GunLab

Part Two on the Bushmaster Pistol

This is part two on the Bushmaster Pistol with John D. It is not often you have the opportunity to chat with someone as knowledgeable as John is on a topic. Enjoy the video.

Here are a few of the pictures to go along with the video.

Right side view.

Left side view

The safety.

Close up of the Manufacture name

A view of the rear sight

Fluting Press

More progress has been made on the fluting press. We have most of the mechanical components made. I will be starting the hydraulics and digital read out soon.

A couple of views of the fluting machine mounted.

Close up of the tool holder. Still a little work to be done to this

The adjustable mounting chuck.

close up of the location hole and degree angles.

In this segment we are going to discuss rifles that were converted from one caliber to another to allow them to be used by the country that captured them or to convert them for training. I first got interested in this after reading about the Cuban revolution and the weapons that they used.This first segment will deal with the British rifles that were converted from 303 to 7.92×57 by the Turkish military. Two types of British rifles were known to have been converted. They were the Charger loaded Lee-Enfield and the MK3 SMLE. This set of pictures deals with the SMLE.

This rifle was converted at the Ankara arsenal and is marked on the top of the receiver with the Turkish star and cresent and year. The changes the rear sight has been changed to 2000 meters Mauser leaf type. The front bands, cleaning rod nose cap and bayonet boss have been changed to a Mauser type. The Magazine has been converter to a Mauser type and the charging bridge has been re-shaped to use a 7.92×57 type clip. There has also been added a strengthening rib added to the side of the receiver.

This is a picture of the complete rifle.

A close up of the receiver and strengthening rib.

Markings on the receiver

The Mauser type magazine

Mauser type front band,bayonet lug and cleaning rod

Mauser type rear sight.

Weekend update

I am a little late posting this, just did not have time last week.

My friend Mac from Texas was up for about a week so a great deal got accomplished that needed to be dome. Mac is a great welder and fabricator and he was used and abused in that fashion. The first and most important task was the steel shop doors on shop 2. The ball bearing hinges has rusted solid and would no longer operate, in fact two of them had broken off the frame. So new hinges were welded in place.

Both doors have new hinges.

A couple of looks at the inside of the door. The next step is insulating the doors.

Just so you understand, no one sets around here during the weekend. The new clamp racks were milled to size and hung up in the wood shop.

The radial arm saw backing rail was welled up and the support for the bench was completed.

The next step for the back rail is to be powder coated.

And then because there was nothing else to do we disassembled the old lathe and put it in the truck for a scrap run.

The bolts were so rusted that we had to plasma cut them off. Then moving it was fun.

The base and pan are saved for another project.

off to scrap.

Sunday answer 2-8-15

This is the locking device and recoil spring guide for the 7.63×25 Howard Francis carbine. There is only one prototype that is known to have been made in late 1943. It uses a No.1 Mk3. receiver and was converted to a semi-automatic magazine fed carbine.

A black and write photo of the complete rifle.

The rifle and it’s basic component parts.

Close up of the receiver with the bolt installed.

And with out the bolt.

And a quick look at the bolt.

This rifle is on the bucket list to make. So I started by buying a couple of drill purpose rifles.

I then removed the charger clip guide.

And after machining.

More to come on this project. It took a back seat to the VG1-5 project.

It is just to cute not to have one.

What is it Saturday 2-7-15

This is going to be a tough one. IMG_0405s

Shooting the 410 Enfield shotgun

After working non stop for almost two weeks my friend Mac and myself decided to take a break and do a little shooting. I needed to test the 410 Enfield shotgun for accuracy, so off we went with that and 3 other weapons. We had a great time with the little Enfield. The accuracy is what you would expect with a smooth bore gun using ammunition that was made in what looks like in 1960.

The target was shot at 30 yards.

This is after two strings for grouping.Not much difference.

However, I would not want to be hit by one of these slugs. It had not problem going through a 2×4 at all.

And was a danger to close up cans.

It also put a heck of a dent into a 1/4″ steel plate.

I actually had more fun shooting this then the two machine guns that were taken or the sniper rifle.

A quick Gun Lab update

I have to say that I am sorry about the lack of posts. In my defense I must say that my full time business and what actually supports me and Gun Lab has been hectic and very busy. It has been so busy that this is my first lunch break in two weeks. Starting my day at 4:30 am to get out the door and not getting home until 8 or 9 at night has made it tough to write any posts.

Here are a list of up coming posts that I have been working on but not finished:

The range report from the test on the No.1MK3 410 single shot shotgun

The update on the fluting press with pictures

The VG1-5 firing pin and problems associated with making it.

An article on the Haenel single shot 22lr rifle.

The next installment on the bushmaster pistol.

A photo essay on the Holek rifle.

A write up on the Walther 22 semi auto 22lr rifle

A couple of video’s that still need to be edited.

All this and still more like the Winchester self loading rifle, the week end update, Portuguese AR-10 and a few more single shot rifles as well as the Cetme L project and the Gardner gun build by Joe.

I will be taking off next weekend to take a quick trip to work.