Something To Do

[Mortblanc]

It has been bitter cold here for some time. No way to stay outside and get any work accomplished. When it is not frozen it is mud and I live in a part of the world where most of the land slopes at a 45% angle. Sometimes it seems that staying on ones feet is an outdoor accomplishment.

All this inside time has allowed me to finish a few projects that help keep mind and body functional.

One of these projects is something that could be accomplished in GB with the proper paperwork in hand so I will go through the steps.

This is going to be another picture heavy thread so be prepared.

This one is the result of a group discussion about the fabrication of a low priced general purpose rifle. Something that would take down medium sized game, could be used with reduced loads for small game, could double as a defense weapon in a pinch, has sufficient range to be effective out to most shooter's abilities, weighs less than 9 pounds and establishes a price point that even the poor working guy can afford.

The group that gathered and began this journey often refers to itself as a gathering of old farts, so this product has been christened "The Fart Rifle".

The journey begins with a Savage Axis rifle. This is an entry level rifle that has several unique features. It is rugged, it is cheap, it is extremely accurate right out of the box, and it is inexpensive.

I chose the Youth Model in .223/5.56. There were several reasons for this choice. The cartridge will fulfill all the requirements in our paradigm. It is common and popular, it is relatively cheap, it is light and it has very low recoil, which was important to the old farts that had shoulder replacements.

The short stock can be lengthened or replaced if desired but I wanted a second feature of the "youth model" which was the 20" barrel that spec provided. What I found was that the youth stock fit me quite well when wearing undergarments, shirt, sweater and down insulated parka for cold weather hunting.

In addition, one of the girls at the LGS called me up and told me there was a special going and I could get a discount price as well as a rebate from the manufacturer. With all the perks subtracted I got the rifle new in the box for less than $200 US.

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http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/produ...outh+SCOPE

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First step was a trip to the range to set a performance base line. I used surplus ammo for this effort and the results were acceptable but not amazing.

The rifle needed trigger work and the scope that came with the package was less than spectacular. the cheap Russian ammo might also have had some influence.

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I shot the group during a "warm spell" when the temps ascended above the 40F mark. After that I was again restricted by cold, snow and rain, so I began work on another phase of the build, increasing the magazine capacity.

Through judicious blending of a stock Savage magazine and one intended for the M4 military rifle I managed to provide an increase to ten round capacity, which might be a nice feature in an emergency, or at the very least means one can load the magazine once and hunt all day. 10 round capacity is one of the features I have always felt set the SMLE above its bolt action brothers and cousins.

The magazine protrudes a bit, but is not unhandy when carrying the finished product.

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Next the trigger assembly was reduced to parts and polished, snipped and honed until I rendered a 3 pound release. Since instructions for trigger work on the Axis are all over the internet I will not post pictures of that effort. Actually I did not take any pictures.

Digging through the parts boxes in the shop I retrieved a scope mounting rail better suited to my needs and a scope from another application that I felt was better for this project. The scope is a 3-9 Barska with a ballistic drop compensator adjusted to the 5.56 round. It allows me to dial in the range without estimating hold over, count dots or other distractions.

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About this time in the effort we had another jump of temperature above the freezing point. I made a dash to the firing range on a sunny but muddy afternoon, slogged up and down the sidelines to set targets and shot a couple of groups to measure the results of my changes.

The benefits of the efforts were immediately obvious, giving me nothing else to do for the improvement of performance as such and only leaving appearance and convenience as the remainder of my work.

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Just in case the worst should happen while in the field, an injury which prevents return to the vehicle, or the remote possibility of "getting lost", I decided to put one of the hidden features of the Axis rifle to good use. The Axis stock needs no tools for removal of the butt pad, and the stock is completely hollow all the way to the pistol grip. This offers the keen minded an excellent place for the storage of small items to keep one more comfortable in such situations. I was able to store a nice selection of goodies in the hollow cavity; water filter, knife, spark rod, JP soaked cotton balls for tinder, can opener, a few feet of 550 cord, a big square of tin foil and a bright scarf for signaling rescue (or helping them find the body).

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With the addition of a cobra braided sling I considered the build nearly complete. The sling alone has over 100 feet of 550 cord on board for use as cordage in any situation one might need the same.

So on board the rifle I have knife, fire starter, water filter, container for cooking, cordage for snares as well as the firearm itself for food gathering duty.

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The cobra braid is an excellent way to compress a usable amount of cordage into a compact form.

[Mortblanc]

When the temps last weekend rose high enough to allow a rattle can paint job me and Rusteolum decided to do a camo paint job on the boring black plastic stock.

That is about the last thing I had planned, so the build is finished for now. I have a couple of other goodies to work on and I will set this aside until spring arrives and the firing range can be viewed as a full time playground in preparation for next year's deer season.

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[Midnitemo]

A lad at my gun club has just bought the very same gun here in the UK for a little over £500!!!!!! I wont tell him how much you paid