Has anyone successfully converted an ex sniper Mosin back to a PU again? I have a 1943 Izzy ex sniper with the scope mount holes filled in partially and was wondering the effort it would take to D&T it again and slap a repro PU on. Plus then get the bolt bent. Worth it?
Mosin Ex Sniper to PU Again
- Thread starter Recce21
- Start date
You misinterpret my question so let me phrase it differently. Has anyone done it successfully? Leave cost off the table.
StrelokM38
CGN Regular
I'm certain it'd be doable. Might have to tap out the holes a smidge bigger for the scope mount if anything. Lots of replica mounts out there, but you'll have to make sure you're getting a quality one, or even better yet, some originals taken off of a rifle prior.
Will say though, the PU scope and mount is very temperamental and can take a fair bit of work to set up properly. The reticle on the scope moves around within the objective, and you have to 'zero' it via filing or shimming the scopes mount to center it.
Will say though, the PU scope and mount is very temperamental and can take a fair bit of work to set up properly. The reticle on the scope moves around within the objective, and you have to 'zero' it via filing or shimming the scopes mount to center it.
- Location
- Leduc County, Alberta
Yes. Relatively simple. You’ll need special order metric tap. Drill bits, cutting oil, and hand held drill or drill press. PM me if you’d like Recce21. Gin and tonics to steady the hand, also…. 
I have done this many moons ago with help from a local gun shop. It was relatively easy for him to re-drill the receiver, but exercise caution when drilling. It's because the plugs are welded in place, and metal in that area is softer than the rest of the receiver.
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The best way to take out those screws is indeed with a milling machine, but with a center/pilot drill, that doesn't have any flex.
I've done a couple for some folks that wanted to put them back into their sniper configuration.
Neither of them ever followed through on their projects.
I found that it was much easier to start the hole, in the screws, from inside the receiver, rather than try to find centers on the exterior.
Start the hole with the centering drill and later drill all the way through with a regular drill bit.
Once the holes are drilled all the way through, take the receiver out of the vice and set it up again so that you can clean up the weld, which isn't very deep. On the rifles I did, maybe .025 at most. Just enough to skim coat and file smooth.
Then, a bit of liquid wrench and a tap with a punch to loosen things up.
Fit a good quality "easy out" into the hole and carefully screw it out.
I do this with the receiver still clamped in the vice, on the milling machine, as I may have to use the center drill to cut a bit deeper.
So far I haven't had to do it. Very likely won't be doing another one.
The metric tap used by the Soviets and their satelites have a normal pitch.
The recievers are not especially hard, but the weld material on one of the rifles was hard enough to dull the tap.
Just like the center drilling on the screws, I started the tap from the inside of the receiver, where appx 85% of the threads are still intact.
I've done a couple for some folks that wanted to put them back into their sniper configuration.
Neither of them ever followed through on their projects.
I found that it was much easier to start the hole, in the screws, from inside the receiver, rather than try to find centers on the exterior.
Start the hole with the centering drill and later drill all the way through with a regular drill bit.
Once the holes are drilled all the way through, take the receiver out of the vice and set it up again so that you can clean up the weld, which isn't very deep. On the rifles I did, maybe .025 at most. Just enough to skim coat and file smooth.
Then, a bit of liquid wrench and a tap with a punch to loosen things up.
Fit a good quality "easy out" into the hole and carefully screw it out.
I do this with the receiver still clamped in the vice, on the milling machine, as I may have to use the center drill to cut a bit deeper.
So far I haven't had to do it. Very likely won't be doing another one.
The metric tap used by the Soviets and their satelites have a normal pitch.
The recievers are not especially hard, but the weld material on one of the rifles was hard enough to dull the tap.
Just like the center drilling on the screws, I started the tap from the inside of the receiver, where appx 85% of the threads are still intact.
