1903A3 6.5x55

[704]

finally got the dura Coat on it I built a 1903A3 in 6.5x55 with a Palma light barrel contour

McGowan made the barrel for me boyds stock, devcon steel bedding

I trued the receiver and lapped the lugs.

I polished the chamber after i finished reamed it
I forged the bolt handle

waiting for the timney trigger with side safety

 

[FEENIX]

Dang, that looks sweet!

 

[RT2506]

That is really a nice looking rifle. I picked up a M-96 Mauser Swede 6.5x55 that BUBBA had started hacking on at a gun show a number of years ago. Metal was in great shape and it shot really well so I decided to make a sporting rifle out of it. I left the 29" barrel alone. I cut the bolt handle off and made a new one and welded it on drill and tapped it for Leupold base and used a Bold slide safe trigger set to 2 1/2 lbs. The only stock that I could find for it back then was a cheap plastic Choate (SP?). I have been looking serious about one that Boyds' has that looks like yours.

As for the 1903A3 about 4 years ago I was on my annual deer hunting trip to east NC. I walked into my friends gun shop and I see setting in the corner of his work area two 1903A3 full military dress rifles. They had a little surface rust here and there but otherwise were in perfect shape. Story was that a black fellow that had served during WWII as a truck driver in the Red Ball Express brought them home with him. They were placed in a closet and forgot about. The man died and his son found them while cleaning out the house and brought them in for a trade for a Rem 700 rifle to hunt with. I got these rifles for about half what they were worth and cleaned them up. One was a Remington 2 groove barrel and the other is a Smith Corona. The Remington did not look like it had ever been shot and the SC has seen very little use. They both shoot really accurate with my handloads with the Remington being the most accurate.

 

[704]

I ended up going with a 3x9 Mil/Mil SS scope

 

[hhack]

Could give a little more info on your dura coat job? What color? application technique? Preparation? Are you happy with how it turned out? I have been milling around giving it a try but am not sure.
Thanks,

 

[704]

I mixed flat dark earth and forest green. Prep is lightly sand all metal . Clean with duracoat striper use a cheap airbrush hooked up to my compressed and spray on a few coats. It dries quick I use duracoat on all my rifles now. Holds up well