My Early M40A3 Project

[kft101]

Well, after a long while and intense research and searching, my early M40A3 project is coming along.

Still need to get her properly bedded (any recommendations for the work?), but here's a preview pic of a nearly completed labor of super-like.

Will take more pics when the light is better, but hope everybody enjoys what the preview.

[Game Warden]

Meow kitty! She looks hot to trot. Let's hope she performs like the hot slut she looks like. Let me know if you ever want to get rid of her. I love the stock look. Nice job.

[BoltTrash]

__________

[Sandymac21]

You've been reading too many of Phil's posts. 😅

[pmclaine]

Hey I gets a little excited about my guns, and Id rather go there than screw my family over, but Im not dead.

Yesterday I was off with my academy class for a funeral of a classmate. 100 plus in our formation and everyone that was off from their respective Troops was in adjacent formations. Probably 1000 plus members on line at the command At Ease.

This chick in Yoga pants decided to walk the line.

She had a thumbs up on the - Go/No Go - gauge for Yoga pants.

A stream of silence followed her as she marched down the Troops.

.....and they thinks its - us - that cause the problems.

[MescaBug]

Very nice! That's an early A4 stock with the big hook right?

[kft101]

Yup! It's a McMillan A4 stock with the larger style butt hook.

[geoff3]

Very nice set up ...

[MescaBug]

Will you do the complete deployment kit as well?

[kft101]

What constitutes a full deployment kit?

My interests mainly lie in the rifle, and not necessarily the accessories that go with it, but I've been known to get correct accessories on occasion.

However, for full purity, I should get the right GGG rings and non-swivel Harris bipod for this early style stock setup. But I prefer the Badger rings and simrad cap with the MST-100 on an A3 build. It just looks right. And I don't think I can justify spending money on a 'downgraded' non-swivel Harris when I have several swivel ones around.

[USMC Grunt]

kft

Good looking rifle so far. What are the specs on her? Does it have the side bolt release?

For bedding I would suggest you go with Raven 6. He did an A1 for me in the past and I think that it was either a week or 2 week turn around. Well worth it.

I agree that I would leave the BO rings and Simrad. Theres nothing better than a Unertl/MST on top.

[kft101]

It does not have the side bolt release. The barreled action came off a GAP built spec M40A3, which was based on a G prefix action and dressed in a regular McMillan A4 with Badger M5 DBM and sporting a spec 'civie' S&B scope.

Then I got this stock with the large butt-hook, so decided to turn my 'middie' M40A3 into an early M40A3. Moved the S&B to my M40A5, which was sporting a PH 3-15 until now. Put together the MST-100 kit with a spare scope, Badger rings and simrad cap I had laying around (who doesn't, right?). Slapped it all together with the barreled action and here it goes. All it needs now is the proper bedding, as the stock wasn't really inletted for use without being bedded first in mind, and it should be ready for the range to see how she performs.

To be honest, I'd love to use this stock as the foundation for a full tribute early M40A3 by getting a C or E prefix action and building it to spec, lug slotted, black oxide and all. But my rifle closet is full and due to the restrictive environment of my locale, it's too time, money, space, energy and any other resource intensive to regularly be dealing with buying and selling rifles.

So here she goes. Could be worse; at least it's not an RR or later action that's going to be sittin' in her. G prefix ain't too bad and is within the A3 time period.

[29aholic]

I agree with Grunt. Raven 6 rebidded my rifle and did a fantastic job. He can also do a black oxide finish as well.

[kft101]

Thanks for the input on bedding, guys. Will definitely contact Raven 6 when it's time to get it bedded.

Here are a couple more pics of it now with better lighting. A before and after, and one on wood (let the euphemism puns begin).

[29aholic]

Oh there is definitely wood involved.
Hah Phil...beat you

[Game Warden]

How does the color match on the OD green? The reason why ask is because the stock is normally molded in olive drab, when you shape it you expose it and now you're putting paint on the outside of it.

[kft101]

GW, the stock is as it came from McMillan. The only fiberglass that needed patching up were the areas exposed after inletting, such as the bolt handle and feed lip cuts.

[USMCSGT0331]

...........

[kft101]

Sweet! Now that's an early stock!

I wonder why McMillan no longer offers the large butt-hook as a regular option? They obviously had the mold for it at one time. Did they destroy the mold when they switched to the current design?

[COGunsmith1993]

Kft101 if you are still looking into bedding actions or the one on this thread I highly recommend using DEVCON as the bedding they have a few different options as far as the makeup of the materials, steel, and a titanium compound. they also have two forms that it comes in, a putty as well as a liquid. I have seen the best results form the putty versus the liquid. this will also give you one of the most durable and long lasting bedding jobs available. If you or anyone else on here has any questions feel free to ask.

[Game Warden]

Devcon is excellent and does last a long time. You will find that most of us here would rather use Marine-Tex to stay as close to the original build specifications as possible. 😉


Welcome aboard.

[MescaBug]

Very nice rifle! And while we're on the topic of early A3's.........

Early prototype in Camo . Great stuff.

You could hook a Mekong catfish with that buttstock, lol.

[ZG74]

Those hooks are cherry guys. Wish I had one. I really like the QD cups.

[kft101]

Straight from McMillan's (electronic) mouth: "Unfortunately the original A4 mold we used for the Marine Corps was destroyed a long time ago."

Bummer on that. Wonder why the original mold was destroyed? And is it that hard or expensive to create a mold?

[MescaBug]

Not that hard, but hard enough that you wont make a dime on it... Demand would be so low, they wont bother.

[kft101]

I guess. But I wonder why the original mold was destroyed in the first place. Did they modify it to make the current mold, or was it junked for some other reason?

[MescaBug]

Since it was made as a prototype for the Corps, and they decided not to go forward, I guess they destroyed it so no other 'prototype' stocks would be made, and maybe sold. That's just a guess.

[Game Warden]

I had inquired about this in 2008. It sucks.