Gonzo Long Barreled P08 Project

[sheepherder]

Here's a comparison pic of original '1920 style' duplicated stock as I got it (and fitted the stock iron) and compared to the finished stock before final sanding. It's not an exact match for a '1902 style' buttstock, but it'll do for now.



Here's a pic taken in the early hours of an April morning, outdoors, of the assembled finished 'carbine' with attached stock. All Gonzo - scalloped toggle knobs, 'cartridge counter' grips & modified Tomek magazines, Mauser rifle rear sight, and generally rough barn-job fabricating.

7.65 Parabellum caliber. I have no idea if it will even shoot. And I don't care.

[Jim Solomon]

Very nice work. Thanks for photos of the process. Quite creative.
Jim

[sheepherder]

This will be a rehash of what has gone before, but I decided to experiment on a couple of ideas I had, and take pictures so I would have a record.

I had originally made two barrels for this Gonzo project; after doing ~85% of the longer barrel, I decided to go in a different direction. So, I shelved the second barrel and started a third.

(1) The donor barrel - a Remington 700 barrel in 30-06 caliber.
(2) Turning down the barrel for the FN/Mauser carbine rear sight.
(3) Turning down the 'flange' that bears against the barrel extension ['receiver'].



Continuing operations on the Remington 30 cal barrel.

(4) Turning down the breech stub.
(5) Threading the breech stub.
(6) Cutting the stub to required length; turning relief.
(7) Final fitting the barrel extension to the threaded stub.



Chambering for 7.65 Parabellum.

(8, 9, 10) Cutting the chamber, 1/32" at a time.
(11) Final fitting the 7.65 Parabellum chamber.



Fabrication of the front sight base.

(12) Rectangular piece of steel drilled & tapped 1/2" x 28tpi and mounted in rotary indexing head to mill outer diameter.
(13) Milling the sides of the sight base flat.
(14) Chamfering the front of the base and milling the rear ramp.
(15) Turning down and threading the muzzle for the front sight base.



Now I'll mill the dovetail for the front sight blade.

(16) Cutting the dovetail.
(17) Milling the front sight blade from a piece of 3/8" steel bar.
(18) Blade has been dovetailed and is ready to be pressed in place.
(19) Blade has been squared to size and is being finish milled.



Test fitting the various pieces for fit and visual effect.

(20) Front sight screwed in place.
(21) Rear sight is a slip fit; it will be secured with screws later.
(22) Full length profile view.



Next will be making a keyhole spanner for the front sight base and a set of vise inserts for this barrel.

[sheepherder]

Making the front sight base keyhole spanner, barrel vise inserts, and other small items.

(23) Boring a hole in a chunk of 7/16" aluminum plate.
(24) Milling the slot for ramp clearance.
(25) Spanner in use. Works great! By some stroke of luck (or divine intervention) the sight base is in exactly the right position for tightening to 12:00 position.
(26) Milling Patridge-style notch in rear sight leaf, to match squared front sight blade.



Vise inserts, made from aluminum round stock, 1 1/2" dia & 1 1/2" long.

(27) Faced insert being bored to ~.755", which is the diameter of the barrel just in front of the rear sight base.
(28) Sawing the finished vise insert in half. Cuts will be belt sanded smooth.
(29) A second vise insert is used for the front sight base, as shown in pic #25 above. An insert from another barrel project was the right size, so no other insert fabrication was required. Sight spanner, vise inserts, and receiver insert shown with torqued assembly. Bluing will be the final step.



Next will be a new, longer forearm to match this longer barrel.

(30) I have a piece of some kind of Walnut, 21" x 8" x 1 1/2". Has some defects [the X] but hey, it's what I gots.
(31) Slab has had a 1 3/4" x 9" piece cut off, decked top & bottom parallel, and barrel trench cut with a 5/8" ball end mill.
(32) Trimming ~.200" off each side. Bottom has had a similar amount milled off.
(33) Cutting the coves with a 1/2" ball end mill. Mounting holes were drilled first to hold the forearm to my mandrel/vise fixture.



Next up, I think, will be the bottom angled cut.