I was thinking about getting a C&R like one of those Yugo Mausers or a Russian WWII rifle and putting on a new modern stock and use it as a long range shooting rifle.

It seems like I could get a nice powerful rifle for very little money that eats cheap ammo.

What do you guys think?

I am solidly in the DO NOT SPORTERISE category.  There is a reason that those of us into milsurp call these sporters rifles bubba specials.

Get into milsurp for the fun and history, not to make a target rifle.

If you want a cheap target rifle, a $3-400 (less optics) Savage 110 will outshoot any sporterised milsurp, and can be had in common calibers.  I saw the poster "G2" get a 1.75 inch group from his 110 in .308 at 200 yards from the prone position.  WOW!!!  You'll spend much more than that on the transformation of a milsurp to get even an adequate target rifle.

Keep in mid that the cheap milsurp ammo is good for blasting only.  Don't expect match accuracy with it.  7.62*54R is very cheap now, as are many rifles that shoot it, but don't count on excellent accuracy.  Milsurps in .308 are uncommon.  STAY AWAY FROM CONVERSIONS TO .308.  You could get an Israeli K98 in .308 but you'd spend alot in converting it, and lose much of it's value.

If you decide to do it, do NOTHING that would harm the original parts or you will be sorry.


YOu may be surprised at how accurate some of the ones with good bores (especially Mausers can be, even with iron sights!)

 You may want to get something like the Mauser 96 Swede. They are fairly reasonable in price at about $170- $180 and when in very good to excellant condition they shoot very well. Mine shoots ever so slightly over an inch at 100 yds. and my son's M38( a carbine version of the long rifle 96} will put shots all day long under an inch even with military surpluss ammo. These rifles come with great bores and arsenal condition discs on the butt-stock.His is sporterized by a company on the east coast of Florida called Samco and is scoped with a cheap scope. I had my 96 drilles for a scope and the bolt turned down for $60.00 AND I use surplus, new Sellior& Belloit for about $7.50 a box and re-loads With H-380 . One caveat! Don't use the higher pressure modern hunting loads because these guns will not handle them safely.

I have one of those $39 Turk Mausers. It shoots 6" groups with iron sights at 200 yds. It'd be tighter, but I can't see the target at that distance. This with surplus 1943 Turk, steel jacket ammo.

Don't Bubba the mil surp guns. You can buy a Mauser action and build a gun off it by adding a barrel and stock.

The stock Swede M-96 in 6.5 X 55mm Swede is often used for 1000 meter competition. It's a superb rifle. But shoot it stock. Don't mess with history.

I have an Ishapore .308 Enfield that outshoots my M1A. I haven't even pulled it out of the stock because I am worried I will lose the accuracy.
I am also an addict to original condition. I would only add scope mounts and only if you need them.

I'm with the others, don't mess with it!  Just shoot it and appreciate it for what it is.
I cry every time I go to an auction and see something like a Springfield sporterised by some hack!  By the way, my dad and my grandfather sporterised a Springfield 03 A3 and a 1917 Enfield before I was born.  They cost them $25.00 each.  Both look nice and shoot great, but even my dad wishes he wouldn't of screwed with them so long ago.
guns762

during the winter war, finland vs russia, a finnish sniper racked up over 500 kills with a mosin nagant 91/30 -- accurate enough ?

Thanks guys.  I'm still going to buy a few C&R rifles, but I'll keep the, stock.

Those M39s do sound good.

What about "bubbarizing" a SKS?

How about Bubbarizing a 10-22 with a set of those "Y" configuration 50 round hot lips see through clips and a vented heat shield with a M1 carbine type trumpet muzzle break and one of those too cool looking skeleton folding stocks with a  leather cheek piece. Plus a 32 power BSA target scope. Oh and don't forget the camo jacket with the torn off sleeves and a baseball cap that says "sniper".

I'm justed describing the guy shooting next to me at the range last week.

I have a collection of WWI rifles from around the world, I have them in origonal cond.  They have so much history in them that way.  Here's the surprise of it all.  One of them is a early 1914 SMLE, with the origonal barrel.  It outshoots the springfield, the mausers, the Steyer, the p-17, the p-14, the Moisin Negant, Etc. with surplus junk it still is around 1.5moa, and with reloads I can get just under an inch.  I have had several of these guns, and I love them, but this one is extrordinarily accurate for some reason.  The only gun I have that shoots better is the AR-15.
Airborne

Inspirational...

This is one of the best threads I've seen.
Nice work.

Definitely take a look at one of the Swedes, but don't take an intact specimen and "bubbaize" it. [smash] One of the local shops here has 3 different ones that have already been attacked by Bubba (really nice work too!), and they're going for a bit less than the original condition ones are - the prices on original Swedes have been climbing for about the last year, and will continue for a while. If I didn't already have 3 96's in original configuration, I'd be real tempted. (A mismatched shooter, an all matching specimen and a like new 1916 in a beautiful fiddle-back stock put away for value appreciation).

The 6.5x55 round is great for long range use and a real pleasure to shoot - accurate, fairly flat trajectory and low recoil. Used for just about any big game you can think of in Scandinavia. [sniper]

You might also take a look at one of the Kimber conversions. I saw one go on AA a couple of weeks ago for less than $300, and it's a VERY nice rifle.

Good thing he had a muzzle break on his 10-22, the muzzle flip can be horrible  :-)

There was a Dateline Show on a Serb and Croat snipers, they used an M48 Mauser....600 yard shots.