........Hopefully this isn't taken as 'Sporterizing' as that wasn't the intent from the git-go. I really apreciate the looks of military surplus rifles, but on the other hand I shoot them too. If they won't do that, and at least with some semblance of accuracy they're not worth much to me.

Now with that said, what I had was a nice looking M38 Turk that had a problem. The nice piece of walnut it was stocked with had a bow and a skew to the left in the forend. The stock would actually 'Pop' when the barrel was removed. I guess I could have sent away for a new stock, but who's to say it wouldn't also have been poorly seasoned or have some other problem?

Since I already owned a nice M38 (Imperial German action), an M88/05/35, and a M38/46 I figured some carbine type deal would be nice, and a possible example of a 'might have been' deal. As it turns out, the Turks DID in fact issue a similar carbine as a M1905. But these had been made from their M93 actions.

Sectioning out the stock was the the way to go. I ordered a carbine handguard from GPC (M94 Swede) as the longer rifle handguard would have looked funky and would have been a mess to try and shorten, as I was going to have a shorter rear sight too.

First up, I cut the barrel to 20". Then I crowned it and turned down the muzzle to take a new front sight band, suitable for a Mannlicher stock. While the barrel was out I turned the step on the barrel back so it would fit the carbine 'look'.


In this photo you can see how much the sight bed had been shortened. The ladder remains at stock length here, and hasn't been shortened yet.

The stock was duffle cut where the rear band would cover it. The forend was shortened a suitable amount and re-attached via headless 3" drywall screws. These were used as dowels and were epoxied into opposing holes drilled into the stock and forend.

With that done, the barreled action with the modified rear sight base was laid back into the wood and the M94 Swede handguard was modified to fit, as below:


Since this thing was to have a Mannlicher type stock I had to fabricate a suitable nosecap for it. I used the original nosecap as a basis by cutting off it's top, MiG welding on 2 protective ears. A front piece with a .600" hole drilled for the barrel was also welded to the nosepiece. No fabrication pictures of that :-)

Since this was a supposedly 'Cavalry' re-creation it needed sling swivels on the left to be carried across the back. I cut the swivel base off the band and rewelded it onto the left side. The band had also been pinned. I had a band spring so inletted the stock for it and welded up the hole in the band. I couldn't see the Turks tossing a perfectly good rear swivel, so that was inletted into the left side of the buttstock:



Essentially everything had been done that needed doing constructionwise and it was time to put it all together. I did indulge in a bit of vanity. While the balance of the metal was left 'as-is' a couple things were done. I fire blued the floorplate:


And did the same to the ejectorbox. The flatspring was beautimus but didn't photograph well:


So here's a couple photos of the assembled piece:


From the rear:


Front:


Hope no one is pissed because of all the pictures. I'm a bit proud of the way it turned out. Shoots a bunch better now too with 9" of barrel removed :-).

...........Buckshot

Two more :-). ALL the Turks with the counterfit one in front:



The counterfit by itself:



.......Buckshot

Very interesting project. While some may decry your use of this "fine" old rifle in this way, it has just increased the value of their unaltered piece by some small measure when they finally sell it. In many ways it reminds me of the shortened No.4 rifles.

You would have been way ahead money (and your time is money) wise if you had just gotten a different stock, but I'm certain you got a lot more fun of the gun doing what you did.

Now, if you'd just turn down that bolt handle...

With regards to stocks, I recently read an interesting article in a shotgunners magazine about bending stocks after wrapping them in linseed oil soaked rags and heating them, allowing for a degree of "springback".

Anyone try this on a rifle stock to bring it back into spec?

Looks good! I'd buy one that looks like that.

WOW...That is an awsome job! I too shoot all my surplus stuff. But so far I've only "cleaned-up" the metal and stripped the stocks. I'm going to try something like this. Sans all of the gunsmithing work. Again, great job.
b

......Hobie, "You would have been way ahead money (and your time is money) wise if you had just gotten a different stock, but I'm certain you got a lot more fun of the gun doing what you did."

Time spent doing what you enjoy is priceless to me. Something like snaking a sewer is a project I gladly pay someone else to do :-)

You are correct in that your time is valuable. It's totally amazing to me how much of their precious life people spend in front of the TV doing the RCA dog stare <VBG>. As far as another stock, as I mentioned, I didn't want to mess with getting another poorly seasoned or stored one.

......False Muzzle, Thank you. Your words are welcome. I showed my wife and she said, "That's nice, did you carry out the trash?" BTW, your handle is interesting. Do you by chance do any long range muzzle loading? Say, to 1000 yards?

........Buckshot

No, I wish I could. I don't have ready access to 1000yds. But I DO love those muzzleloaders. I've only shot few certerfire rifles that match the accuracy I can attain from these guns. I've got a witness...I shot a squirrel in the head from 35yds with one. That was good eat'in. Take care.
b
oh, btw...there are pictures. I'll see if Abenormal will post them.

Buckshot,

Clearly you misread my post. Hell, I agree with you. You might be ahead the $$ but behind the enjoyment factor by hunting up a new stock.

Nobody gets enjoyment out of work anymore. Damn shame.

It is a cool gun. However, I would have had to bent that bolt handle!

.......Hobie, I have plans on bending the bolt handle. Prolly do it one of these rainy afternoons I'm looking forward to in the next several months :-)

........Buckshot

Don't bend the bolt handle. It's a faster ation with that hanle straight out and easy to grab. Instaed, Replace the rear site with a pistol scope and have a ball with your new scout. You did anice job on that CARBINE. Roger

I can shoot 45acp handloads so hot, the primer falls out. And it gets great groups at 100m.

Nice job once again.I do like seeing all the nice work that people are doing out there.I would not call if a "bubba" by any means. Just think in a hundred years some collector is going to just scrach his head tring to figure out what he has.

Jim

Over 100 million Mauser's were made in the 98 pattern. If I don't chop mine up - yours will never be worth anything.

enbloc,
Right, and if I only have few years left, I need to start breaking some eggs.