C3a1 clone build

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molonlave

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A while back I got the bug to build a C3A1 clone from one of the PH M84 single shot receivers floating around out there.

810700.jpg



At this point, all I had was the receiver in the condition you see above. After many months, I was able to locate a few parts from the US, UK, and Canada. The big challenge has been the bottom metal. I was only able to find a trigger bow, mag catch, and screw. Finally I got a big break on Ebay with finding 2 magazines that were unfinished. Basically the main mag body was formed and welded, 2 spacers, and the bottom metal. No springs or followers.
 
After what seems like a year or more I was able to locate a bolt!

s-l400-6.jpg

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It took a while to find the correct bolt. Apparently one of the lugs is longer, which is different than your standard mauser-style. This is when my excitement turned to major cluster $@%ery. This bolt was not finished at the factory and I soon found out why. It became clear that during the machining, the firing pin hole was not in line with the center axis of the bolt. I decided to move ahead and threaded the bolt handle to accept a C3A1 syle knob and bushed the firing pin hole to bring it into alignment.

C3A1 bolt face.jpg


After all this, it was recently brought to my attention that this bolt is in fact not the correct type. The hunt continues...
 
Trued up the top and bottom of the receiver, milled in the slot for the scope base, including the dovetails near the front of the receiver. Opened up the mag well. That geometry is challenging!

C3A1 reveiver top.jpg


C3A1 receiver mag well.jpg


C3A1 receiver left.jpg


C3A1 receiver right.jpg



Trued up the threads and face of the receiver, best I could. You can appreciate how off center everything is. Hence why machinists with vastly more experience and knowledge decided to scrap this. And here I am trying to give this thing life. Idiot!

C3A1 receiver front.jpg
 
While working through each challenge and researching any information I could find, it became apparent that some of these receivers may not have been heat treated sufficiently. I could tell from working on the bolt that it certainly did not have the appropriate hardness. I connected with a local metallurgical testing company and they were kind enough the help me out. Good and bad news. The receiver tested out at 43 HRC, the bolt.....a whopping 8 HRC. No problem, just send the bolt for heat treating, right? Well for those that may not be aware, the heat treatment technicians need to know the exact composition of the alloy if you're going to have a shot at obtaining the hardness you need. I tried calling Parker Hale, but no answer (wink). Once again, the metallurgical experts to the rescue! Enter the amazing world of XRF, or X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Using XRF, they were able to determine that the bolt was 4140 (I need to check my paperwork to verify). Off to heat treat, and it came back 43-45 HRC!

C3A1 bolt.jpg
 
well I recognize that Parker Hale trigger. I have one on a franken gun, PH Safari that was rebarreled with a 1919MG barrel in 8x63mm

I just had it in the lathe last week and threaded the barrel for a 5/8" 24TPI muzzle device. Also found out that the bore on my spindle is a little small for the mauser receiver, the lug for the extractor is the problem. Your receiver does not have that lug, which I find is interesting, I need to look into that.

while I had everything apart I adjusted the trigger, it was a long heavy pull, now its much lighter and a short pull, just 2 screws to do the adjustment.
 
woodchopper said:
well I recognize that Parker Hale trigger. I have one on a franken gun, PH Safari that was rebarreled with a 1919MG barrel in 8x63mm

I just had it in the lathe last week and threaded the barrel for a 5/8" 24TPI muzzle device. Also found out that the bore on my spindle is a little small for the mauser receiver, the lug for the extractor is the problem. Your receiver does not have that lug, which I find is interesting, I need to look into that.

while I had everything apart I adjusted the trigger, it was a long heavy pull, now its much lighter and a short pull, just 2 screws to do the adjustment.
Click to expand...
Think I still have oe of those triggers in one of my tool boxes. Easy to work with. - dan
 
PacNor made the barrel blank. Proceeded to thread/chamber. Worked out some pillars and completed the bedding. Even the pillars were a pain in the ass. I had to keep in mind that the rear pillar does not contact the receiver directly because the rear portion of the trigger is between them. I decided to make the rear pillar with a sacrificial portion to hold the spacing while bedding and then milled off the exact amount for the trigger.C3A1 bedding.jpg
 
Things fitting together. Now I need to fine tune the magazine interaction with the magwell. The unfinished magazines didn't come with a follower and spring. I'm not sure if these are correct as they appear to have a greater capacity than the standard 6 round c3a1 magazine. I either need to find a follower or try to make one.
C3A1 R side.jpg
 
Not sure the C3 had a drag bag as such. There is a soft green case and a hard case. I have never seen the latter for sale. I have owned a couple of the former. I paid $250 for the last one I bought. It is in very good conditiion.
Like all C3 accesories they are very hard to find. I have never seen a case for the Bushnell spotting scope.
 
There was some experimental stuff used only in Gagetown back in the late 80s .,there was a push to make the C3 more accurate at that time . Before the a1 contracting started.
 
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