Not Bad for a Home Made Rifle With a Military Surplus Barrel

[wildcat junkie]

I put the rifle together over several years.

I started with an intermediate length VZ500 Yugoslavian M98 action, (commercial version of the M48 Yugo)

a semi inletted stock from Great American Gun Stocks,

a very very good 98K take-off barrel from Numrich,

and a Neidner buttplate & grip cap.

I had Dennis Olsen turn down the barrell contour to my specifications.

Then I fit & soldered a barrel band swivel stud to the barrel.

It loves 200gr bullets, either Nosler Partitions or Speer Hot Cores leaving the muzzle at 2700 fps. I can achieve those MVs at 30-06 pressure levels with either Vv N550 or Alliant RL-17

Sub 1/2" 3 shot groups @ 100yds are routine if I do my part.

[wildcat junkie]

I finished the stock with Birchwood Casey "Rusty Walnut" water based stain & Minwax "Antique Oil Finish" wet sanded with 320 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper & turpentine to fill the grain.

I reshaped the trigger guard, the metal is rust blued using Pilkington's Classic Rust Blue solution,

the screws & various small parts were "Niter blued" in the oven W/O salts.

I used the old tempering color chart trick & varied the temperature of the oven to achieve either blue or gold coloring.

Used it this year to take a nice 190# dressed 8-point

So far, it's 4 for 4 on Whitetail bucks.

I'd sure like to have a crack at an Adirondack Black Bear with it.

Edited December 4, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Very nice work. And the effort pays off with a nice weapon and deer. Can't go wrong.

 

 

Congrats x's 2.

[stoneam2006]

Beautiful rifle

[letinmfly]

Very cool!!  Congrats!!

[Dinsdale]

Good stuff....

Have a modern rifle in a 8x57, like to have a classic sporter at somepoint.

[ny hunter]

Great job!!!!!!!!!!!! The rifle is very nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wildcat junkie]

Good stuff....

Have a modern rifle in a 8x57, like to have a classic sporter at somepoint.

What ammo do you shoot in it? American ammo is pathetic but European stuff is full power. Cabelas used to carry Sellier & Bellot.

Remington-170gr bullets @ 2400fps compared to Sellier & Bellot-196gr @ 2600fps.

If you reload you can get a bit more out of it W/O pushing the envelope.

Edited December 4, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[Dinsdale]

 

What ammo do you shoot in it? American ammo is pathetic but European stuff is full power. Cabelas used to carry Sellier & Bellot.

Remington-170gr bullets @ 2400fps compared to Sellier & Bellot-196gr @ 2600fps.

If you reload you can get a bit more out of it W/O pushing the envelope.

I bought a case of S&B 196gr SPCE off of someone on AR when I first bought it.....cheaper than I could buy just brass!

But I have a 200 gr Nosler Partition load for it now also, don't remember the specs offhand.

Both are full power loads for sure, shot some of the core-locs someone gave me and one can tell the difference. Accuracy was poor also, so I plink with the S&B if I want.

Never shot much big game with it yet, but next year I am determined to take it on a trip somewhere for a hunt.

[Pygmy]

SWEET rig, Wildcat....

 

I have a couple of 8 x 57s, but both are originals...A K98K Oberndorf 1938 and a M48 Yugo.

 

You did a fine job on your custom rifle...

 

A young fellow that I worked with a few years before I retired  was doing a real nice job turning Yugos into nice little full stock sporters.  I have wished since then that I'd had him do one up for me.

[wildcat junkie]

 

I bought a case of S&B 196gr SPCE off of someone on AR when I first bought it.....cheaper than I could buy just brass!

But I have a 200 gr Nosler Partition load for it now also, don't remember the specs offhand.

Both are full power loads for sure, shot some of the core-locs someone gave me and one can tell the difference. Accuracy was poor also, so I plink with the S&B if I want.

Never shot much big game with it yet, but next year I am determined to take it on a trip somewhere for a hunt.

I was getting excellent results with 200gr Partitions but I tried 200gr Speer Hot Cores because the Partitions are so expensive. The Hot Cores cost about 1/2 the price, they group every bit  as good as the Partitions & at anything less than about 3000fps Mv, the Partitions aren't needed.

 

When you run low on Partitions give the Hot Cores a try.

Edited December 5, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[ATbuckhunter]

Awesome! 

[WNYBuckHunter]

Nice! Thats a sweet looking and shooting rifle you built. Love custom stuff like that.

[nyantler]

There is a man that knows his stuff... very very nice work!! I'm impressed and I don't impress easy

 

[wildcat junkie]

SWEET rig, Wildcat....

 

I have a couple of 8 x 57s, but both are originals...A K98K Oberndorf 1938 and a M48 Yugo.

 

You did a fine job on your custom rifle...

 

A young fellow that I worked with a few years before I retired  was doing a real nice job turning Yugos into nice little full stock sporters.  I have wished since then that I'd had him do one up for me.

Dimensionaly, the M48 Yugo is the same action as the VZ500 I used. Both are Yugoslavian "Intermediate Length" large ring 98 Mauser action.

 

They're just a little too short for '06 length cartridges, but perfect for 8x57, 7X57 or any of the 57mm case variants like 6mm Rem or 257 Roberts. Also great for .308 based cartridges & it allows a little more leeway for cartridge OAL than Rem 700 short actions & their ilk..

 

Magazine box length for the M48/VZ500 is 3.235" with no room for expansion.

 

K98 box length is 3.325" with room to expand to about 3.415" with the skilled use of nothing more than a mill file.

 

If your Yugo has a good throat it would make a nice full stock sporter. Just weld on a bolt handle, mill down the rear bridge, D&T for scope bases & install a Beuhler safety. Once the sight sleeves are removed from the barrel, the rear sight portion can be tapered quite easily. Maybe a better butt plate for the stock & whittle away. I have a single stage trigger from the VZ500 action you could have as well as a Beuhler safety to get you started, Just pay the shipping which wouldn't amount to much.

 

Here's the military stepped barrel with just the rear sight area tapered. Not a good picture, but if you look closely you might be able to make out the "steps"..

 

For $60 + shipping Dennis Olsen of Montana will do my custom sweep radius contour. He has about a 1 week turn around.

 

DO NOT have the steps turned out with a straight taper. you will end up with a noodle for a barrel that will shift impact when the barrel warms. Been there, done that.

Edited December 5, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[wildcat junkie]

Here's some "post mortum" PIX to give some idea of the effectiveness of the 8X57 when loaded to "adult" pressure with a 200gr Speer Hot Core bullet..

 

Shot was straight on from about 90-100yds.

 

1st, the heart.

 

After pulverizing the lungs, this is what it did to the liver on the way through.

 

Wasn't much of a blood trail but then again, the pump wasn't functioning very well.

 

It was a short walk to the dead deer.

Edited December 5, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[Pygmy]

Cool stuff, Wildcat..

 

I believe my M48 was unissued... It just has some handling marks from storing, etc.

 

Most of them were made when  semi auto and selective fire rifles were rapidly replacing bolt actions as battle rifles/ assault rifles..

 

I just hesitate to alter a pristine military rifle..They aren't making them anymore. I'd rather find one that has already been "Bubba'd" and turn it into something  special..

[wildcat junkie]

Cool stuff, Wildcat..

 

I believe my M48 was unissued... It just has some handling marks from storing, etc.

 

Most of them were made when  semi auto and selective fire rifles were rapidly replacing bolt actions as battle rifles/ assault rifles..

 

I just hesitate to alter a pristine military rifle..They aren't making them anymore. I'd rather find one that has already been "Bubba'd" and turn it into something  special..

The Yugos don't really have much collector value.  As you stated, they were "late to the party" & there are lots of them that were unissued.

 

Now, if the K98 is numbers matching, you might have something.

 

Tell me about that one.

 

Do the numbers all match? What are the markings on the front receiver ring?

 

One other thing. All 98 mausers large or small ring have interchangable parts aside from items that vary in length like bolt bodies, firing pins. Even the extractors interchange. You can collect upgraded triggers, safeties. etc & they will work on any 98 Mauser you end up with for your "sporter". Scope bases will interchange between all large rings, but not small ring 98s of which there are few..

 

Of the small ring 98s, only the Mexican Mausers are sought after. They are small ring, small barrel shank thread. Other small ring 98s are large barrel shank thread & the front receiver rings are too thin to make them a good candidate for modern high pressure cartridges.

Edited December 5, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[BizCT]

A lot of this stuff is over my head, but pretty cool nonetheless.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MACHINIST]

Beautiful rifle!! How much money do you have into it if you don't mind me asking?

[wildcat junkie]

Beautiful rifle!! How much money do you have into it if you don't mind me asking?

The 3 most expensive component were the stock, 3-position safety & the action in that order.

 

The 3-position safety isn't necessary & it costs more than 3X that of a 2-position wing safety (which the action already had anyway) but I think it adds a lot to the user friendlness & class of the rifle. The same goes for a nice piece of wood.

 

 

Here is a cut & paste from another thread on AR forums about the rifle.

 

I don't have that much in it considering.

$135 for the action

$45 for the barrel

$60 for Dennis Olsen's work

$200 for the stock.

$135 for the 3-position M-70 type safety

 

Probably less than $100 for the rest of the sundry items.

 

Less than $700 & lots of work. The only thing I "farmed out" was the barrel contour & crown.

The Barrel was exceptional. No tool marks in the grooves & a polished chamber. It makes me wonder just where it came from. It torqued right up to minimal headspace & the throat is short. Seating the bullets for 3.060" cartridge OAL puts the ogive about .010"-.015" off the lands.

 

I think its a "keeper". As you see it, it weighs about 7 1/2# including the 3-9X42 Kahles scope, Leupold rings & sling.

 

As much as a new wood stocked "factory" rifle, but so much more satisfying IMO.

 

"Something you don't see every day".

Edited December 5, 2014 by wildcat junkie

[MACHINIST]

For that amount of money,the joy of doing the work yourself and getting that accuracy is outstanding I think!!

[Pygmy]

 

The Yugos don't really have much collector value.  As you stated, they were "late to the party" & there are lots of them that were unissued.

 

Now, if the K98 is numbers matching, you might have something.

 

Tell me about that one.

 

Do the numbers all match? What are the markings on the front receiver ring?

 

One other thing. All 98 mausers large or small ring have interchangable parts aside from items that vary in length like bolt bodies, firing pins. Even the extractors interchange. You can collect upgraded triggers, safeties. etc & they will work on any 98 Mauser you end up with for your "sporter". Scope bases will interchange between all large rings, but not small ring 98s of which there are few..

 

Of the small ring 98s, only the Mexican Mausers are sought after. They are small ring, small barrel shank thread. Other small ring 98s are large barrel shank thread & the front receiver rings are too thin to make them a good candidate for modern high pressure cartridges.

 

Sadly my K98K is not matching. The stock and the rear sight have been replaced. the guy I bought it from said the original stock had Luftwaffe markings, but had been butchered when he got the rifle. Still a good deal..I paid $125 for it.

It is on display now at my local American Legion post, along with a type 38 and a type 99 Jap , a nice Longbranch 1944 Vintage # 4 SMLE and a Finnish re-arsenaled Moison Nagant (1917)..

As far as the Yugo is concerned, it is all matching and pristine. I know collector value is not all that high, but who knows what might develop..It was only a few years ago that you could buy truckloads of M96 Swedes in great condition for $125 ea. Try buying one now for less than $300, or probably more.

[wildcat junkie]

 

 

Sadly my K98K is not matching. The stock and the rear sight have been replaced. the guy I bought it from said the original stock had Luftwaffe markings, but had been butchered when he got the rifle. Still a good deal..I paid $125 for it.

It is on display now at my local American Legion post, along with a type 38 and a type 99 Jap , a nice Longbranch 1944 Vintage # 4 SMLE and a Finnish re-arsenaled Moison Nagant (1917)..

As far as the Yugo is concerned, it is all matching and pristine. I know collector value is not all that high, but who knows what might develop..It was only a few years ago that you could buy truckloads of M96 Swedes in great condition for $125 ea. Try buying one now for less than $300, or probably more.

 Since the K98 has already been "Bubba'd" it would be a good candidate. It's only 1/4" longer than the Yugo  action.

 

I saw in another post that you also hunt PA. Do you hunt the Flintlock season?

[ncountry]

Nice work.. you seem very familiar with these older guns... I have what I believe is a customized military rifle in 308. The only markings left on gun is...Fabrique Nationale Herstal Liege. Is that anything you are familiar with? I was always curious..