Franken-Guns: Examples: Successes & Failures

[Redcoat3340]

I write an occasional article for a local gun club. I'm thinking of doing one on "Frankeguns;" you know, changes out slides and frames; converting calibers, going <removed> crazy with a dremel tool, etc.

Looking for some examples -- the good, the bad, and the really Bubba-ugly,

Anyone got some good stories, personal disasters, personal triumphs, or ideas I might actually try with my S&W 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gens?

 

[tark]

I no longer have this "Frankenmosin" but It was a well done conversion to a 45-70. A Ruger barrel was used. It was a single shot rifle. I didn't handload for it, but I was given a quantity of loaded ammo which I assume were somebody's handloads. I fired one and decided to put "somebody's handloads" away. It felt like a Ruger #1 level load. Everything looked normal with the fired case. Not sure if the Mosin can safely handle a #1 load but I wasn't going to find out the hard way that it can't .I never did test it for accuracy.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Heres a link to all kinds of unholy gun abominations-
https://line.17qq.com/articles/sahseasax_p2.html

An example of the horrors you will witness:

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I once had a Swiss K11 rechambered to 6.5 Swede by screwing a Carl Gustav Mauser barrel to it. It actually looked and shot pretty good.

 

[tark]

Heres a link to all kinds of unholy gun abominations-
https://line.17qq.com/articles/sahseasax_p2.html

An example of the horrors you will witness:
View attachment 981371

I just lost my supper, after looking at that poor M-1.

 

[StrawHat]

I have done a couple. Here is a S&W Model 28-2 that got a conversion to 45 ACP and became round butted at the same time.



Next is a S&W Model 1917 that got shortened down to a reasonable length, for carrying.



Here is one of my competition revolvers, a S&W Model 1964 reworked by Davis.



I have also done a couple of rifles. Here is a Winchester Model 1895. Originally a 30 Govt cartridge it is now a 405 WCF.



There are more but those are my most used ones.


Kevin

 

[P5 Guy]

Heres a link to all kinds of unholy gun abominations-
https://line.17qq.com/articles/sahseasax_p2.html

An example of the horrors you will witness:
View attachment 981371

The wood on some of those sporters is fantastic!

 

[Deus Machina]

The wood on some of those sporters is fantastic!

There's a term for that: Great execution, terrible judgement.

 

[Pivot Dr]

Well, I have ‘42 ‘98 Oberndorf Mauser, with a Remington, 243 heavy barrel, chambered to 6mm AI screwed to it, in a Fajen reject Deluxe H&R stock. My design/build muzzle brake on it

 

[AlexanderA]

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but a successful "franken-gun" is the Korean Daewoo K2. They took the best features of the AR, the AK, and the FAL, and made something that really works.

 

[Pat Riot]

I just lost my supper, after looking at that poor M-1.

Holy Cow! I didn’t realize what that was until I went back and looked at it after your post. I really don’t begrudge anyone doing anything they want to their own guns but there are some things one just doesn’t do. This is definitely one of them.

 

[WestKentucky]

If you do a write up, don’t forget the wheelgun creations. FrankenRuger is a fairly well known build that is well documented. Smolts, and Cougers are also well known and documented. The bubba home job is generally in its own category of how to properly destroy an otherwise decent firearm.

Also, when looking at auto loaders you could look seriously into the volume of shooters who have made their own 32acp and 32naa versions of the Glock 42 and similar small framed pistols by using a barrel liner in a stock barrel, or by simply purchasing a finished barrel.

PPC guns and other game guns can be a whole lot of fun to chase but just like a racecar you lose a whole lot of people when you get past “it’s a Chevy” when in reality it’s nothing resembling a Chevy, it just has the Chevy badge with a custom built motor, chassis, body, etc.

Single shot handguns are probably among the wildest customs. There are a whole bunch of those and there are a lot of them that never made it to the US because of silly NFA laws. If I recall correctly there was a fairly well know modification to a misinterpretation where it was minimized into a concealable pistol lovingly called an Obrez and they supposedly were used in battle.

 

[WestKentucky]

I once had a Swiss K11 rechambered to 6.5 Swede by screwing a Carl Gustav Mauser barrel to it. It actually looked and shot pretty good.

I’m just going to assume that the m1 shown above was a presentation gun gifted to a well known and respected military official who had a known love of hunting. No I’m not listening to replies that may indicate otherwise. That stock is beautiful though, and the gas port and tube not being color matched is a missed opportunity to take it just one step higher up the chain of being a beautiful custom.

 

[SamT1]

I no longer have this "Frankenmosin" but It was a well done conversion to a 45-70. A Ruger barrel was used. It was a single shot rifle. I didn't handload for it, but I was given a quantity of loaded ammo which I assume were somebody's handloads. I fired one and decided to put "somebody's handloads" away. It felt like a Ruger #1 level load. Everything looked normal with the fired case. Not sure if the Mosin can safely handle a #1 load but I wasn't going to find out the hard way that it can't .I never did test it for accuracy.

That’s really sweet.

 

[Jim Watson]

I no longer have this "Frankenmosin" but It was a well done conversion to a 45-70. A Ruger barrel was used. It was a single shot rifle.

Very handsome. I am glad they settled for single shot AND put a plain trigger guard on it.

That stock is beautiful though, and the gas port and tube not being color matched is a missed opportunity

The gas system on a Garand is stainless steel, GI models with stove blacking or some such. Obviously the customizer just cleaned it up and left it white. I saw one sporterized with a much simpler gas system almost completely buried in the stock.

 

[Coyote3855]

Here's a link to a Frankengun in the collection of the Wyoming State Museum.

 

[Jim Watson]

I wish I still had the gunzine picture of the repeating pistol built out of a pump action rifle.
A .22 WRM pump pistol from a .22 WRF 1890 rifle. Very professionally done, but without seeking prior approval, so the BATF took it away from him.

 

[Crosshair]

I have a WW1 Mauser action attached to a 2 groove 30-06 barrel from WW2. All inside a "Cliche 1950s" stock.

 

[Bill Raby]

The true abominations are those ridiculous guns they make to comply with California laws. The most hideous gun creation of all time is probably the single shot bolt action Glock. Look it up. It is real.

 

[Pat Riot]

The true abominations are those ridiculous guns they make to comply with California laws. The most hideous gun creation of all time is probably the single shot bolt action Glock. Look it up. It is real.

You mean like this? My “featureless” AR-15.


Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do.