What is "Sporterized"?

[BroncoBob]

generally a waste of money.

A really good modern rifle can be had for far less cash than the bill in parts and labor to make your military bolt look modern.

Wise words from Mr. Lake

[tacticalcity]

It absolutely kills me to see a military rifle stripped of all it's glory and history. If somebody else already butchered it that's one thing. Otherwise enjoy the masterpiece for what it is and just buy an inexpensive modern hunting rifle if you need a rifle like that.

[NapalmCheese]

It absolutely kills me to see a military rifle stripped of all it's glory and history. If somebody else already butchered it that's one thing. Otherwise enjoy the masterpiece for what it is and just buy an inexpensive modern hunting rifle if you need a rifle like that.

It absolutely kills me to see people that are adamant that their mosin is collectible (i.e. a good investment) when it was one of 8 bajillion made, and 1 of 4 bajillion left on earth. If you want to play around at being a gunsmith, if you are a learning to be a gunsmith, or if you like custom stuff tailor made to you you could do worse than to sporterize an old military rifle (.338 Federal custom fit sporterized M48 anyone? Yes please.).

Buy two mil surp rifles, sporter one, leave the other in the cosmo. Now you've increased the value of the cosmo covered one and increased the utility and usability of the sportered one!

[tacticalcity]

Never said "collectable", though they are fun to collect, or that it was a financial investment. I said it was a work of art and a piece of history. It is perfect just the way it is.

There are plenty of already butchered ones out there to play with. You don't need to ruin one that is still in military configuration to learn how to gunsmith. The pre-butchered ones will probably be cheaper anyway.

[1859sharps]

generally a waste of money.

A really good modern rifle can be had for far less cash than the bill in parts and labor to make your military bolt look modern.

today yes. but remember, back in the day that was not the case.

while not old enough to have actually bought rifles and experienced it my self, I am old enough to remember hearing and reading about the lack of accuracy and other quality issues with mass produced commercial rifles.

taking a "cheap" (as in price) military surplus rifle, having it sporterized was a economical way to get a tack driver.

it was in part this competition that drove the commercial guys to step up their game and do a better job, which caused your statement to become the norm, not the exception. a rifle that shoots out of the box better than the average shooters skills...that is fairly new in my life time.

It absolutely kills me to see a military rifle stripped of all it's glory and history. If somebody else already butchered it that's one thing. Otherwise enjoy the masterpiece for what it is and just buy an inexpensive modern hunting rifle if you need a rifle like that.

this is also a fairly new attitude. not that it is wrong or anything. But new and clearly one that would only be held by someone who is fairly far removed from the events that lead to the creation and use of what we think of as military surplus rifles.

When these guns were dime a 1000, the people buying them and "butchering" them in to "sporters" were the same people who just a handful of years ago had been on the front lines either shooting them at the enemy or being shot at by them. to these people, they were not anything but a cheap source of a VERY solid receiver and bolt. there was no historical value because they were the ones who had been using them or had them used against them.

[BigBamBoo]

Here is one my Dad did back in the 60's. He bought the original rifle mail order for either $12 or $17.
He was a hobby gunsmith...built a lot of stocks from Chico walnut that he got when they put the freeway through Chico.

He had a home built bluing tank, small lathe, checkering tools, etc.

He built this one for my mother for her deer rifle.