For those interested in these ultra cheap projects I figured I’d compile a bit of a review of my experience. It’s been a bit of a journey with mine and full of much frustration. When I first received the rifle I was in SHOCK at how poor the fit and finish was (more like almost fit and unfinished really). The bolt felt ruff and looked even worse. The inner stock finish was damn ruff fit ment wasn't the best and the bolt hit the stock when opening the bolt.
The rifle on first range visit didn’t function at all. No rounds extracted most had light primer strikes taking two or three cycles to go off. The bolt required strong man effort to cycle and to top it all off my rear sight fell off (just slipped right out of the oversized dovetail). Was not off to a good start but I wanted a project and figured for $200 ($150. When you figure in the included ammo) I wasn’t out much If I couldn’t get it running.
So I took it home. Replaced the mangled extractor, disassembled the bolt and polished the firing pin (looked like it was made on a bench grinder by hand). I gave the whole gun a GOOOD CLEAN and polished everything I could lightly to make things slide a bit nicer. I sanded down the sections of the stock contacting the bolt (planing to refinish the stock once/if I got it running). And then sat watching some Netflix and cycled the bolt a few hundred times. I replaced the rear sight with a high vis rear sight that has a locking screw and went off to try all my fixing
Next range trip I no longer had light strikes and maybe 10% of the rounds extracted (progress lol) But bolt closure was still TIGHT and to top things off now my front sight fell off. (Its dove tail too was too big). This almost made me quite as I wanted this as a project and an iron sight trainer.
So brought it home and cleaned up the bolt a bit more spent a good amount of time polishing the locking lug and channel. Cleaned up the bolt quite a bit and spent a lot of time with a bronze brush and bore cleaners cleaning and cleaning more. I mounted a 2-7 scope I had around and back tk the range.
This trip I got maybe 12% extraction but the bolt closed much better now. And accuracy was promising. But I was honestly not happy shooting this thing scoped.
So back home I decided to get a bit more drastic and polished the chamber (bore scope showed it was RUFF). Cleaned rifles VERY toughly again and epoxied on the front sight. Off to the range. This time it ran well. Still failing with federal ammo but ran maybe 80% with CCI.
So from here on. It was polish chamber ever so little clean and test. Took about 3 cycles of doing this and I now have the rifle functioning with all ammo a good 95% of the time. I almost gave up on this thing a couple times got very frustrated but in the end for the cost of $200 into it including the parts I needed - the ammo that it came with I have a not pretty but functional quite accurate iron sight rifle I’m REALLY ENJOYING shooting off hand and off the bench at 25yards and even experimented and had fun at 100meters.
Off the bench at 25 yards with fed AutoMatch my groupings seem to average around the 3/4” area. I’m sure someone with better eyes could better that but I’m pretty damn happy.
The stock is still unfinished and ugly but for now I’m enjoying my beater rifle and happy I stuck it through.
In the end I can’t say as I would recommend this rifle unless you just want to gamble and try your hand at gunsmithing (kinda) with the realization you may end up with a paper weight. But that being said I can honestly say I’m happy I did it. It’s been a challenge but feels good now to have it running and shooting well I really really enjoy this thing now. One day I will go about making it Purdy too lol.
The bottom six groups were off bench the upper were free hand and just elbows on the bench.
Video of it cycling
The rifle on first range visit didn’t function at all. No rounds extracted most had light primer strikes taking two or three cycles to go off. The bolt required strong man effort to cycle and to top it all off my rear sight fell off (just slipped right out of the oversized dovetail). Was not off to a good start but I wanted a project and figured for $200 ($150. When you figure in the included ammo) I wasn’t out much If I couldn’t get it running.
So I took it home. Replaced the mangled extractor, disassembled the bolt and polished the firing pin (looked like it was made on a bench grinder by hand). I gave the whole gun a GOOOD CLEAN and polished everything I could lightly to make things slide a bit nicer. I sanded down the sections of the stock contacting the bolt (planing to refinish the stock once/if I got it running). And then sat watching some Netflix and cycled the bolt a few hundred times. I replaced the rear sight with a high vis rear sight that has a locking screw and went off to try all my fixing
Next range trip I no longer had light strikes and maybe 10% of the rounds extracted (progress lol) But bolt closure was still TIGHT and to top things off now my front sight fell off. (Its dove tail too was too big). This almost made me quite as I wanted this as a project and an iron sight trainer.
So brought it home and cleaned up the bolt a bit more spent a good amount of time polishing the locking lug and channel. Cleaned up the bolt quite a bit and spent a lot of time with a bronze brush and bore cleaners cleaning and cleaning more. I mounted a 2-7 scope I had around and back tk the range.
This trip I got maybe 12% extraction but the bolt closed much better now. And accuracy was promising. But I was honestly not happy shooting this thing scoped.
So back home I decided to get a bit more drastic and polished the chamber (bore scope showed it was RUFF). Cleaned rifles VERY toughly again and epoxied on the front sight. Off to the range. This time it ran well. Still failing with federal ammo but ran maybe 80% with CCI.
So from here on. It was polish chamber ever so little clean and test. Took about 3 cycles of doing this and I now have the rifle functioning with all ammo a good 95% of the time. I almost gave up on this thing a couple times got very frustrated but in the end for the cost of $200 into it including the parts I needed - the ammo that it came with I have a not pretty but functional quite accurate iron sight rifle I’m REALLY ENJOYING shooting off hand and off the bench at 25yards and even experimented and had fun at 100meters.
Off the bench at 25 yards with fed AutoMatch my groupings seem to average around the 3/4” area. I’m sure someone with better eyes could better that but I’m pretty damn happy.
The stock is still unfinished and ugly but for now I’m enjoying my beater rifle and happy I stuck it through.
In the end I can’t say as I would recommend this rifle unless you just want to gamble and try your hand at gunsmithing (kinda) with the realization you may end up with a paper weight. But that being said I can honestly say I’m happy I did it. It’s been a challenge but feels good now to have it running and shooting well I really really enjoy this thing now. One day I will go about making it Purdy too lol.
The bottom six groups were off bench the upper were free hand and just elbows on the bench.
Video of it cycling
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