Owing to the vast reaches of real estate available to me in my basement, I have gridded it off, A-Z north to south, and 1-10 east to west. All my projects undergo triage and purgatory there, and stand stored between different phases, sometimes awaiting parts or money or both, sometimes tools. So this is Mauser B7.
Here is the Kit of Fun: a week or so ago I found 7x57 dies online, and the gent sent some unfired cases for measurement, and some stray brass and bullets--even the correct shell holder. I got this separate from the rifle.
The rifle also has some ammo. I will generate more brass when I can shoot it.
We can see here the previous worker was a crazed Albanian beaver, likely rabid, and began to prepare for a bedding job. Alas. And a crack flows from the magazine well to the trigger well.
Built for a scope, the stock was grafted in a separate operation to the receiver which has a groovy Williams peep sight--this resulted in tissue rejection, that is, tissue from the shooter who is forced to scrunch down inside the walnut and absorb the recoil with his eye ball socket and a few grams of cheek flesh. That's a must-miss, even to drink the delicate and balanced forces of the 7x57 Mauser.
What was needed was a low angle block plane sharpened keen enough for use in shaving a Trump noggin for hair plugging.
Two adjustments were needed.
Down.
And narrower.
See that really keen peep sight there? That's the whole point of this: old eyes like mine like peeps, with or without glasses. This one, like most of mine, has a way to change the aperture. So that rocks.
Why do this now?
Why, for to shoot the danged thing! It must first go boom, and I must see a target through the sights.
Now, this stock is wiggly, so I don't expect pin point accuracy. And the barrel itself is of questionable provenance, being, as it is, fairly bereft of markings of most sorts such as import, manufacturer, or caliber--minor issues, I'm sure. I did see an argument between two different armorers in two different scripts along the recoil lug. Let us hope the argument was over beer. Looks very clean inside.
Now that I can see out the peep I'll put a few holes in paper to see how it groups.
Yet another project begins.
CDFingers
Project Mauser B7
1Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack