Guys,

Have a couple of three rifles built on M98 actions ... commercial FN, Mark X, Santa Barbara, VZ.24, and 1909 Argie.

Am reasonably able with tools and am patient with hand work (am a knife maker). Have a decently appointed shop with a lathe and DRO'd mill. Thinking about what nice to do to/with the rifles. Have made custom scope mounts for most of them. All have good triggers. Almost all of them already have FN left side safeties (which I like). Going to learn to rust blue.

Looking at the Ottmar rifle, doing some work on the bottom metal makes a considerable difference in the way they look and feel.

What is usually done to make bottom metal pretty?

Cut it off and install a shotgun loop.

Find an old copy of Jim Carmichels book, he's got a few chapters on re contouring a 98 guard, installing a shotgun style guard and converting a dropout FP to hinged type.

Do it yourself Gunsmithing.

One of the easier ways to really chang the looks os to contour the bow with an 1-1/4" ball mill tipped and 7 or so degress.
Don


Or a nice lever release, here's a new flooplate and lever I just did for a friends 22-250.

When the trigger guard is narrowed, it gets a taper, so it is wider in the front, and narrower in the back.

A hinged floorplate is a classy and simple touch. On latches, the lever is the classic but I personally don't care for them. Personal habits mostly, that's where my hand seems to gravitate when carrying. I much prefer a push-button type latch similar as found on Win. M70's. This too is a simple modification if using the existing bottom metal and guard bow.

Very basicly you drill a small hole on an angle all the way through from the front center of the bow emerging just ahead of the trigger slot. A small block MAY need to be added to provide enough depth. Enlarge the hole part way (from the front). Make a plunger (latch / button) with major and minor diameters to match the hole sizes. A spring goes over the "tail" of the plunger and a cross pin is fitted to keep it all in place. PM me if you'd like more detailed explaination.
Cheers!

A 1909 style release isn't hard to do either with a mill. Here's a couple I've done.
-Don

Looks like you left the sides of the trigger guard flat on this one ... is that considered desirable on an Argie? (I have one that has to be cleaned up and blued.)

You can narrow and round the TG at the rear with a hand file:



I did this one on a Greek MS:

quote:

Originally posted by mstarling:
Looks like you left the sides of the trigger guard flat on this one ... is that considered desirable on an Argie? (I have one that has to be cleaned up and blued.)

I don't think so, but a customer gets what he wants, he's paying right?
-Don

Another thing that you can do is cut the existing triggerguard off and weld a new triggerguard onto the magazine box, and then add a straddle floorplate.

Here is a photo of one as sold by Blackburn.