Here's the progress to date on my vz24 based .30-06 "Mountain" rifle.

Just got the stock back and had to post a pic.



You may remember the blank (#40) looking like this:



Thanks to those who helped me select it.

I'm very pleased with the stock. I need to make a few more changes then finish it and get it checkered. for one, I had a brain fart about the grip cap and in a moment of weakness said ok to an ebony cap. That's what I get for answering the phone before I had my coffee!!! Will need to either slim the cap down or more likely replace it with a real cap.

About the action:

VZ24 action that I surface ground, recontoured, drilled & tapped, barreled, and welded the bolt handle on. Needs the final polish on all metal work then I'll rust blue it. I still need to fit the straddle floorplate to the 1909 Argentine bottom metal and recontour the bow. but the mag has already been opened up to nicely accomodate the .30-06 cartridge. And, need to decide which bolt shroud & safety to use. I'm leaning toward the Wisner 3 position model 70 style followed closely by the FN left side flag safety. It sports a 25" shilen #1 barrel. Right now it weighs 6.5 lbs. I'm hoping that with the right scope & mounts it will come in at or below 7.5 lbs. I have an NECG masterpiece sight but it looks huge on that thin barrel so I'll most likely use a simple solder on ramp without a band. Maybe the NECG Universal. I'm trying to fabricate a cocking piece peep sight. If all goes well it'll be done in a couple more months just in time for my fall Pig hunt. Heck, I may even get to take it to Texas for deer later this year!!

zlr:

That is a very nice looking rifle. What is that stock pattern? It has alot of drop at the comb. Will it work well enough with a scope or will you use open sights only.


Jordan

Very nice. I'm just finishing an '09 Argentine in 257 Roberts that's darn near identical to yours. How in the heck did you get it to 6.5 lbs? Mine weighs in @ 7, and that's with a 21" #1 contour barrel.

I would say no to a cocking piece peep.

Seems to me there would be way too much wobble and room for error with the peep mounted this way.

What you could do is fabricate a scope base with a flip up peep sight like Redfield did years ago.

-Spencer

Looks really great, z1r.

flaco

awsome looking 06, I love it !!

Very nice!

That blank looks familiar!

Another request for Who did the duplicating and stock pattern?

ZLR

Just out of curiosity, what sort of setup are you using for surface grinding? I would be interested in seeing some close up photos of your metal work out of the stock. Looks pretty nice!

Thanks all.

The stock is a copy of a guild gun stock I got a while back. It shoulders better than any I've ever tried. That rifle was strictly open sights but I fit a scoped receiver in it and had no issues with proper alignment. I suppose I have a long neck? There is also no cheek piece but, though nice, I've personally never viewed them as a "requirement".

Steven,

Thanks for the tips. The grip cap treatment you mentioned is exactly the way it is on the original. You obviously learned well! Excuse my ignorance but what is a back saw??

Yes, I recontoured the rear tang. And you are right, the wrist is still too chunky. Not as slim as the original. Thanks for the tips, they will be put to good use. Yes, this project is coming along fast but then I had to pay for some professional help. I need this one done by fall. You should see how slowly my .338-06 is progressing!! I started inletting it about the same time I sent this stock out and I'm still inletting! One of my better inletting jobs but still needs work.

22WRF,

Sadly, I don't have a surface grinder yet so I use an indexer and my little mill. I follow up by stoning the surfaces. The tops of the ring and bridge come out great. The only area that is difficult is at the bottom of the ring near the transition into the recoil lug. It takes a lot of work to remove the end mill marks there. Still, it does a better than acceptible job, surely not ACGG quality, but straight and true, and within my means. I nearly had a surface grinder a few months ago. Soon enough.

As for the cocking piece sight, it should be more than adequate for the distances that I'd attempt an open sight shot at. Besides, it will give the project more of that custom/nostalgic look I'm after.

The only really unresolved question is what to do about sling swivels? I probably should have decided before hand but, well, you know how it goes. Normally I'd favor a bbl band swivel but not sure about one on this slim barrel. Lately I'm drawn to the fixed swivel rather than QD. Question is where to put the front? On the bbl or the fore end?

Thanks again.

I love it! When will it be ready for me to take delivery?

Terry

z1r-

I think a backsaw is one of those dainty Japanese zen things.

LOL.

I especially liked gnmkr's comments on the grip cap touching the line to the toe. I found a good close-up illustration of this treatment on Bill Soverns' site. It's the Winchester Model 70.

Once again, nice work.

flaco

Backsaws are becoming much more prevalant as people come to realize the fine finish cuts they can make with them. Backsaws use the pull stroke acctually cutting away the wood in fine amounts as opposed to the push stroke of american saws whick tend to break and splinter the wood as they remove stock.

ZLR

Perhaps I can give you a piece of advice that may or may not help you with the little problem you described with the marks left by your mill near the recoil lug.

What you could do is first put one of those bars sold by Brownells in the action and then indicate that bar absolutely true on a lathe. then take the thinnest of cuts (perhaps a half thousandth at a time) from the recoil lug forward. That way you have the bottom of the ring cleaned up with the lathe, and you also have an absolute round surface to work from when you put it on the mill. At least, that is the way I have seen it done by a few gunsmiths that I used to watch every now and then.

A "back saw", as SDH explained, is simply a miter saw sans miter box. There are some Japanese saws that make delicate cuts on the pull stroke, but they are much more expensive than a back saw.

z1r - I am surprised the gun weighs so little. The barrel appears pretty beefy in the chamber area. Nice looking rifle!

z1r, check your PM's.


Okie John

Okie John,

Thanks! Check yours.

Glen71,

You're right the chamber area is thick. The more you build the more you understand why some of the top gunmakers do the things they do, like contouring their own barrels.

Between you and me, the only reason I didn't contour it is because my old lathe takes too long to get dialed in. Overall, I'm pretty pleased thus far. With the tweaks suggested here by others I'll end up with a pretty nice rig!

-Mike

z1r mike , I sent you a pm.

Rick

Rick,

Reply sent.

that aint a bad looking piece of wood, I take it, its #40 of the blanks in the pic

Billy, thanks. Yes, it is #40 which the great folks on this board helped me select! Thanks again all!