I am wanting to undertake the making of a trigger guard bow floorplate release This is on a M24/47 action. does anyone know of a drawing/plan for making one? I used a lever release on the 93 that I am currently working on but would like to try going the other way on this one.
I have looked in all the books I have but nothing so far.

The ones I have seen for the 1909 guards pretty much follow the contour of the guard itself. so if you laid the guard down on a piece of paper and traced the outside and inside of the guard you would pretty much have a starting point for the shape, although you would have to pencil in the button it you wanted that.

On the normal 98 guards that I have seen reworked, you have to either add metal or cut that portion of the guard out and reweld a thicker piece in so that you can fashion a release in the guard. (In other words change it to operate like a 1909 Argentine guard). Best thing to do would be to get ahold of a 1909 argentine guard or an older Mark X guard and look at it and go from there.

"Gunsmithing" by Dunlap has drawings of several different rawings shwoing ways to do this. I would advise looking in old texts like that if you want to read about it. Back then labor was cheap and aftermarket parts were not available, so they had to make everything by hand. I am thinking "The Modern Gunsmith" by Howe has something about hinging floorplates in it. Even if it does not, I heartily reccomend getting the book (well tachnically books, as it is a 2 volume set) if you plan on doing gunwork. Howe's books are wonderful. Well, I really like Dunlap's too.

I thought someone (a trinidad dude) sold hinges that are silvered in place. Not sure about the lever side.

Rich

Check out Mauser Central forum. Under the tips and how to's is an article on making hinged floorplates out of the standard issue trigger guards.

Joe25/06
Thats what I was looking for,
I used the lever on the 93 I am just finishing up, did it a little different than they did but it worked out ok
http://www.mausercentral.com/howtotips.htm This is the web site if anybody is interested.
Marc
I do have Dunlaps book don't know why I didn't look in it before, now I have both references I start making metal chips.

Don Markey, who posts at MC and here had a photo tutorial.