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Sporterize


Subdeacon Joe

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In 1962 I purchased an 03A3 from the CMP for $15.  Chopped the barrel, put a glass bedded Fajen stock on it and a mounted a Tasco scope.  Swapped it off.

 

Dumb.

 

Edit:

 

Redemption.  I inherited an 03A3 from my uncle; a Remington made in 1942.  It remains pristine in my collection.

Thanks Uncle Ralph.

 

 

 

 

 

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About thirty years ago I bought a Yugoslavian 8X57 Mauser for $90 and set out to "sporterize" it.  It now wears a Bell & Carlson stock, "Model 70" style bolt handle, Timney trigger, Maynard Buehler safety and two-piece mounts and rings, and a Weaver scope.  It'll shoot better than 1 MOA.

 

No regrets.  ;)

 

About that same time, I acquired a 1903 Springfield that someone had begun to "sporterize."  It took me several years, but I successfully reversed that attempt and restored it to it's original glory. 

 

Again, no regrets. ^_^

 

MauserClosed.jpg.9cdb1554ff28c3eb724a7d1ca6beabcf.jpg

 

1820608544_Springfield2.jpg.95a38d01bf0f72924e15976aa6208ab6.jpg

 

 

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I had a sporterized 1917. Whoever did the work put a .270 barrel on it. With Willians adjustable iron peep sights (yes, they put holes in the receiver) it shot MOA, not with 3 rounds, but 5 rounds from a rest on a bench. I could put 3 rounds into a playing card at 100 yards shooting off-hand at will and as shooting as quickly as I could work the bolt. Not bragging. Fact.

 

I could not bring myself to alter the receiver to mount a scope and I couldn’t bring myself to sell it so I gave it to a friend that loved it just the way it was. The gun was ugly. No one would but it in appearance alone. But, boy, was it a shooter.

 

I wish I had some close up photos, or any photos of it, to post. The bedding job was the ugliest but most effective bedding job I have ever seen.

 

I understand that a lot of “sporterized” guns came about by wannabe gunsmiths getting cheap mil-surp guns to practice on. 

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I've been looking for a decent M1917 stock for years to replace the cracked one on mine. But every time I find one on eBay it's been chopped and sporterized. And when a nice one DOES show up it sells for double what an entire rifle is worth. :huh:

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I spent over 3 years hunting parts to restore a P14 and a 1917 , I got lucky and found a couple of stocks at a somewhat reasonable price 

if you can find a Keith stamped stock , get ready to float a big loan , very high in my area 

will make a couple of calls to see if I can find you a stock Sixgun , 

 

  CB 

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I have two sporterized O3-A3s, one has been rechambered to .308 Norma, one is still a 30-06.  I know that two $800 rifles were made into $400 rifles, but the horse was out of the barn long before surplus military rifles became valuable collector's items, and they are great to hunt with.

Remember, most of the sporterizations were done when these rifles could be purchased from Ye Old Hunter for $29.95!

 

Duffield

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"De-sporterizing" is sometimes challenging. Finding a reasonably priced stock for a #1 Mk 3 SMLE is near impossible - like Sixgun Sheridan, I've found a decent stock set is more or less the same as a complete rifle. I found the top wood, different type wood and mismatched color of course, but for the lower stock I finally took an old broken hickory ax handle and started carving & splicing - very challenging to fit the nose piece. Wrong color again, of course, but I suppose I could refinish the whole thing in a dark brown and get it all pretty close.

100_2583.JPG

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56 minutes ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

"De-sporterizing" is sometimes challenging. Finding a reasonably priced stock for a #1 Mk 3 SMLE is near impossible - like Sixgun Sheridan, I've found a decent stock set is more or less the same as a complete rifle. I found the top wood, different type wood and mismatched color of course, but for the lower stock I finally took an old broken hickory ax handle and started carving - very challenging to fit the nose piece. Wrong color again, of course, but I suppose I could refinish the whole thing in a dark brown and get it all pretty close.

 

JBB... I'd say that's some right smart whittlin' you've done there~!  :)

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I got dressed down by someone on the SKS network for putting a tactical stock and fore end on my model M SKS.  That's one of the rifles that used AK magazines. The silly looking, thumb hole furniture that came on the gun was UGLY, lousy quality wood, and was uncomfortable as HELL to shoot and carry!

 

I told him that it was MY rifle and that he didn't have to shoot it or look at it or even think about it if it didn't suit him!  The rifle has NO historical value, other than it will accept AK mags!!  It was NEVER issued to the military. It has no combat history. It was never owned by anyone of historic note. 

 

I buy things for me to use!! I'll modify ANYTHING to suit my purpose!!  I sometimes do it just to see if I can!!  I've usually turned a tidy profit on the toys that I decide to part with.  

 

I just don't get the attitude!!  Things of historic value are one thing.  A regular issue, turned out of service rifle only has value to those who desire one. What they choose to do or not to do with it is entirely up to them and NO amount of ridicule is appropriate or called for!! 

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Speaking of Russians....

 

A few years ago Big 5 was selling Mosin Nagant's cheap, and we picked up a few.

 

Sassparilla Kid decided to "sacrifice" one by sporterizing it.

 

Once again, no regrets.  :rolleyes:

 

216143278_Mosinwscope2.thumb.jpg.34f985a39c24a3f1128bdae0f1fb6429.jpg

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 While it may pain me to see a military arm chopped, I don’t criticize anyone for it.

Your gun. Your money. Your bidness.

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It only pains me because I'm looking for an M1917 and all I find are sporters.  Doesn't hurt me at all when I see 1903 sporters because I'm not in the market.  Once I get my P17, then the krag sporters will start to cause me physical harm. 

 

 

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In my sometimes-not-so-humble-opinion, the one rifle that should be criminal to sporterize is the Garand.  

 

LORDY but I've seen some that just bring me to the brink of tears.  :(

 

Sorta like putting yoga pants and chartreuse lipstick on dear old Grandma...  i-do-not-want-to-see.gif

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5 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

Speaking of Russians....

 

A few years ago Big 5 was selling Mosin Nagant's cheap, and we picked up a few.

 

Sassparilla Kid decided to "sacrifice" one by sporterizing it.

 

Once again, no regrets.  :rolleyes:

 

216143278_Mosinwscope2.thumb.jpg.34f985a39c24a3f1128bdae0f1fb6429.jpg

Any backwoods Russian hunter would love that!

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2 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

In my sometimes-not-so-humble-opinion, the one rifle that should be criminal to sporterize is the Garand.

I saw a carbine in a hock shop once.

 

Full-length Mannlicher stock with a Monte Carlo and a roll-over.

 

Don't know what, if anything, was done to the gun. But the stock made me a little ill.

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22 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Well if all those surplus rifles hadn't been sporterized then those that are in original configuration still wouldn't be worth much.

 

The original ones that are left still aren't worth much. Like I said, the parts alone are worth more than a complete rifle!

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On 6/13/2019 at 11:48 AM, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

Speaking of Russians....

 

A few years ago Big 5 was selling Mosin Nagant's cheap, and we picked up a few.

 

Sassparilla Kid decided to "sacrifice" one by sporterizing it.

 

Once again, no regrets.  :rolleyes:

 

216143278_Mosinwscope2.thumb.jpg.34f985a39c24a3f1128bdae0f1fb6429.jpg

I kind of like it. :D

I hope it has a recoil pad. Those have a slight kick to ‘em. 

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22 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

In my sometimes-not-so-humble-opinion, the one rifle that should be criminal to sporterize is the Garand.  

 

LORDY but I've seen some that just bring me to the brink of tears.  :(

 

Sorta like putting yoga pants and chartreuse lipstick on dear old Grandma...  i-do-not-want-to-see.gif

I bought a Garand years ago that looked like the Koreans used it as a boat oar. The barrel was pretty much shot out. The stock was falling apart. I had a gunsmith that specialized in competition M1A’s and Garlands rebarrel it, accurize it and put a laminate stock on it. I converted it to .308 because .308 was cheaper to shoot (until I converted it). My daughter has it now. What a sweet shooter it is.

I never regretted upgrading it. It was basically a parts gun and I brought it back to life. ;)

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When I was a young man, some 45 years ago, I joined a number of other young men and established a "street rod" club.  We had several running cars and numerous "projects" that we would get together and discuss/help each other on and generally hang out on nights and weekends.  The president of the Antique Car Club in our area supported our endeavors and would put us onto parts and people who could lead us to things we needed.  It lasted about two years.

 

One of the other members of the ACCA in the area found out that we were building "hot rods" and that they were definitely NOT ACCA candidates.  He got that entire club all riled up and it almost became a coup d'etat!!  Our friend in the club called a special meeting of the ACCA guys and had several of our guys attend as well.  He damn near roasted his own club members!!

 

"These guys are going out and finding stuff that you (expletive deleted)s have turned your noses up at for years!!" he said. "They're beating out and welding stuff that you guys have thrown away for years and they're making 'em run and look good and they're driving on the streets every day!!"  "While you arrogant (another expletive)s won't get your cars out unless there's NO chance of 'em getting wet or even dusty, these boys are letting everyone see these old cars and they're salvaging the ones you sissies wouldn't touch with gloves on!!

 

A lot of what he said that day has stuck with me to this day!!  When I see a "sporterized" rifle, I think that maybe that was one that almost didn't make it!!  I see that rat motorcycle or car as "Somebody saved that one!"  I've saved more than one gun/rifle that was really "torch it and into the dumpster" material.  Same with a few old bikes and more old cars and trucks than I can count!!

 

SO!!  Don't get your feathers ruffled if I go to defending these amateur/hobbiest folks!!  Hot rodders are the original recyclers!!

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I am with Blackwater , many times , one is just too far gone to bring back to original 

Ears have been ground off a P14 or a M1917 , best thing to do there is make it into a hunting rifle , gives an old trooper a new life 

I do have a soft spot for saving those I can , those I can't become hunting rifles 

giving folks a bad time because they don't fit into YOUR ideas gust riles em up and ya don't know when ya might need their help 

 

how about all them prized Mausers , that have been made into hunting rifles ? Even I drilled and tapped a marked K98 only rifle I had to hunt with at the time .

 

Chickasaw 

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I started this thread thinking along the lines of the meme 'You don't need a $700 rifle with $1,200 of after market tactical add ons, you need a $700 rifle and $1,200 of training.'  There have been some very well worded and serious responses.  

 

I had bought a Chileno Mauser, arsenal rechambered to 7.62 x 51, that someone had started to sporterize.  Rear sight missing, and someone had taken a rasp to the small of the stock, and hand saw cut off about an inch of the butt.  Considering that the things are marginally safe to shoot, I thought it might be a good one to practice on.  Never got around to doing anything with it.  Ended up giving it to a small gun shop in Lake County CA. 

 


 

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On 6/13/2019 at 6:36 PM, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

In my sometimes-not-so-humble-opinion, the one rifle that should be criminal to sporterize is the Garand.  

 

That's the one thing I haven't seen much of.  Sporterized garands.  I've heard of the tanker models, just never seen one.  I've seen some with modifications for shooting in competition too.  I'm not sure either of those counts as a sporterization, if it does then it's the less egregious type. 

 

I haven't seen or heard of a sporterized M1 carbine.  Please don't start posting pictures of them, I'm sure I could find those atrocities with a simple google search. 

 

 

On 6/13/2019 at 6:23 PM, Sedalia Dave said:

Well if all those surplus rifles hadn't been sporterized then those that are in original configuration still wouldn't be worth much.

 

They would be to me.  My interest isn't dependent on the monetary value.  If they were cheaper, I'd just own more.  Of course, back when they were cheaper, I didn't buy any because I figured I'd always be able to pick one up down the road.  So maybe the price going up is what triggered me to start buying. 

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