M77 custom rifle project questions

[adanymous]

Ok guys, I (like most of you) am a gun plumber. I love to tinker with them. I have wanted to build a custom rifle for a long time and bought a mauser action to do it. About a month after I bought that action I went to a pawn shop and found an M77 tang safety rifle, with a nice Nikon 3-9 for $432 after taxes. I sold the scope for $150 and now own the rifle for $280, which as far as I can figure is a heck of a deal on a good commercial mauser action. So I guess Ill tear it apart, sell off the stock and other parts I dont want, as well as my mauser action, and use the ruger action. Now that the history is out of the way here are my questions.

1. I do not want to use the factory aluminum floorplate as I want the floorplate to match the rest of the gun (blue). SO where can I get a steel floorplate ( I saw one on another rifle recently).

2. I want to put double set triggers in my rifle, brownells sells a set for a mauser but it must be used with the military style sear. Has anyone done this/can it be done. If not I think I remember seeing an M77 with set triggers once, does anyone know where I can get them.

3. I think the stock, trigger guard, and the floorplate might get some interest on ebay, or on the classifieds here, but would the barrel be worth saving for resale? I dont have the proper tools for removing the barrel without marring it, although Im sure I could engineer something. Im just not sure if it is worth the time. By the way it is a 30-06 barrel (which is the caliber I plan to build, but I want to use a higher quality barrel)

 

[mike7mm08]

Answer to ?1

http://www.moyersgunrepair.com/product_ ... b3bd1e12c6

http://www.moyersgunrepair.com/product_ ... ucts_id=33

?2 I don't think you could make it work but I don't know for certain. Years back I seen a set trigger specifically for the 77 but have not seen it recently.

?3 I would be interested in the floorplate and trigger guard if it is 100% scratch free. I have a m77 that is perfect except for the trigger guard and floorplate. The barrel would be worth something to someone. But you will probable sit on it awhile before you find a buyer. Go to Rugers website and lookup the year the gun was made using the serial number. There were a few years of questionable barrel quality and prospective buyers might want to know what vintage barrel they are buying. I would spend the little extra money and have a smith with the proper tools swap the barrel. I would be more concerned with damaging the receiver threads than marring the barrel.

 

[Boxhead]

I suggest you go to the Midway website and read the user reviews for the Moyer product.

 

[adanymous]

I suggest you go to the Midway website and read the user reviews for the Moyer product.

thanks for the tip there boxhead, those parts look like crap

 

[adanymous]

I went to my local ruger dealer and they kindly let me compare the steel floorplate of a new hawkeye to the floorplate of my old M77. It looks like they should interchange. The only downside I have seen is that the hawkeye floorplate is stamped with the ruger bird (they call it engraved, kinda funny) but it should file out, and the ruger part is $68 compared to $47 for the moyer part. But I imagine the ruger part will fit better, and the time savings in fitting would most likely be worth the $21

So that part is solved, now how about the set triggers

 

[3DTESTIFY]

Thirty Years ago, Canjar made a double set trigger for the old M77.

 

[mike7mm08]

Yep Canjar was what I was thinking of. Last I heard about two years ago Canjar was out of business.

 

[mike7mm08]

Not a double set but here is a Canjar single set on gunbroker
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =143967479

 

[adanymous]

i appreciate it mike, but I really want the double trigger look, there is just something about it that I really like

 

[adanymous]

I guess if anything I can always modify the one on brownells. That or modify my action

 

[mike7mm08]

If your not in a hurry with the project keep watching gunbroker or ebay. A double one may pop up. I know Canjar did make them at one point.

 

[adanymous]

good advice Mike, I think Ill take it

 

[MFD]

At one time, Ruger offered steel floor plates, trigger guards for their rifles as replacement parts and so did Brownell's. Recently purchased New Mod. 77 RSI/MKII-sht.action and it came with non engraved steel bottom parts, so they do have them if they will sell them separately. As you noted, Hawkeye does have steel bottom metal, have one of them as well-RSI, but don't really care for the logo laser etched. If you do go to Ruger you would want to ask for bottom metal from MKII, not the Hawkeye.

As for your set triggers(2) arrangement, that may be possible I believe, but would require fair amount of mods and "original thinking" from qualified gunsmith/craftsman. Gunsmith who is likely to give you some input on the double set trigges would be a Mr. Jim Kobe. Can provide contact info if wanted. His motto is that he can do anything with enough time and money, so standby!!

Based on the age of the 77 action/tang safey, your action is a Push Feed and not CRF which may or may not be an issue. As for the value of the take off barrel, not much on open market. See them at gunshows sometimes for anywhere from 25-60.00 Stock resale prices are all over the place, but less than 100.00 unless it is really something special??

I very much like the Ruger 77 actions, but truth of the matter is that to make a good custom, depending on the Masuer 98 action you have, Mauser is the way to go with that project, but hope it works out well for you and it would be a very intersting rifle when completed.

martin

 

[picketpin]

Time, experience and money can accomplish nearly anything. That being said you don't see a hell of a lot of custom built 77s and there is s reason for that.

Unless you are simply wedded to having it as a Ruger there are rifles and actions that have about a gazillion custom parts available from untold custom smiths.

I'm a "Ruger" guy but to be frank and honest a 77 of ANY vintage would NOT be my starting point for a custom bolt gun.

RWT

 

[mike7mm08]

Time, experience and money can accomplish nearly anything. That being said you don't see a hell of a lot of custom built 77s and there is s reason for that.

Unless you are simply wedded to having it as a Ruger there are rifles and actions that have about a gazillion custom parts available from untold custom smiths.

I'm a "Ruger" guy but to be frank and honest a 77 of ANY vintage would NOT be my starting point for a custom bolt gun.

RWT

I agree. A better stock timney trigger a bedding job and maybe a weather resistant finish is as far as I would go with a Ruger 77. That said I know of one gunsmith who shoots competition with rifles based on a the 77 mk II action as does very well. If I was going to use a Ruger I would go the route of a MK II action. If something breaks you don't have to scrounge for parts.

 

[Boxhead]

The old tang 458 Win came with steel down below and I believe those were the ones once listed by Brownell's.

 

[buckeyeshooter]

There was a steel floorplate and trigger guard installed on the 77's in .458 win mag. You might want to call ruger and ask if any are available or get a part number if they don't have any. Then you can call the gunsmith houses and see if they have one.

 

[adanymous]

Wow, this thread really warmed up since last I looked at it.

Alright, to answer some of the posts. Ruger no longer stocks any parts for tang safety rifles according to the lady on the other end of the phone, so buying a floorplate from ruger is out of the question. At least one intended for this rifle.

As to the use of this rifle for a custom, I guess I fail to see the downside. It is a CRF action, and unless I am terribly mistaken (has happened before) it is basically just a commercial mauser action with some ruger improvements. Using this action (which before selling the stock, bottom metal, and barrel I have $285 invested in) will save me a considerable amount of money just on action prep in my mauser. With this action I dont have to drill for scope mounts, I dont have to forge my bolt handle, I dont have to buy a different safety and bolt shroud, and I dont have to spend a ton of time tuning up a beat up old military action. Just the parts invested in the mauser would be $100 on top of the price of the action ($120). After buying the tooling Id have at least $400 in a mauser action when I will most likely end up with about $150 in the ruger. Economically it seems the most viable route. Although I agree that most factory ruger rifles are not the most accurate, I think that it can generally be agreed upon that the barrel is 75% the problem, the poorly fitted bolt and stock most likely make up the rest of the issue.

I would think that after lapping the bolt and squaring the front of the reciever as well as a good slick up job on the rails, I would fix most of the problems inherent in this configuration. I of course would not reuse the factory barrel but go with a custom (most likely shilen). I would plan to use a presentation grade microfit stock, that I would of course pillar and glass. As to parts, Im not trying to brag but Im a pretty skilled fabricator, and probably a little more experienced than most gun plumbers out there ( I do it for a living). If I am not thinking clearly please tell me, I am more than open to advice, I just dont see the issue with using this action. And I would sure like to know if there are any before I start parting it out so if I change my mind I can just put it on the table at my next gun show.

 

[adanymous]

I forgot to add, that I like the thought of using this action because it is different from what everyone else is doing. Lots of people use Rem 700s, some use Sav 110s. I even have a friend who only builds his rifles on pre 64 mod 70s, he has at least a dozen of them. I have even seen customs based on the Mosin Nagant, but I dont think I have seen it done on the M77 especially a tang safety rifle. Im not gonna lie, I dont know everything there is to know about this rifle, but it seems like a solid platform. And my MK II has always been a very reliable gun. But I guess it is slightly different. Are there any inherent issues with the tang safety? I sure hope not, cause I thought it would look pretty cool to engrave my monogram in relief on it, then checker the monogram.

 

[mike7mm08]

The only reason you need to build a custom rifle is that it is something you want. Knowing now that your a gunsmith the project makes more sense. Any issues you may encounter you can fix without killing the checkbook. I personally would be hesitant to use an action that very few smiths are familiar with. Also I don't like having a gun I cannot fix myself. I can fix anything if I can get parts. I would never attempt to make parts. I value whats left of my sanity and I am not willing to have less than the 8 and a half fingers I currently have.Most smiths I have dealt with in my area won't attempt to fix anything unless they can order parts. You sound like a true gunsmith not a parts replacer wish there were more like you around.No real problems with the safety. Ruger just switch to a three position safety for the believed safety improvements of a 3 position safety.