Recently, I picked up my winter project, a used commercial FN Mauser barrelled action.

The stock had been converted to a youth model i.e. 12" pull- too short for me even so it was a write off but the barrel and the action seem little used aside from the same fool removing the sweated front sight and cutting/"recrowning" the barrel.

I'm going to attempt a resurrection.

Question: The barrel has 3 consecutive evenly spaced drilled and tapped holes in the first step of the step barrel nearest to the reciever. Are these factory? Any idea if a rear sight was made to fit these holes?

And, the receiver is drilled and tapped for one hole on the rear receiver ring which I would like to fill and then redrill the action for bases of my liking (Warne or Talley, maybe Leupold depending one how well things go on the cleanup...)

What is the best way you have found to permenently fill unwanted screw holes in a restoration?

About all you can do is fill the holess with a plug screw and polish it off...

Never put high heat, say over 400 degrees of heat on a barrel as you will get soft spots and never, I mean never heat that front receiver ring unless you intend to re-harden the action..

Based on that you'd be better off selling it, least you end up with grandads ole axe, its had two new handles and three new heads but its still grandads axe

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I assumed you had holes in the front ring, but apparantly on a re-read you do not which indicates the gun had a varmint scope or target scope on it and the the bases on the barrel, that sheds a different light.

Find a rear sight base that will cover the holes, try N.E. Arms or use a quarter rib or barrel band...tig up the holes on the rear ring, tap and mount a scope in QD Talleys, mount a barrel band front sight..

that should make a very nice rifle indeed.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

You've practically read my mind on the design of the rifle... pretty scary.

I figured it had some weird mount for a Unertl or the like... before my time...

What about HiForce solder and a propane torch to mount a barrel band sling swivel or the barrel band ramp? Too hot?

This one should clean up better than a military Mauser but it might take just as much work...

DeBee

Why mess with solder? I've heard that acraglass gel holds just as well, especially if you will be screwing it on too. I'm glassing sights and barrel bands on a 416.

Actually, the way I solder (and probably the same with many other garage gunsmiths) the acraglass would be much stronger!

As for the rear bridge, if you're putting another scope base over it, I would just epoxy a plug screw in and file it flush. Don't forget to check that it doesn't project into the bolt rib recess before the epoxy sets (I know, you would have thought of it, but I do things like that all the time).

Todd

[This message has been edited by Todd Getzen (edited 12-17-2001).]

Hi force solder is fine for mounting sights and is my choice...

Personally I would never use glass on blued metal or smooth metal, I know people that do and its a short cut and like most short cuts in the gunsmithing business its second rate way to go, I'll call it a jury rig to be polite..the glass will come loose sooner of later and it won't match the blue.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

To plug screw holes invisibly you are better off to drill them out to remove the threads then put in tight fitting plugs and polish down. Using plug screws frequently leaves a bit of a gap on a portion of the threads. Regards, Bill

Check to see if the holes will fit a base of your liking. Maybe you won't need to fill them

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LSF/375

DeBee,

I used to work at a Tucson gunshop in the parts/gunsmithing dept. The way I have seen and delt with unwanted AND THREADED holes is to take a soft, mild steel nail, cut a section a half inch longer than the hole is deep, and swage it into the hole with repeated LIGHT hammer taps. File off excess and polish with emery cloth to similar original finish. A fresh blueing should hide the repair completely. If you have already drilled out the threads, so sorry. This method works so well I'd probably re-tap the hole and use a bigger nail.

Reguards,

-Catter

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Shoot the largest caliber you can shoot well, and and practice , practice, practice.

I've plugged the hole that is under the removed rear sight of a mauser barrel similar to the way Bill and Catter described. I wouldn't thread the hole because it will be difficult to expand the metal into the bottom of the threads, thus leaving minute voids. Make a soft steel plug that is close to the hole diameter and sticking out about 1/16 to 1/8". Tap it till it expands like a rivet. Dress off with a file and polish and blue. Completely invisible.

Hart

Forster sells a set of screws that, I believe, includes a healthy dose of filler screws. Use these and you'll still be able to utilize those holes someday down the road if the need arises. Check 'em out at:

http://www.forsterproducts.com/Pages/screws_standard.htm

RSY