Building a cheap gun into something cool.

[Mongo Hunter]

How many of you guys have taken a lets say a less then good gun and turned it into something great? I see a lot of guys taking old Mosins and completely going through them and actually making descent rifles out of them. Just kind of curious what you guys have done or what you would like to do. and where would you draw the line that its "just not worth it"?

[Skillet]

I draw the line on spending a bunch of money on a gun well above a Mosin Nagant. 

If it is something I could tinker with on my own to improve accuracy/reliability etc., I guess I'd do it if I had more time than money.  Just to see what I could get that Mosin to do.  But most likely would just get frustrated with it and wish I had spent the effort on something that would bear more fruit.
 

[Mongo Hunter]

doesn't have to specifically be a mosin just something inexpensive or cheap. like me personally I thought about buy a KelTec PF9 (which I hate) and turning it into something decent, mostly so I can throw it back in KetTecs face and say "see this is how its done" lol. I once sent an Email to them with an idea of a special carry version of the PF9. Start by shortening and lightening the trigger, dehorn the slide, put some nice night sights on it and upgrade the barrel. I got a response saying "that's a good idea, we will consider it". basically blowing me off. so I thought about doing it myself but stopped at "do I really want to spend that much on a PF9?...NO".

[AWS]

I picked up a relatively inexpensive German drilling that was just a wreck in a obscure cartridge and bore size.  The  extractors were bent so bad that the rifle couldn't be closed and had a host of other problems.  I spent a year working on it, making brass, sizing  bullets to fit the bore and working up loads.  It will shoot sub MOA groups to 200 yards and I took a nice  coyote with it.  It is now one of my favorite coyote hunting guns for heavy cover.  16ga x16ga over 6.5x58mm Rimmed Sauer, 1 ounce of nickel plated BBs and a 90gr .264 bullet sized to .260.

[WoodlandShooter]

I played with my Weatherby Mk V. I picked it up from wally world long ago for a good deal.

It is a 9 lug mag action originally chambered in 270 winny. nice shooting rifle, but eventually the LR bug hit, so I ended up playing with it.

Had Benchmark work it over. It is now bedded, floated, has a 27" sendero contour tube in270 winny 1/9 twist. I added a Timney trigger (1.5 pounds), Bipod with some spikes I picked up at a match, Rear Monopod, Warne 20MOA base with 30mm medium height rings, NF 3.5-15x50 scope, extended drop box mag from the Weatherby MKv TRR (holds 6+1 with the standard 270 chambering) Scope now wears some AADMOUNT caps I picked up at JC steel this year (recoil and heavy use kills Butler creek caps). it has some wear now, but it will always out shoot me. I think I have over 1500 rounds thru it in the last two years. Still going strong. It may need a new barrel next year.

[lamrith]

While I have not done it, the current Savage Axis line are really great shooters.  Sub MOA right out of the box.  Boyds makes stocks for them, also there are DIY trigger mods for original AXIS, and the new ones have an adjustable trigger.

Great base for a cheap 1000yrd rig and <$350 out of the box with base glass...

[fly-by]

You can get Remington 600s pretty cheap. This is my attempt at loosely replicating Cooper's Scout Rifle, the first of which was built off a  Remington 600. 

Sent back for 1979 trigger recall. Came back with 10 pound trigger pull.  Adjusted back to 3 pounds. 

Used cabinet scrapers to take off the flaky, gloss, yellowed 50yr old finish.  Sanded and put on multiple coats of Tung Oil.

Watched Ebay for a few months and found a NIB Leupold 'Detacho" Scout mount and rings that screws into the bosses for the rib.

Leupold 1.5-4x28 scout with Alumina lens covers.  See All open sight as a backup.

Stock has a lot of drop so it needs a good inch of padding in order to get a good cheek weld, even with the scope mounted 1/8" off the receiver.  Added the Voodoo cuff and now it's just right.

Still need to replace the plastic trigger guard with steel.

37.25" OAL, 5.5 pounds bare, about 7 pounds as pictured  Very handy, and it's a shooter as well.

[jdb]

Not mine but I'm doing one just like it

[Special T]

Wood working and Machining are the only 2 ways to make a cheep gun cool IF you already have the ability AND equipment... Otherwise your just throwing good money after bad.

You carve and free float a bad ass stock for a nagant, and install a Detach mag system... That would be pretty cool. You spend $300 on an arch angel kit to do the same thing for a $80 big 5 nagant... I think its a waste of good $.

[coachcw]

I've thrown a few grand at a 700 Remy 

[Angry Perch]

I've got a couple on the maybe, someday, something list. A Czech VZ33 8mm Mauser and a Mannlicher Shoenauer 1903 in 6.5x54. Both barrels are junk. Dad got them to use as donors back in the day when that's how you got a "good" rifle on a budget. Now you can buy a new $400 rifle that will outshoot either of these with my life savings poured into them. But... They're cool! If I could find a serviceable barrel, I'd hunt with the CZ as is. The MS, I just don't know, but a short barrel and a full Mannlicher stock with iron sights sure looks nice.

[gallion_t]

While I have not done it, the current Savage Axis line are really great shooters.  Sub MOA right out of the box.  Boyds makes stocks for them, also there are DIY trigger mods for original AXIS, and the new ones have an adjustable trigger.

Great base for a cheap 1000yrd rig and <$350 out of the box with base glass...

Ive been throwing around the idea of doing this. Pick up a cheap Savage, throw on a aftermarket stock and you can get custom barrel in pretty much any caliber you want for $300 or so. Then with the adjustable trigger you can have a semi custom gun in whatever caliber you want and never have to go to a gunsmith.

Anyone have any experience upgrading this platform?

[jay.sharkbait]

While I have not done it, the current Savage Axis line are really great shooters.  Sub MOA right out of the box.  Boyds makes stocks for them, also there are DIY trigger mods for original AXIS, and the new ones have an adjustable trigger.

Great base for a cheap 1000yrd rig and <$350 out of the box with base glass...

Ive been throwing around the idea of doing this. Pick up a cheap Savage, throw on a aftermarket stock and you can get custom barrel in pretty much any caliber you want for $300 or so. Then with the adjustable trigger you can have a semi custom gun in whatever caliber you want and never have to go to a gunsmith.

Anyone have any experience upgrading this platform?

I helped AKirkland do his.

He has the Axis in .270. Boyds stock, Reworked factory trigger good one piece base and rings.

It is a consistent sub MOA rifle with factory and hand loaded ammunition.

[iusmc2002]

While I have not done it, the current Savage Axis line are really great shooters.  Sub MOA right out of the box.  Boyds makes stocks for them, also there are DIY trigger mods for original AXIS, and the new ones have an adjustable trigger.

Great base for a cheap 1000yrd rig and <$350 out of the box with base glass...

Ive been throwing around the idea of doing this. Pick up a cheap Savage, throw on a aftermarket stock and you can get custom barrel in pretty much any caliber you want for $300 or so. Then with the adjustable trigger you can have a semi custom gun in whatever caliber you want and never have to go to a gunsmith.

Anyone have any experience upgrading this platform?

I bought a 26" .280 Remington barrel from the McGowan outlet store, put one load together last week, 162gr HPBT over some 4831SC, and shot a 2 1/2" group at 620 yards today.  Not the first group from the barrel or anything spectacular like that, but I was pretty happy with it.  Bought the complete rifle for $250, used, the barrel was $340 and the Vortex on it was $900.  I've done all the work on it myself (YouTube is awesome!)