C3 Sniper Build

[Bladerunner]

Well, it has been almost a year since I said I would post a build thread for my C3 rifle build.

Life has kinda got in the way, but this summer I got down to business.

I started with a PH 1100 donor rifle, turned a 1:10 barrel blank into a 26" heavy C3/M82 contour, added a new stock and ended up with this.













The following things still need to be done.

1. make an aluminum bushing for my barrel vise and torque down the barrel.
2. glass bed the stock
3. install scope bases
4. drill, tap and install the front sight base (photo above is a mock-up)
5. mount scope
6. reparkerize the receiver as I don't like how it turned out
7. make target rail for under the stock
8. install sling swivels in stock
9. mount hand stop
10. buy PH bipod spigot/handstop for my PH bipod
11. make facsimile of issue sling

The photo of the muzzle is misrepresentative of what it actually looks like. i had to use the camera flash and it washed-out the dark manganese parkerized colour.

Information

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[Gil Boyd]

Really nice job there, be interested to see how she shoots when you get round to it.

[browningautorifle]

Looks good...about right.

[Bladerunner]

Here's a quick update.

a few weeks ago I glass bedded the action with DEVCON 10110 and mounted Weaver Grand Slam steel bases.

I can't justify (or find) an $800 Khales ZF69, so I bought a Lisenfield 6x42 with German #1 post reticle for just over $200 USD. The only snag is it has a 26mm tube and I don't have any rings that size yet.

So for range testing, I temporarily installed a Russian (Belarus) 3-9 x 40 with Dragunov 1000m reticle.

The first range trip was yesterday to my local 50m indoor range and the results were promising. I only had cheap Russian steel cased ammo (147gr M80 Nato spec), so once I work up some loads , results should be awesome.

Here are some targets. BTW: the rings on the last target are roughly 2", 1.5", 1", 1/2" & 1/4".

[Bladerunner]

I completed a few more items today.

1. Made target rail from 1/2" x 1/4" cold rolled steel (1018)
2. Drilled and tapped (1/4-28) target rail
3. Sandblasted and Parkerized (Manganese Phosphate) target rail
4. Drilled hand-stop for anti-rotation pin
5. Glued anti-rotation pin with steel epoxy
6. Sandblasted and painted hand-stop with black wrinkle paint
7. Baked hand-stop in BBQ at 100C for 1 hr to cure paint

Next up:
1. Make rear sling swivel
2. Make screws for target rail
3. Order 26mm scope rings
4. Make target turrets (like ZF69) for Lisenfeld scope
5. Make drill jig for front sight base
6. Drill, tap and mount front sight base
7. Make Sling
8. Load Hornady 168gr BTHP match load (M118)

[tiriaq]

I've had a similar project on the go, although less true to the original. PH sporter action. Installed a brand new S&L 7.62 target barrel - type used years ago for setting up a DCRA TR on a Mauser action. Made a forend rail from aluminum, with a series of drilled and tapped holes. Put it together with a M98 trigger guard/magazine unit, just to assemble it. Waiting for a PT&G unit which accepts AICS pattern magazines. A friend has a ZF69 scope, could probably do a deal. But if I'm going to shoot it recreationally, there are other scopes I would prefer.

[Bladerunner]

The stock that I have originally used wood screws to secure the rail. However, I decided I wanted a more secure mounting method, by using machine screws, screwed into t-nuts that are inlet into the barrel channel. This is similar to the C3A1/M87 way of mounting the rail (see exploded view).

I spent a few hours in the shop today and counterbored the rail ends and then then proceeded to make two flat head machine screws (1/4-28). I still need to slot the screw heads and mount the t-nuts in the stock, but the weekend is over...

[Lee Enfield]

I've had a similar project on the go, although less true to the original. PH sporter action. Installed a brand new S&L 7.62 target barrel - type used years ago for setting up a DCRA TR on a Mauser action. Made a forend rail from aluminum, with a series of drilled and tapped holes. Put it together with a M98 trigger guard/magazine unit, just to assemble it. Waiting for a PT&G unit which accepts AICS pattern magazines. A friend has a ZF69 scope, could probably do a deal. But if I'm going to shoot it recreationally, there are other scopes I would prefer.

Mauser 98 Large Ring 308/223 box Mag DBM. Remington 798 - cdiprecisiongunworksstore.com

they also make magnum length bottom metal.

the only problem with the ZF69 is that it is a reticle moving image scope, so if it isn't mechanically centred when sighted in...

[Bladerunner]

I promise no more target rail posts after this one.

I decided not to utilize the t-nuts shown in the previous post for a couple of reasons (too big, inletting more complex, etc.). I therefore made a couple of simple round knurled nuts (KISS rule). I believe they look more authentic...

Also, I discovered that the wood at the back end of the rail was thicker, so I had to make a longer screw (approx 1/4" longer). The shorter screw is about 3/4" and the longer one is about 1". I slotted the screws on my lathe, taking ~1 thou per pass. The slots are about 50 thou deep.

The screws and nuts (made from O-1 drill rod aka. silver steel in UK) were heat treated with a MAPP torch and quenched in vegetable oil.

Everything as usual was sandblasted and phosphated. The round nuts were epoxied into the stock.

[Bladerunner]

I had four sling swivels with machine screw threads, but none with a wood screw thread, so I made one...

I disassembled a 1/4-28 sling swivel and proceeded to make a shank with a buttress thread (first time).

I didn't want the swivel to spin, so I just put dimples on the shank, instead of a groove.

Heat treated and phosphated.