I do not build many bolt guns and this one is not really my typical style either but the client wanted a retro American style. Not quite done yet, still a few things to do. Just playing around with the camera right now, better pictures when it is finally done. Charles Lee engraved this one.

A very handsome rifle.

Question. Why a Mauser bolt stop on a Springfield?

A good question really, just a stylistic choice really, no practical reason. I took a few Mauser features and blended them into this rifle. Knowing that the Springfield was really a Mauser design intrigued me and I had seen similar features on other custom rifles such as the "Mauser/Licher" Steve Nelson had built. I also square bridged the action in an Oberndorf style and added a 1909 Argentine bottom metal. The new bottom metal was reduced in height and then cut, bent and welded to match the profile of a Springfield bottom metal allowing me to match a more American classic G&H inspired stock profile.

Nice work.
Mike

I like what you have done with the Springfield very much but I hope you are going to blue the trigger, safety lever & extractor to match everything else.

Very nicely done....will be looking forward to those promised additional pictures when all completed

Dang. That's a lot of work on that action just for grins. handsome rifle though. What scope are you using and any thought of a receiver sight for backup? Oops. Guess not the square bridge eliminates that option.

Actually the sights will never get used. The client shoots only scopes but to my line of thinking a rifle is not complete until it has irons.

Nice gun - subtle, understated, reeking of quality.

30-06, I assume?

yes .30/06, I also reshaped the tang in a Mauser style.
Steve

Steve- I very much enjoy the look of the Mauser bolt release on this rifle. I realize to many this will be regarded as heresy but it looks so much better than the original. How difficult was it to do?

Cary,
The technical aspects of converting the bolt stop were not that hard. Welding on a Springfield action was challenging. I did not weld it myself but used Peter Nagel of Restorative Welding in Oregon, IL. We had some issues in regards to porosity that peter felt were related to the original heat treating of the actions. Eventually the welding came out pretty darn good but it took some determination. I have one more action in progress that is a personal gun. If I were to do another I might look at going about it slightly differently but to be honest, hunting down an original square bridged commercial mauser would most likely make a bunch more sense.
Steve

Been enjoying the pictures, and appreciate the comments Steve. If you do get the chance, it'd be great to see any other pictures you come up with.

Thanks Steve. I have thought about a Mauser bolt stop on a 17 Rem. Enfield; a long term work in progress.

Cary,
You might contact Nick Hughes, he made up a bunch of very nice Enfield bolt stops.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9411043/m/8001098571?r=8001098571#8001098571

Steve,
Thanks for the info. I remember that posting.

Well it is a handsome rifle and I admire the metal work but I just can't warm up to the mauser box on the side and the square bridge messing up the slim lines of the Springfield receiver and Springfields should have a knob on the end of the cocking piece. Having said that it is very well done and if we all liked the same thing life would be rather boring.

Jerry Liles

Very nice rifle that I would be proud to hunt with

What are the legalities in removing the front ring markings? Obviously, the serial number is there, but the rest looks beautifully matted.

If you have a manufactures license like I do you can legally move markings and even reassign serial numbers.

Good to know. I have an 01, but friends with 07's...

Some better photos but as you can see my photography skills need some work.

New photographs, still beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

As usual, a functional piece of art. I like the mauser bolt stop and the removal of the cocking piece. You are very skilled as well as being creative.

Your photography may need a little work but the rest doesn't, and I think the photos are pretty darn nice actually.

Did you do the engraving? I like it very much.

As one who finds the magazine cut-off and cocking knob on an '03 to be a couple of the quirky little endearing qualities of the rifle, I must say I do like this example even without those features. A quality job of work speaks for itself, and this one is well heard!

The engraving was done by Charles Lee before he moved back to the UK. I miss working with him already,
Steve

I can see why. I have no expertise or special abilities to judge but I can see that is done very well.

A silk purse out of a pigs ear.

It is a beautiful rifle but I would never, ever call an'03 Springfield a "pig's ear."

Steve,
Very nice and graceful stock profile that is fitting for a long barrel. Horn fore end, yes?
Dennis

Ebony on this one Dennis. I'm just putting the finishing touches on a Webley single shot I restocked and the fore end tip on that rifle is horn.

Thank you all for the kind comments. I'll see if I can did up some pictures the other '03 I building for myself. It is much farther behind and an entirely different kind of rifle.
Steve

Now both of those interest me. I do want to see what you do with your own '03. The Webley single shot too of course.

Jerry Liles

Jerry,
lots more to do on my gun but this will give you and idea. I converted the bolt stop to a mauser style like on the other rifle. The square bridge on this rifle is the standard height on a Springfield just reshaped some. The rear tang is extended up over the comb, shotgun style trigger guard, lever style hinged floorplate which still needs the lever built, manlichher hinged steel buttplate. I will also built a trap grip cap for it. The front sight is sleeved on in Rigby style and will have a folding hood added. A custom base will be made for the long slide Lyman and the sight will be modified by shorting the screw so the stock will not need to be inlet for the base yet the base will remain the pre-war size. I have a very nice piece of turkish sitting aside for this rifle. lots to do before I think about stocking it. Chambered for 6.5/06 and throated for 160 grain bullets.

That's going to be a very nice rifle. Really like the shotgun trigger guard. Still don't care for the Mauser bolt stop but you do make it look like it belongs. I will be interested in seeing how you do the sight base.

Thanks for sharing.

Jerry Liles

Thanks for showing the projects, and the compare and contrast. I like the proportions overall of your 6.5 project pattern stock. You'll come up with a great package, here's hoping you may tweak the cheek piece a bit. I appreciate the interesting metal work and fine finish.

Steve,
I finished a .404 Jeffery bolt gun last year that mixed features in the overall stock design. This after a short hesitation to stick to the traditional. It has a Henry horn fore end tip, rounded pistol grip and a more classic American look than German or English. In the end I liked the experimentation and since it is a personal gun I am really the only person that needs to be pleased. I do hope, however, that others like it also

Anyway, experiment away. Our custom guns have become a bit stodgy.
Dennis

Jerry,
the sight base design will be based on a 2nd generation base using a coil spring on the plunger rather than the leaf spring used in the 1st generation base. I will then contour the base to fit the stock design and shorten the threaded staff on the rear of the slide. the idea was stolen from the Howe book and further adapted to suite my needs.

Craig,
thanks for the kind words. I have a ton of work to do on the stock before it is ready as a pattern, including some work on the cheek piece whose design I lifted directly from my Alex. Henry rifle. Your just seeing the basic design at this point as I often change gears mid-project. I could take a clue from SDH and spend a bit more time drawing out my projects but I tend to built in a very fluid manner. The first 03 for a client I posted had been originally been planned to have its scope base cut into the square bridge. At the last minute I contacted the client and asked him how he felt about the G&H mount and we decided to go that route.


Dennis,
this one is a bit of a conglomeration of styles. Mostly British influence in the stock and some in the metal as well. Rigby rifles influenced both the short fore arm and the sleeved sight. As mentioned above, AH influence on the cheek piece. Lots to do on this one. I hope to have the metal ready by next summer.

Thanks. I'll have to dig out my copy and read up on it.

I like Springfields and Mausers and I like the classic rifles from the 20's and 30's so much so that I've had Steve Durren build me Springfield in many respects like yours. It has a Lyman 48 and a Jaeger sidemount and is stocked much like a G&H. I intend to use the irons till I have to use the scope. Knowing all the choices that go into such a rifle makes me appreciate the work you have done and are doing on your two old soldiers.

Keep us posted. I really want to see how the sight turns out.

Jerry Liles