Improving older military rifles

[David Milisock]

I've been playing with 3 older rifles a pattern 17 Remington that's 102 years old, a 1943 A3 03 Smith Carona both in 30 06 and a 1944 model 96 Mauser in 6.5 by 55.

All these rifles exhibited the ability to produce 1 1/4 to 1 1/2" groups at 100 yards as long as it was 3 shots. However 300 yard groups were just plain awful, 6" plus. The two 30 06s have 3 x 9 Leopold scopes and the Swede has a Bausch and Lomb 3 x 10, older but adequate for 400 yard hunting.

As back burner jobs these projects are fun. It turns out that the problem for all three rifles was stock bedding and a lack of a pressure point for the barrels. A little bedding on the actions and applied pressure near the end of the forearm did the trick. Now the two 30 06s print at about 3" at 300 yards. The Swedish Mauser with its stepped barrel had the best improvement at 2 3/4" groups at 300 yards.

 

[Old Navy]

Sounds you are having fun doing your own thing with a minimal investment.

 

[RegionRat]

I have been impressed by the performance of the old Swedish Mausers that I have run. Impressed enough to be on the hunt for one for myself. These are now very difficult to find in good enough condition to shoot the CMP Games. When they are found in good condition, they shoot as good as most modern match guns.

Like your story, I have had the same experience with Springfields and SMLE No4MkII rigs, where until I worked the stock, the guns didn't perform worth a hoot... but afterward, I was very impressed by what they can do.

I guess I developed a soft spot for "The Wooden Guns" during the CMP Games and started gathering some of my own since all the previous matches I have participated in were with guns that belonged to the clubs or to friends.

We only run 200 yards for most games with these military wooden guns, but there are some like The Vintage Sniper Game that run 300, 600, in timed pair firing. I have managed to shoot clean a 10 shot string at 600 with a Springfield 1903A4 in practice and then didn't get to shoot the matches when they scrubbed for Covid.

Before I fixed the stock tension, the Springfield below was like a shotgun at 600. I figured I had nothing to loose so I took a stab at correcting the stock contact points and setting that nose pressure to 5 - 7 lbs. I took two sighters that were 5 ring at 1 o'clock, cranked in the correction and just shot as if I was going against the clock. This game is shot with a front sandbag from prone with no rear bag. The target is exposed for 20 seconds per shot, so you have to read your wind and shoot.



If you like the old Wooden Guns, give the CMP Games a try, they are a blast.

 

[David Milisock]

Sounds you are having fun doing your own thing with a minimal investment.

You bet I'm having fun. Semi-retirement gives me the time to play and I've spent plenty on accurate custom firearms already, but there's a good time to be had taking a non collector grade older firearm and making it plenty accurate enough for field work.

 

[David Milisock]

I have been impressed by the performance of the old Swedish Mausers that I have run. Impressed enough to be on the hunt for one for myself. These are now very difficult to find in good enough condition to shoot the CMP Games. When they are found in good condition, they shoot as good as most modern match guns.

Like your story, I have had the same experience with Springfields and SMLE No4MkII rigs, where until I worked the stock, the guns didn't perform worth a hoot... but afterward, I was very impressed by what they can do.

I guess I developed a soft spot for "The Wooden Guns" during the CMP Games and started gathering some of my own since all the previous matches I have participated in were with guns that belonged to the clubs or to friends.

We only run 200 yards for most games with these military wooden guns, but there are some like The Vintage Sniper Game that run 300, 600, in timed pair firing. I have managed to shoot clean a 10 shot string at 600 with a Springfield 1903A4 in practice and then didn't get to shoot the matches when they scrubbed for Covid.

Before I fixed the stock tension, the Springfield below was like a shotgun at 600. I figured I had nothing to loose so I took a stab at correcting the stock contact points and setting that nose pressure to 5 - 7 lbs. I took two sighters that were 5 ring at 1 o'clock, cranked in the correction and just shot as if I was going against the clock. This game is shot with a front sandbag from prone with no rear bag. The target is exposed for 20 seconds per shot, so you have to read your wind and shoot.

View attachment 1252575

If you like the old Wooden Guns, give the CMP Games a try, they are a blast.

I used to shoot my Garand at these games quite a bit, loads of fun. The rifles I'm playing with were in my opinion diamonds in the rough when I found them.

The Remington pattern 17 was a butchered sporterized job, bought for $85 and sat in my safe for years waiting on me to slow down my business. I found a used scope for it and now with some bedding, a pressure point and an after market trigger it's a viable field rifle.

Same goes for the Smith Carona 03 A3, a $100 rifle having a stock job done with a hatchet, fixed up with bedding, a pressure point and after market trigger a great field rifle.

The 96 Mauser had the original stock but was certainly only a shooter grade. I got a synthetic stock, after market trigger, decent bedding and a pressure point.

I did similar 15 years ago with a 1944 8 x 57 Mauser but I really lucked out. All the work except tweaking the bedding had been done, after market trigger, stock, aperture sights and milling the magazine follower was all done. I picked it up along with 200 rounds of ammo for $125 I can hit anything I can see at 300 yards with my hand loads. In Pennsylvania shots are more 50 yards than they are 300 so it quickly became my go to rifle.

Not that I've ever fell down a hill on my butt however if I do I'd rather not bang up a $3,000 custom rifle. It's also tons of fun out shooting the kids with a rifle older then their grandparents!