Restoring a sporterized P13... My turn to play

[tatou]

At the beginning I thought this would be a project over the winter. With your updates every day I wouldn't be surprised to see a fully restored rifle by Sunday. Wow!

Haha ... these updates are of work that was already done (see your private messages)
I only have a couple more updates before it catches up to were i'm currently at with the restoration.
I doubt the project will be finished this year.
Good work takes time and lots more still needs to be done.

[tatou]

Here's the ears finished.
Only a few final welds touchups needed to be done.

[tatou]

One major, if not the major step in the restoration is now finished.
Heat treating and re bluing.
Flawless work if you ask me, could not be happier.

[tatou]

When i started this i told myself that if at a minimum i had the stock, the ears and the barrel done right i would be quite happy.
Those are, in my own personal opinion, the 3 main visual features that distinct a Pattern 1913 from a Pattern 1914

Now there still to be done from my list, the followings.
- Barrel (should be done soon enough and easily enough)
- Rear sight
- Front sight
- Volley sights
- Nose cap
- and finish the stock

[browningautorifle]

Heat treating and re bluing.
Flawless work if you ask me, could not be happier.

Looks about perfect...

[Surpmil]

With this amount of trouble being taken it seems pity not to use something closer to the original finish. The recipe, or one of them is in Angier.

Presumably it was once a target rifle, but what rear sight those adaptions were made for is an interesting mystery.

[tatou]

With this amount of trouble being taken it seems pity not to use something closer to the original finish. The recipe, or one of them is in Angier.

Presumably it was once a target rifle, but what rear sight those adaptions were made for is an interesting mystery.

While i would agree about using a period correct recipe for the finish, i have to be honest that there are little of the original parts remaining, so i am less inclined to follow that course.
If the whole rifle had been original, now that would have been another story.
Also, finding out what was the original finish is more or less guess work (at least it was to me)... i couldn't find any documentation.
So we (me and the metal guy) went with simple logic... since the SMLE's of that period had a dull black finish and the Pattern 1914 also had a similar finish we concluded the Pattern 1913 was probably finished the same way.
Which we know was a oil blackened process over a metal that wasn't polished much.

Not gonna lie... money also came to mind when deciding any finish, repair and fabrication.
I'm willing to put the effort and dollars into it... but to a point.
It will always be a restored rifle, no matter what i do or how much i invest in it.

The finish hypothesis is somewhat validated by many pictures i have found online and on this forum... they all appear to be dull black.


(Sorry if i used your pic without your permission, let me know if you wish i take it down)

I also instructed my metal refinisher not to refinish any metal components that were P13 originals.
Meaning the Bolt, safety assembly, bolt stop assembly, trigger group and butt plate will retain their wear and used look.
The idea behind this is to preserve the history and aged look of those parts and i planned on artificially ''aging'' the new parts.
I am not going after a ''out of factory'' look.
To be honest i am still debating with myself if this is the right path for the project... but at least this way i can always go back and have the P13 parts refinished at a later date.
If we refinish everything right now... there's no going back.

I do agree that there are good chances this was once a target rifle.
Not by the rear sight adaptations but rather by the look and profile of the barrel.
First, it's a ''bull'' barrel and second the barrel does look similar to the one posted by ''MK VII'' in the 5th post of this tread.
There is no mystery behind what sight was fitted to it with those adaptations (i call them washers).
The rifle was posted 7 years ago and it was fitted with a Sherman tank scope.
I doubt very much any target shooter would have used such apparatus.
Also, having held and examined the rifle for quite some time i also doubt very much a target shooter would have allowed his rifle to be so crudely ''carved''
Those guys take good care of their rifles and this was poorly made... strong, but crude.

[Atticus Thraxx]

Great project. I mean just outstanding. Thanks for sharing that with us!

[Low & Slow]

Indeed. Most impressive, and an interesting process to follow. Thanks for letting us in on the ride!

[tatou]

Not much to report this friday night.
The barrel was cleaned and prepped, the old P14 serial number removed (yeah i know, not necessary but i'm that peculiar for this project...)
A new 303 extractor will need to be fitted.
And started planning, discussing the nose cap, front sight and rear sight.
Nothing really exciting for you guys... but it is for me