# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  Are Parker Hale's good for anything these days?

## Kudu

Hi,

A lot of the custom rifle builds you see these days are on more modern actions like Rem 700's. But does anyone still use the old parker hales for anything? or are they just to old and heavy? Can you even get decent replacement stocks for them?

I ask as a mate has a parker hale Safari in 7x57 that he dropped down a bank and busted the stock. So he is off to buy a new rifle. The old parker hale is no good to him and doesn't want it. So I was just wondering if there was much point in trying to resurrect it.

Cheers Scott.

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## Walker

Well I'm about to turn a shot out rusty 270 into a shiney 338WM. I've done 3 or 4 308's and my favourite is a 350Remmag. You can get boyds or a number of after market stocks for them plus triggers. Most people use 700's because they are cheap as in the states so now have plenty of 'go fast' bits.

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## ChrisF

I have a few , and would not be with out them , mine are however a bit SPECIAL .

Have a M85 , it uses a Fibreglass McMillan stock , and although its old school , its a keeper .



And its a LOT lighter than me AW , opps , sorry AI .

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## Walker

Ummm where could I get the bottom metal and mag? Got a very accurate xt1200 in the safe......

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## ChrisF

I would keep it more or less original  ( your 1200TX ) , the M85 is quite a bit different than the std PH action .

the only upgrade I would look at is maybe a nice pitcanny mounting rail , like maybe NEAR , or a McMillan stock , ala A2 .

The Parker Hales are an aquired test , and due to them being out of production for almost 25 yrs , both parts and accessories to fit are hard to find etc , not the easiest of rifles to customise .


I have seen a 1200TX in a McMillan A2 stock , and it looked very nice , had a a colour like the Canadains use , ie 70% OD & 30 % grey molded in camo swirl .

Later  Chris

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## el borracho

> I have a few , and would not be with out them , mine are however a bit SPECIAL .
> 
> Have a M85 , it uses a Fibreglass McMillan stock , and although its old school , its a keeper .
> 
> 
> 
> And its a LOT lighter than me AW , opps , sorry AI .


I have handled this rifle and would gladly have this as a number one rifle -still real nice

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## distant stalker

Whats your Bipod arrangement there Chris? Any chance of  pic of front of stock with measurements of clearance etc? Looks like the ype of arrangment I'm considering

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## muzza

P-H rifles are basically M98 mauser actions , parts are not difficult , stocks are easy to locate , and they make great project rifles. Nothing more needs to be said .

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## P38

Finding a stock is not going to be hard and 7x57 is a great calibre.

I'd give him something for it if he's decided he's going to ditch it, replace the stock and take it hunting again.

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## ChrisF

The stock is still made by McMillan , they call it the McHale .

RE: Parker Hale , yes most are basically a commerical Mauser 98 ( with out the thumb loading cut in the LH side rail ) , BUT the M85's receiver is quite different , its uses a 98 type bolt , but the receiver is a reinforced squared & enclosed top , and has a longer barrel tunion/thread in to better support a heavy barrel etc .

The bipod is the original PH bipod and mounts onto a metal spigot that sticks out of the front of the stock .

It also uses a excellent special 2 stage trigger made just for the M85 .

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## ChrisF

here's pics of the stripped action and the 2 stage trigger

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## ChrisF



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## distant stalker

That bipod setup looks perfect, It means your sling attaches closer to the stock so your rifle sits closer to your back when slung keeping it better balanced on your sholder and no bipod diggng into your shoulder. I love it!!
Going to try and modify my stock to take a versapod or similar in the same way

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## Bill999

yea that bipod set up is what im heading for too, Digit was going to bring in some of those versapod spigots that thread strait into the tip of the forend 
dunno if he has yet i should hit him up

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## magimps

Kudu, 
Id be keen on it, already have a 7x57, but looking for another to build up or change to 257 roberts.

If hes intersted drop me an email wayne@magnumimports.co.nz

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## nor-west

I had a 280AI on a parker hale action, the model with the gold trigger, very accurate rifle, just to heavy for an old fulla like me to carry in one hand for long.

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## Russian 22.

bumping thread

what sort of cheap plastic or laminate stocks are people using on the old M 98 mauser parker hale conversions

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## rewa

Total rubbish mate ! I'll give you $20 for it..  actually, I'm with Muzza, great rifles, my two favourite rifles are my Tikka m55, and my  PH1200-custom (over my Brno..and my Sako ) . M98 stocks should fit with a small amount of fine-tuning (dremel). Every manufacturer has the odd crap-one, even Sako. Parker-Hales had great barrels, and they always sourced strong actions, sort-of the 'Howa', of the old-days.

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## muzza

Laminates tend to be heavy - making your P-H heavier. Theres heaps of mauser aftermarket stocks out there - look at the Reloaders Supplies catalogue or even Gun City carry them. Stay away from the ATI Scout Rifle stocks - they truly are rubbish

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## Marty Henry

My safari is good for shooting things.

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## muzza

as is my Safari in 338-06 .....

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## csmiffy

My old PH safari with the buggered barrel better shoot ok once I get the 270 FN barrel fitted lol

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## Ruger7mm

Picked up a PH safari 30-06 couple of years ago in mint condition, shoots well and I am just refining the loads for it. It is an early model one with the cut out military action with the swing over safety. I put on an after market low swing safety which now allows a scope to be fitted with medium height rings, also fitted a limbsaver and it is very comfortable to shoot. I'll dig a photo out later. I am very pleased with it and been a 30-06 they don't seem to have shot out barrels from lots of range use funnily enough :-)

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## rewa

My P-H 1200, .270, is a pleasure to use (yes ,even in 'the-dreaded' caliber), has a nice crisp trigger, Italian-walnut stock with palm-swell and a Stirling-Special barrel. Action is Serbian. Some rifles just 'Fit'.

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## Tahr

I read recently that the long magazined PH Mauser action is the ideal length and feeding set up for a 284win with 160grn class projectiles seated out. That would be a good conversion for one (if it is correct).

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## Moa Hunter

One feature that no one has mentioned is that the 98 actions being 'positive feed are much quieter when chambering a round than push feed actions. If the fingers of the left hand ( right handed person) are curled around under the gun so that they touch the round being chambered, loading is silent. PH Safari rifles are great hunting machines

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## Finnwolf

The old man had a PH in 222, sold it and bought a Sako as he couldn’t see the point of such a large action just for a 222 size case.

And the PH safety fell out twice.

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## garyp

Have lots of Parker Hale bits here such as a receiver, bolt release assemblies, adjustable trigger etc.

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## redrover

> Ummm where could I get the bottom metal and mag? Got a very accurate xt1200 in the safe......


I have Mauser bottom metal (which of course includes the mag) which I got for a project that never went ahead. It has a hinged floorplate with the release button inside the trigger guard. I don't know the brand. It is made of aluminium, unfinished, so it would need to be anodized or Cerakoted or whatever. Has some very light marks on it, but it should be possible to polish them out.

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## csmiffy

My action is the mauser type pre santa Barbara action. Still has the guides (sort of) for the stripper clip but no thumb cut out.
The little button that you would press with a FMJ projectile to drop has a spring stronger than a possum trap. @redrover i'll pm you just in case Walker dips out @garyp might have to have a chat about triggers and safeties. I would far prefer to put a late model trigger with safety on it then dick around with aftermarket safety and have a standard trigger
Mind you at over 230 bucks if they are available that starts to hurt the pocket

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## Brian

While we're on parker hales can I heat this foresight gently to get off without harming the inside f the barrel?

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## csmiffy

@Brian yup. Just make sure there is no screws into the barrel. keep some weight on it with some pliers as you heat it. Wipe the solder off the barrel while its still hot.

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## homebrew.357

Hang on there Brian, my 1968 P/H.308 standed the fore sight is in a dove tail and slides off, there's a screw and two locating pins in the base of the ramp, yours could be different.

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## Brian

There's a cross pin holding the foresight into the ramp but no sign of any others.
I'll fire up the primus.

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## garyp

Some are brazed on, not soldered.

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## Brian

Yeah must be one of the brazed ones. don't want to get it any hotter I'll cut it off.

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## Dan88

I have a parker and hale in .22-250 that I'm currently restoring.
I want a matching .308 to go with it but they seem to be selling for $600 upwards for one with not much finish left on it 

Sent from my SM-A505GN using Tapatalk

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