A possible project.

BOHROK

BOHROK

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CGN,
I had an idea the other week to take one of my deactivated M95 rifles and breath new life into it. Since getting a new barrel bored for the 8x56r is virtually impossible I thought maybe 303 or 7.62x54r I believe this requires a new barrel and nothing more, could make it original length at 30 inches or bring it to the 24-26 inch short rifle size. I did research and found a few forums where people said they had done it and it worked fine. I am curious if anyone here had ever seen one or owns one? Do they actually work fine or is it an expensive nightmare? And the final question is this butchering history or breathing new life into a deactivated rifle?
Just a side note I do know this would cost way more then its worth.
Let's keep this a fun discussion!
 
This is one of the rifles sold with a hole drilled in the chamber, but otherwise intact?
I suppose it could be rebarreled. I suspect the cost would be way more than the rifle would be worth on completion, unless you could do the work yourself.
The replacement barrel would not only have to be fitted and chambered, but externally contoured to fit the stock and sights, if the military appearance is to be maintained.
If you just want a shooter on a M95 action, a semi-sported piece could be assembled at lower cost. But it might still cost more than the finished rifle would be worth.

Any chance of finding an original barrel or barrel/receiver unit?
 
It is one of the ones with a hole drilled in the barrel. So all that is required is a bolt and barrel. I own a m95 rifle and Carbine already this was more of a thought experiment if it could be done and would it work. You read it on forums but then there is no picture or video proof. A replacement barrel wouldn’t be a bad idea if I could find one in Canada, then it would be a restoration rifle. I know it’s bad and taboo but I have always dreamed of a m95 in short Rifle configuration!
 
54R feeds and cycles just fine. The only issue is the cost of the new barrel, and the machining for the extractor cut.
 
I rebarreled one to 45-70 back in the day when they could be purchased for $35. It was a pain.

I had to modify the chargers by cutting them in half and fitting them to the sides of the mag well in a similar fashion to that found on Turkish GEW conversions.

It worked well and that rifle ended up with Brian Oldfield, because he helped me with it and he liked it a lot more than I did.

He opened up the bolt face and did some work on the extractor as well. He also made a new stock for it.

I don't know where it went after he passed away over 10 years ago.

There's no reason these actions can't be converted to all sorts of things, other than the charger retention system.

With a little effort there is plenty of room to convert them to a magazine system or to a Mauser style mag well.
 
45-70 would be cool! A little more work as you said the bolt and clip system needs modified to work. I always thought 410 might be a simple conversion for one with a dot out bore, just get it smooth bored. I’d be curious if the 410 cartridges would feed without a taper at the end.
 
What about starting with a modern 8mm barrel blank, contouring it to the original barrel profile and chambering it to the original 8x50 calibre? You'd probably need to get a custom reamer made.
 
Did a quick google, there was a suggestion that a SMLE barrel could be installed. Here are the measurements reported. I have never pulled a M95 barrel, so I cannot say from personal experience.
M95 threads are 14tpi, V, 1.02" diameter, .694 long.
SMLE threads are 14tpi, V, .997" diameter, .688 long. While V pattern, they aren't plain 60 degree.
Very similar; SMLE theoretically 5 thou. smaller in diameter. Would that matter? Would be worth trying.
Reported above that 7.62x54R works through the magazine system.
A Lee Enfield barrel could be set back a bit to allow the 54R reamer to clean up the remains of the .303 chamber, the shank reworked with the threads being picked up.

Or, something like a take-off M700 .308 sporter barrel could be retrofitted. X54R reamer pilot might be a bit large for a .300 bore.

If those shank threads are correct, rebarreling might be a reasonable option.
 
Quiet said:
What about starting with a modern 8mm barrel blank, contouring it to the original barrel profile and chambering it to the original 8x50 calibre? You'd probably need to get a custom reamer made.
Click to expand...

Better off with 7.62x54r. Both 8x50r and 7.62x54r are practically interchangable for what matters (in WWI during duress the Austro-Hungarians when out of 8x50r would use 7.62x54r in their chargers, no accuracy obviously but it would go bang). 8x50r as made was a pretty terrible round, very hard to duplicate effectively with modern bullets and accuracy was minimal.
 
Lots of them were converted to 8x57 and had a similar modification to the mag wells, so that enblocs weren't needed and would feed from K98 stripper clips. Model M95M

I believe Austria modified some of these.

Sarco, in the US used to list the bolt heads/extractors for the conversion. I usually see a couple of these conversions at the larger gun shows, selling very cheap.

IMHO, these could be relatively easy to convert to any of the medium length rimmed or rimless cases.
 
tiriaq said:
Did a quick google, there was a suggestion that a SMLE barrel could be installed. Here are the measurements reported. I have never pulled a M95 barrel, so I cannot say from personal experience.
M95 threads are 14tpi, V, 1.02" diameter, .694 long.
SMLE threads are 14tpi, V, .997" diameter, .688 long. While V pattern, they aren't plain 60 degree.
Very similar; SMLE theoretically 5 thou. smaller in diameter. Would that matter? Would be worth trying.
Reported above that 7.62x54R works through the magazine system.
A Lee Enfield barrel could be set back a bit to allow the 54R reamer to clean up the remains of the .303 chamber, the shank reworked with the threads being picked up.
Click to expand...

It would be really nice if a smle barrel could thread on as I think the 303 would work out of the enbloc clips with out any modifications also the barrel profile on the smle is smaller then the m95 I believe so it may rest in the stock without hassle. Price wise you would be money a head buying a smle barrel over a new one.
 
Called them, they said it would be between 1500- 2000 to have the job done. Lot of cash for a rifle, but you can’t take it with you!

To quote Cheech Marin 'Holy Sheep Sh*t'

I'm going to get them to re-chamber a P14 barrel to X54R and install on a Siamese Mauser action but there is no contouring, just a thread and chamber and it was a lot less.

Bits and Pieces? Jensen, maybe he has a reamer.
 
TEC has SMLE barrels for $250. It would be less expensive to get a sported rifle with a decent barrel and break it for parts. The magazine alone would bring $50. Someone wanting an action and stocks for making up one of the pistol caliber carbines would probably take the rest of the rifle. Advantage for that project is that the barrel is already off - just screw in the .45 and tighten the locking collar. The net cost for the barrel would be very reasonable.
Assuming that the SMLE (or No. 4) barrel would screw in with a reasonable fit, it would be a matter of adjusting the shank and headspace. Lathe and reamer are going to be needed.
 
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