I just came across this one , and it’s the best I’ve seen in a long time on the ’09 market.

I bought it as a complete rifle with all matching numbers (some collector would be pissed to know what I was doing to it!)

There’s a little discoloration along the woodline (NO PITTTING ) – nothing final polishing won’t take care of, and the ONLY pitting is very shallow on the bottom metal woodline, which will get taken care of when those numbers get welded up.

Overall, she’s a bute of an ’09 – especially by today’s standards - and she won't require a ton of cosmetic work to get to looking good.

So here are the rules… no scope, no surface grinding, and no major magazine modifications for 375-length cartridges. The original charger hump, safety and bolt release stay as is.

Straddle floorplate is on the way to replace the original, and of course the trigger guard will be properly radiused and tapered.

It’ll be open-sighted and probably end up with Case Colored receiver.

Now… what caliber???

9.3 is as small as I want to go… and I’m leaning toward the 10.75…

quote:

The original charger hump, safety and bolt release stay as is.

Definately a personal taste. Me I would want the safety at least changed.

First if your going to use anything close to high pressure round heat treat it. I wouldn't even start until I had that done, I have been down that road before and its saves money in the long run.

My suggestion would be, get a Krieger cut rifling barrel, this would make a sweet 7x57, a 280, 30-06, 338-06, or even a 9.3x62. I would want a cartridge that filled the action so to speak so anything based on a metric 57 or the 06 case is suitable. Caliber would influence the finished rifle, a 257 ROberts I would want a light, reletively short barrel. If I was doing a bigger caliber I would use a heavier barrel profile and add wieght in the stock.

Do you like 270's, 257 Roberts? I made mine into a 30-338, just open up the bolt face and heat treat.

If your dead set on iron sights the heavy calibers, would be a good choice. 338-06, 35 Whelen, 9.3x62 they all would match sights with cartridges.

The world is really your oyster on this so to speak, just about any of these factory rounds will all make a decent gun when your finished.

If your going into a 10.75 thats a 404 Jeffery, not a small amount of work by the time its all done. Definately worth it in the end if you get it all done, but a fair amount of dollars involved to get it done.

416 Taylor...............there I said it.

With a classic action and wanting a big bore, how could you go to anything other than a .404 Jeff.?

Had a .30/06 built on a '09. Great gun.

9.3 x 62

This one is going to be a 10.75X68 someday!!

I want a lite rifle with a big bore.

Mike

ROTR,

Your pic isn't showing, imagestation stinks.

That's strange I can see it!

I don't know what else to do...I guess I need to get involved with another host site.

mike

I can see it.

Weird,

I can't even see it when I do a show picture. Might be my virus software.

Full blown .404 J or a 10.75x68,

by the way photobucket works well.

I like the 404 - actually have a 404 short-chambered barrel in the corner... BUT - I don't want to put "more money that it's worth" into an arg mauser. I haven't built one, but everyone here says that the work that is required for a 404 on a std. mauser is troublesome and costly.

I just don't want to put $1000 into a $250 action to get a 404 that could have been less costly by starting out with a more suitable action.

OK really wierd, now I see the photo just fine, strange.........

Sometimes they take a long time to download off of Imagestation.

New Guy
The need for aftermarket bottom metal and difficulty feeding are reasons that swayed my decision. I want to be able to keep it stock, with a little polishing and blueing and Ray has stated it takes little work on the rails.

I bought 20 pieces of brass from Huntington's to get a visual, it is a definite step up from my Whelen brass.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Ready On The Right:
New Guy
The need for aftermarket bottom metal and difficulty feeding are reasons that swayed my decision. I want to be able to keep it stock, with a little polishing and blueing and Ray has stated it takes little work on the rails.

I bought 20 pieces of brass from Huntington's to get a visual, it is a definite step up from my Whelen brass.

Mike

The bottom metal is the only reason to start out with an '09 - IMO.

I'm starting to lean in the direction of the 10.75x68 too... minimal work to an inexpensive action (that already has good b-metal) is appealing. I want to end up with a nice gun, but don't want to "overbuild for the neighborhood" (been down that road before!)

376 steyr.. period...

there's no reason to booger up that action to get other things to feed in it...

i would send it for heattreat, opne the bolt face to .505, polish the feed ramp, and be hunting for less than what a guy with a 375 hh paid for his bottommetal

358 winchester is a mere rebarrel

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
376 steyr.. period...

there's no reason to booger up that action to get other things to feed in it...

i would send it for heattreat, opne the bolt face to .505, polish the feed ramp, and be hunting for less than what a guy with a 375 hh paid for his bottommetal

358 winchester is a mere rebarrel

jeffe

jeffe - I plan on having the action Case Colored. Would that not be sufficient for re-hardening the action?

If not, who heattreats them and to what specs?

Here is my 1909 DWM. It is in decent shape can't complain. Anyhow it is going to be 7mm Gibbs real soon.

Jeffesso

I've got a .35 Whelen so I don't think the Steyr is that much of an increase to be worth the trouble/cost.

Mike

ROR,
you are probably right, for US hinting. let's see... nominal load for the 35 whelen is 250 at 250...

nominal for the 376 is
260 at 2600 .. yep, not much of a gain

a safe reload for the 376 is 300gr at 2450... same length barrel..

and then again, the 375 will throw a 225 2900 FPS

and the 376 is legal for all dangerous game in africa, the 35 aint...

and I have three 358 winchesters

yet a 376 is a remarkably easy convertion for a 1909... and is a "true" big bore, if you accept either the legalistic approach of "is it legal for african dangerous game" or the modern view that a 375 HH is the minimum "big" bore.. yeah, some poeple call sub 40s "mediums".. and those of us over 1/2" call the 40's mediums..

as I said in my first post, a fella can do a conversion to 376 for about what it would cost for what it would cost for custom bottom metal for just about any longer round, much less the smithin required to get it to feed.

Yes, the 376 stacks correctly in a mauser.... it requires the bolt face to be opened, and a quick bit of work on the ramp/front edge of the rails.

New Guy,
unless it's sold AS hardening, color case is frequently a surface colour, not always a hardening worth talking about.. and, iirc, even when done correctly (Jack and Larry can do this for you), it's a SURFACE hardening.


So, I would have it treated to a consistant hardness.

jeffe

Jeffe - how many 376 styers would the existing magazine hold?

I built mine as a 338-06 Ackley Improved. I would go with a 375-06 Ackley Improved or a 9.3X62 or 9.3X64. If I could do it again I'd build the 375-06 AI but the 338-06 AI is a wonderful cartridge. I just like bullet weight over velocity.

(Before anyone says it, I know I should not be praising 338 caliber cartridges on this thread )

quote:

Originally posted by new_guy:
Jeffe - how many 376 steyrs would the existing magazine hold?

at least 4 down, with a little work, 5. seriously.

jeffe

10.75x68 is my vote - keeps the action intact with minimal mods. Woody at Lothar-Walther has the 10.75x68 Mauser reamer now and can supply barrels with Ray's H&H profile
Jeff P

I went with a 9.3X62 on mine. The original plans were to leave the charger hump alone on mine too. I had second thoughts on that. It's at Michael Scherz right now for a surface grind, custom bases for Talley rings and to fix all wrongs the first gunsmith did.

Terry

TC1 - Looks great!

Share your specs... bbl contour, length, etc...

Who did the bottom metal work?

Looks like a drop-box in the bottom photo - is that another gun or just a funny angle of the photo?

quote:

Originally posted by new_guy:
TC1 - Looks great!

Share your specs... bbl contour, length, etc...

Who did the bottom metal work?

Looks like a drop-box in the bottom photo - is that another gun or just a funny angle of the photo?

Barrel is a Lother Walther Art.720. I think it's the 720, anyway they
sell two prechambered barrels for the M98 and this one is the shorter of the two. it's finished out at 21"

The dropbox bottom metal is made by Ted Blackburn. I have an extra one of these if you're interested.

Terry

I have a M1909 made up into a 9.3x62mm with a PacNor barrel, shoots great! Your action is in much better shape than mine was. If you do go for the "10.75 option" consider the .404 Jeffrey first. I hve a .404 too, anyway, don't try the 10.75x68 unless you are prepared for major hate and discontent over getting cartridge cases. I once disposed of a 10.75x68 Mannlicher because I could find no ammunition for it. (Dumb move by today's markets, but...)
LLS