Resurrecting an Oldie

Improving and repairing firearms. Rifle bedding, barrel work, stock replacement and other ways to improve your firearms.

Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Stoney » 12 Sep 2018, 8:37 pm

I wish I was your neighbour Homer.
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 15 Sep 2018, 3:00 pm

G'Day Fella's,

If you were Stoney, I'd never get any bloody work done mate. LOL!

I dropped the Beesa action, Old and New barrel, action wrench (with jaws, to match the BSA), etc and instructions, off to Russell the other day.
A coupla weeks, and I should have it back.
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I'll keep you posted.

Avagreatweekendeh!
Homer
Last edited by Homer on 05 Nov 2018, 6:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by bigrich » 26 Sep 2018, 5:51 pm

how's this project going homer ? is it back soon ? i'm curious about how much room to make around a barrel when it's floated. looking at a project myself, i've been refering to your efforts as a reference. cheers
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by marksman » 26 Sep 2018, 6:24 pm

its going to turn out a real treat, I cant stand waiting :drinks:
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 26 Sep 2018, 6:57 pm

G'Day Fella's,

I hope to hear from the Russell the Gunsmith, this week, letting me know the barrel is finished.
I'll then Tig weld the feed ramp in place and then drop it back off with him, to screw it in, and tighten it in place, in the Bessa action.
Once I get the completed barreled action back, I'll abrasive blast it and Cerakote it (either before or after I've finished the barrel channel?).

Here's a couple of images of the forend, masked out in the basic start to the checkering pattern.
Please note, the reprofiled/reshaped, forend tip.
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D'oh!
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 05 Nov 2018, 12:35 pm

G'Day Fella's,

I got the re-barreld action, back from Mr Russell Le Maitre (of "Group Solutions" Ph; 0401 791 986 and groupsolutions@gmail.com ), a few weeks back.
As is normal for Russell, he did a magnificent job of fitting the the replacement/new .223 Rem barrel, to this action.
This job, came with an issue, that is not common these days.
That being, that these old BSA actions, have a factory barrel reinforce/Knox Form of 1.310" (33.3mm) Diameter, at the action.
But these days, most after market barrels, are made from 1.125" Diameter bar stock, so they are a bit under size for these old action.
Not an issue for Russell, as he machined up a larger diameter "Bush", to marry the New to the Old.
Here are a couple of images, of the new barrel in place.
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With the metal work back, I set to fit the barrel to the forend of the rifles stock.
I wanted the barrel to be free floating, forward of the 1 1/4" or 32mm of the barrel reinforce epoxy bedding, normal for these types of action.
I got into it with my wood scraper and then sand paper, wrapped around a piece of 5/8" / 16mm wooden dowel, and after a few Scrap and Try efforts, that was done.
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So now, this is what it looks like.
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When I get a chance, I'll prep and Cerakote all of the metal work.
Once that is done and cured, I'll then epoxy bed the action again, along with the first part of the barrel.

Not far to go now (apart from the Checkering ...................) .

D'oh!
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by marksman » 06 Nov 2018, 8:53 pm

looks a treat :thumbsup:
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Stix » 07 Nov 2018, 7:59 am

I like the timber without the checkering...

Looks nice...!
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 08 Nov 2018, 7:48 am

Wow absolutely beautiful marksmanship and ingenuity at work on this project mate. Well done
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 12 Nov 2018, 12:06 pm

Thanks for your kind comments Fella's.

Regards
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 19 Nov 2018, 12:48 pm

G'Day Fella's,

While I'm in between doing other things, I've been running in the new barrel, on the BSA.
I initially cleaned the barrel and the prepped it with a Moly barrel treatment product, from Brownell's (as per their instructions).
I then fired the first shot of a ladder test, into my bullet trap and then cleaned the barrel........
Here's some images.
The loading block, with the 1/2 grain increasing powder charges (x2 each), and the first shot now fired.
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Here is the bullet trap, next to my loading bench.
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Here is a better view of the bullet trap (250mm Dia, 9.5mm thick steel wall x 1.500mm long steel pipe, filled with "Stuff"......... to stop bullets.
Please note the flexible exhaust hose, connected up to the B/Trap.
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And the rifle in it's MTM cleaning cradle, with some Patch Out, bore solvent up the barrel.
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I do a Ladder Test, and run in the barrel at the same time.
Once I'm aware of what appears to be the Maximum Safe Working Load (MSWL), I then head for the range with some additional loads, around this same powder charge.
If ithe rifle shoots OK and velocities are where they should , I will settle on a powder charge, and then work on bullet seating depth, to get it shooting to it's best.

Hope that helps

D'oh!
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 29 Nov 2018, 7:40 am

G'Day Fella's,

I'm still walking around the checkering job on this rifle............ I'll get there eventually.

In the mean time, I took the rifle out bush on the weekend, bore sighted it and fired some additional single shots (for the barrel run-in).
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D'oh!
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by marksman » 29 Nov 2018, 10:27 am

I have promised myself "I will not build" any more rifle's
only broke the promise since I made it 3 time's
and I'm getting the itch again Homer ;)

she looks really good Homer :thumbsup: :drinks:
“If you do not read the newspapers you are uninformed. If you do read the newspapers you are misinformed”. Mark Twain
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 30 Nov 2018, 8:28 am

G'Day Fella's,

Thanks for your kind comments Marksman.

Mate, if all the bills are paid, there's food in the pantry and cloths and shoes on everbody's back and feet in the family, the worse thing you can say in life is, "Gee I Wish ..............."!

Avagreatweekendeh!
Homer
Last edited by Homer on 01 Dec 2018, 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Member-Deleted » 30 Nov 2018, 9:07 am

Yes Homer and the next worst is oh no that was my last bullet
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 10 Dec 2018, 5:13 am

G'Day Fella's,

With the barrel run in almost complete, I took the rifle to the range for the next stage of this process.
I then shot 5 shots and cleaned the barrel but at the same time chrono'ed the loads and adjusted the scope to get it on target.
Here a few images of this process
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And the target from 50 and 100 meters
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Please remember, I still need to re-bed the action into the stock, so given this, I'm happy with these results.

D'oh!
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Wm.Traynor » 10 Dec 2018, 10:03 am

That lower group looks pretty darn good :thumbsup:
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Re: Resurrecting an Oldie

Post by Homer » 10 Dec 2018, 11:56 am

Thanks for that Wm.Traynor.
That was the first group, @ 50 meters and not to bad for a bore sighted (by eye) scope.

Also, the average velocity for this same load, was 3329 fps, which I'm happy with.

D'oh!
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