Thread: New Build

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 .

7.62 as well?

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

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 ,

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

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

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.

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

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?

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

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

Can you call them
They may deliver to work instead

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Just got the scope & mount

That scope looks freakn solid. If you broke the rifle the scope looks like it would double as a club

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?