last day of the old year is coming and you sit there and thinking about the projects still not ready?

well, new year brings another chance to do it right. all starts with a MS 1903 stutzen stock that came from a gunmaker estate. to good to let it go into the nothing it stayed here and in the beginning of 2017 the receiver and the bolt together with rings for the iron sights were found too. the bolthead was broken and complete scrap. it belonged to the full stock, a M 1903 with Made in Germany on the receiver so made between 1938 and 1945 but probably pre war. dont know if Steyr realy had the time to make sporting rifles after 9/1939 maybe they assemble some rifles from parts still having on stock.
with this parts on hand I was thinking about a possible new project to fill a gap in my gunsafe. dont have a 9,5x56 MS and why not? but what to do with the missing parts?

only 3 day later a auction startet for M 1908 replacement parts on egun obviously coming from a butchered rifle. there was all I need also another bolt head so see it as a godsent and won the auction. only things missing is the middle barrel ring and the rear sight. the ring is easy to make and a rear sight will be pop up somewhere.

maybe not everyone will like it but I need a half stock 60 cm long barrel rifle
so the stock was cut where it was possible

the receiver and the bolt

the broken bolt head

the rings for the iron sight

trigger guard, trigger and magazine coming from a M 1908, the actions screws had little damage and are in the hands of my toolmaker now to repair the thread
there is a difference between the 8x56 and the 9,5x56 but I trust in my toolmaker to make it fit.

a 650 mm long, 30 mm diamter .375 Lothar Walther barrel blank was bought

that will end as 9,5x56 mm barrel mixed between the M 1903 and the M 1910 barrel contoure to get into the M 1903 stock. Triebel in germany have the 9,5x56 reamer and lend it.
looking for a Kahles 4x that will be set into the claw mount again.

thats all, good luck with your projects for the next year