Mauser VZ24 project: 22-250 to 358 Win ...

[KeithB]

And the more you do it the luckier you will get.

 

[wquiles]

LOL. Yup, pretty much the same on my side. A lot of guessing, experimenting, trying things out. BUT I learn something each time on these projects, and I then get a little more adventurous on the next one, and the process repeats. Anyone looking at my photos says "wow", but they don't get to see the last 10+ years of stuff that what didn't work

 

[wquiles]

Jess accepted the package yesterday

 

[wquiles]

Waiting patiently, but I already have some "stuff" on hand, including a Ranch Dog mold and the Lee you guys recommended to try ...

 

[wquiles]

Got "the call" today from JES. Rifle is done and ready. Just need to pay him via Money Order

 

[wquiles]

Got the pieces back from JES today. Not the "rifle" since he left disassembled for me to finish and pin the suppressor mount to the barrel. But he was nice enough to index the barrel and receiver at the bottom (not visible) so that I can go back to the correct head-space position

caliber:

twist, index point for headspacing, and his initials:

I first plan on permanently attaching the taper suppression mount (to make the barrel legal), and then I plan on removing the bluing left on the barrel, and give it a coat using Moly Resin - the shade will not match the receiver/bolt, but it will be even on the barrel

I will post more pictures as I make more progress

Will

 

[waco]

Machine shop porn...way above my skill set, but I love it none the less....

 

[fiver]

I think I like the squared up step barrel look, I makes it look like the barrel telescopes in and out.

 

[wquiles]

I don't know about you guys, but I always seem to have far more projects, honey-do's, and errands to run than I have time. I sold my 2002 Suburban (2WD) with 232K miles for a newer used 2010 4Runner 4x4 (171K miles) - will be my next camping platform for scouts. Was in great shape, but needed new shocks so I have been putting the .358 project on hold to get the shocks replaced:



At any rate, I wanted to at least do "some" work on this project this weekend, so I converted some 308 LC brass to 358 Win. Although many/most do the re-sizing in one step, I decided to use an 338 expander in an 308 full sizing die (stock .308 expander on the right):

Donor brass:

Lubing pad - qtip is for light inside lubing:

Left is unsized 308 - middle two have been sized 308, but using the 338 expander, right-most three are finished, after being sized with the factory 358 full sizing die:

As expected, the fully sized 358 is a hair shorter than the 308 brass:

Since there is zero feel in the Mega Press, I did everything on my Rock Chucker, so that I can feel the full swing and "cam" at the end of the stroke. (making my own single-stage mechanical/linking press is a pending future project of mine as I don't like the slop in the RCBS):

Going right to left:

I lost only one case:

All done for today. First batch of 50, plus 5 extra ones for dummy rounds/etc. I will probably do at least one more batch of 50 next weekend:

 

[RBHarter]

I think I did 308 , 8mm , 358 on mine . I'd have to look through the loose expanders .

 

[fiver]

i took mine straight from 308 to 358.
but I don't remember what I used to do it, probably the rcbs 358 die.

 

[wquiles]

Ok, with the shocks done on the used 4Runner, I can work on the Mauser.

This is the before shot, the crown that Jessy cut on my barrel:



Nothing wrong with it, but since I am about to weld the suppressor mount and I will not have access to it in the future, I decided to do some light polishing:



Here is the "after" picture:



Index the suppressor mount before welding in place:

 

[wquiles]

After welding in place, the barrel is a very legal 16+ inches long:



WIth the Titanium form 1 suppressor, about 23.5" long (this is why I wanted the barrel as freaking short as I could!):





I am going to work next on some light sand blasting to remove the remaining bluing, and give the whole barrel/thread adapter a similar finish before working on the Moly Resin - I even have the right silicon insert to keep anything/everything from the chamber side (you can see here some left over marks from when Jessy worked on my barrel):

 

[wquiles]

So I sandblasted the barrel, the receiver, and the steel scope mount:





Clean with soap, watter, dry, clean with acetone, and set in oven at 150F to dry off:

 

[wquiles]

After curing at 300F for an hour:



Does not quite match the bluing from the bolt, but OK:



Barrel was not "even", but good enough:



Since I got the barrel out, I will make a lead impression of the throat tomorrow AM, and then start the assembly

 

[Brad]

What did you use for the finish?

And quite impressed with your work.

 

[wquiles]

Brad, I used Moly Resin - been using it for years. This particular color was Semi-Gloss Black.

At a high-level, it is similar to Cerakote, but easier to use and apply, and clean-up. Also thermally cured:
https://molyresin.com/
https://molyresin.com/moly-resin-application-instructions/

 

[Brad]

Looks like a good coating for firearm use.

 

[wquiles]

Thank you for your kind words. I will take additional pictures with natural light tomorrow. Although the finish (specially in the barrel) was not as smooth/even as I hoped, it looks better than the high-glare pictures I took today.

This is the Air-brush I use to apply Moly Resin:
Badger Air-Brush - Universal

 

[Ian]

I'd never heard of the stuff before this, thanks for enlightening me. I either do hot water bluing, cold bluing, Duracoat, or rattle can for gun finishes, but that phenolic resin stuff looks pretty good too.