Any gunsmiths here who have actually worked with the 500 Jeffrey who can tell me why I shouldn't build one on a P-14 action?

I have lathe, skill, reamer, barrel, action, brass and dies oh yeah and time

I Have a p-17 spare that might like one of those also (500 Jeff)

I built one on a '17. I love it... but I wouldn't start with another one to make it agian...

in fact, I would just get a cz in 416, rebarrel to 500a2 or .510 wells (your call) and use the 460 weatherby brass.

(edit) I didn't read all your post... If you have a mill, then you can make it.. just subtract the 400 for gunsmithing below

I shoot LOTS of casts in it. The first stock died at abotu 300 rounds... the second one, with a barrel mounted recoil lug (thanks Rob.. and thanks for not rubbing it in) has already surpassed that.

It's a HUGE gun to shoot, as mine's 10.5, and no brakes or mercury tubes, just fits me well and has a pac f990 triple mag (thanks Dave AND Rob) pad.

Why would I start with a CZ? I did all the work on mine,,, and i couldn't begin to afford to pay someone else to do that, when the CZ is 630 bucks, all day, on gunbroker.

I'll do the cost for ya... assuming you keep the stock (nuttin that a wood rasp won't fix for most people)
630 + 40 shipping and transfer
370 for pac-nor barrel, installed
130 for bluing there
200 for sights
40 for a recoil tube
60 for a barrel band
45 for recoil pad

1500 is bucks...

or start with the p17
100 action
400 gun smithing action and installing barrel
190 for barrel
75 for prechambered (trust me, it's cheaper than the reamer)
400 for a stock
130 for bluing
65 for a trigger
200 for sights
40 for a mercury tube
60 for a barrel band
45 for a recoil pad

1705... and it probably WONT be a slick as the CZ..

give or take on the stock... but you could start with the CZ, and have a model 70 3 pos safety on it for the same price as having the 17 built.

jeffe

[ 09-09-2003, 05:50: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

Jeffe,

Changing to a CZ at this late date is not an option. .

This will be a 500 Jeffrey, have brass dies and reamer.

This P-14 action was started and never finished 10 years ago. The rifle was going to be a .416 Rem Mag. Magazine is already opened for 3.7 in. length. Trigger guard straightened and box replaced with a longer box. Bolt shroud has been replaced with a Winchester style safety. Bolt straightened. Reciever tang safety hole welded and reshaped Rear bridge shaped like a Mauser square bridge.

So you are saying that I will need to put on a second recoil lug. I have done that before on other guns.

What other things do I need to do.

There is a laminated stock out in the shop. Any cautions there?

I was going to steel pillar bed what ever stock I used for the strengthening advantage.

I think this action has a magmum follower in it. Does that matter.

Some of these questions are obvious, I just want to be sure.

Anything special to watch for in feed ramp and rail adjustment?

DD

Jeffeoso ,could be possible to have the dimension of the magazine box for the .500 J .

Thank you

Daniel

Hey Guys,
the largest part of the work on my I did by following Jim Wisner's article. He was kind enough to send it to me. I used the info for the 416 rigby, as my guide, as the 505 gibbs is so huge.

His member number is 12071 and you might ask him how to get a copy.

I'll badly paraphrase on how to get box dim;s.

Take 3 rounds, dummies of course, rubber band them together, measure the widest point at the rear, the narrowest point OF THE BODY AT the shoulder (not on the shoulder or neck) and the OAL of your rounds. add .020 to those, and you should have clearance. (Lemme know if this is close enough, Jim)

Take a good look at a cz in 416 rigby for what the top of the rails should look like, IMHO. Use a 1/4" ball to make your mill cuts inside. 10 to 15 degree angle on the mills, should make your feeding work pretty well.

If I did another one, I would make the angles closer to 30, and make it a single feed on top, with a stacked mag below. Just an observation on the feeding.

next, on opening the rails. I will tell you what I think is the "easy" way... make the rails, on your first cuts, about .010 SMALLER than the case, on a taper (that leaves .005 on each side to dress up). Then mark 1/2 of the way from the rear of the magbox to the front of it (on the feedrails) and DO NOT OPEN THAT PART UNTIL YOU ARE TOTALLY DONE with getting it feeding. This will help revent popups, which are more annoying than porpusing.

On the feeding ramp, make damn sure you sunder stand that the enfield is a 2 lug action, and the feedramp is part of the bottom lug. yes, the bolt helps, but it's essentially a 2 lug action. I'll tell you that you are on your own cutting this back, but the nice thing is you can flatten and widen the ramp pretty easy. Take the barrel off, put the bolt in and watch it very closely. it would be very easy to cut that bottom ram too close. But, the great thing about the 500... it's going to hang up on the top (a 10 second fix) than it will on the bottom. Use woodleighs for your feeding dummies, btw.

On Dieter's brass,(which has a slightly shorter neck than bertram) a woodleigh 535, crimped in the groove, is 3.50 or so, rather than 3.65, which is LOTS easier to work with... really.

I've read several times how to make the follower correct, but winchester, on the new wsm rounds, has got it right. Take a look at one of those. They cut a 1/4" ball cut, on a taper, to make the last round feed correctly. I used a win from a 416 rem, and it feeds fine. I think I can get it to 100% close over the 4th down and feed the 5th one from the mag, with a little more work. BUT, I purposely made the stock taller (deep belly, but cut for model 30 bottom... it's about .300 deeper, and I had to make new screws (.25x30 for what it's worth).

The recoil lug I used 1/2x5/8 o1 toolsteel. I filed and finished it to match the barrel taper, and then soldered it on. You then have to clean it up to leave no gaps, edges, or other "mechicanical locks" to prevent a nightmare when bedding. it would suck to have your action locked in by bedding compound. Make damn sure your lug is square with the barrel...

read lott's article on bedding heavy guns, it's better and clearer than I can posibley be.

2 cross bolts should be considered the minimum

steelbed is your friend on the barrel and action recoil lugs

timney makes whats' called the "a2" trigger. It's about 1/4 longer than even their 6 shot enfield trigger. Send it in, it's free, just takes a couple weeks to get it back.

I had trouble with a 3pos safety that converted it to cock on open. I'll probably keep the safety, and recut the original to work with it. I kinda like cock on close.

The lam stock may work well. I've had a one bad experience with a lam that just came apart at the wrist, on a 257roberts...

I do recommend either a stainless tube 3/8 or a threaded rod in the wrist, with INJECTED steelbed.

on the stock, make damn sure it fits you... a little cast ON and you get a nice zinger in the cheek.

hang on, relax, and there' nuttin in the universe except the trigger, the sights, and the target.

I like the necg front sight, and the adjustable rear, so you can work with many diff loads.

The bolt face can be tricky. cut little, and try it several times... bertram seems to have a smaller rim dia than deiter's. when you open teh bolt, the ON side (left) is where you'll need to adjust your cut. Jim's article is PERFECT on this.

jeffe

[ 09-09-2003, 16:24: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

Hola jeffoso

Thank you very much .

Daniel

The bolt face is the first thing to take care of. Besides the diameter change you also need to cut the recess deeper because of the thicker rim.
I still have some extra thick hook extractors which are also longer in the tail.

The follower I have is set up for my Mauser guards with a 1.010" Width at the rear of the box.
However with the Enfield you can increase the width to 1.080" - 1.090", the same as the Gibbs. The inside of the box needs to match the taper of the cases, so they lay in the magazine level.

I have a detailed article for the 416 Rigby and 505 Gibbs. This covers the changes step by step.
Drop me a email at jwisner@quik.com and give me your address so I can send you a copy.

Jim Wisner

The only way a CZ550 will work for a 500 Jeff is if you make a single stack magazine box. Don't try it otherwise, cause it won't work properly. There is simply not as much room as with a 1917 Enfield with a P-14 bolt.-Rob