Big Bore building project: Building a .500 Jeffery on a Mod 98 Mauser action.

[Von Gruff]

Gert, the sight stem may need to have the aperture counter bored from both sides as the single dia hole through it can be subject to sunstrike. My rigby sight has the counter bored aperture and is immune from this problem which reared its head on the ones I made for my Martini's and Lee Enfields, but a quick (well careful) counter bore solved this for shooting in bright sun.

[Gert Odendaal]

Gert, the sight stem may need to have the aperture counter bored from both sides as the single dia hole through it can be subject to sunstrike. My rigby sight has the counter bored aperture and is immune from this problem which reared its head on the ones I made for my Martini's and Lee Enfields, but a quick (well careful) counter bore solved this for shooting in bright sun.

Thank you Garry

I did counter bore it and was still experimenting with the aperture sight diameter...I will get another chance now to experiment again since I will be using it in conjunction with the Blenheim front sight /bead on the .500 Jeffery . It was extremely accurate on 50 m and 100 m when sighting in the .375 H&H Magnum I build....I had to remove it since it is not productive to use it in conjunction with the v-express sight. I will use the v-express sight now in conjunction with the scout scope ( when I get one )...

The ghost ring aperture sight will surely work nice on the .500 Jeffery...

[Gert Odendaal]

Update:
I am currently busy working on different scenarios to see which one will be the most practical procedure to cast a 404 Jeffery magnum magazine box/trigger guard unit. Possibilities are:
1) CAD drawing of example - 3D printing - lost wax casting procedure.

2) 3D scaning -3D printing -lost wax casting.

3) Using 404 Jeffery magazine box unit to make a mold, cast our own melted steel using carbon rods..I will be able to melt enough steel to cast a magnum magazine box unit.

If this venture is successful I can use any casting method to cast the magazine box..

[Gert Odendaal]

Update:

A friend of mine is busy making a drawing in CAD configuration that will enable us to do a couple of 3D printings we can use for molds. We are thinking of using ceramic clay to do the molds .

I will melt the steel ( lathe turned shavings ) using two graphite rods /welding machine to create a plasma flame where the flame may rich temperatures in 3000 degree Celsius ...( method courtesy of google) . I will do a few runs to get steel without any slack ensuring a pure steel I can then use for the final casting procedures. These practice runs will ensure more insight in this method, giving me know-how to melt steel...

The reason being , melted steel has a extremely high temperature , the ceramic clay could handle the temperature. I am contemplating the use of the "lost wax casting method where I attache runners on both sides of the mold for the melted steel to flow unrestricted through the mold when casting the magnum magazine box and trigger guard /bottom metal.

As pointed out previously it will be a while to get all the aspects covered ...

Plan B
The option to just make the 3D printed model and take it to the casting company is the second option. I already contacted the investment casting company , they are willing to assist with this experiment . Since it is not a difficult Mauser action cast , it will be costing less to do this cast.

It seems good to have options at least. I did commence with the design of the quarter rib and the front sight/bead already. I am contemplating a flip-up v-express sight enabling me to use a ghost ring/Blenheim sight combination and a v-express sight option...there will be an option to mount a 1.5-5 x 20 Leopold scope as well..

this in short is where I am with the .500 Jeffery build...

[Peter Brian]

Hi again Gert. Many years ago I visited a foundry in Springs that specialized in investment casting in bronze, steel, stainless steel and other metals to do all sorts of very intricate investing using the lost wax method. I watched them casting Revolver parts that came out with a mirror finish. I asked the person doing the casting what tolerances do they work to and if my memory serves me correctly, he said that they worked to a 1 micron surface finish. The revolver cylinders and hammers that they had just made were going to be used according to him with no further work on them other than smoothing off the sprue marks. They poured the steel into the molds which were made of Vanadium sand and a ceramic slurry that they said was a trade secret but I think was an Aluminium Oxide slurry and I remember it smelled very strongly of Ammonia. These were then fired in a kiln/furnace at an almost white hot temperature and the molten steel was poured in immediately after the glowing mold was taken out of the furnace.
Not to put a damper on it. Trying to melt steel filings using 2 carbon rods will probably put a lot of carbon into the molten mix, if you manage to get that into the molten state, and you will then land up with cast iron instead of steel. Stainless also has a much lower melting point than steel. Stainless can easily be blackened chemically. There are also Aluminium alloys that can be as strong as steel and they will melt easily using a Tig torch in a crucible with a Argon gas cover to prevent oxidation. You could probably use this method for melting small quantities of steel or stainless steel. I am still watching this build with great interest. Regards Peter

[Peter Brian]

I have just been thinking that maybe one of those very big Mig welders with inert gas cover would do a very good job of giving you the quantity of molten metal that you would require for this project without the contamination that you would probably get with using carbon rods. Regards. Peter

[Gert Odendaal]

Hallo Peter
Always nice to hear from you. Yes, it is true, the guys are still in Springs, the company is called Vest Cast..Johan and I visited them a while ago, they can assist in casting items for us. Johan decided to make a copy of a Magnum action and not a standard Mauser action instead..giving us more options when building dangerous game hunting rifles. This is still a project that we will pursue.

I did contact Vest Cast company as mentioned as my plan B ...they will be able to assist me in this endeavor ... I still need to visit them again as soon as I have the 3D printed item in my hands. It is a route I will take as well as the procedures to melt steel with the use of carbon rods..just to acquire more knowledge .....I am sure I will be able to melt steel and cast it as a magnum magazine box/trigger guard/bottom metal....would that not be something special???

A friend of mine is currently busy drawing a 404 Jeffery magnum magazine box/trigger guard/bottom metal so Iwan can do a few 3D prints we can use for making molds.

[Peter Brian]

Hi Gert. Sounds good. I found that going through that foundry was incredibly interesting and enlightening. They REALLY know their stuff. I think that they had a different name in those days when I went through there, but it is almost certainly the same company. What material are you going to use for the 3D prints so that you can use them directly for investing? Regards Peter

[Gert Odendaal]

Hallo Peter

I am sure the type of material the 3D printer use can be use in the lost wax cast procedure. That part Iwan Greyling, Johan`s son will take care off...he bought a 3D printer...I need to get the drawing from another friend of mine ..Iwan will use this drawing to do the 3D prints of the magazine box and parts.

I will take this printed item to Vest Cast and see what can be done...experimenting with the rest of the 3D prints doing my own casting exercises..

I will commence shortly with the front sight/Blenheim bead and with the v-express folding sight.

[Gert Odendaal]

Update:
Willie has drawn a picatinny rail using his CAD program to see if it is compatible with Iwan`s 3Dprinter. It seems the programs are compatible.

Here is a result of the drawing..a 3D picatinny rail...
Iwan mentioned it seems the picatinny rail has warp a little..maybe putting it in a oven will release the stress to return to level again.