Bubba Special Spanish 43

Here's the rifle that was brought to my house yesterday and I was made an offer I couldn't refuse. Started out as simply identifying it which wasn't hard, then a valuation. I told the guy about $100 in the condition it was in as it had almost no value to a collector and even most of the parts aren't usable as they've been altered. What was it worth to me. I said maybe $25 but was very reluctant so he went to $20.

So I have almost nothing in it. It is functional so it could be a truck gun or something of that nature. Maybe a tanker carbine fantasy piece.

I just love the front sight. It rotates and you can barely see it when sighting. The bore looks great. Currently the barrel is 20" long, I could get it to 18 by cutting it off back of the sight. I was concerned they went all the way through but I estimate there is a millimeter of metal between the bore and the screw hole.

So today I'll probably start cleaning it up. I have a complete K98 bolt I could put on it if they are interchangable.

Looking for ideas on what to do with it. Barrel is pitted under the wood so best to keep as much of that as possible although I may even the bottom out with the handguard.

Front sight options?

K98 bolt work?

If I start messing with polishing the bolt brazing is it going to fall apart?

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../0njQNdV-1.jpg

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"Ray-bar" front sight off an Ithaca 37. The bolt handle has been prepared for a scope. Maybe you can make a hi grade bench rifle...

Looks more like a M-16 , not a M-43 . If the bolt is total braze in the joint it will have no strength and will break . Brazing is more of a glue for metal to metal bonding .

Sure does look ugly. Cleaned up it should look better.

Some work would make it look better, 18" barrel, front sight, weld bolt handle, woodwork, reblue, etc. Over capitalising but it could be fun.

Bubba was busy on that build. Like that front sight. Makes perfect sense to me, he left it loose so he could get half a moa to fine tune it by screwing it up or down kinda like the NM rear sight on a Garand. Have fun with it as you can’t hurt it.

You may be right Bob, I didn't look at it all that close and haven't gotten around to checking the caliber yet either. Be nice if it's in 7mm but with my luck it will be 308.

Bob is correct, this is a 1916. It is fortunately in 7mm rather than 308. Bolt appears to be very poorly welded and then an attempt, again poor, was made with brazing to even the weld out. While I hate putting money into it, bolts are available and not that expensive. The safety knob was messed up on this also so will kill two birds with one stone.

Actually, the wood on that 1916 looks better than the wood on 90% of those rifles imported into the USA. You may actually be able to turn a profit on it if you sell it.

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Originally Posted by Singer B

Actually, the wood on that 1916 looks better than the wood on 90% of those rifles imported into the USA. You may actually be able to turn a profit on it if you sell it.

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It’s cut and gouged out for the bolt handle.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

I said maybe $25 but was very reluctant so he went to $20.

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I'm a sucker for these Bubba rifles. I don't know where... This one is pretty bad.. But yeah I would have handed him $25.00 for it. I've bought worse.

I thought about buying a new bolt for it but then I'm putting money into it so unless I find one cheap, probably will just clean up this one. I'm wondering if I can fit an M43 front sight on it. Probably need to do some barrel work to get it to fit.

I think you will get more than $20 worth of fun breathing some life back into Bubbas handy work.

Tap the end of the barrel and add a suppressor!

I have taken a little time on this project. I stripped the stock, sanded the cross grain sanding marks out and have one coat of blo on it. I also put a K98 style bayonet lug on it as I had one here. Just finished polishing up the roughly cut barrel end. I was going to shorten it but when I took measurements it's less than an 8th inch longer than it should be for the bayonet lug and I'm not going to mess with it for that. I also polished the bolt handle so I'm satisfied with how it looks. It is just brazed on but I can't imagine it being abused enough to fall off. It isn't even an emergency lug on these mausers. Most of the rust is off the metal. I still have a little to do with that.

The front sight is the stumper. I obviously can't keep that piece of crap on it. Thought about getting a M43 front sight but that might entail a lot of hand work fitting it on. Probably my best option but also considering a commercial type sight to take advantage of the screw hole. Thinking that will look a little weird on an otherwise military appearing rifle. I'm not in any real rush. I'm surprised I put this much effort into it so far.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

The front sight is the stumper.

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Can you fit an M1 carbine sight or a #1Mk3 Lee Enfield sight?

Why not just use a Mauser barrel ring sight and use the drilled hole for the set screw ?

I actually have an MK3 Lee Enfield sight. It is quite a bit smaller than the barrel dimension. I don't have access to a lathe so it would be a long arduous process to dremel or file it down for it to fit. I have considered it but would prefer an easier approach.

Using the drilled hole for a set screw would be ideal but haven't seen a front sight this would work with yet. This is something an in person gun show would be more helpful with than scanning the internet for. Hoping to do that soon.

I'm thinking something like this would work. One screw hole. Just don't know if I would like the way it looks.

https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/p...7156350_5..jpg

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

I'm thinking something like this would work. One screw hole. Just don't know if I would like the way it looks.

https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/p...7156350_5..jpg

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Can't look any worse....

LOL, true but I don't want to contribute to stupid looking if I can help it.

It's been a little over three months but this pig has been slapped with some makeup:

I fit the bayonet lug on it and then Mike put a front sight on it off another Mauser and then swapped out the bolt. Today was the finishing touches, filling the gouge where the bolt handle is. Turned out pretty nice. Grain is different and the color a little off but for just grabbing a piece of junk wood I had here, I'm more than satisfied. Mike also test fired it, it is 7mm and he says it shoots great.

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She looks great!

Nice CPR (cost prohibitive restoration) job on that one! Another one back from the dead.

Not even a Russian Mosin armorer could have done a better job with that wood repair.

WELL DONE ARAGORN :cheers::cheers::cheers:

CPR? Well, that‘s what many of our projects are. It‘s the satisfaction of doing it that counts.

it's nice to save the dead :madsmile:

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Originally Posted by Patrick Chadwick

WELL DONE ARAGORN

CPR? Well, that‘s what many of our projects are. It‘s the satisfaction of doing it that counts.

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Never regretted it. Not once. Best way I know to gain more appreciation for those who designed, crafted and carried these pieces of history.

It does look rough, but you make a good deal .