Converting Walnut 700 ADL to USMC M40

[bc1958]

I'm considering converting a walnut ADL stock into a USMC M40 stock.

I understand the need to:

- modify the magazine area to accept BDL bottom metal,
- open the barrel channel to accept varmint contour, and
- removing the checkering.

I feel comfortable with this.

What I'm concerned about is:
- the wrist and forearm dimensions being too narrow after removing the impressed checkering, and
- what I don't know or understand about this type of conversion, that you might.


Anyone seen or experienced such a conversion? Your opinions and experience would be appreciated.

 

[lmhans4440]

I would try to use a chemical stripper to remove the finish before any sanding. Then I would try to steam out the checkering using a wet cloth and a hot iron. It should lift some of the deep checkering up so you don't have to sand so much.

 

[MescaBug]

You know that you can get a M40 replica stock from Silver Hill?

Gunville Gun Stocks and Silver Hill Co.- Gun Stocks and Gun Parts

As for converting a ADL stock, make sure the forearm will still have enough 'meat' to support the larger Varmint profile barrel. That's a lot of work. If you are not familiar with woodworking and tools, you'd better get a repro stock. Or get a non-checkered BDL walnut stock on eBay. They popup once in a while.

Read through the M40 Build Thread. Some members here have done the conversion. Results varies from average to very good.

 

[bc1958]

Thanks Mescabug, I thought I might try both.

I came across an ADL cheap that I thought I'd play with a little.

I have a Gunville semi inlet I picked up myself - they're only 70 miles from where I live. Called 'em up, said I'd be passing through and so I got my choice from two they had in stock (pun intended). It's pretty proud and will take fair amount of external removal of about 1/8" all around. I have a 1967 varmint stock I'll be using as a model.

They're in the Thomasville area, like the furniture. My recollection is they source their walnut and other domestic wood locally in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. They showed me some of their vintage equipment and their room full of patterns of just about anything you might want, organized in a manner only they might understand. In an adjacent building that I didn't tour (I felt I'd distracted them enough) I believe they were air-drying blanks. They also let me grab some walnut scraps out of their scrap bin - some nicely figured lever action buttstocks with unsightly checks i'll use for some of my other wood projects. I think I saved those pieces from their wood-burning stove they use for early morning heat.

Nice folks. I'll be using them someday soon to duplicate a salt wood Browning Sako I'll be working to resurrect.

 

[aur0ra145]

I ordered a stock from Silver Hill last week. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

When our MCL Shooting Team visited Quantico in the mid-90's, Marine Corps armorers were periodically building new, individual M-40A1's in what was then the RTE (Rifle Team Equipment) Shop. The receiver/trigger group was redesigned to employ parts from both Remington M700 and Winchester M70 rifles; and the stocks were McMillan M-40 fiberglass units. A retired USMC Armorer living locally sometimes reapplied the camo to emulate a different environment with an airbrush, and each rifle was therefore a unique object.

How one would go about reproducing a rifle to genuine M-40A1 spec could be somewhat more interesting task than just swapping out some bottom metal, removing checkering, and rebarrelling. I believe one would need a genuine article handy from which to figure out what's actually needed.

With respect, that is a task I would never attempt. There can be no point to such a venture.

To a collector, the rifle is either the genuine article or it's not. A reproduction is not.

To a shooter, the M-40A1 is a genuinely good shooter, but there are many such excellent implements that do not require reworking to an obsolete standard.

The Pistol Team's M1911A1's were individually built for each teammate on virgin M1911A1 service pistols, drawn from a vault containing a single huge lot of those pistols from either late in WWI or shortly thereafter.

Greg

 

[MescaBug]

A lot of people have been succesfull in building clones M40A1. Either from genuine, authenticated parts like the McMillan stocks, genuine Unertl scope or from aftermarket parts.

It is in fact, costly. Even a 100% 'correct' clone will never be a genuine issued M40A1. But gathering parts and actually building a rifle that had and still has a very significant impact on the modern sniper equipment and tactics, is somewhat fullfilling.

The M40 is a cheaper alternative.

Read the build guides and picture thread for more info:

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/53800-m40-build-guide.html
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/440-m40a1-build-guide.html
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-field-photography/429-official-m40a1-picture-thread.html

 

[rlm8541]

Heeeeere we go!.....lolol

 

[bc1958]

When our MCL Shooting Team visited Quantico in the mid-90's, Marine Corps armorers were periodically building new, individual M-40A1's in what was then the RTE (Rifle Team Equipment) Shop. The receiver/trigger group was redesigned to employ parts from both Remington M700 and Winchester M70 rifles; and the stocks were McMillan M-40 fiberglass units. A retired USMC Armorer living locally sometimes reapplied the camo to emulate a different environment with an airbrush, and each rifle was therefore a unique object.

How one would go about reproducing a rifle to genuine M-40A1 spec could be somewhat more interesting task than just swapping out some bottom metal, removing checkering, and rebarrelling. I believe one would need a genuine article handy from which to figure out what's actually needed.

With respect, that is a task I would never attempt. There can be no point to such a venture.

To a collector, the rifle is either the genuine article or it's not. A reproduction is not.

To a shooter, the M-40A1 is a genuinely good shooter, but there are many such excellent implements that do not require reworking to an obsolete standard.

The Pistol Team's M1911A1's were individually built for each teammate on virgin M1911A1 service pistols, drawn from a vault containing a single huge lot of those pistols from either late in WWI or shortly thereafter.

Greg

Non-responsive to original post - you must have intended that this post to another thread.