Custom Big-Bore Mosin-Nagant

T

tobnpr

New member
.44 Remington Magnum, a "different" kind of request from a customer.
Barrel is a custom contour McGowen, 18" SS.
Epoxy bedded stock, Timney trigger, Williams fiber optic sights.

He wanted to retain the straight bolt.

Single loader, extracts and ejects reliably after a little modification to the boltface. It would take extensive mods to magazine to get it to feed due to the short case, but might be possible down the road...

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Looks great. 445 Mag might make the case length a little closer?
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Plenty of other options, including .444 Marlin, and the venerable .45-70 (working on a susbsonic suppressed deal for that one) that would have been far more optimal for feeding, but this was the request. He already loads for that cartridge and wanted to know if it could be done.

I looked around online, haven't seen one as yet.
 
Interesting.
My brother and I long-contemplated turning one of our Mosins into a 10.9x54R (.44 cal) or 9.3x54R (.35 cal).
One of the biggest factors holding it back was the narrow magazine body.
 
Yeah, but the 445 Super Mag can shoot 44 mags and be loaded with the same brass. I'm not sure if it can be loaded in 44 mag brass by seating the bullet out like 357 max.

I know, I know, you do what the customer asks, and it sure seems like you did a fine job; so plenty to be proud of on that one. I'm just dreaming a bit.
 
^^^
True, the extra 1/2" would certainly help, but as I said he already loads .44 Mag and wanted to stick with it.

Perhaps .458x2 instead of .45-70 for the upcoming "spec" build...go big, or go home, right?:cool:
 
Very interesting

That is some nice work. After appreciating same, I immediately thought, could it be done in 45-70 and be made to feed as a repeater?
 
^^
Yes, some work to open up the magazine and receiver/feed ramp and they'll feed.

Stock is one of two I picked up from a guy that was selling gun parts he'd gotten from a widow liquidating her late husband's "stuff". Inletting was horrible (needed to be re-done anyway), needed to be cut and a recoil pad installed. Sanding marks still apparent under the factory clear poly, customer is going to sand and re-finish.

After opening the barrel channel for the heavy contour barrel, then opening up for the Timney box, it was ready for Devcon epoxy bedding.



I don't shoot iron sights much on rifles, but can really appreciate the fiber optics...just put the red dot between the two green ones (shadowing makes the barrel look like it's really offset in the channel...it's actually pretty close.

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and be loaded with the same brass.
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I obviously meant dies. 445 mag brass is clearly not the same as 44 mag. I do wonder if 44 mag can be used for 445 mag loads if the bullet is seated out to have 445 OAL though.
I'd own a 445 if they didn't make a 357 max :)
I don't suppose you would be willing to post the price of that fine piece of work.
 
I don't suppose you would be willing to post the price of that fine piece of work.
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Sure. Of course I would, I think it was a bargain (and so does the customer).
A few pennies north of $1K, customer did provide the trigger.

This one has sort of opened my eyes to the big bore cartridges- which this action is well suited for.
 
Siamese mauser

Years ago, there were a quantity of Siamese Mausers that were converted to .45-70, I think Navy Arms had them on the market. I had one in my hands for $185 (remember I said it was YEARS ago) but that was money I did not have for rifles at the time. I've regreted it ever since.

I've often looked at the rim on the 7.62x54R ctg and thought about how it resembled the .45-70. They are from the same relative era. I never measured the rims, or bothered to look the dimensions up.

Converting a Mosin-Nagant to .45-70, especially one of the carbine types, would create a heck of a handy, rugged, big bore thumper. ONce again, money is the issue, but tobnpr you are on to something. Would reboring/rechambering the factory barrel reduce cost significantly, as opposed to a new custom barrel??
 
Would reboring/rechambering the factory barrel reduce cost significantly, as opposed to a new custom barrel??
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The military barrel doesn't have the diameter needed for .458; and re-boring would be prohibitively expensive for this application. I don't do it- but those that do charge over two bills for it.

I often get asked about using a take-off barrel to replace a shot-out one for the same reason (cost, which is understandable) but it makes little sense. They're still $239 at SOG, cheaper to get another rifle and part out the walhanger. Unless the barrel is known to be extremely accurate, it doesn't make sense to spend the labor IMO. If a take-off doesn't headspace when you screw it on (and they never do), it would need to be set back a full revolution, chamber and extractor cut deepened. Too much labor to invest for a questionable barrel.

Green Mountain or Shaw for a barrel would save a bit.
Keep in mind, much of the tab was for stock/inletting/bedding and sights.
For those that can DIY all but the machining/barreling, it can be done for under four bills. I'm (finally) installing a pressure-flush system for chambering which will cut down much of the time for that task.
 
thanks

^ ^ ^

Certainly appreciate your timely and candid replies. I think there is a market for such a big bore, durable, comparatively affordable repeater. In addition to the Navy Arms Siamese numbers, there was also a version of .45-70 magazine bolt rifle from Gibbs Rifle Co, using the SMLE action.

Good luck with your projects and business.
 
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