bewsher500
Well-Known Member
I chopped my lovely PH 1100 Lightweight .243 in for a BRNO .222 a while back and have regretted it ever since!
So in the spirit of proving you don't need to spend £2000 to get a good looking, straight shooting, stalking rifle.
After asking around I found a very nice chap who had a .243 that had been sitting unloved and relatively unused in his cabinet.
Deal was done for a most agreeable price.
Picked up and stripped/examined.
It is a Midland (not sure exact model, but echoes the Parker Hale 1200 with recoil pin through the stock)
Action - Solid, unworn and tight Mauser action, Sporter rather than notched ex-military, has an additional lug on the bolt which sits in front of the rear bridge of the receiver. I think this is something to do with sourcing Springfield or bolts from the US when they were assembling these. (BH, please confirm!)
Floorplate release with cast plate with Ram design
Stock - undented, couple of very minor marks, mainly due to the extremely thick protective coating of Ronseal fence paint or similar that is on it. That will be coming off to see what she looks like nude.
Barrel - original length with foresight and has dovetail for rear sight which is missing. bit of rust on the muzzle but the bore looks in good condition and as the rub marks on the action would confirm, does not look like it has seen thousands of rounds.
Trigger - the standard 3 way adjustable Parker Hale trigger with side safety (like the Timney models) in very good nick with all nuts and no knarled bolts or stripped threads as is often the case.
What is in store-
Stock - stripped (chemical and physical), grind to fit butt pad fitting, sanding down to 1200 grit polish, QR sling stud fitting (one screw in and one bolt head version in the fore-end), wood colour matched depending on what is under the varnish, oil finish
Action - stripped, polished, fettled and action screws/scope mount screws chased out
Need to check but I suspect the floorplate is cast aluminium and won't be blued, i may replace it, haven't decided yet.
Barrel - shortened by approx 2", 11deg crown, screw cut 1/2UNF with custom "Bewsher Laboratories" thread protector (more on that later!), similarly polished and Hot Caustic reblued as with the action.
Trigger - stripped, polished greased and fettled to a nice "glass rod" break of suitable weight. by feel not weight, but not too light. This is a stalking rifle afterall not some range queen.
hope to start the project this weekend
So in the spirit of proving you don't need to spend £2000 to get a good looking, straight shooting, stalking rifle.
After asking around I found a very nice chap who had a .243 that had been sitting unloved and relatively unused in his cabinet.
Deal was done for a most agreeable price.
Picked up and stripped/examined.
It is a Midland (not sure exact model, but echoes the Parker Hale 1200 with recoil pin through the stock)
Action - Solid, unworn and tight Mauser action, Sporter rather than notched ex-military, has an additional lug on the bolt which sits in front of the rear bridge of the receiver. I think this is something to do with sourcing Springfield or bolts from the US when they were assembling these. (BH, please confirm!)
Floorplate release with cast plate with Ram design
Stock - undented, couple of very minor marks, mainly due to the extremely thick protective coating of Ronseal fence paint or similar that is on it. That will be coming off to see what she looks like nude.
Barrel - original length with foresight and has dovetail for rear sight which is missing. bit of rust on the muzzle but the bore looks in good condition and as the rub marks on the action would confirm, does not look like it has seen thousands of rounds.
Trigger - the standard 3 way adjustable Parker Hale trigger with side safety (like the Timney models) in very good nick with all nuts and no knarled bolts or stripped threads as is often the case.
What is in store-
Stock - stripped (chemical and physical), grind to fit butt pad fitting, sanding down to 1200 grit polish, QR sling stud fitting (one screw in and one bolt head version in the fore-end), wood colour matched depending on what is under the varnish, oil finish
Action - stripped, polished, fettled and action screws/scope mount screws chased out
Need to check but I suspect the floorplate is cast aluminium and won't be blued, i may replace it, haven't decided yet.
Barrel - shortened by approx 2", 11deg crown, screw cut 1/2UNF with custom "Bewsher Laboratories" thread protector (more on that later!), similarly polished and Hot Caustic reblued as with the action.
Trigger - stripped, polished greased and fettled to a nice "glass rod" break of suitable weight. by feel not weight, but not too light. This is a stalking rifle afterall not some range queen.
hope to start the project this weekend