Possible candidate for A4 clone

[shuvelrider]

Got this Rem A3 in a horse trade at the local gunshop, the original owner hogged off the rear sight to mount a "LARGE" scope. Which means it's been D&T over the chamber and the bolt handle was replaced, along the way the scope was replaced with the Lyman peep. What I need to do is replace the missing block of steel and dovetail on the bridge, for that I need a source or a junk receiver. Then find someone to TIG it in place. I can buy the correct scope base, rings and glass. Then remove the front sight, I did replace the handguard ring and handguard with NOS parts. The LGS owner kept it in the backroom for a month or more after I first seen it, which surprised me. He got it in a "package deal" of firearms, but felt it was too fugly to honestly put on the Used rack for resale. He just wanted anything for it, to move it out of his shop. I offered him a verrrryy used Ruger Single Six I bought new in 1979.

Information

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[shuvelrider]

The sad thing is when I took it all apart to clean, it still had cosmoline packed into the nooks and crannies of the stock. Also around the trigger mechanism, so a decent A3 was instantly turned into a "better" deer rifle.

[browningautorifle]

Nice D&T job on the barrel ring. You could send it to Chuckindenver and let him sort it out. Might come back close to real. He's around here somewhere...

[supercub]

Is it just me or does the top of the rear bridge look like it was carved out?

[browningautorifle]

As in ground a bit? That goes with the cut handguard ring...

[shuvelrider]

The diameter of the front scope "bell" was large enough that the original owner scalloped the wood and cut the handguard ring, those pieces I replaced with NOS. The LGS told me the owner did not use "high" mounts, and that's the reason the rear sight block was hogged off also. At least the new handguard ring covers that front D&T hole. I need a possible source for a junker receiver, to get the rear sight block and attach that to my rifle via TIG. I was going to leave it alone and just use it as a shooter, as I have it now. Maybe sell it if a good offer came along, the I got to thinking I'm not too far off from having an A4 clone for my own fun. I already have a Rem A3 my dad picked up back in the 60's.

[Col. Colt]

It would probably be cheaper/faster/better to simply replace the reciever with another 03A3 - even a good drill rifle reciever would work. Old Western Scrounger had some a while back, and welding onto a much altered reciever doesn't sound like a good plan. CC

[Chuckindenver]

no...Chuckindenver wont sort that Gem out...lol.
too far gone..
nothing left of the rear bridge to mount a scope base to...
you would have well over 1,000.00 labor in that to even make it close to ok..
i would find a better action.

[mike radford]

no...Chuckindenver wont sort that Gem out...lol.
too far gone..
nothing left of the rear bridge to mount a scope base to...
you would have well over 1,000.00 labor in that to even make it close to ok..
i would find a better action.

But we know you could sort it out. More importantly, you know the wiser route.

[browningautorifle]

the wiser route.

There IS that part Mike. That's why we look to Chuck with these specifically.