Help with a Midland .243

MarkS

Member
I recently purchased a Midland .243 for some 200-300m varmint hunting. I didn't know much about it, but the seller said it was very accurate and the price seemed right at $270.
I liked the classic British lines, have a 1953 Sunbeam Alpine Talbot and British neighbors so I figured I get an invite to the royal wedding at least out of it all.

Anyway, the problem. The stock cracked and I tried a standard repair of wood glue and a tapped wood screw to pull the crack together followed by clamping and 48 hours of drying. I took it to the range a few days later to re-sight in and while the repair held, a new crack developed...and grew... So I have come to the conclusion that I need a new stock.

The real problem. Where do I get a replacement stock? Is it a large ring or a small ring? I took the measurements and it seemed to be right in between! I appreciate any help I could get. Thanks!
 

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The rifle is a parker hale but not a midland. The action is a copy of the large ring mauser 98 so you should get a stock easily in the States. Butler creek made a synthetic one for a mauser 98 you just had to inlet it for the side safety fitted to the parker hale. Failing that try Richards microfit they usually have some in there close out or specials list.
If you want to know more about your rifle Brithunter on this site knows a great deal about parker hales.
 
Mark, if you can't find one in the States, it would be worth putting a "wanted" post in the classifieds section....as long as stocks are permitted to be imported into the USA. Good luck with the wedding invite;).
 
bbrc,
I've looked ay many pictures and been on many different boards trying to identify the maker and model. the Barrel says Midland Rifle but the action didn't correspond to any of the Midland pictures I could find - but it sure did look like the Parker Hale. So, I figured I got one of the post buyout rifles that used the Midland barrels and Parker Hale actions.

I'm excited about getting a new stock on it, with the broken stock and a wobbly bench rest I was able to put three rounds within an inch first time out. I'm sure that I can get that done some when I find the ammo she likes best.

Moonraker,
My son is at St Andrews and I spent a good deal of time with the Royal Marines in both cold and hot places in the 80s...anychance I'm moving up the invite list?
 
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The Midland Gun Company was bought by Parker Hale many years ago and that brand was used in later years to market the cheaper firearms that the company made. It was a bit unfair really because previously Midland was renowned for making good honest simple guns.
Parker Hale were more of an assembler than a true gun maker and often used parts from several parts bins to make a particular model. The Midland rifle was a model first offered for sale in the 1970's at a new cost of £160 and assembled using bolts from ex U.S. military 1903 rifles in a rather cheap receiver that they produced themselves. At the same time Parker Hale were assembling their more expensive models in the same facility using commercial Mauser type actions (large ring). The rifle in the photograph is a Mauser based action so is more probably one of the Parker Hale models and not a Midland.
When Parker Hale closed much of the stock and machinery was dispersed to companies such as the Gibbs gun company in America and possibly this rifle is one assembled there from different parts?
 
Not that it would be "original" but I just restocked my PH with a Boyds stock. Check out their site. What glue did you use??~Muir
 
Just a slight correction the deal with Gibbs was dodgy from the word go. Originally to make the M/L rifle then they expanded it and brought some simple finishing machines (shown in the photos of the 1992 Gibbs catalogue) and some P-H parts then Gibbs claimed they had brought the P-H company and rights....................... not so as Modular Industries had brought the company. Any way a set of original pattern gauges for the Enfield M/L rifles disappeared to Gibbs never to be seen again. These were on loan to P-H and not owned by them. Someone obviously got a nice backhander here.

Gibbs made a few rifles from parts and as I heard the entire first batch failed proof. As per my reply via P/M that rifle is not a Midland but it seems has a midland barrel fitted. Did Gibbs do so or someone else? a lot of P-H stuff wound up state side after the sell off plus of course Gibbs went bust.......................... not surprising bearing in mind the dreadful quality.

If I am incorrect on this then phases let me know with sources of info........... this period of the P-h story is very murky made further so by Modular Industries under the Bremmner Arms banner destroying the P-H records to cover their own dodgy dealings it seems tied to the re-manufacturing of the Springfield 03 and match version which some were exported into the US which is when the chit hit the fan. Somewhere here I have Carl Lettner-Weiss's card as Bremmer was supposed to building me a custom rifle in 257 AI on a rarer 03 receiver. Also still have the specs and letter saying the custom shop had been closed up suddenly.
 
So, what I may have is a Frankenrifle?

The chap who sold it to me emailed me:
[FONT=&quot]"I'm not the original owner, but I've owned it for about 7 years. I bought it from a local guy here in Arizona, who said he got it new when he lived in England.[/FONT]"

But, I did notice that the Scope (see picture) has the JANA logo which was a company in Denver, Colorado that imported foreign guns into the US for a while in the 1980s(?). I'm not calling the guy a liar but, JANA did import Midlands and Parker Hales according to some fellows on another website and it has a scope that is clearly marked 'JANA'.

Than being said, I am also posting more pictures. One of the trigger/firing assembly, one of the inside of the current stock, and two of the barrel-receiver mating. If you guys would give me some further opinions on stock size I would appreciate it. I think I would currently say that it is a large ring mauser with a sport (small) barrel? I have been looking at Boyds for a wood stock and Hogue and Ram-line for synthetic stocks.

Thanks,
Mark S
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That trigger unit is different the one on the 2100 Midland I recently acquired which ahs the normal Timney type like this:-

P-HTriggeradjustmentInstructions.jpg

That the adjustment leaflet that came with the 1200 Super the picture shows the shape of the alloy housing which is different to yours. Have not seen that type before butt here is lot of P-H stuff I have yet to see.
 
I posted it to show the difference between that fitted to your not for any other reason. I do not have a photo of the action out of the stock and am not able to take a suitable one for a while at least.
 
Steyr,

That certainly does appear to be the same trigger group. The magazine trigger guard assembly is also the same as the picture but mine is stamped: 'Parker-Hale England .98/124'

So, should this work with any Large Ring Mauser Sport Barrel stock and just require some light fitting?
 
MarkS,

Would this gun happen to have a free floating barrel? If so it may need rebedded.
If you know a gunsmith in your area , he can most likely put you on track of a stock.
You can also look under stocks for midland guns.

1burley
 
I contacted Norman Clark Gunsmith at the referral of Brithunter. They believe that it is a Gibbs...which means that "I must know destroy that vile offspring. Actually, they also said that any Mauser Large Ring Sporter stock will work with minor adjustment so I'm going to go that route.

There is a huge gunshow in Chantilly, VA this week - the gun show that gives good Mayor Bloomberg the fits and a good reason to attend all by itself - so I will bring it with me and try out some stocks. Hopefully I'll post some pictures in the not too distaqnt future.

Mark S
 
Steyr,

That certainly does appear to be the same trigger group. The magazine trigger guard assembly is also the same as the picture but mine is stamped: 'Parker-Hale England .98/124'

So, should this work with any Large Ring Mauser Sport Barrel stock and just require some light fitting?
yes..parker-hale/zastava/gibbs/interarms/remmington(798)..etc all used the same/each others actions..with their name stamped onto it! you will see the interarms i posted has an identical trigger group as you say.. and note the position of the safety!! although the actions are the same the main difference is where the safety is because they all used different trigger groups, a Remington 798 stock should fit if you cut out for your safety,but you would be left with a hole where the Remy's safety should be!
 
Call me slow if you like but whats all this about "Large Ring"? I've never heard the term used before.

O_R

in short the receiver that the barrel fits into/your front mount sits on (receiver ring..diameter) in this case its Mauser large ring M,hope this helps.
 
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