If there was a member in the Yorkton Sk area with a good place to shoot I'd bring a bottle of whatever they like best for the chance to drag the new rifle out. Working here for the next few months, need something to do in the evening.
M40 Family - Who owns one?
- Thread starter ArmedGinger
- Start date
Not much action in here for a while. Pulled the Boyd's stock off the other day to do some work to it. Still haven't found a proper piece of wood for the rifle, so I stripped off the finish and started re-profiling. I re-shaped the tip of the fore end and rounded the edges (it was pretty square when I got it. The cheekpiece isn't the right shape and the grip area is too thin but not much I can do about that.
Currently hanging up with a 4th coat of linseed oil on it. I'm not going to attempt much polishing, will keep it pretty basic and low gloss.
Currently hanging up with a 4th coat of linseed oil on it. I'm not going to attempt much polishing, will keep it pretty basic and low gloss.
Starting up a M40A5 style rifle. Not a complete clone. Lots of liberties taken. Bought a M40A5 McMillan stock off the EE with the PGW night vision mount installed/bedded. It's not the issued 2 screw and is the single one, but with the PGW and sniper fill and inletting for the badger M5 bottom metal. it's a very nice stock.
Going to get some flack from purists here, but... I bought a 5R milspec gen2 in 308 with 24" barrel. It came with a surefire brake. Wrong one for a real build but it looks good and still gives it that type of look. Also has a trigger tech trigger. Unfortunately it has a silver straight trigger. I will likely replace that with a trigger tech 2 stage in black with regular trigger shoe. Installed a 20 moa NF rail. I know, not the correct 30 moa one. But it's a quality part and I had it on hand. Just need to order the Bader M5 bottom metal.
Anyways, I suspect over the next few years it will look closer and closer. The reality is I bought it for both function/shooting and a bit of nostalgia. Not a full out clone obviously. But should shoot very well and doesn't completely blow the budget. While also giving it that M40A5 look. As long as you don't look too close.
Going to get some flack from purists here, but... I bought a 5R milspec gen2 in 308 with 24" barrel. It came with a surefire brake. Wrong one for a real build but it looks good and still gives it that type of look. Also has a trigger tech trigger. Unfortunately it has a silver straight trigger. I will likely replace that with a trigger tech 2 stage in black with regular trigger shoe. Installed a 20 moa NF rail. I know, not the correct 30 moa one. But it's a quality part and I had it on hand. Just need to order the Bader M5 bottom metal.
Anyways, I suspect over the next few years it will look closer and closer. The reality is I bought it for both function/shooting and a bit of nostalgia. Not a full out clone obviously. But should shoot very well and doesn't completely blow the budget. While also giving it that M40A5 look. As long as you don't look too close.
No flack here I take lots of liberties with mine. Tubb lugs, marble stock, 5R Krieger etc. It’s all good.
Sounds like a nice build. Completed rifle is heavy AF but very comfortable to shoot from position.
Looking forward to seeing it as it comes along. Even things like the revised one screw cheek piece are an improvement over the old 2 screw model which didn’t hold adjustment. You can buy the 2 screw kit from McMillian ( ask me how I know this ) but it’s really a step backwards anyway.
You will enjoy it.
Sounds like a nice build. Completed rifle is heavy AF but very comfortable to shoot from position.
Looking forward to seeing it as it comes along. Even things like the revised one screw cheek piece are an improvement over the old 2 screw model which didn’t hold adjustment. You can buy the 2 screw kit from McMillian ( ask me how I know this ) but it’s really a step backwards anyway.
You will enjoy it.
Can't wait to see your A5, none of my rifles are very correct either. That A1 looks pretty good, I love those stocks.
My refinished Boyd stock, still not right.
Since I refinished it a bought an old Rem ADL stock I'm going to try. Need to cut for bottom metal and re-profile the tip/refinish.
On a related note, this morning I'm going to go look at a farm for sale. 2 quarters of rolling pasture with nothing for miles to the north. Would make a pretty good spot for a range.
My refinished Boyd stock, still not right.
Since I refinished it a bought an old Rem ADL stock I'm going to try. Need to cut for bottom metal and re-profile the tip/refinish.
On a related note, this morning I'm going to go look at a farm for sale. 2 quarters of rolling pasture with nothing for miles to the north. Would make a pretty good spot for a range.
Wasn't all it was advertised to be.....
Access to the land is across a separate quarter that is priced beyond my budget. Owner is selling 8 quarters, and has them priced so that if you want x you need to buy y. Turned out to be a waste of time to look at. I can't afford to build a mile long road from the other direction.
It was nice land though. Waiting to hear back about alternate buying options from the seller but not going to hold my breath.
Back to m40s.....
Access to the land is across a separate quarter that is priced beyond my budget. Owner is selling 8 quarters, and has them priced so that if you want x you need to buy y. Turned out to be a waste of time to look at. I can't afford to build a mile long road from the other direction.
It was nice land though. Waiting to hear back about alternate buying options from the seller but not going to hold my breath.
Back to m40s.....
Anything in the spirit of an M40__ is all good stuff.
An original aside, even building a ‘correct’ clone is a financial commitment most of us can’t afford assuming you can find the parts so I’m all for building a version of your favourite model.
That being said anyone have a six digit action and a tombstone safety trigger laying around…lol
An original aside, even building a ‘correct’ clone is a financial commitment most of us can’t afford assuming you can find the parts so I’m all for building a version of your favourite model.
That being said anyone have a six digit action and a tombstone safety trigger laying around…lol
Corlane's sold me a partial trigger, and I had it rebuilt by the guy who did my rifle. The best luck I've had sourcing parts is by phoning gun shops and pestering them to dig through their parts bins. They were very helpful and didn't seem to mind the odd request.
Once again I'm working with parts that aren't quite right. ADL stock I got from a member here, need to strip, cut for bottom metal, reshape the tip, and maybe see if I can sand down the checkering. Don't want to lose too much material but its at least closer to the right shape. And its inletted for a varmint barrel which was a bonus.
Stock is stripped now, started sanding. Managed to remove the checkering from the fore end without removing too much (I think). Very minor remnants but you have to look close to see them, they look more like nicks in the wood. Not going any further, will leave these minor imperfections.
The grip is harder to do, taking my time with 100 grit and hopefully will get similar results. A first coat of linseed oil should show if I've sanded enough away.
The grip is harder to do, taking my time with 100 grit and hopefully will get similar results. A first coat of linseed oil should show if I've sanded enough away.
Reshaping and sanding are done on the ADL stock, still have a little clearancing to do in the barrel channel. Getting slight contact in the last 2 inches of the stock. This barrel is slightly larger diameter than a Varmint Special, mine dropped right into the stock without issue.
Was a bit finicky to do the barrel channel, I used sandpaper on a dowel and it took some time to do as its tapered and I was trying to maintain a consistent gap. Not really set up to do this kind of work.
Lost a bit of material opening it up but I think it still looks ok, not really noticeable unless you had some real M40's next to it for comparison. Plus, they were probably not all exactly the same anyway. Cut out the stock for the hinged floorplate and getting ready to fit a buttplate to it. Needed a break from sanding.
Was a bit finicky to do the barrel channel, I used sandpaper on a dowel and it took some time to do as its tapered and I was trying to maintain a consistent gap. Not really set up to do this kind of work.
Lost a bit of material opening it up but I think it still looks ok, not really noticeable unless you had some real M40's next to it for comparison. Plus, they were probably not all exactly the same anyway. Cut out the stock for the hinged floorplate and getting ready to fit a buttplate to it. Needed a break from sanding.
The American stock makers I've found were either temporarily out of business or unwilling to reply to correspondence. Finding an older ADL to modify was the easiest way I could find, and I went with the one piece hinged floorplate/trigger guard as the original rifles had. Mine is newer production, but similar style.
Ordering an exact replica that was ready to drop the barreled action into would be great, but I haven't found one of those.
Ordering an exact replica that was ready to drop the barreled action into would be great, but I haven't found one of those.
That’s coming along nicely! Looking forward to the final product!
Reshaping and sanding are done on the ADL stock, still have a little clearancing to do in the barrel channel. Getting slight contact in the last 2 inches of the stock. This barrel is slightly larger diameter than a Varmint Special, mine dropped right into the stock without issue.
Was a bit finicky to do the barrel channel, I used sandpaper on a dowel and it took some time to do as its tapered and I was trying to maintain a consistent gap. Not really set up to do this kind of work.
Lost a bit of material opening it up but I think it still looks ok, not really noticeable unless you had some real M40's next to it for comparison. Plus, they were probably not all exactly the same anyway. Cut out the stock for the hinged floorplate and getting ready to fit a buttplate to it. Needed a break from sanding.
