# Firearms and Shooting > Projects and Home Builds >  New Build

## ChrisF

Just about to start a new build , its going to be a close copy of a USMC  M40A1 rifle , here's a pic of the stock , will post others as I get the rest of the parts etc .

----------


## R93

7.62 as well?

----------


## FRST

A worthy build, very cool. Will you try and get the Unertl 10x or a US optics replica?

----------


## ChrisF

As USO actually refurbed old Unertls as well as making their version of IT called the MST-100 , which differed in that the USMC wanted to be able to mount them in a 30 moa canted rail , and this was hard to do with the Unertl , the main difference was a small button that stuck out at 45 degrees , this allowed room for a coil spring , that and they used SS for the knobs , as the steel ones rusted bad , and a new way to make the reticle , all out of steel , rather than the steel & drops of paint to get the mildots , these scopes had to be kept out of the heat/ on hot days , covered , or the mildots would basically melt off .

As the USMC used both Unertl & USO scopes , its not wrong to use a USO MST-100 .

If you look at pics of my Parker Hale M87/C3A1 build , you will see it uses a USO MST-100 , and this M40A1 will use a MST-100 as well .
It will use a USO M40A1 scope mount as well , the main area , where mine will differ from the std M40A1 replicas , is I will be using a Badger Ord , trigger guard , which is a heavy one piece bit of kit , and in my view , much better than the modied & chopped steel , Win70 guard .

In reguard to calibre , YES it has to be 308WIN , as the scope is cammed just for a 173-175gr bullet at 2600 fps ,

----------


## ChrisF

Here's some pics of some one else's M40A1 , and pics of the USO clip slot scope mount .

----------


## ChrisF

The scope mounts rings are brazed/welded to the base , so they cannot come off , and has recoil lug front and rear , the action has to have a small square taken out at the back , just as the old Mauser98 , ie so you can fit a 5rd srtipper clip into the slot , and at the front a very small 1/2 circle , like 6mm dia , so the bullet tip clears .
Clip slotted actions where in use as target rifles , and as such had iron aperture sights .
In this case they used 40x target actions , and made a scope mount to fit into this cutting & lock in place .

Cheers  Chris

----------


## shooternz

What barrel are you using? I have a 7.62 40X I want to restore to original specs I want to get a barrel with the correct measurements any help would be appreciated. Robert.

----------


## ChrisF

At this stage , I am unsure what i will use , as to barrel , the profile I will use , will be a bit different , as well , the M40s have no straight section at all at the start , I will use 1-2 inche straight at start to bed better for support of barrel .
The profile is basically a Douglas #7 , specs call for 1.18 at start to 0.90 at muzzle , at 24 inches , a straght taper of about .01159 per inche .
The 1st had Atkinson barrels , then HS-Precision , then Hart barrels , twist rate is 1-12 .

If you want more on the specs of a M40A1 build , go to snipershide , they have a sticky , thread about it .
I would like to go with a bartlein barrel , but it will depend on whats available in NZ at the moment etc .

Cheers  Chris

----------


## FRST

Did they have a shorter cocking piece on the fiberglass stock equipped rifles or was this phased out with the first m40 wood stocked rifle?

----------


## ChrisF

Not 100% sure , but think the 1st , M40 as used in Nam ( wood stock 40x ) , had the short shroud , later ones did not .

----------


## ChrisF

GOOD news , my brand new MST-100 scope & mount are in NZ right now , Bad news , is they try to deliver today , while I'm at work , BUGGER , so it will sit in post office for the next several day s

----------


## faregame

Can you call them
They may deliver to work instead

sent via tapatalk

----------


## ChrisF

Just got the scope & mount

----------


## LJP

That scope looks freakn solid. If you broke the rifle the scope looks like it would double as a club  :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:

----------


## Nibblet

This is a cool build. Think I may have to follow suit.  Where/who are the best people to source parts from?
Where did you score the stock and scope off, and how accurate is the camming on those things?

----------


## Friwi

I understand those scope are not made anymore. Where did you got yours from and for how much? Thanks.

----------


## Nibblet

Yeah on second thoughts,  don't think I can get that past the Mrs. Got a bit of a surprise when I saw the price tag

----------


## ebf

Chris, interested to hear what the theme is you are building to ?

Maybe start another thread  :Grin: 

Are you sticking to bolt action military sniper rifles of the 1960's, or will you be looking at m21 / m25 in future ?

m67 should be interesting as well.

----------


## ChrisF

As I said at the start its a M40A1 build , sort of , the scope is always un-available , USO has made 5-6 last runs of this scope in the last decade , you need to watch snipers hide for when they are making the next run , they are usually around 2.8 k USD , get in touch with USO , as I think they had 1 or 2 left ? . if not you need to wait till the next batch .

As to scope mounts either USO or a another custom maker , go to sniperhide for info ,  as they have a sticky thread , just on M40 builds etc .

The stock needs to be the smooth finished one , ie no texture & the forest camo .

Just need a M700 donot action now .

Cheers  Chris

----------


## ChrisF

The scope is all steel , and weighs 2.5 lbs , the cam is accurate for the 308 , 175gr at 2600 fps , BUT what makes it MORE usable than most BDC cams , is the bottom fine tune lever , which adds or subtracts 3 moa , in 1/2 moa clicks , this is under the large Elevation knob .

----------


## ChrisF

Here's pic of Barrel , 5R bartlein , & Badger trigger guard , & thick .250 recoil lug

----------


## Kiwi Greg

Nice bit of Kauri  :Have A Nice Day:

----------


## ChrisF

yeap , Its a good chopping board

----------


## ChrisF

Here's the can ,

----------


## ChrisF

The action , a Rem 700 Tac , with 20 inche tube , donot use it much , so it will be the donor action for the M40A1 build .

----------


## FRST

Did the USMC use suppressors on M40A1's?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Friwi

If you can, get your suppressor with a m18x1 thread or something similar instead of the ridiculously small 1/2x20.

----------


## ishoot10s

> If you can, get your suppressor with a m18x1 thread or something similar instead of the ridiculously small 1/2x20.


5/8 x 24TPI is a common 30 cal muzzle thread.

----------


## ChrisF

Yeap , 

Way ahead of you , and yes , when I have a lot of metal , ie thick barrel , its getting a decent thread size , & I look at 3/4 inche , 18x1mm Sako , & 18x1,5mm AI , and if smaller barrel then 5/8 etc .

Yes the USMC did have a couple M40A1s threaded to use a suppressor , on the current M40 they are all set up to use Surefire cans .

----------


## Friwi

Good man :-)

----------


## Friwi

Who is the lucky smith who is going to put your bits and pieces together?

----------


## ChrisF

dont know if its going  to be this Rem or my other in 22-250 , so will not be selling barrels etc until thats decided .

As to smith , not 100% yet , as i am looking at a different can as well as some other minor mods to the build , will get that sorted soon .

Anyway here's a pic looking thru the scope , showing the mildots & the tapered heavy bars on the USO MST-100 scope , as the reticle is all metal as far as I know .




Cheers  Chris

----------


## ChrisF

At the gunsmiths now , just have to wait now .

----------


## ChrisF

Just heard from gunsmith , thats the M40A1 is almost done , looking forward to gettign it home .

----------


## nor-west

Looks like a Kahles reticle what Gunsmith did you use?

----------


## ChrisF

Scott in Featherson

The reticle is simply a mildot reticle , but the posts taper into the thin crosshair section that has the mildots , the original dots on the Unertl 10x USMC scope where made by dropping paint onto the cross wire , BUT I have heard from the Canadians , that you had to keep the scope shaded in summer or the temp could get high enough to melt the mildots ( paint ) OFF .
The USO modified version of the Unertl design , has a few tweeks , one  the reticle is 100% steel , NO paint or glue to form the dots , and as such the USO MST-100 scopes should not have the dots MELT off .
Also , the turret housing has a plug at about 7.30 oclock , and this allows for a longer travel for the elevation knob , and has a stronger coil spring , this was done so that the scope could be mounted on a 30 moa canted rail , the older Unertl usually could not be zeroed on a 30 moa rail .
Also the knobs changed from steel , to SS , so when the paint wears OFF in use , the knobs donot rust .


Cheers   Chris

----------

