Just for the record, I am frugal ... not cheap. 
So I bought a couple of the LMTs that Questar had on sale... One was an X model. For those of you that do not know, the X model is an export compliant version that comes with a receiver extension that has only one hole milled in it... which means that the collapsible stock will not extend.
I put on a aftermarket tube on as soon as I got it.... but this is where the part about me being frugal comes to play... I thought I would mill the LMT tube to work as it should, I will throw it in the parts bin... keep it as a spare.
Here is how I did it, it took longer to write this than do the machining
I trammed my mill, then centered on the hole in the tube.
I took my measurements from a spare tube I just bought of the EE (thanks diver488 ). I plunged the end mill down .150 and then milled the slot. here are 2 pics, one had the slot covered in chips... the next one I cleaned it off.
The completed slot.
I thought I would mill 7 holes... (hey, the price is the same)
Side by side with the EE tube.
Here it is with the machining finished.
I was thinking of getting some aluminum black, but after I put the stock on you really don't see much bare metal.
I just thought i would post this and maybe give someone some ideas... some options if they were waiting for a tube.
So I bought a couple of the LMTs that Questar had on sale... One was an X model. For those of you that do not know, the X model is an export compliant version that comes with a receiver extension that has only one hole milled in it... which means that the collapsible stock will not extend.
I put on a aftermarket tube on as soon as I got it.... but this is where the part about me being frugal comes to play... I thought I would mill the LMT tube to work as it should, I will throw it in the parts bin... keep it as a spare.
Here is how I did it, it took longer to write this than do the machining
I trammed my mill, then centered on the hole in the tube.
I took my measurements from a spare tube I just bought of the EE (thanks diver488 ). I plunged the end mill down .150 and then milled the slot. here are 2 pics, one had the slot covered in chips... the next one I cleaned it off.
The completed slot.
I thought I would mill 7 holes... (hey, the price is the same)
Side by side with the EE tube.
Here it is with the machining finished.
I was thinking of getting some aluminum black, but after I put the stock on you really don't see much bare metal.
I just thought i would post this and maybe give someone some ideas... some options if they were waiting for a tube.
