Questions from an amateur

[goo]

i would avoid mixmasters... just like G.I.'s in ww11 and korea did. G.I's always checked to see if their garands were 'correct'. it was something that made a really big difference to them.
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[Bill Hollinger]

John, I too have D35382 SA op-rods, two to be exact. They are post war replacements. Don't believe everything you read.

PS Photoshop has nothing to do with it.

[greendevil41]

Rick,
I've got a SA 6-42 restoration rifle and they are fun (and challenging!) to get correct. You'll need a type I short pinon rear sight assy which by itself will cost more then a lot of rifles! These early pieces require some scare parts that can get pretty expensive. A later war weapon might be easier to restore. Scott Duff is a well known martial arms guy with his own web site and his books are a great help. Good luck on your project.

[cmbtinfantry]

I appreciate all of the help. I looked at my op rod last night just to make sure and there was a dash between number and letters. I'm sorry, didn't mean to get a fight started, forgot attention to detail. I plan to leave the op rod as it seems to match the receiver well in color and wear. Personally when I first bought it I didn't get worked up over parts matching and all. I had wanted one since I was a little boy seeing them in war movies. I found it, good price, picked it up. The only real issue I have ever had with it was that stupid white paint on the stock. I initially planned to just strip the stock and redo it, then after reading some things on here my research radar kicked in. So it might be interesting to rebuild to original SA cionfiguration or leave it as is and replace that stock. Or maybe I should up three more and just blindfold myself, place all the parts in a pile and put back together.

[Bill Hollinger]

Brian, are you feeling okay? That's the most I've seen you type! Thanks Brian

[1-12 INF (M)]

Gents,

Okay, Kepler made a mistake. Cut the guy some slack.. plus we got a new guy here who's interested in our hobby! (plus, he's associated with the Infantry somehow, so he's gotta be a good guy).

Cmbtinfantry,

First off, your bolt, op rod and stock are all perfectly correct for your rifle.

"Correct" meaning that it doesn't have an M1903 bolt, a Mauser Stock or M-14 op rod! My point is, there's nothing wrong with 'mixmasters' and most rifles became exactly that as soon as they were cleaned by GIs in basic training - those guys didn't care at all about revision numbers or stock cartouches. Some rifles became 'mixmasters' at the Springfield Armory when they were rebuilt after the war, or even at the unit level during the war - or probably even on the battlefield. You'll never know (in most cases).

For me, the fun in 'restoration' is the hunt for the parts, and finding them, eventually. The finished product may or may not be worth what you paid for in the assembled parts - but that's not really the point.

You've started at the deep end of the pool with a six digit, pre-war gun - and hunting down that GHS or EMcF stock and short pinion sights will be a challenge. But, if you're patient, it can be done.

It sounds as if you have a nice barrel and receiver combination to build around. That's a good start, and valuable combination. In the meantime, you can make your 'shopping list' and start from there.

A gun made during the war will be easier to find the parts you need, because there were a lot more of them manufactured.

No matter what, the guys on this board will be happy to help.

[cmbtinfantry]

Yep, I'm guilty. I see 1-12 Inf there, 1-87 Inf here. This afternoon I plan to go order the Scott Duff books and begin my research. I have done a little looking around on the internet and found some stuff to check when the books come in. I found that a few parts are beretta made. If nothing else, those are going to go immediately and be replaced with some WW2 issue parts. I don't mind the mixed parts as long as WW2. I prefer my weapons to looked used and look as they would on the battlefield. Mixed parts seems the answer to that. That said I know beretta did not make parts during the war so they are a no go. And of course being a perfectionist I may start out this way but it will probably wind up being restored fully before I realize it. I also find I've gotten hooked on Garands, I'm already trying to justify the need for another one to household 6.

[1-12 INF (M)]

1-87,

Good to go. You're right, the Italian parts are post-war, and the Danish Army bought lots of them to maintain their weapons, as well as buying complete Breda and Beretta-built rifles. Having a rifle that is 'WWII overall' is a nice idea too. Lockbar sights, single-slot gas plug, and milled trigger guard stand out on any rifle.

One thing I did was buy a couple of CMP M1s and used them as parts depots - a complete CMP rifle was cheaper then buying the parts separately.

The South store might not be too far away for you, I went to the one in Ohio. Kinda patrolled the racks and bought a couple of guns that had what I wanted. But, that spawned several other restoration projects too. Before I knew it, I had quite a few M1s - and a pile of parts.

Scott Duff's WWII book is the place to start. Check out the top-shelf guns he'll have for sale on his site too. I've bought from him, and his integrity is unquestioned, which may not always be the case at your local gunshow.

Duff's books will also get you an idea of the number of rifles made in a period, and how difficult a particular restoration might be.

Someday your wife might even look on with interest when you describe the incredibly obvious differences between a 'stamped trigger guard with milled hook' and a 'stamped trigger guard with stamped hook'..... but don't count on it!

[da gimp]

& 2nd, enjoy the heck out of shooting a fine rifle as it is. Then when you can find & afford them, buy the right parts to restore it.

At times you might find yourself looking @ selling your wife's fine china, crystal stemware & silverware in order to finance the acquisition of said parts. Sir, speaking from experience, SHE just won't understand what a correct barrel is worth.

da gimp

OFC , Mo. Chapter(old farts club)

NRA Life/Endowment.......

[cmbtinfantry]

I have to say that in that area I am a fortunate one. She's very supportive of my habit as she is an avid shooter as well. Unfortunately she is more of a black gun lover though I have brought her over to the side of the .45. Generally as long as fnd are available I can get what I want, but sometimes it is a bit harder to convinvce on some of the pricier collectibles as she doesn't quite share my enthusiasm for the wood and metal. Perhaps one day I can finally bring her over fully. I decided to restore, I figure I will go with getting just all WW2 parts for now and then I will focus later on getting it correct a part at a time, make it interesting and drawn out a bit.I love shooting it, I take it out quite regularly. As a starting point does anyone have any recommendations on good sources for parts. I've seen through various post around that Sarco is a no-no so that puts one off the list. I also have no faith or trust in ebay and am unsure of gunbroker. Never went looking for parts with a purpose so don't want to get ripped off. Thanks all.