Old Rifle New Look...

Discussion in 'Firearms' started by Andy the Aussie, Dec 22, 2018.


  1. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Monkey+++ Founding Member

    ..... yesterday was a picture taking day so I snapped one of the rifle I had on the bench. This is my old Stery SSG... it dates to the late 70s or early 80s I believe. I bought it second hand in 1986. It was a factory package that included the rifle, spare magazine and Kahles ZF69 scope in serialised mounts. Sometime in the 80s they added a rail to the forend, this pre-dates that.

    Over the years it has evolved somewhat from the plain (but very functional bang stick) green rifle it was then. The stock was badly damaged in an "unfortunate incident" and replaced @1993 with the one seen here made by McMillian. A couple of years ago I got the Leupold Mk4 6.5-20x and then the Steyr Picatinny conversion rail to mount it. Finally a company called Styria Arms in Austria offered a replacement trigger guard and magazine well that was i) metal (original was composite and a weakness) and ii) allowed the use of Accuracy International Magazines. I had it away with me last year and, using the load I developed for my Sako .308 hunting rifle, will still dump each projectile into a single ragged hole at 100yds. I am heading west next winter where the ranges are longer and the ground flat.....

    [​IMG]
     
  2. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    meanwhile-in-australia-ddea5e.
    Probably not a bad idea.
    I didn't know you could get a leopold there.

    98df5ba89ffc4835f2e83369f1e7f594.
     
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  3. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    What is Cello doing outside without his Feather Boa, and what is he shooting at the gyrochopter for?
     
  4. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    Nice looking rifle you have there. I have several .308s One a bolt action 788 Remington that will shoot sub one inch groups at 100 yards all day long. Now days it gets more use by visiting hunters (family or friends) who happen to visit during hunting season. I always take them and a target to my range and have them shoot a couple rounds after I have done the same, and it never fails to provide rounds on the target very close to point of aim no matter who is squeezing the trigger. It is really nice to own a gun like that.
     
  5. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Monkey+++ Founding Member

    ... Leupold is probably one of the most popular optics here. They have been here forever as best I am aware. I think I have at least 10 of them that I can think of off the top of my head. Throw is some Kahles, Pecar, Weaver, Burrris and even a couple of Tascos and you round out my optics choices.
     
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  6. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    Leopold is the best I can afford lol.
     
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  7. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Monkey+++ Founding Member

    They are a fine optic mate !!
     
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  8. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    That vintage of SSG's are some of the best overall IMHO.
    Just wondering but why did you replace the original glass? The trigger guard upgrade was a good idea. Great looking rifle. I do not own one, but would like to!
     
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  9. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    My SSG is about the same era as yours, very nice rifles even today! There was a time when those SSG's were about the most accurate .308 available any where, they had some super secret mojo going on with their barrels, and no one could match them for a very long time!
    You got a keeper there, don't let it go for any reason!
     
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  10. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    Man, You can't have that in Australia,Sorry and it's borderline fuggly to boot!

    I'll pm you my address so you can get it off your hands legally....You can thank me later!


    hahaha,Just kidding,Fine piece,Wish it was mine and you had a boot up your arse....Just kidding about the boot,Still a very fine machine!
     
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  11. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Monkey+++ Founding Member

    ... the original glass (the ZF69) is a straight 6x (till 1998 it was also the glass on the issue Australian Army sniper rifle). It is a beautiful clear optic and I can still slide it on there as it resides in the QD rings ready. 6.5-20 just gives me much more range (not distance but use) than the straight 6x and the adjustments on the Leupold are more precise. 20x does make shooting little groups that much easier !!

    ....it's going nowhere at all mate ! Funny, when it arrived I took it to my makeshift range (using the hood of a mate's old 4x4 as a bench) and shot a group with some Federal 150gn factory hunting ammunition I had laying around. First three shots went into a single hole. I was impressed and (despite it needing a good cleaning @1992 due to some copper fouling mid barrel) it continues to impress today. My Godson got the long range rifle bug from playing with this last year. He has not decided what he will build up year (he hunts with a Remington 700 in .270 now) but it will be something nice I am sure !!!
     
  12. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Monkey+++ Founding Member

    Well....just finished a little project on this that I have "been meaning to do" for ages. A little ago a local (not so local to me but here in Aus) had MagPul AI compatible 7.62 10 round magazines on sale for around $65 (they are $79 normally) so I grabbed one to see if it would work in this as the Styria made bottom metal is quite precise and I previously found that the Ruger GSR magazines, while a copy of the AI and supposedly interchangeable, didn't work. I was a bit disappointed when this arrived and it would not feed at all.

    Everything was right except the lips were holding the case a little lower in the magazine than I saw with factory AI versions and as such the bolt was unable to make contact with the bottom of the rim to strip the round from the magazine and feed. So I threw it in the back of the safe to think about or sell etc. (returning it would have cost me $15 or something stupid in postage and "restocking fees", this dealer is a c#nt but does have gear no one else does).

    Laying in bed one night months ago I had a bright idea (other than the one involving Pippa Middleon and a can of whipped cream) that I finally got around to acting on today. I measured the spread of the lips on the AI magazine and that of the MagPul version and also the height the case sat when loaded (the later using the amount of primer exposed). The AI feed lips are far shorter than than MagPul versions and sat around 1mm further apart +/- along the length.

    So I set to with a sharp file, calipers and some wet and dry. I took the AI lips out just less than 1mm (.5mm off each side +/-) and also added some taper out at the front (effectively shortening the length of the lips in contact with the case.* File a little, test fit and file a little more. About 15mins work start to finish, and now they are feeding 100%

    Post Christmas I will order a couple more. AI Magazines are great but when I CAN find them here they round out around $150Aussie vs $80 for the MagPul Paying full price).* MDT also make a reasonably priced 10 round compatible magazine but for now I will stick with the MagPul.
     
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  13. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Monkey+++ Founding Member

    AI on the left MagPul on the right...

    [​IMG]
     
  14. scotta74

    scotta74 Neophyte Monkey

    Hi Andy, were you able to source the replacement trigger guard for your SSG in Australia? I'm looking towards this path due to the issue in locating magazines.
     
  15. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Monkey+++ Founding Member

    It was sent to me from Austria (alps not kangaroos)

    Styria Arms was/is the maker.

    Cheers

    Andy
     
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  16. Wildbilly

    Wildbilly Monkey+++

    Andy, I want to hear some more about Pippa and that can of whipped cream. I love whipped cream!
     
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  17. Wildbilly

    Wildbilly Monkey+++

    Saw a DIY B.A.R. the other day. Guy had just added a bipod to a CETME rifle (7.62/.308) with a 20rd. mag and the sling configured for shoulder carry. He wants to get a scope and a carry-handle, but can't figure how to attach the carry-handle. I told him that a lazer-sight would be cheaper, smaller and work better, and warned him against a permanently affixed carry-handle.
     
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