[doublechaz]

One of the members here built a replica of the "Day of the Jackal" rifle that looks really true to the movie. He made a great build thread about it here: https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1240731

I always liked that movie and I've wanted, for some time, a very light rifle for backpacking so I've decided to make use of STEINBVG's great work and the motivation he has provided for me to make my own.

Therefore I've decided to copy his build with some slight differences since I'm not trying to be accurate to the movie, but rather to just be similar. I expect to make a stock like the movie, and another for the backpacking that focuses on tiny and light.

So far I'm just getting parts and I have verified that the donor rifle functions. It's been too nasty to go out, but at home I was able to shoot 10 yards with the OE peeps using super colibri and the rounds overlap so this will be a good donor for the project.

 

[toomanyguns]

a very light rifle for backpacking

Looking forward to this part of your thread.

 

[doublechaz]

Picked up a 3/8 grade 8 bolt on the way home from work.

Finally located my punch set.

Converted the bolt to cock on close, but I have more to do here as the closing force is too high.

Waiting for the scope to arrive. Waiting to pick up weaver bases and modify them.

 

[doublechaz]

The scope finally came. Barska 4x15 3/4 inch tube. Wow it is crap, but it is very small, very light and very cheap. If it will more or less hold zero it will be good enough.

 

[STEINBVG]

Picked up a 3/8 grade 8 bolt on the way home from work.

Finally located my punch set.

Converted the bolt to cock on close, but I have more to do here as the closing force is too high.

Waiting for the scope to arrive. Waiting to pick up weaver bases and modify them.

I thought I would chime in.

Nice to see you starting this project.

I will gladly help if necessary.

Cheers friend.

 

[STEINBVG]

The scope finally came. Barska 4x15 3/4 inch tube. Wow it is crap, but it is very small, very light and very cheap. If it will more or less hold zero it will be good enough.

I bet I bought a cheaper s scope 3-7x 20 for under $14.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/291325222335
Cheers

 

[doublechaz]

Looks like that scope is from the same place as mine, just mine is a fixed 4x. At that price I didn't want to trust the mechanicals inside it.

Many other projects have been keeping me away from this.

The scope came with 3/8 dovetail rings. The rifle has no dovetail, but does have weaver bases. I can't find any 3/4 inch tube to weaver base rings. Looks like I'm either going to mill the receiver for the dovetail, or mill the bases from weaver down to 3/8. Trouble is I don't have a mill and my friend who does moved and all the stuff is in storage.

 

[STEINBVG]

I have a solution for you

Looks like that scope is from the same place as mine, just mine is a fixed 4x. At that price I didn't want to trust the mechanicals inside it.

Many other projects have been keeping me away from this.

The scope came with 3/8 dovetail rings. The rifle has no dovetail, but does have weaver bases. I can't find any 3/4 inch tube to weaver base rings. Looks like I'm either going to mill the receiver for the dovetail, or mill the bases from weaver down to 3/8. Trouble is I don't have a mill and my friend who does moved and all the stuff is in storage.

I saw this perfect dovetail blank, it works with my scope rings, fact . But I could not use it as the profile , even though slick, was not low enough for my work- I made my own rails because of the crutch. Milling would be even better, but my rule is not to alter the original parts.

This blank can be cut to the lengths and drilled /сountersunk to 6x 48 screws.

https://www.brownells.com/aspx/search/productdetail.aspx?sid=1747&pid=40900

Cheers

 

[doublechaz]

That looks like the answer. Thank you. I had missed that in your build that you can order a strip of already made 3/8 dovetail.

I was worried about milling the 3/8 in the aluminum weaver bases and having it not be strong enough.

 

[STEINBVG]

There was another option

That looks like the answer. Thank you. I had missed that in your build that you can order a strip of already made 3/8 dovetail.

I was worried about milling the 3/8 in the aluminum weaver bases and having it not be strong enough.

Actually I never mentioned or used these rails in my build.
I was just aware of them.
Before I found brownells option which is just for dovetail, much cleaner, I tried a combined weaver/ dovetail rails for Ruger10/22.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/112814229120

They also work, I could cut out 2 separate pieces with the correct hole distance for the Rascal receiver, although the radius of the Ruger receiver is a bit bigger.
So
It looked silly, but worked holding my scope. Afterwards I made my own rails from .5" wide 1/16" thick flats. The scope rings grab them nice .

I have no pics of the Ruger rails with the scope, but here is the video where they present for the last time on my Rascal…, I guess the weaver portion could have been grounded off.

 

[doublechaz]

The 3/8 dovetail rail stock came today. I got lucky and the lower side round is just about right. I typically JB Weld bed my bases for final mount anyway, so it will work out fine.

I sent for a copy of the book and am sad to say that the paperback version I got does not include the graphic plates.

 

[STEINBVG]

The 3/8 dovetail rail stock came today. I got lucky and the lower side round is just about right. I typically JB Weld bed my bases for final mount anyway, so it will work out fine.

I sent for a copy of the book and am sad to say that the paperback version I got does not include the graphic plates.

I,m glad it works out. Pictures?
If you need a digital copy of the book I can email you one.

 

[STEINBVG]

Picked up a 3/8 grade 8 bolt on the way home from work.

Finally located my punch set.

Converted the bolt to cock on close, but I have more to do here as the closing force is too high.

Waiting for the scope to arrive. Waiting to pick up weaver bases and modify them.

Did you fix the too much preload on the firing pin spring?

 

[doublechaz]

I have made and mounted the dovetail bases. I can finally try to get out and shoot it.

I will probably remake these bases once I get access to a mill, but the drill press version came out good enough to work for now.

 

[STEINBVG]

Making progress.

Nice. Clean. Keep'em coming.

 

[doublechaz]

Still waiting on access to a lathe. Meanwhile I did the timing belt and water pump on my daily car as well as a very thorough cooling system clean to get rid of the slimey sludge that results from the orange "lifetime" coolant after a couple years.

 

[doublechaz]

I bet you thought I was gone.

I now have a thing that looks like a lathe and some tooling, but no driver. I've been messing with it a bit to up my game beyond the "I've watched some videos" level before I do something dumb like thread the muzzle crooked.

I re-made the striker. Now the hole is actually in the middle, the front face is more square than "looks good from your house", and the diameter fits the inside of the bolt better. I also noticed that the first one had some marks in the face from hitting the firing pin so I put a light heat treat on this time.

The old one is on the right, and the new one has the nice dark blue heat treat on the left.

 

[STEINBVG]

I bet you thought I was gone.

I now have a thing that looks like a lathe and some tooling, but no driver. I've been messing with it a bit to up my game beyond the "I've watched some videos" level before I do something dumb like thread the muzzle crooked.

I re-made the striker. Now the hole is actually in the middle, the front face is more square than "looks good from your house", and the diameter fits the inside of the bolt better. I also noticed that the first one had some marks in the face from hitting the firing pin so I put a light heat treat on this time.

The old one is on the right, and the new one has the nice dark blue heat treat on the left.

I see the recess in the striker reduced the tension of the spring while retaining the original rear plug on the bolt? I was changing the rear of the bolt any way thus didn,t find it necessary to drill out the striker.( instead I drilled out the threaded rear plug)
I too have firing pin marks on the striker, but I always can cut a new one, perhaps from a ruined 3/8 drill bit.

 

[doublechaz]

I"ve been learning to operate the lathe and produce good work. I'm almost ready to make the parts for the fake muzzle device.

 

[doublechaz]

Tonight I cut the threads on the muzzle and also cut the fill peice for the front sight dovetail.

I then set up to make a thread protector, but sometime before now something happened to ruin the cutting edge on the drill bit I need, so that will have to wait until stores open.

I also blued the work.