[SQUAWSACH]

A friend of mine bought a Glenfield 25 22lr from a pawn shop for $40. We kept on the boat when trapping and called it the "boat gun" because we didn't care if it fell overboard. It shot and functioned ok but it was beat to hell and ugly as mud. After a while it didn't even make it into the boat. It sat around and collected dust. Here's a pic.


Sawdust ordered a box of ten "Franken Barrels" from Green Mountain. In the box was a 17m2 barrel for a 77/22. We decided to make over the boat gun and turn it into a 17m2. The original stock wouldn't due. So we looked around for an option. We found an old walnut gunstock blank a friend of mine had given me about a year ago. He had it in his garage for ten years and gave to me to keep from throwing it away. It didn't have much figure to it and it had several long cracks. We decided to try and make a stock from it and if the blank was beyond repair or if we really messed up, we weren't out any money.





We measured twice and cut once. The cracks and voids put up a fight but we were able to fill and stabilize them. Sawdust did some great work on the forend and grip caps made from padauk. The rifle received a new blue job and full length bedding after we knocked out the original barrel and installed the 17m2 barrel. The stock was finished by Sawdust with 20 coats of Tru Oil. A couple of new sling studs, a trigger guard from a 17v, drill and tap for Weaver mounts, rings and a 4x32 scope, and the boat gun is no more. I need a new name for it.





Sawdust and I had alot of fun on this project. How does it shoot? I don't know. Haven't shot it yet. If it keeps 1" groups at 50 yrds, I'll be happy. After all with everything added up the whole thing(rifle, barrel, scope, rings, mounts, stock finish) only adds up to $97.

 

[SQUAWSACH]

thanks

Thanks for the praise and the name ideas. Lazarus and Phoenix are both great names. I will consider them. I'll probally get out to shoot it next week. I'll post the results.

 

[SQUAWSACH]

rebarrel

Your right dkemper, the rebarrel was the easiest part of this project. It would be nice to see the pinned barreled bolt action rifles getting worked over the way 10/22's are. It would make for great reading on RFC.

 

[SQUAWSACH]

photos

I think Hunt101 had a problem for awhile. The photos are now working

 

[SQUAWSACH]

The former boat gun is a shooter

I was able to get the former boat gun to the range today. It won't win any benchrest championships but it shoots just fine for popping a few squirrels. It averaged .6 ctc for 5,5 shot groups at fifty yards using Fed. ammo. It was consistant. I didn't have any flyers. The groups stayed in pretty much in a round pattern .6" in dia. I didn't know what to expect. I usually free float my barrels but the former boat gun is full length bedded and I've never shot for groups at 50 yards with just a 4x scope. I thought that maybe after a few shots the barrel would heat up and shift point of impact. Never happened. Even after 40 shots, all the shots stayed in a nice little round pattern in the center of the target. I let her rest for about an hour while I shot some scores for the July fun shoot. When I picked her up again, she put them right back on target. The former boat gun doesn't put them all in the same hole but she is consistant. I very happy with the way she came out. I think I'll keep her.

 

[SQUAWSACH]

lathe work

Did the barrel need any lathe work, or did you get lucky and find one the right dimension for the receiver? I've often thought it's fun and worth the while to spruce up these old rifles. But then, I drive an old truck that's held together with spit and wire. I'm just not good at buying new things, I guess.
Great work, and I hope you enjoy it. You might want to install a "gallery gun" tether to it to keep it from falling in the lake!

Cheers,
Richard

The barrel was an aftermarket 77/22 barrel. The length of the shank was perfect. The dia. of the shank was .030" larger than needed if I remember correctly. A guy at a local machine shop cut the shank to the correct dia. It took ten minutes including his lathe set-up. This guy is great charges by the hour and doesn't charge a set-up fee. For rebarreling the pinned barrel bolt actions I like to have the shank cut .003" under size and then just glue the barrel in with Loc-Tite #609.

 

[SQUAWSACH]

tools

To knock the barrel out I use a brass punch that's about 9/16" dia. and a 2# hammer. It helps to heat the receiver with a propane torch. Hold the receiver using a leather glove and whack the punch with the hammer and the barrel will drive out. Oh, don't forget to take the pin out first. When installing a new barrel with Loc-Tite #609, you don't need to put a pin back in. The Loc-Tite will hold it just fine.