I took a two "small jobs" to my preferred gunsmith last weekend, and it turned out to be a combination that really grabbed his attention (.475 Tremor needing a muzzle brake pinned, and the Dumoulin action). So, his backlog of 6-8 weeks worked out to a turnaround time of 4 days, for me. ...Because he kept fondling them with intrigue, every time he picked them up off of the bench to put them in the safe. But, they never made it. On Monday, he went right to work, instead.
When he called me Wednesday, I asked him to chop the Dumoulin's barrel, even if I had to wait several weeks. That took another day. So, I picked everything back up today.
The barrel, as it turned out, had threads that were 55 degree Whitworth, but 0.009" oversized. He turned the diameter down, chased the threads, and it threaded into the receiver like butter.
I don't think I've mentioned it before, but this barrel is one of the Sarco "Belgian" .270 Win barrels that they had for $75 or $100. I was a little leery of the price and claims, but the bore looked fantastic and slugged perfectly when it arrived. So, I'm giving it a shot.
And that puts me at:
Stock inletting.
I have everything that I
need for this build.
What I don't have are some options:
1. Butt pad. As is, I could make a butt plate from the brass that I used for my .444 Marlin project. But, I'd rather not. It doesn't fit the style of the build.
2. Express sights. I really want express sights, but they don't fit with the intended use of this rifle (even though they do fit the style). So, I'm hoping I can find another project to obsess about, in regards to the 'express' concept.
3. Grip cap and/or fore-end tip. I don't think this stock will look right without a contrasting fore-end tip, and a grip cap will round out the look. But the wood that I ordered isn't what I expected, and just isn't right for the job. So, I'm trying to find something that I can use on more than just this Maple stock, in order to create my own 'signature look' for the grip cap and tip. It's something my grandfather always used to do (with dark, marbled rosewood and an inlaid white diamond). I want to keep with the tradition, but I want this to be
mine ... and a little more modern.
I know you want some gunporn, so I'll post a photo next chance I get when there's natural light available. ...But it probably won't be this weekend.