single-shot, bolt-action, termed a youth rifle. The stock is a bit
shorter than usual, which is why it's called a "youth rifle". For the
same price I could have gotten a similar one, but with a magazine, and
about a 22" barrel. Mine has a 16"+ barrel.
Yep, it's woodworking related. I've long wanted a custome target
rifle, so, I'm in the process of modifying the whole thing, icluding the
stock, to suit me. It won't actually be a target rifle, but I doubt
I'll ever shoot competion again, so that's OK, but it should be close.
I'm just gonna call it a squirrel rifle.
It's still about stock so far. I just got the scope bases (came
pre-drilled), so got those on - I've got a very nice, 3-12X - 50,
high-power rifle scope, with illuminated rectile. And, found out the
barrel was only free-floating for an inch or two, so free-foated it. A
dime roll, wrapped in sandpaper fit the cannel just right. Then used a
penny roll and sandpaper to finish it off. Worked like a charm. I
mounted the scope, to check bolt clearance and all. The scope is about
15" long, including sunshade, with flip-up lens caps. Really looks good
on the rifle.
I need to get some of the kid's stuff out of the way, so I can get
in and out of the shop, because I need to drill the stock for the sling
swivels. For that I screwed four casters to a couple of chunks of 2X4,
glued to a section of my knock-down book shelves. Two more sections
will go on that, then I'll get his stuff out of the way. If that still
won't do it, I've still got some book shelves. I was also planning on
putting together a quickie carrying case - until I found out I couldn't
get in the shop very easily. A few year back, no prob, but now with my
knees, it's a pretty major effort for me. So, I stopped by Wally World,
to see what they have, and got a plastic case for $12+. It'll work out
OK, once I get some yellow on it.
The stock is, I believe, beech, very nice, with a "walnut" stain.
I've striped stocks before, using some nasty smelling stripper, that
worked very well. But, this time I think I'll just give it a light
sanding. The pistol grip is going to be built up a bit, using plastic
wood/wood filler. I used some of that quite a while back, to make
revolver grips, for a .45 house gun . That worked out very well, got the
grips formed so the sights were right on, where ever I pointed the gun.
Another declining funds victim - sigh. A roll of quarters should be
just the right size to send down the top right of the pistol grip, to
allow the thumb a place to rest. I figure those mods should make a nice
grip.
I've got a bit of very nice 1/2" plywood out in the shop, and part
of that will be used to make a hand rest just in front of the trigger
guard. Along these lines:
http://www.nealjguns.com/ss_store/media/1219071912.jpg It'll have to
have a hole in it, to allow access to the stock screw, but that won't be
a problem. I may even make a palm rest later on - all depends.
I found out that with the scope on, to get a really comfortable
sight picture, I should move the butstock back about 1/2" - 1", I think
that will do. Just now, it looks like I won't need acheek rest, so not
planning on anything in that line - be easy enough to build one up
later, if I decide on one. I pondered making an adjustable buttstock,
but decided to pass, for now. Can always do it later. Anyway, for a
non-competition rifle, I think it'd be more of a PITA than any real use.
I'm not gonna bed the action, or fine tune the trigger, either. I'll
use a couple of pieces of that nice plywood to make a couple of spacers.
Right now, I don't know what I'm gonna do for a finish. The beech
should take a stain very nicely. But, some of the competion rifles are
finished bright, and some are painted. No, I don't think I'll be
painting it yellow - however, that is open to change, "especially" if
one of the kids wants to borrow it.
I'm taking my time on this. It won't be a competition rifle, and I
don't hunt anymore - so the squirrels can sleep easy - but it should be
a real killer on aluminum cans, and even paper targets, out to 100 yards
or so. It'll be easy to take out the buttplate spacers, if the
grand-dau ever shoots, it, and it'd still be comfortable for an adult.
Basically, life is good.
And, for the Gods' sakes, if any of you decide to post to this
thread, please snip, don't just copy the whole damn thing. If you don't
know how to snip, then learn. Sheesh.
JOAT
Plans? Plans? Don' need no steenkin' plans.
On Tue, 6 Sep 2005 22:58:45 -0400, [email protected] (J T)
wrote:
> And, I still at'nt dead. Heh heh.
>
> I've long had a liking for single-shot rifles.
<<<<<<<<<<< SNIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Was that short enough?
Anyway, playing with gunstocks is a lot of fun, I do a few myself.
After all it's just another hunk of wood 'till you get it chopped
down! Then when you get it fitted to the action and your
shoulder/face, it's a personal POA.
As for single shot .22 rifles, take a look at
http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/caliber22.htm
Some of these are great buys, some are not for the uninitiated (major
rebuilds required).
I've got one of the Kimbers and lucked into one of the 40Xs a few
years ago. Both can group 5 rounds within .10" at 25 yards (with match
ammo, that is).
I do hunt, and squirrels in season are not safe. They're breakfast (or
lunch, or dinner), with fresh made biscuits - YUM.
Have fun, but please, no yellow paint!
Regards.
Wed, Sep 7, 2005, 12:54pm (EDT-1) [email protected]
(Tom=A0Banes) who doth snippeth:
<<<<<<<<<<<=A0SNIP=A0>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Was that short enough? <snip> it's a personal POA. <snip> Some of these
are great buys, some are not for the uninitiated (major rebuilds
required). <snip> I do hunt, and squirrels in season are not safe.
They're breakfast (or lunch, or dinner), with fresh made biscuits - YUM.
Have fun, but please, no yellow paint!
Well, you coulda snipped it a bit shorter, but that'll have to do.
LOL
Ah, someone that understands. The next guy in line might hate what
I'm doing, but I love it - 'cause it's for me.
Yeah, I've seen those rifles before, but out of my present price
range, especially because they all need extras, and/or work. Anyway, I
always figured I would be able to shoot one of those better, if they had
18" barrels, versus 28". Be easy enough to put the front sight out
further if that would be an issue. I believe the Marlin has a 16.5"
barrel; it's not a heavy barrel, but noticebly more than the Savage I
had considered. And, as it turned out, the Marlin is made in the US,
the Savage is not. I've got under $250 invested; all new prices,
including any shipping, for the rifle, sling, sling swivels, scope,
scope mounts, carrying case. plastic wood/wood filler, sandpaper. All
considered, I'm content.
What? No squirrel gravy? Gotta have gravy if you've got biscuits.
I'm saving the yellow for highlights on the case. I'm not big on
paint on wooden stocks, so I doubt I'll paint it. For now, I'm thinking
a tea finish. Then paste wax.
JOAT
Plans? Plans? Don' need no steenkin' plans.
[email protected] (J T) wrote:
> A
>dime roll, wrapped in sandpaper fit the cannel just right. Then used a
>penny roll and sandpaper to finish it off.
>.
>.
>>.
> A roll of quarters should be
>just the right size to send down the top right of the pistol grip, to
>allow the thumb a place to rest.
Are we to understand that you sold your guns to get the cash to make
sanding blocks?
Thu, Sep 8, 2005, 2:29am (EDT+4) [email protected] (Larry=A0Kraus)
Are we to understand that you sold your guns to get the cash to make
sanding blocks?
We are to understand that all my gus were sold long, long, ago, in
order to insure financial responsibility (to pay bills) - including a
nice Savage 440B, very nice '03, as new top-of-the-line Feinwerkebau
(got from a guy just back from Germany, going U.S. price then $750, paid
$100, got $300 when I had to sell), Hi-Wall, Lo-Wall, Ballard,
Martini-Henry .303 carbine, Trap Door, 1911, S&W Russian, Martini-Henry
Bonehill .22 conversionm, several actions, and some others. None
fantastic, but all decent. Took a number of years, sometimes some
serious scrimping, to amass. Ran into difficut times, and they went in
very short order. This rifle pretty much constitutes all the rifle
collection I'm going to be able to amass in my present lifetime.
The quarters are my sons' inheritance.
JOAT
Plans? Plans? Don' need no steenkin' plans.
J T wrote:
> And, for the Gods' sakes, if any of you decide to post to this
> thread, please snip, don't just copy the whole damn thing. If you don't
> know how to snip, then learn. Sheesh.
Relax. I ALWAYS trim my quotations down.
On to the rifle: I assume this is a .22? You doing a lot of work on it to no
real end other than your own satisfaction, which is as good a reason as I can
think of to do it. I've never been one to sweat redoing the finish on a gun
because of what it does to its "collector" status. So what? I'm the onlyone I
have to please with my collection. To that end, I'd rather have things look
good.
Refinish the wood when you get done... don't paint it. I've used those refinish
kits from gun shops on more than one stock and had excellent results.
--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
[email protected]
Wed, Sep 7, 2005, 3:21am (EDT+4) [email protected]
(Mortimer=A0Schnerd,=A0RN) did assert:
Relax. I ALWAYS trim my quotations down. <snip> a .22? You doing a lot
of work on it to no real end other than your own satisfaction, <snip>
Refinish the wood when you get done... don't paint it. <snip>
But, there's ALWAYS a bunch that don't trim.
Yep, .22. Big bores rifles I prefer semi-auto, loved the M-14,
hated the M-16, the M-79 was loads of fun tho. For.22s I prefer bolt
action (single-shot, magazine, tube feed, in that order), pump, or lever
action, in that order.
I'm off collector anything anymore. If I can't use, I'm won't own
it. Altho, I will admit, I have some items in the shop I could probably
get a good price for - but I'm not selling to any damn "collectors" -
but may sell to a "user" one day, if neither of the kids want 'em. I
also found out that a number of books I bought used for $4-5 each are
for sale on the web for about $40-80 each. Some of them are actually
selling at those prices. Amazing.
I'm the only one putting money into this rifle, so mine is the only
opinion that counts; and as far as I'm concerned, it's getting more
valuable.
I'm not sure what finish it'll eventually get, way too soon to
think of that. No "kit" tho, possibly something from Wally World. Maybe
even tea, I'm quite satisfied with my speermints with it, then finish
with Johnson's paste wax maybe. Paint isn't high on the list, but still
an option; I'm sure it would upset someone, a lot. LOL
JOAT
Plans? Plans? Don' need no steenkin' plans.