Brain storming about a build on a P14 action. Feed back and ideas welcome.

Dogfish858 said:
Is is a BSA sporter or original?
Click to expand...

This is a very important question... original or already sporterised.

I built a few of these rifles when I started into LR and ELR run. That was before the Stevens became the donor of choice. Big strong, work well but options are of course limited. I singled fed them magnum cartridges or 30-06 family depending on the P action.

Can be done, you bet. Can it work well, you bet. Just another overbuilt square bottom receiver... sounds alot better now doesn't it?

If sporterised by BSA, alot of the hard work is done... shaping receiver and drilling tapping. Removing the barrel can get interesting... better to just cut a relief slot and throw the orig barrel away.

If you can find someone to cut the square threads, got lots of barrel options... if going cast, we can even discuss different forms of rifling which may (or may not) help with bullet engraving.

Triggers are still possible. #### on opening kits aren't but not that big a deal anyways. Even tried faster firing pin springs... meh, didn't change much.

Just another receiver... just make sure they aren't those that may be structurally weak..

Jerry
 
Here's another thought...open the 303 up to 9.3mm or 375. Projectile issue solved and should still feed like #### through a goose. Ron Smith could probably rebore it to 375 for you.
 
Nice rifle.. looks to be all matching... Assume the original stock got sporterised or tossed?

make a better WWI rifle....

The orig barrel will get destroyed in removal. And you will need to figure out a front sight replacement... unless you are going to completely sporterise at which point, find a Gunshow special.

BSA sporters were very common for like $75 to 125 when I was playing with them. All the hard work done and no collectible value.

Bummer to see a real milsurp get chopped up...

YMMV.

Jerry
 
if your casting for the 30-30 now then just learn to cast for the 303 and your good to go, take the savings and build a better rifle on a better platform
or if your dead set on having a bolt action 30-30 then put a add up for a old savage 340, those damn things can shoot
 
If you just have to have this rifle fine, go for it. Many of us here have done this and still have the rifles because they are almost impossible to sell even at bargain basement prices.

I decided a few years back that I wanted to have a strong 30-30 to use up a lot of 30 cal bullets I have in the 150 grain range. I picked up a Model 340 Savage. It cost around $250 and is in excellent condition. The thing is, it shoots like a laser. It will withstand much higher pressures than the cases themselves can handle. All I had to do was mount a decent scope on it.

I have built dozens of rifles on milsurp actions. Complete actions used to sell from $15 to $25 depending on condition. It was viable because surplus barrels in various calibers were running in the same price range. Stocks could be made or picked up reasonably from various makers in Canada at the time. It was possible to build a rifle in many standard and even a few magnum cartridges for under a hundred dollars. The thing is, my time was free to me and it was fun to do. I gave a lot of those rifles away to young shooters just getting into the hunting groove. Their parents were working hard and the extra money needed to purchase an off the shelf or even used rifle could often be out of the question.

If you can do the work yourself and have access to the equipment needed to make a decent looking piece I would suggest you go for it. Remember, if you aren't willing to put the time into it DON'T do it. A gunsmith's time will cost around $50 per hour or more depending on how busy he is. Depending on how much work you want done it can get extremely expensive.
 
I have an M17 action that has been rebarrelled in 308 Norma Magnum, with a P14 bolt fitted [for the compatible boltface size]

It has been sporterized, with a laminate stock, and has been D&T for a scope mount.
It has been converted to a "#### on opening" system, and has a Timney trigger installed.

It feeds flawlessly after I changed out the follower.
I do not know whose barrel is on it, nor who 'smithed it, but it shoots bugholes, and is a "fast" barrel, delivering more velocity with less powder
than any of my other Norma Mags.

I am quite pleased with it, and intend to introduce an Elk or Moose to it as soon as it is practical. lol.

Regards, Dave.
 
I was told that the conversion of a p14 to .444 Marlin is relatively common in Australia. I can't seem to find any actual Aussie evidence of this but apparently the conversion is as simple as changing out the barrel.
 
Wohooo, Stage one is finished!

I managed to get my rifle today, and I installed the scope an hour ago! But I will not get a chance to shoot it for two more weeks!

I will posts a bunch of pictures in chronological order to emphasise the changes from before to after the initial modifications. The one item that I am still waiting for is the "####-on-opening" assembly.

Hope you like the pictures!

A few original pictures:








A few pictures of the modified action before the scope was mounted:
















And Now With The Scope Installed










All that's left in this project, is to install a match quality barrel!
I hope this wasn't too many pictures!
 
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Another update!

My First Day Out With The Updated P14.

I mounted my 6.5x20X40mm VXIII To Start load development.






Here is a few targets I Fired today. Its -15 to 20, and frigidly humid feeling today?! But That didn’t stop me from Flinging a few bullets down range!


This target is with a 46.0 grain charge of a bulk powder W760 ( a very slow lot of W760) and a Hornady 174 grain Interlock bullet. I never Chronyed the loads today, as I had forgot my Chronograph at home!



This is another charge of the bulk W760. The rifle seems to like this charge weight so far. I need to shoot a few more 5 shot groups to confirm this loads potential.



The rifle is showing some promise. Lots more shooting to do for load consistency confirmation!
 
Had a great day out shooting the P14 today! The P14 Shot one group that was much better than average! I pulled one round to the left on my second group, but all indications point to that I may have found my hunting load. This load is a little slow in velocity, but I don't think there will be any issues with that.

The first target has all the load information on it, and the second target I never took the time to write the information before I took the picture. I apologise for that.



This target is a load that has all the same components as the one above, just 1 grain higher in charge weight.
This load didn't cluster as tight as the one above (still 5 shots), but still did better than I expected this old rifle to do.


Overall, I look forward to retry these loads to confirm their performance at longer distances (200-300 yards) to see if they stay tight on target.

I tried two other groups with Imr4451 and they both showed a tendancy to group 4 shots together and one just outside the group. Sorry, no pictures available at this time. They were in the 1.2" to 1.35" range for the 5 shots. They have potential, as long as I can concentrate on 5 consecutive well squeezed shots!

I having fun with this old girl!
 
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Look on my works ye mighty expensive rifles and despair! :)
 
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