An 'Artillery' Nambu and Lahti

[DonVoigt]

Rich,
All good and true points.
Just a couple ideas.
-you can mill a common piano hinge to make it more narrow, you have the machine! And you will have to mill relief for the hinge to fit flat.
-the home supply stores around here have very nice oak boards in all sizes- and well cured.
-look for an old hardwood table leaf, at a yard sale or where ever

I've not yet found a latch that didn't look "chintzy", still looking.

[KABAR2]

I want to compliment you on your machine work, very well done! I'm surprised you weren't temped to either slot or add a stock lug to the Nambu ..... of course you realize in 50 years when this information is all forgotten these will be on the Rock Island site as rare prototype pistols....

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by KABAR2

I want to compliment you on your machine work, very well done!

It's not about garnishing applause. It's about showing what can be done on a budget by a moron with a milling machine. A cheap-ass Chinese piece of sh*t actually. (The mill...not the moron)...

I'm trying to motivate others to roll their own.

I'm surprised you weren't temped to either slot or add a stock lug to the Nambu ...

One model of the Nambu (not the Type 14) used a Mauser-like stock-holster with a telescoping attachment. But the backstrap on the Type 14 is too thin (~.165") to mill a slot like the C96 has. Something could be brazed or welded on but that would destroy the profile and be even more uncomfortable to handle and shoot. So I ditched that idea.

But a Walther P38 could have a backstrap made that would hold the mainspring & guide and have a straight slot. Martz did exactly that with his P38 carbine conversions. I may try that, sometime in the future.

I have about a dozen unfinished projects sitting on my shelves, waiting for stock, or tooling, or just plain money. The Nambu can sit for a while...Maybe years...

BTW, I would be remiss if I did not credit Charles Danner with the refinishing of both of these handguns. Charles draw files, sands, and re-cuts any lettering/numbers as well as any logos that may be diminished by the metal removal. He then rust blues and straws the parts. Great job(s)!

[spangy]

Truly inspirational and a joy to peruse .... Thank You sheepherder.

Beautiful work

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by spangy

truly inspirational and a joy to peruse .... Thank you sheepherder.

Beautiful work

... ...

[sheepherder]

I'm using the rotary indexing head now. Cutting the front sight base, cutting the rear sight base major diameter. Very tedious work. 4º cut at a time. (One rev of the indexing crank).

I'm not happy having to set the indexing head & chuck on one end of the barrel and do my cutting at the other end. But there's no room behind the work table, and the indexing head only has right-hand crank.

[sheepherder]

Here's a sneak preview for all you lurkers...

Fresh out of the indexing head...No front sight blade yet; still mulling that over...have to check with Tom Heller on a blade...

I may narrow the rear sight base 'floor' as well...And chop about 3/32" off the muzzle...

But essentially, it's all roughed out!

Second pic is the barrel + sight mounted on the frame but one turn less than torqued...

I have a 'round' trigger guard coming, as well as another receiver; I'll take a pic with the round TG just for S&G...

[sheepherder]

Here I'm cutting the muzzle back 3/32", crowning, facing, and chamfering. Then it's on to the barrel vise. I had to stop and make a different vise insert, with a tapered hole, and modify my previous vise insert by milling 1 1/4" flats on the sides to fit the receiver. I put a 'notch' on the Nambu receiver to facilitate alignment. Finally, looking at the mounted barrel.

Still mulling over milling 'flutes' on the sides of the rear sight base. Front sight base has to be milled down .050" for the front sight blade, and a dovetail cut.

[sheepherder]

The parts I need to finish the Luger rear sight and the barrel front sight blade for the Nambu are not available (to me), so I need to make my own...

In the meantime, I decided to resurrect an old 9mm barrel blank that I tried to make into a 6" barrel some thirty years ago...That's it in the pic, third one down...I needed to re-cut the front sight band with the rotary indexing head before I took the head off the mill...Bottom of the four barrels is the finished re-profiled 6" barrel, ready to go...I copied Ithacaartist's custom 6" barrel...

Second pic is cutting the feed ramp on that barrel...It is already chambered and extractor notch cut...

I'll start on milling a front sight blade for the Nambu next...

[sheepherder]

I had an eBay vendor renege on a sale, so I had to hunt down some parts I need elsewhere...I'm waiting for parts from three eBay/GB vendors, a Brownell's order, a Numrich order, and a Travers tooling order. Backorders galore!

I managed to get the front sight dovetail cut, and milled the 'scallops' for the rear sight. Not quite like the Luger artillery, but 'good enough'...

Next I need to drill out the Luger rear sight blade & base for an inch pin (no Metric available) and drill a dimple for the re-drilled base setscrew (inch again, no Metric available).

For all practical purposes, the barrel itself is done. I do need to mill a front sight blade and press it in place, and then mill it to shape. That will come next.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

very cool - I like the Lahti better than the Nambu (which is not what I thought I would think)

In that case, here's a bigger pic...

[sheepherder]

Getting ready to finish up these two 'artillery' barrel conversions.

First will be the Lahti. Still needs a feed ramp, extractor notch, and accelerator cut. And dust cover installed.



(34) Cutting feed ramp with barrel installed. Need to match the partial ramp angle in the barrel extension.

(35) Barrel removed; milling extractor notch. Doing it a bit differently than usual.

(36) Milling accelerator notch. I did two long Lahti barrels some 25+ years ago; can't recall how I did it.

(37) Dust cover installed between barrel & extension, barrel torqued into extension for final time. Tools in pic are -

-- Barrel vise
-- Barrel reinforcing rod
-- Receiver [barrel extension] wrench
-- Receiver reinforcing block
-- Spirit levels
-- Wrenches/sockets

The refinished barrels/receivers are on the way back and pics will follow...In the meantime...

When my Lahti M-40 bolt was disassembled for refinishing it was found that the firing pin spring [14] was broken into two pieces.

It still functioned (I shot it dozens of times) but it is still something that I think should be removed & examined.

The firing pin and spring are both held in place by a pin [13] which needs to be driven out to clean & inspect the firing pin/spring.

Pic attached.

[sheepherder]

I got the barrel assemblies back yesterday and this morning I tried to take some pics. Hazy overcast, but too windy. Couldn't stand anything up for pics, so I moved inside. Crappy pics but if I can get good outdoor weather I'll replace these later.

I tried to find some light colored background material in ~ 2' x 3' sizing; Wal-Mart had nothing, Office Max only had gray foamboard. I bought a 2-pack of that, but it is not a good background. The guns fall over occasionally while shooting the images, and leave a white dent.

The refinishing turned out pretty good. Not quite how I'd wanted it, but beggars can't be choosers.

I left the original receiver 'sights' [notches really] on both pistols, as the uppers are swappable with the OEM ~4" barrel/receiver assemblies. The Nambu as mentioned on pg 1 is in 7.65 Parabellum caliber as that cartridge has approximately the same characteristics of the 8mm Nambu. The Lahti is in 9mm Parabellum and is fitted with the accelerator. Both are fitted with artillery Luger rear sights.

An amusing exercise in fantasy fabrication.

[sheepherder]

Tried two more shots, pistols lying flat on gray foamboard...Too late in the morning, the clouds are reflected in the flat surfaces...

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by Olle

...one thought is that it may look better with a more blocky sight to match the squarish lines of the pistol.

I could try a shortened Mauser tangent sight; I'm putting one on my Luger long-barrel. I have a spare. It would sit higher, so I'd have to change the front sight, meaning re-machining the barrel. And having it re-re-finished.

Too much work.

but I'm sure you're having fun at the same time!

I don't consider it 'fun'; it's more occupational therapy. A bit of thought, a little creativity, some improvisation of resources...A way to keep my wits sharp...Or at least less dull...

A photo tent and a better camera might be helpful...

I have snow 6 months of the year, plus high winds, rain, and changing light patterns from trees losing foliage. My house is surrounded by the trees. A tent is too much trouble. My picnic table (which is only used by sunbathing dogs) is my studio. If I get the energy (plus $$$) I'll get a sheet of plywood and cut it into sections 2' x 3' and paint them light pastel colors for a background.

That sounds like work too. I have adopted Maynard G. Krebs's philosophy about work.

[Olle]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I could try a shortened Mauser tangent sight; I'm putting one on my Luger long-barrel. I have a spare. It would sit higher, so I'd have to change the front sight, meaning re-machining the barrel. And having it re-re-finished.

Too much work.

Yeah, too late at this point, and just my opinion anyway. Your photoshops are a good way to visualize it, so that's what I would do if I ever get to it.

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I don't consider it 'fun'; it's more occupational therapy. A bit of thought, a little creativity, some improvisation of resources...A way to keep my wits sharp...Or at least less dull...

To me, it's a way to "get in the zone" and it's almost like meditating. You're concentrating on one one thing and one thing only, and everything else disappears. It's a zen thing.

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I have snow 6 months of the year, plus high winds, rain, and changing light patterns from trees losing foliage. My house is surrounded by the trees. A tent is too much trouble. My picnic table (which is only used by sunbathing dogs) is my studio. If I get the energy (plus $$$) I'll get a sheet of plywood and cut it into sections 2' x 3' and paint them light pastel colors for a background.

That sounds like work too. I have adopted Maynard G. Krebs's philosophy about work.

It's not much work at all, it's actually much less work than fooling with makeshift backgrounds. I have one of these, and it takes about 30 seconds to pull it out and put it on the work bench: http://guide.alibaba.com/shop/pbl-ph...g_9957930.html

The greatest benefit is that you have much better control of the glare, so you can take good pictures even in bright sunlight. Just toss a towel over the top, move it back and forth until you get the right lighting, then you're good to go. It takes a lot of frustration out of it.

Can't help you with the snow though... Maybe it's time for you to migrate to a warmer and more gun friendly climate?