AN AMERIGAN RIFLEMAN REPRINT .L iJ !'l REMODE,LING THE, 0343 Springtietd Complete informatiotl oll rnakin$ 'economy' sporter, deluxe sporter, match rifle, on parts ancl assembly, atrcl rltl drillin$ and tappin$ THE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN is the offi' cial iournal of The National Rifle Association of America (NRA). Its readership is well de- fined and essentially has a strong common bond of interest in firearms, ammunition, their appendages, and their legitimate -use - on the iårget únge, in the huntin-g frelds, and as items to bã acquired, collected, and enjoyed. 5() CENTS Thls rcprlnt le from the August and September 1957 lsauê6 of THE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN (R1)
Transcript
AN AMERIGAN RIFLEMAN REPRINT .LiJ
!'l
REMODE,LING THE,
0343 SpringtietdComplete informatiotl oll rnakin$
'economy' sporter, deluxe sporter, match
rifle, on parts ancl assembly, atrcl rltl drillin$
and tappin$
THE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN is the offi'cial iournal of The National Rifle Associationof America (NRA). Its readership is well de-
fined and essentially has a strong commonbond of interest in firearms, ammunition,their appendages, and their legitimate -use -on the iårget únge, in the huntin-g frelds, andas items to bã acquired, collected, andenjoyed.
5() CENTS
Thls rcprlnt le from the August and September 1957 lsauê6 of THE AMERICAN RIFLEMAN (R1)
(IAth printing)
REA,TODELING THE
O3A3 SPRIl.lGFIETD
/T,"o transfornration of the 190343I Springficld Service rifle into a prac-
tical sporting arm neecl not be costly ifone is prepared to do a portion of thework in the home workshop.
Tìre most econornical sporter colì\/cr-sion involves only the fitting of a goldor ivory bead f¡ónt sight ancl shortcningof the stock assembly. Total cost rvill belcss than $5, including sight and ncces-sary stock finishing materials.
A deltrxe sporter can be built for lessthan $75 exclusive of the original costof the rifle. This estimate inclucles costof rebluing and of drilling ancl tappingthe receiver for metallic sights.
Rebluing best done by gunsmith
The job of polishing ancl rcbluing thebarrclcd action is best hancllecl bv theprofessional gunsmith or rebluing éstab-lishment equipped with the propertanks, chemicals, and knowhorv. It rvillnot pay the indiviclual to purchase suchcquipment unìess it is intendecl to re-blue a great nurnber of guns. None ofthe 'touch-up' bluing preparations is
satisfactory for a major rebluing opera-tion regardless of horv suitablc they maybe for touch-up rvork.
The advancecl amateur guusmith naysave a few dollars on the rebluing jobby doing his orvn polishing ancl actiontunc-up rvork.
The barreled action shoulcl be pol-ished but not bluecl if it is to bc in-stalled in a semi-inìcttccl stock bv thelloure craftsman. Attcnrpts to inlit thcbluccl assernblv alurost all,ays result inmarrirlg the finish, thus the bluing op-eration should be postponed until in-letting is completed.
Inletting of the ba¡relccl actiou priorto polishing rvill result in unsightly gapsbctrveen wood ancl uretal since it isoften nccessary to relnove a consicler-able an.rount of met¿rl fror.r the barrelancl recciver cluring the polishing op-cration.
Sight instollotion
Model 190343 receivcrs are cxtrcrne-ly clifficult to clrill and tap unless care-fulìy annc:rlecl .beforehancl (see page
7).Installation of rear sights ancl scoperlrr¡unts slrould, tllcrcforc, bc cutrustècìto the ¡trofcssion:rl gunsrnith. Installa-tion of front sight blades or raml) as-scmblies is not clifficuìt if propcrpnnches are available.
Chonge in coliber of rifleNlodification of the rifle can invoh,e
rcbarrcìing, rechambcring, or rel>oring,plus neccssary magazinc alterations. Tliefitting of a nc\\/ l>arrel irr a cliffcrcnt
lììost expcusivc pro-of the ì¡arrcl to aclge, such as tìre .35lly prove to ìrc ìcss
expcnsive than a nelv barrel in thatcaliber. A simple rechamì>ering opcra-tion to another .30 caliber cartriclgesuch as the .308 Winchcstcr rvill norr¡-all1, 5. thc lcast cxpcnsivc corllcrsione_r'cn_if sctting back ancl rcthrca<ìing ofthe barrcl is rcquirccl.
On this ancl following pages dreshown trvo ,approaches to s¡iorterizingthe 0343 rifle ancl converting the 03Alto a rnatch rifle.
T1lE ECO]l|O]l,lY SPORTER
The completed 'economy' sporter with excess wood and metal parts remoyed and sporting-type front sight fitted. Rifles costing tentimes as much will prove no more effective in the hunting fields. Barrel is left.full-flôating-oi-can be shi-mmed at forearm tipïittt
wood veneer glued in place to give upward pressure against barrel of from 7 to l0 lbs.
(2)
r Some rifles arrive from the arsenal packed in a heavy pre-I servative grease, in which case a cleaning job mtrst be donebefore proceèding. Other rifles are delivered to the purchaser- in a lightly orled condition
a Scraoe exterior of rifle with dtrll table knife after which2 coarèe burlap or excelsior can be tlsed to wipe ofi balance ofheavy grease. Metal parts can now be .separated from stock
assembly for final cleaning with solvent
¡ Stock is trimmed of excess wood with4 cut ends rounded off with ñne raspand rough finished with abrasive paper
¡ Final stock finish is enhanced if outerC grease-soaked strrface is scraped awaywith cabinet scraper or penknife bladewhetted to razor edge. Scraper is superiorto rasp or abrasive paper for this purposeand lèaves a smooth sttrf ace requiring
little frnish sanding
(3)
TlIE TCO}IOlllY SPORTERCONTINUED
z. With stock scraped clean useg electric hotplate'or gas rangeto drive excess grease to surfacewhere it can be washed off withsolvent-saturated rag. Two tothree applications of heat withsubsequent solv€nt wash willleave stock dry enough to frnishoff with abrasive paper. All sol-vent must be evaporated prior toheating stock. Avoid charring byconstant movement of stock overheat source. With sanding com-pleted, finish stock with linseedoil preparation (C-B Linspeedwas used on this one) rubbed in
by hand
{7z Redfield Sourdough (top) ora height are excellent hunting
Replacement is eftected by
Lyman ivory or gold bead (bottom) in .530"sights for use with military front sight base.driving out and replacing one small pin
T]lT DEl.lJ)(E SPORTER
The completed conversion with Bishop standard finished sporter stock and Jaeger quick-detachable sling swivels. Sling is 1" Boytmilitary type. Rear sisht is Redfield to. *',lu:u'or"ä\Tioo.ì,,1jì.dot!Bi,.,i*J;.ä
*:..*i,$ 40D ramp with hood. Milled trigger guard
1 Completely.inletted and finished sporterI stock by Frank LeFever. Forearm andpistol grip are checkered with steel butt-plate fitted. Such stocks may require minorinletting adjustments due to slight dimen-sional differences in action bodies and
barrel contours
11 Typical semi-inletted sportgr stock by BishopZ comes with attached forearm tip and buttplate.Action inletting is virtually completed with tokenbarrel channel cut. Average amateur will requirefrom 10 to l5 hours to completely inlet and shapeexterior of stock such as this. Inletting operationcan be materially simplified if plastic or fiberglassbedding conrpounds are used. Exterior shaping islargely a matter of rasping and scraping until
desired conformation is obtained
(4)
I
ìú
,t
It-J-___åI
d,r Minimtrm tools reqtlired to inlet bar-J rclc.l uction into semi-inletted stock as
furnished by Bishop, Het'ter', etc. Rasps areusecl to shape stoCk exterior. Gouges andchiscls ut'e iequired for action and barrelinletting. Penlinife is handy for scrapingextcliol of stock and fol inletting of ac-tion. Most stock suppliers ofÏer reasonably--oricccl custom inleitìng setvice with stockðrtcrior left trntotrched lor shaping by pur-
chasel according to his own ideas
r Visso Miller triscel' attachmentÐ in.iãtt.o with oni-y a sclewdriverelinrinates ñrst pr'rll of military trig-ger and in addition permits precìseadjustment of sear engagement to glve
crisp pull
^¿ Milled trigger guard assembly is aCl 'must' for the top-flight 0343 conver-sion. It can be ordered from DCM or ob-tained from various parts suppliers. Orig-inal magazine spring and followel need
not be replaced
6 Williams ramp sporting sightO with detâchable hood is fixedto barrel with 2 screws or is avail-able in 'sweat-on' type for attach-ment by silver soldering. Very neatassembly, mintts usual barrel sleeve
, A wide varietY ofI excellent adjtrstablesporting rear sights PIicedto suit any pocketbook isavailable for the 190343.All require drilling andtapping of 2 mountingholes in right side of re'
ceiver bridge
Lyman 48S Redfield 102-SS
Lyman 57S
Williams FP03-,{3
t
rrr Redfield UtilitY ramp is heldl(l in place by coñcealed lockingscrew béaring against barrel. Baseis similar to that of Service sight
but cleaner in outline
(5)
TllE DEI.ll)(E SPORTERCONTINUED
ll Fitting a _hunting scope to the 190343 involves drilling of severalI I mounting holes in the receiver, fitting of Iow scope safety, and altera-tion of the bolt handle. A variety of excellent mounts is avâilable, includ-ing the Buehler top mount (1.) and the Jaeger side mount (r.). The Jaeeer
morÌnt is quick-detachable to allow use of auxiliary metâllic sights
t 3 i"3lì8'."1"1îå3;bolt th magaziné cut-off i eliminãtes neces-sity for unsightly notch in left side ofsporter stock. Both stamped and milledfollowers can be altered in this manner
1 11 Appearance of action parts is en-I Z hanced if unsightly tool marks areremoved prior to final polishing and blu-ing. Motor-driven hand grinders with em-ely drums or abrasive-filled rubber wheelsare excellent for polishing small parts orreaching areas inaccessible to larger pol-
ishing wheels
1 ¡ Typical quick-detachable sling swivels by Jaeger. Butt swivel is onl'1 left with 2 different forearm rwivels and splii barrel ring to right.They may be obtained with barrel band or with escutcheon for ãttachmlntto fo¡earm only. Swivels for,l/e" or l" slin,g are best for average sporter.
Swivels by other rna.ers are also available
t E ifa.glaee' sporter conversion available from many glnsmiths is ofte¡ quite economical for those not wishing to do own work.a¿ Utility conve,rsion by. Jae-ger shown _here,featu-res a^Bishop stock with Lyman 57 rear and Jaeger ramp fron-t sights. All metalwork is polished and blued and stock is fitted wrth detachablé swivels. Cost, appräximatély g80 '
rt
I,
(rD,
-
(6)
DRILtIilG A]llD TAPPI]I|GThese tips rvill help in mounting receiver sights
on 0343 receivers, some of which are hard
By H. E. MocForlond
I /-l-lHIs information applies to the drillingI and tapping of any hard receiver'
Those who lack proper equipment andexperience should have sighting equip-ment mounted by the professional gun-smith.
Not all Remington or Smith Corona1903,{3 receivers are especially diñcultto drill or tap. Some few will be found,made from WD-2340 nickel steel or WD-4045 molybdenum alloy, carburized onlyto a depth of .003" to .005", with a corehardness of Rockwell C-42 to C-47. Theusual methods will suffice for these sinceonce the surface is broken they drill easily.
The majority represent a problem forthe man who must drill and taP them.Made from tough WD-8620 steel, thesereceivers are carburized to a depth of.009" to .015", The Rockwell hardness is
a glassJike D-62 to D-70. These mtrst bespot-annealed, and unwise choice of themethod or procedure will drive the surfacehardness clear through, to such an extenttbat no subsequent treatment will softenthem. Yet with proper procedure thehardest of these actions may be drilledsuccessfully.
As the term 'spot-annealing' implies, onlythe immediate area arotlnd the Iocation ofthe hole to be drilled is softened. There isntr particular strength reqttirement for thebridge of a receiver, but spreading heat canruin the receiver ring enclosing the lockingshoulders. Spot-annealing sltottkln't tli,çcolorthe steel over an areo greater tltart 5/16",centered on the lo.cation ol the hole lo hedrilled. Locate the holes, then polish thcimmediate area so that color of heatingmay be observed.
The secret of softening these receiverslies in heating them only to a deep bluecolor, then cooling slowly. Do that andthey soften. Heat them red and no subse-quent treatment will soften them enoughto permit drilling. The same informationapplies to drilling the sea¡s for an adjust-ment screw, Use a needle-point tip on theacetylene torch for annealing. Heat theimmediate spot to deep blue, then withdrawthe flame slowly to provide slow cooling.The man lacking such a torch can do anequally good job, at the expense of moreeftort. Tin the location of the hole withsolder, and apply a large drop of solder.Then heat a large soldering copper to redheat. The copper should weigh at least2 lbs. Apply the tip of the copper to thedrop of solder and hold there until it has
cooled to the extent that it can be held inthe hand,
Where a barrel remains in the receiver,one is faced with the necessity of drillingand tapping one blind hole. This can bevery diffictilt in hard steel. In the event oftap breakage, the gunsmith is in for realdifficulty. I save time ancl trouble by re-moving the barrel before drilling.
Hard receivers are drilled easiest with afixture such as the Forster drill jig. Asidefrom locating holes accurately, and pre-venting the drill from 'walking' after theyare located, the long guide bushings of thejig have 2 other aclvantages. They permitconsiderable pressure to be applied to asmall drill with no bending. When usinga jig, one doesn't need to punch the centers.A punch merely glazes and work-hardensthe surface, to make the spot harder todrill. I find that whele I can avoid punch-ing, I can drill many hard receivers with-out annealing.
Many shops, however, lack the jig, soholes must be center punched. No ordinarypunch is good enough so make specialpunches fi'om hard high-speed lathe bits,preferably nsing Rex 95 or Rex AAAsteel. Grind the tip to an included angleof 60" to provide strength, then highlypolish the tip on a sanding drttm. Anygrinder scratches left provide incipientfracture lines, causing the ptrnch to shatterwith the first hard blovr'.
A Carbaloy drill carr be used to drillany of these receivels wíthotrt prior an-nealing. However, they are brittle andcost $6 per drill. I ha¡'derr olclinary carbonsteel drills as a substittlte. Heat the tip tocherry red in the netltlal flame of anacetylene torch, avoíding the oxygen conesince that will burn them. Then qttenchin mercury. This leaves them very harcl.Lubricate the drill with tulpentine, methylsalicylate (synthetic oil of wintergreen),or the very fine drill lubricant "Metalube".
There are alternate methocls of gettingthe hole through the hard carburized skin.One lies in the use of a calbide-tippeddrill, furnished by Alamo Heat TreatingCompany, P. O. Box 7081, Hotìston 8,Tex. This one is rugged ancl very good,but is furnished in a random size and isintended only for penetrating the hardenedsurface. With the surface penetrated, theregular drill should be strbstituted. Finally,a very small stone in a high-speed handgrinder can be used to grind âway the sur-face at the immediate location of the hole.
The regular drill will then finish the job.The final task is that of tapping. There
are 3 requirements.First, a tap must be hard but not brittle.
My greatest success has been with "Green-field" and "Butterfield" taps. I have hadthese continuously make 6x48 threacls inhard steel for periods extending overmonths, while poorer ones didn't tap onehole before the teeth were gone. A tap be-comes much stronger after half has beenbroken off and a new lead ground on theend. I deliberately break them to gainstrength for a tough job. A worn tap can berestored by the use of a tiny stone in a
high-speed hand grinder'. Pass it âlong theflutes to grind a new leading edge on theteeth.
The second requirement is that the tapl¡e held straight at all times, with uniformpressnre applied to it. Any bending willbreak it. It is best to tap through thebtrshings of a drill jig. One can trse a drillpress to good advantage, however. Chuckthe tap and pull the press over by hand.If not chucked too tightly, the tap willslip in the chuck before it will break.
The final requirement is that a properlubricant be used. Ordinary lubricants areworthless, resulting only in ruined tapsand spoiled threads. On an average tappingjob one can tìse lard oil or ordinary kitchenIard. For the meaner tapping jobs, coat thetap with white lead. For the very difficultjobs, a special tap lubricant, ""fap-F'Z".is available from Guncraft Assocíates, 741Copper Basin Rd., Prescott, Ariz.
Finally, it's inevitable that a man willbreak taps in hard receivers. If the barrelhas been removed so that tapping isn'tbeing done in a blind hole, a broken tapis no problem. Grind a very short punch-end on the tip of a hard lathe bit. Keepthe diameter smaller than the minor threaddiameter. Place it against the end of thetap and hit it one smart blow with a
hammer. The tap is so hard that it wilishatter and go on through, with very littledamage to the threads.
A broken tap in a blind hole is a veryreal problem. One can use cleaning solventto remove the oil or grease from it, thenapply a drop of nitric acid. The acid willwork faster on the hard tap than on thesofter steel around it. After a brief periodof acid etching, the broken tap stub is
usually loosened to the extent that it canbe shaken or punched out.
It
(7)
I
The 0 343
Springfield I To remove bolt assembly cock lifle andI then turn safcty lock 1ì0) until rht¡mb-piece is vertical. Rolatc cr¡t-of[ (41) tocenter notch position and prrll bolt assem-
bly to rcilr ¿rncl out of l'eceiver'PARTS AND ASSEMBLY
By E. J. Hoffschmidt
t0
{It
t{
2t
t9
25
/26
{l
35
\ \
4l To remove firing pin mechanism fromL bolt depress boli sleeve lock (22) wi!þthumbnail
I fþç 'makings' for a top-flight match rifle. Stamped trigger guard has been replacedr with milled assembly. Semi-inletted target stock of Huichings design is from Roths-child. Qtock bushing and butt swivel were ñmoved from selvicë stockl Lyman 'o' rearand'E'front dovetail bases are required if rifle is to be used with target ielescope sight
t Reclfield 70 SST micrometer aperrureL rear sight and similar t-ymán 48Srear sight are excellent on the.30-'06match rifle. V/indage and elevation adjust-ments are in 7¿ minutes with andibleclicks. Sìghts should be ordered with long
slides for 1000-yd. shooting
E Trigger guard should be in-¿ letted first so guard or stock-maker's screws can be used duringsubsequent inletting of barreled ac-tion. If procednre is reversed,guard screws are likely to be out of
line with receiver holes
By M. D. Woite, NRA Technicqt sroff
A s shown here 95Vo inletted.rv inletted receiver edges will liejust tock to allow for final raspingand ockmakers prefer to separatebar¡el from receiver so receiver can be inletted first,
which greatly simplifies inletting task
'l-hc ach'ancccl auratcur gunsnrith uraysave ¿ì fc\\/ cìollars on thc Lcbluing jobby doing his own polisìring ancl actior.ltunc-np rvork.
Thc fitting ancl shaping of :l corlrnc¡-ciaì senri-inlcttecl stock rvill not provea cìifficult task for the careful worknran.
CI{OICE OII S'I'OCK
A conrparatively straight stock rviththick high corrb, full pistol grip, bLoadand cìcep shotgun-type butt, ancl gen-crouslv proportionecì f ore ¿rrr.l.l is be stsuitecl for the .30-'06 match rifle. Thissaure stock design will aìso prove quites¿rtisfactorv fo¡ use on the tcìescope-sightecl varnrint rifle of âny câliber.
-
Stock straightncss insures nea¡straightJine cìeliverv of recoil to thesìrouìcìer, at the saurc tinre n-rininrizing
7 Stockmaker's hanclt screws from Herler'sare good investment.They save wear and tearon guard screws and per'-mit precise application of
bedding pressure
ntlzzle jnnrp. lìacial clisconfort isthereby rccìucecì sincc tìre conrb is nottìrrust uprvarcl so sharpìy âgâinst tlìcshoote r's jarv. A thick comb ca¡ricclrvell forrvarcl ou the buttstock also cn-hances shooting cor.lrfort. (A thin corrlrchops ir.rto the face in recoil and is ìikc-lv to inclucc ffinching.) Another ach,¿rn-
tage of the straight higìr conrb stock isthat the shooter's eve f¿rlls ulore natrr-rallv into ìine u,itìr lretallic or scopcsigtits than vvith the low cornb stock.-
The shotgun butt distributes recoileffect over â greater area of the shouldcrthai cloes the narrower ancl shallorversporting rifle butt. It is also bettcrsuitecl for sustairlecl-fire conrpetitionsince it is not ¡rrone to slip or jurr.rp outof position on the shouìcìer u,hen thc
(Text contiruted on page 12)
A Match Rifle from the 0343¡r.r cxcclìcrrt .30-'06 nratch riflc, suit-
,f\ abìe for usc irr NRA high porvercornpctitior.r, cau bc buiìt at mocìcr¿rtecost frour the 190343 Springfieìcl. Thebasic cönvcrsion involves fitting a târgetstock ancl acljustable target sights. Pol-ishing ancl rebluing of the barrelecl ac-tion will enìrancc the appearance of tlrerifle but nay be consiclerecl an optioualexPense.
Iritting of the sights ancl sco¡re blocksis best left to the skilled gunsmithcc¡uippecl with neccss¿rry jigs ancl fix-tnrcs. Likcwise , salt bath rcbluingshould not ì>e attemptecl in the hor.nervorkshop since costcquipment to insure a
scve¡al times grcaterfor poìishing ancl reblaction,
(r0)
2 Lyman t7 AXNAr, globe front sightand similar Redfield 66globe sight feature sev-eral interchangeableaperture and post in-serts for different rangesand types of targets.Lyman can furnishfront sight base withdovetail cut for use
with these sights
A, Mershon "No Slip" rubber buttplate (1.) orT Winchester Marksman checkered steel butt-plate are very satisfactory for use on target stocks,Similar buttplates can be obtained from other arms
manufacturers or gunsmiths
9 Winchester Model 70 forearmbase features stop which can be
adjustmentadjusted to
several locations, Swivel arrangement providesclearance for gloved hand. Similar forearm ad-justment bases are obtainable from Remington.These parts are best ordered thlough a gunsmith
to i,m;i 'å:1'å,f'Tshould be inletted beforelìnal sanding of stock. Clampbase to stock and use it asjig when drilling sc¡'ew holes.Escutcheon holes drilledthrough top of forearmshould be deep enough toprevent cscutcheons from
contacting barrel
O Curvcd metal butt-I plates are installedby rasping end of stockto good fit. Markingcolor impression indi-cates wood which mustbe rasped away. Screwholes should be drilledfirst so that screws can beused to accurately posi-tion and guide plate dur-ing fitting. Flat rubberplates should be attachedwith watelproof glue inaddition to regular
mounting screws
ll To avoid unsightly sags andI I bellics on buttstock and fore-arm it is best to true up straightline surfaces with medium-grit ab-rasive paper backed by long block
lâ Straishtedse should be used to check forearm and buttstockI Z surfaões tiuring lasping and suncting operations. Amateurstocknrakers can turn out þrofcssional quality work by stlch atten-
tion to all cletails
13 ig? îtpetitions callAny Rifle, ovisions of RtlHigh Power Rifle Rules. Can also be usedas
-all-around hunting rifle if fitted withhunting scope sight or sporting bead frontsight. Rifle shown weighs l0 lbs. with sling
t ¡| Top view of match rifle. BeautifullyIt tapered barrel of this Sririth-Corona-made 0343 was left unpolished. Dull mattefinish of balrel contrasts well with highlypolished receiver after rebluing and al-most eliminates light reflection problemencountered with highly polished barrels
lE Bottom view of match rifle, WideI lJ beavertail forealm with nearly flatbottom and full close pistol grip are com-mendable features of this stock design. Ifdesired, wood may be left full through
receiver area to strengthen stock
(n)
bolt is worked rapidlyA l¡road foreann is iesirable since it
will prove less cramping to the lefthand during long matches thau a nar-
positions ancl recoils most uniformly onthe sandbag rest f¡om shot to shot.
It rvill be notecl that this stock ispatterned quite closelv after the excel-lent 'Ma¡ksrnan' stoci< on 'Winchester
Model 52 and 70 target rifles.Semi-inletted target rifle stocks of
this general pattern are available from
Grain shoulcl be straight through thepistol grip and forcarm and prcferablythrough the cntire stock. A siock rvith¡>ronounced figurc or burl is urore likeìyto rvarp than one t,ith uniform, if un-attractive, straight grain.
action is to true up lcry carefully therear face of thc recoil lug nrortise-rviththe flat chisel. N,Iost semi-inletted stocksrequire little if an1, çett..,'on of thiscritical surf:rce, so the initial truing-upoperation rvill involve little more thanremoval of excess wood from corners ofrecess. Forrvard face of this mortiseshould be cut away to allorv unobstruct-ed entrance of the entire receiver recoil
is now set on the stock and an attemptmade to engage the guard sc¡ew in the¡ecciver. The guard screl must be ab-soìutcly squarc rvith thc grrard tang<luring this opcration. Normallv one cañ'catcli' one or ttvo threads which will
the screw rvill engagc. Ordinarily, verylittlc if anv s'ood rvill have to-be ré-movccl f¡om the rcar face of the ¡ecoilmortise once it haup. When obtainision it is often poceiver tar.rg rviththat the barrelecl action lies parallelg,ith the stock.
\\/ith thc barrclccl action squarclv inplacc, the outlinc of the barrcl'can nowìre cl¡arvn or cutforearnr. Use a pancl toe the poinsultant outline isthe barrcl. The bar¡el channel can nowbe roughecl out u,ith the curvecl chisel.\\¡ith this o¡>eration con.rpletecì coat theìrottor.n of thc barrcl ar.ld rcccivcr sur-
ortant that the bar-remain parallel rviththe entire inletting
_ T'he inletting is not corn¡tlete untilthe bottom flat of the ¡eceivér is in fullcontact with the stock. The bottomsurface of the recciver tang must alsobe in full contact. The barrel can beeither full-floated so that it docs nottouch the fo¡earm channel, or ¡elievedto rvithin trvo inchcs of the forcann tio.A pullaway pressure of seven to tËn
pounds between bar¡el and forearm isrecommended at this bearing point.This final bedding adjustmen[ sftoutdnot be made until the barreled actionhas remained in the stock for severaldays, as most new stocks are inclinedto rvarp a trifle rvhen first subjected toguard screw pressure,
EXTERIOR SHAPINC OF STOCK
Cabinet rasps, rattail files, and a
good glue in aclclition to screlvs. When
It is best to inlet the forearm assem-
Þly qn4 butt swivel after the scrapingbut before final sandins. These óartishould be inletted a hair"below thd sur-face so tley will lie flush rvhen sandingis cor.npleted. Clearance ctrts for rearsight base and slide should also be madeat th_is time. Fìtting of forearm plateancl l¡utt swivel is simplified if screwholes are drillecl first. The screws canthen be usecl to guide and draw theparts into their mortises as inlettingprogrcsses. Marking color applied tóthese parts indicatel wood thai'must becut away.
- The rear guarcl screw stock bushingshould be taken from the Service stoc[aud installed in the new stoek. Selectd¡ill of such size that bushing will fitsnugly. Note that rcar guard. sirew liesat a slight angle to the receiverl
The stock shoulcl be sanded dead
Th stock ñn-ishes t as goodas an oil finishon a varnish scaling coat is especiallydesirable since slight"rnars and aúrasion'sare easily rcpaired by hand rubbingwith oil. Varnish ancl lacquer finisheiare not so easily repairecl but are betterrvaterproofing agents. Regardless of theextc¡ior finish usccl, it is advisable tocoat all interior inletting cuts with sev-eral coats of good varnish or lacquer asa lneâsure of protection against mois-ture and resultant warpage.-r
INLI]TTING THII STOCK
Only a ferv sinlple tooìs are rcquircdto inlct thc barrclccl action asscnlblvinto a t¡'pical scmi-inlcttccl stock. Thäcareful workman can cor-n¡tlcte the cn-tire job with a r/z-inch bent curvedchisel, 7+-inch flat chisel, ancl sharppenknife. Dark blue or lampblack tini-ing colors arc obtainable in cconon.ricaltul¡e fo¡m frorn any paint or harclrvarestore. This is usccì to rla¡k the higlrspots which must be cut alvay cluringthe inlctting.
using hand pressure only, until it bincls.It is thcn rèrnovccl anci points of con-tact, as shorvn by transfci of the mark-
lrove any rvoocl frorn the bottoms oftang recesses unless absolutely neces-sarv. When propcrly inlcttcd the guardrvill lie a little belorv thc ecìge oÍ thernortise.
