Skinny stocks, skinny barrels. Open sights, scoped, whatever! I'm most interested in the pre-war German and British styles, but let's see em' all. I've got a 1929 Radom small ring 98az action, and would like some inspiration!

I'll start it off with some poached pics of some rifles that aren't mine. Here are a couple of Daniel Frazier mausers. The top one is Shamelessly scooped from Halowells' archive. It's in 360 Nitro. The seconds is a 303 Brit that is currently for sale at Steve Barnett's. Both rifles have 26" tubes. I must warn you: staring at the forend tips may cause one to develope a serious case of penis envy! (It won't matter if you are female or not )

here is a thin barrel .30-06



A thin barrel 6.5 x 55


Nothing wrong with #1 contours.

Nice Vapo! Other than the color of the wood, it looks like those two rifle match! That's cool!

How about a bare bones 404? At 7 and 1/2 lbs, this one has a 14" LOP and a 25" barrel. It's for sale at Barnett's, as well.

Here's a 11.2x72 Schuler with a skinny stock.

One of these days I'll get this one done, it's a 1908 Brazilian action with a 21" light contour barrel chambered with a .275 Rigby reamer. I have decided to forgo the scope pictured and go with irons until I can't see them any longer.

Build it, Bob! That's gonna turn out sweet!

Jgrabow, that rifle is breathtaking!

This one's pretty skinny. W.R. Pape 256 Mannlicher.



A KS Mountain Rifle in 300 H&H.



A slender little 32 caliber flint lock.



A Charles Daly mini Mauser, Pacnor barrel and MPI stock. 6mmx222

That's one pretty squirrel rifle!

Most of my guns are skinny guns such as the classic English and a few Germanics such as pictured. Some are manlicher, some have schnables and some are short forend English..

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Most of my guns are skinny guns such as the classic English and a few Germanics such as pictured. Some are manlicher, some have schnables and some are short forend English..

To bad we won't get to see them.

Pencil rifles work. This one is my wife's BSA Majestic 308. I haven't weighed it but if it's over 6.5 pounds with a scope and 5 rounds I'd be surprised.

These two are pretty skinny despite their bores and both feel like a wand in your hands.

A Husquarna 46 9.3x57.



This Gustave Gencho 10.75x57 with the full rib doesn't look skinny but it sure handles like it is. There really isn't much meat around that bore. The full rib makes it look bigger.

Kar 98 small ring mauser in a 270Win. Very lean little stock and barrel but very accurate.

Nice rifles everyone

Mart,

I love both of those rifles of yours. They are just type I'd hoped folks would post!

I have one more super skinny one, a Mannlicher Schoenauer 1908, 8x56. I just got it and haven't taken any pictures yet. It's had some hard use but I bought it right. I'll get some pictures of it when I get home from the slope. I think that's it for svelte guns though unless a Winchester 64 counts as a skinny gun.

Mart, the Gustave Gencho 10.75 and your WR Pape 256 are real cool.
I also love the 404 on GI posted by Matt, and the 11.2x72 Schuler posted by Jgrabow6493, nice.

Thanks. There's some great rifles posted here. That Schuler and the 404 are awesome.

That 10.75x57 of mine could be considered a 404 Short.

quote:

Originally posted by Dead Eye:



Kar 98 small ring mauser in a 270Win. Very lean little stock and barrel but very accurate.

Nice rifles everyone

Deadeye:

Nice 270! I want my rifle to basically be a twin of yours, but with a longer barrel, open sights, and a different chambering. The first custom Kar98 I ever saw was a 1917 Erfurt 270 built by Gene Similion. The 270 runs at magnum pressures, and lots of folks are hesitant to go magnum with them for reasons explained here:

http://forums.accuratereloadin...9411043/m/4141038691

However, as that post by Tom Burgess explains, certain ones of them are more capable than a lot of folks think. Based on Mr. Burgess' advice, I'm sticking with the small ring large thread actions he said are strongest, and the Polish Radom and Warszawa's are among them. Here's a scrubbed Polish action, and a Polish Radom action that has a light 06' barrel screwed in it:



Small ring Polish 98 actions are identical to Kars. The one on the left has been scrubbed, and the top of the front ring is about .030" thinner than the Radom. The Radom has a light contour 06' barrel screwed in it, as that's how it came to me. I'll take the barrel off and check the lug seats. I may never use the scrubbed action, as I am scared of its thinness on top of the front ring. I may be wrong to think so, but better safe than sorry. At this point, it looks like I'm going with 9.3x62. To be on the safe side, pressures will be kept standard for that round. One can gain another 100fps by loading up to 06' pressures, but I see no great advantage to that. My rifle will only have open sights anyway.

RWE 8mm 50 yds - 10 shots

RWE, aka, Reichswerke Erfurt commercial sporter. That is sweeeet! RWE and Danzig both made commercial small ring sporters for a couple of years after WWI. I want one!

8mm-06 Ackley Improved. 98/29 barrel turned down and trimmed to 26"




8X57IS 98K barrel turned down. Otherwise as issued.

That 8x57 load is equal, in every way, to the Federal Premium 30-06 load with the 180 grain Nosler Partition. Since it has a wider bullet you could say it's better, in that respect. On top of that, it is almost 300fps faster than the Nosler Custom 200gr Partition factory load. That's one heck of a good load, and one heck of a good shooting rifle!

quote:

Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
That 8x57 load is equal, in every way, to the Federal Premium 30-06 load with the 180 grain Nosler Partition. Since it has a wider bullet you could say it's better, in that respect. On top of that, it is almost 300fps faster than the Nosler Custom 200gr Partition factory load. That's one heck of a good load, and one heck of a good shooting rifle!

Until I started using "high energy" powders, I could not get over 2600 fps with the old standbys and pressure signs were becoming evident.

Either Vv N550 or Alliant RL-17 gave me much better Mv at lower perceived (or predicted) pressure. Both powders will produce nearly identical performance with slightly compressed loads.

Speer 200gr Hotcores also perform equally well and at 2700 fps Mv, are adequate for the task as this mature New York Whitetail found out when he suddenly appeared around a bend on a horse trail. He stopped and froze in his tracks at 100yds quartering on. He gave me just enough time to pivot in my tripod seat and acquire the shot..

Nice!

I love the pencil guns, I like the side panels, full rib intregal barrels, schnable forends and Alex Hendry forends, prince of whales grips, barrel band sights and swivels, Im building a 7x57 as we speak, and it will have such a stock or at least an English stock. schools out on that. I like the 1908 Manlicher Shonaurs (SP ?)
Brno mod. 21 and 22s..

I don't like heavy bulky guns with huge ugly scopes on top of any gun. When I build a stock, I waste a lot of wood!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I love the pencil guns, I like the side panels, full rib intregal barrels, schnable forends and Alex Hendry forends, prince of whales grips, barrel band sights and swivels, Im building a 7x57 as we speak, and it will have such a stock or at least an English stock. schools out on that. I like the 1908 Manlicher Shonaurs (SP ?)
Brno mod. 21 and 22s..

I don't like heavy bulky guns with huge ugly scopes on top of any gun. When I build a stock, I waste a lot of wood!

I have gathered most of the parts for a 7X57 project myself.




I'll be having this barrel slimmed down a bit.. The action is a VZ-500 Yugo similar to the one I built the 8X57 on.






The stock pattern is also simiar to the 8X57.


About all I have accomplished so far is fitting the Neidner buttplate.

Wildcatjunkie:

Get to work! We need to see the finished product

My 8X57 'cigarette' rifle, also an 'az' small ring M98. It has no markings whatsoever and has even been enhanced by Bubba to include white diamond inlays! It is long, slim, and unbelievably light.

Wildcat

This pic is 13 years old. I'm finally moving on it. The stock is from GAG.

My Kohle rifle....a Mauser Type S copy that lost the front few inches of the stock somewhere along the way. Neat, trim, light, but not very long. It is an 8X57. Sorry, could not find a full length photo.








My homemade 9X57. Venezuelan FN action, unknown but very nice European style stock, and a Shaw barrel. I planned to have the bbl turned down to a Mauser Type B contour, but my smith convinced me not to. So far I'm OK with it, the weight is still quite low.



My pride and joy, a 7X57 Brno 22 F. Again, like the Kohle, a bit short. But, light, slick, and thoroughly enjoyable!

Hook, I really like your AZ. Really sexy!

If I got it and it shows, it's not a medium bore but it is a skinny barrel with a skinny stock. It's an FN 98, slimmed ring and drilled out bottom metal. The stock is English Walnut with the prerequisite Schnabel tip and Euro style cheekpiece, Biesen grip and buttplate, Dayton trigger. It was either the first or second rifle that I had CP Donnelly build for me. It's a 257 Ackley and the scope is a 6x Leupold Alaskan.

Drats, I can't get the photo to post.

quote:

Originally posted by ColoradoMatt:
Hook, I really like your AZ. Really sexy!

Yeah Matt, it's pretty cheesy looking with those inlays. Young guy wandered into a gun show and stopped at my table several years ago with it. I told him I'd give him $100 for it if he wasn't able to sell it before leaving. To my surprise, he just handed it to me. I've often wondered if his grandfather or whoever brought it home from Germany was flipping over in his grave when he gave it away like that.

Always thought I'd try to remove the inlays, but they have kinda grown on me....I can get that way sometimes. Can't remember what the actual weight of the thing is, but even scoped it is right at 7 lbs. It handles beautifully!

Double post deleted

quote:

Originally posted by wildcat junkie:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hook:




My homemade 9X57. Venezuelan FN action, unknown but very nice European style stock, and a Shaw barrel. I planned to have the bbl turned down to a Mauser Type B contour, but my smith convinced me not to. So far I'm OK with it, the weight is still quite low.

My gunsmith (Dennis E. Olsen) scoffs at the idea that (properly) reducing the contour of the barrel will somehow impart stresses that will cause erratic accuracy.
He cites that fact that barrel makers bore and rifle blank barrels, then chamber and turn then to various contours.

The sub 1/2 MOA 3-shot group I posted above was shot with an 8X57 military take off barrel that was turned down (by Dennis) but otherwise left as issued.

It will reproduce those size groups with boring regularity.

junkie, I don't think he was concerned about stresses. He actually did turn the first 6 inches or so of the chamber end of the Shaw light sporter contour out of necessity to get it to fit into the very narrow fore end of the donor stock. I think he just leans toward meatier bbls and, since he is a friend and was doing the work more as a favor than a job, I didn't push him on it. He wouldn't charge anything for the work so I had to 'gift' him with an old project rifle to even up things a bit.

BTW, I've added a barrel band with a front sling stud since the above photo was made.

As I said, the balance is very nice even with the heavier contour and I will likely leave it as is. He did tell me he'd turn it on down later if I wanted, so I still have that option.

It does work OK. I use 250 gr Hornady RN and also have cast bullet load I plan to use this Fall. With the Hornady, the 9X57 smacks'em very well:

quote:

Originally posted by Hook:
junkie, I don't think he was concerned about stresses. He actually did turn the first 6 inches or so of the chamber end of the Shaw light sporter contour out of necessity to get it to fit into the very narrow fore end of the donor stock. I think he just leans toward meatier bbls and, since he is a friend and was doing the work more as a favor than a job, I didn't push him on it. He wouldn't charge anything for the work so I had to 'gift' him with an old project rifle to even up things a bit.

BTW, I've added a barrel band with a front sling stud since the above photo was made.

As I said, the balance is very nice even with the heavier contour and I will likely leave it as is. He did tell me he'd turn it on down later if I wanted, so I still have that option.

It does work OK. I use 250 gr Hornady RN and also have cast bullet load I plan to use this Fall. With the Hornady, the 9X57 smacks'em very well:

My 1st experince with turning down a K98 barrel was not good. Harry McGowen chambered it for 8mm-06 A.I. and turned the barrel with a straight taper to remove the "steps". It was very, very thin.

It would walk the POI towards 11:00 with consecutive shots. finally settling into a group of about 2".

When I had Dennis do my second barrel for my 8X57 I calculated a constant radius sweep starting a few inches behind the parallel section at the muzzle. It left t he maximum amount of material that was possible with the steps cleaned up.





My criteria for a hunting rifle is to put 3 shots into 1" or less at 100yds and to carry that MOA accuracy to 300yds or more.

That barrel definitely gets the job done.

The 2nd rendition of the 8mm-06 A.I. pictured in my 1st post above was done on a 29" M98/29 barrel that was likewise turned for maximum material left after trimming to 26" and cleaning up the steps.

Ray, you need to get off dead center and get your pics up. Inquiring eyes want to see yore rifle!

junkie, I would love to have been a fly on the wall watching your smith figure out how to radius that barrel down the way you asked him to..... BTW, nice looking riflegun!

Just as an aside about turning military bbls, a German Mauser expert on the German Rifle Association forum opined that the bbl on my 'cigarette' rifle above was likely a leftover aircraft machine gun bbl. It seems that the Luftwaffe stockpiled thousands of the things in the 30s because of the high replacement rate. Then they went to heavier caliber aircraft guns and many of the stockpiled bbls were left after the war and used for backyard builds like mine. I have no idea what the contour was originally, but mine had to have been shaved down a bunch, because it is THIN! It isn't an MOA shooter though, but does fine for the ranges I want to hunt at with it.