Armory Sponsor
Posted: 12/7/2009 4:36:19 AM EDT
|
I own both am FR-8 and an FR-7. I know very little about these. I know the FR rifles are small ring Mausers. What I am wanting to do is to make a safe shooter out of my FR-7. The bolt seems a bit wobbly, and being a 2 lug, I'm a tad antsy about shooting it too much. I did take it hunting one year and shot a pig with it, no prob. Have also done some target shooting. One thing I am curious about is if there are new production Mauser receivers out there that I could rebuild this rifle on. I'm thinking that if I can tighten up the tolerances, it could become a really nice shooter. Any ideas? Will the other small ring Mauser actions work, i.e. Turkish, Mexican, etc? Another idea I was playing with is possibly suppressing this rifle. Seen it done on an FR-8 and thought, "hey, that's different!" Don't want to do it with my 7 b/c of the play in the bolt, and want to keep the 8 original. THX for the replies! |
|
Quoted:
that is one option. BTW, I forgot to mention, this FR-7 is configured just like the FR-8, with the CETME muzzle device and sites. The FR-7 are supposed to be the weaker of the two because they are older and started off in 7mm instead of 8mm Mauser. Having a good Mauser gunsmith look at it would be a good idea if you don't want to sell it outright. I like the FR-8 because unlike a commercial hunting rifle you can feed it from stripper clips. Personally I would never sporterize a FR-X because of the collector value. I do have a professionally sporterized Argentine Mauser with a new .308 barrel that is just accurate as can be. I got it in a trade and I like it a lot. Preservation issues aside it's going to end up costing you more than a new/used hunting rifle. IMHO YMMV |
|
the cost isn't really a factor for me. I have read and understand some of the costs involved. To me it's more about turning this rifle into a safe and functioning firearm that I can use for multiple purposes. Consider it a refurbish if you will, keeping it in as close to original config as possible. |
|
The FR-7 is a safe rifle if you handload .
The FR-7 has COLLECTOR value as-is to someone who collects Mausers esp Spanish ones, it is a harder rifle to find than the FR-8. Sporterizing it will make your $300+ FR-7 worth $100 - what ever $ you spend to ruin it. If you wan't a hunting rifle sell the FR-7 on Gunbroker and take the $300+ you'll probably get for it and go buy a real hunting rifle. |
What exactly are you looking to improve by rebuilding an FR-7? 
You don't even need to download rounds for it. Standard NATO fodder, or a good approximation would do fine. I had an FR-7 way back in the 90's and believed the hype about small-ring Mauser conversions to 7.62 NATO. So I sold it to a collector. However it's a complete fabrication. There's lots of confusion about the dimensionally identical down-loaded 7.62 CTME round, and those who then somehow made the leap of logic that that was intended for the FR-7 and FR-8. 7.62 CTME was only ever produced as a full-auto controllability experiment for the CTME, and to improve extraction period. It has nothing to do with the second line Fusil Reformado carbines, other than it too would chamber and fire safely. And the similar small-ring Guarda Civilia 7.62 Converted Spanish Mausers were also subject to this controversy, and the H.P. White labs tested them to destruction at around 90,000 psi or more. The only thing I might consider doing is sending it to a smith to unscrew the CTME flash hider, and re-crown it, then put the flash hider back on. Otherwise, any re-working of an FR-7 or 8 is a waste of time. Because the short sight radius, and CTME style sights make the FR-7 or 8 a close range brush gun at best anyway. |
|
my main concern isn't so much about the .308 controversy. I got past that a long time ago with my FR-8. It's the wobbly bolt. I've shot NATO ball out of it, and hunting rounds. What I really want to do is go with a Vortex type FH and a suppressor, and am afraid of the extra pressure on a loose bolt. The action just seems sloppy to me. I thought by getting a rebuilt action I could remove the slop and have something safe for my project. My goal was and is to keep this rifle in original configuration. I love them for what they are, no Monte Carlo stock or anything like that. That's what my Remington is for. So now that I have clarified that, is there then an easy way to get the slop out of the bolt so that I would feel safer shooting it with the extra pressure added by suppressing it? |
|
IMO, it would be easier to get an unfinished/oversized Mauser bolt. (Might as well get one with a turned-down handle while you're at it...) and then get it lapped to fit.
So if I understand you correctly now, you have bolt-play on your FR-7 when closed and locked on a live round? Yes, that is bad ju-ju. Even without the extra back-pressure from a supressor. IMO, the initial spike in the pressure curve of a fired round right at ignition and the first few inches of bore where the bullet engages the rifling is going to be largely the same whether or not you have a suppressor mounted. So either it's dangerous ALL the time or it's not. The increased back-pressure from a can on the end will change the dynamics of a gas operated semi, it's pressure curve and timing, but it's not going to add much extra pressure at the actual moments of firing, if any. And whatever increased back-pressure you get on the bolt will be higher, but not as high as the peak when firing it without the suppressor anyway. RSI PressureTrace Here's some examples of graphing PSI with pizeoelectric transducers looks like. The highest spot in the curve won't be much higher with a can, the "tail" will be flatter and just decline more slowly with a can on the end. I'd get a set of headspace gauges for 7.62 NATO AND .308 Winchester, (they'll be slightly different) and test with that and see where to go from there. As a military action, it's going to be "loose" in preference of reliability in combat over the absolute tightest lockup possible. Of course there's "too loose", although it matters where the bolt-play is too. It could all just be in the tail end, or the feel you get when turning it, but the lockup could be rock-solid at the actual chamber and locking lugs. If you want a ballpark figure of how the headspace is right now (and admittedly this is VERY ballpark), you can take a live 7.62 round, and put a circle of masking tape on the case head, see if the bolt closes. (it should, but with a bit of extra resistance) then try putting a second disk of tape on the case head and close the bolt again. It should not close, or perhaps just barely. Three disks of tape? No way. The headspace or lug setback is way out of spec. |
Armory Sponsor