The Verschneider Conversions

Post Reply
User avatar
81police
Posts: 2613
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:12 pm
Location: TEXAS

The Verschneider Conversions

Post by 81police »

This article is being posted for Jack Ahlberg...


The VerSchneider Conversions

Let me start by stating that I have the utmost respect and admiration of the Remington Model 8 and 81 Auto-Loading Rifles. I have the same respect for the owners of these rifles and try to understand their positions when different from my own. I have several of these rifles and cherish each and every one of them. I am a small collector of these rifles and my “Set” of Remington’s may pale in comparison to what others may have in their collections but it is still just as admired.

I have prided myself in getting some very nice rifles over the years with all the matching numbers and unaltered. I also have a few that have scopes, peep sights of various styles and some with recoil pads. I have been an “on again and off again” gun collector for over 50 years. As a result of this insatiable desire for the Remington rifles, I have been looking for rifles that are described in John Henwood’s book, “The Great Remington 8 and Model 81 Autoloading Rifles”.

The Police Models have intrigued me and I have wanted one for a long time. I have made the usual inquires but to no avail. I joined several forums in an attempt to find one of these rifles and then I happened to find the website dedicated to the Remington Model 8 and 81 and joined in September 2009.

It was this website that led me to the conclusion that if I wanted a Police Model it wasn’t going to be easy. Like many of you, I spend hours each week searching the internet and going to gun stores in an attempt to find and buy these rifles but to no avail. I spent a lot of time thinking and came to the conclusion that I could get what I wanted. In reality, all I wanted was a rifle that could accept a 15-shot detachable magazine. I also knew that, in all likelihood, it would raise some eyebrows and bring in the question of authenticity.

While I think it is great to have originals, I am not a “purest” and have no problem at all owning firearms that are not originals. Having every thing matched and factory original sometimes just isn’t achievable. Don’t get me wrong because I have many firearms that fall in the collector category. However, having custom built firearms is a means to getting what you want, or desire, to complete collections when the originals are not available.

I have communicated with people who are respected authorities on these rifles to share my ideas and to get their opinion, reaction and feedback about a project I was considering. These individuals gave both encouragement and caution about the project but no one said don’t do it. In return, I assured them that I would be forthright and truthful about the rifles. I agreed not to share trade secrets that would be proprietary in nature. The tooling and alteration methodology that would be done was not mine to give and it would be unethical and unfair to the individual who would do the work. I did give permission for the idea to be shared if others would be interested and would not expect any remuneration.

I expect criticism from the purest who will be concerned that I have desecrated the integrity and history of these fine firearms. There will be a few that will say I pushed the envelope to far on this project and I can accept such comments. To the critics, let me say that I understand your position but I am confident that as a gun enthusiast I hope you will respect my position.

Like most collectors, I had identified some Remington’s that I would like to add to the collection. I had the usual, easy to find model 8 & 81 rifles. I relied on knowledgeable people to give me tips when a rifle would appear on the scene that I had expressed an interest in owning. One such tip led to the purchase of what had been described by the owner as a Krieger conversion Model 81 .300 Savage.

Many of you saw this rifle on the Forum and subsequent findings that it was not a Krieger. Cam Woodall, 81police on the Forum, is a tremendous resource and worked with me on this acquisition. He evaluated the pictures that I took and did a side by side comparison of his own Krieger to show me the differences. He reassured me that while the rifle was not a Krieger, it was a very well done conversion and worth the price that I gave for the rifle. See how easy it is to get a rifle that is not authentic?

Another Forum member, imfuncity, sent me a Private Message about the drop magazine rifle thinking that I was someone else. For those of you who know imfuncity, the note was amusing and confusing. When I contacted him stating that I thought he had me confused with someone else, he apologized for the confusion. As a result, I gained a new friend and he gave me the name of Pete VerSchneider, who had been the intended “victim” of his Private Message. He told me that Pete was interested in removable magazines and would probably like to see the rifle.

While the above was going on, I had started inquiries about the Police Officers Equipment (POE) detachable magazines. Trying to find a Police Model rifle was very discouraging so I started a search for the magazines.

The effort began enthusiastically and when the first POE magazine was advertised on Gun Broker, I was excited and sent Cam a message. I knew that in time I could achieve the objective that I had set for myself. Again, Cam was very helpful when he advised that I should buy the magazine because they are very hard to find. I questioned the price but bought it anyway. I did not know how long it would be before I put it to use. It went in the safe for the time being.

I put postings on several of the forums advertising my interest in buying the POE detachable magazines. I am sure many of you saw my posting and wondered what I was going to do with them. After several weeks of chasing leads and following up on dead ends, I was able to buy several of the magazines. They put quite a dent in the project budget but I was now getting closer to having the necessary items to start the project.

Another issue that I was focusing on was the carbine which was made by Pete VerSchneider. I did not know Pete at this point in time beyond what I had read from his postings on the Forum. Several Forum members, had spoken highly of the carbine and the excellent work that had been done in the conversion. I was intrigued by this conversion and decided that I would like Pete to build one for me.

I mentioned earlier that I had communicated with several individuals about my project. They were encouraging and all were in agreement about who I should contact to get the work done. I felt comfortable with my decision to proceed so the next step. I was ready to contact someone to work with me on the specifics of the project.

I contacted Pete the first time on December 24, 2009. I shared with Pete how I got his name from imfuncity. I told Pete of my interest in the carbine and how I would like for him to make one for me.

Thus began a friendship that I value and treasure very much. We began a dialogue through emails about the Remington rifles. We have talked of ideas and “what if’s” about the Remington. I have sought and received advice on purchases and in the process enriched my understanding about these rifles. I am sure that I have taken more of Pete’s time than he ever anticipated from that first email.

On December 27, I called Pete and gave him a break from cutting firewood. I told Pete that he had been recommended by three men who knew personally of his abilities and his high quality work. I shared with Pete my idea of using the POE magazine in a conversion. We talked for about one hour. It seemed like we had known each other for years. We shared ideas and philosophies about conversions and the pros and cons of such endeavors.

I told Pete that it was very important to me that we would not try to pass the conversions off as Police Models and he concurred. I told Pete of Cam Woodall’s concern about having “fake” police models being offered for sale. I shared an email about not compromising the integrity or value of the Police Models.

These conversions would be a joint project where I would provide the resources and Pete would provide his expertise to make the project become reality. Together, we would have some rifles that would be unique, custom built and a great addition to our respective collections.

Pete shared with me that he had been thinking along those lines but he did not have a magazine to try his perceived conversion. He started telling
me about the process of conversion and I was truly impressed with his understanding of the internal workings of the Model 8 and 81.

It was intuitively obvious to me that Pete had been inside of more Remington 8 & 81’s than anyone outside of the original Remington workers. I freely admit that I did not understand everything that he was telling me, but he was very patient with me and took extraordinary time to give me the details of what was involved in converting a fixed magazine to a 15-shot detachable magazine.

Pete told me that he was sure that he could make the conversion if he could ever get his hands on a magazine. I told him to get ready to get started because I was mailing him the first POE detachable magazine. To say that Pete was surprised would be an understatement. I could hear the excitement in his voice as he began telling me which of the “old clunker” that he was going to use for the conversion to see if he could do it. Pete said he would want to try it on a receiver that would serve as a prototype before putting it on a good rifle. I listened intently as he described the process of conversion. Little did Pete know that I had a surprise for him which I would disclose later during the project.

Pete enthusiastically accepted the offer to receive the POE magazine so on December 28, I prepared the magazine for mailing to his home. There was no hesitation about Pete’s confidence to do the work. It was at this point that I shared with him what I wanted to do to some of my rifles. He listened without interruption but I could hear the wheels turning. I knew Pete must have been thinking “What kind of gun-nut had he just made an arrangement with for converting perfectly good Remington‘s to accept a detachable POE magazine?”

I told Pete that I would like to have a Model 8 and a Model 81 converted to accept the magazines with the appropriate POE model. I had purchased the rifles with the intent to have them converted before I had the first magazine. Cam Woodall had provide some pictures showing the difference between the Model 8 and Model 81 POE magazines.

The third conversion would be a Model 81 .35Rem carbine. While there are other carbines that Pete has converted, this one would be the only one with a 15-shot detachable magazine and a Thompson Sub-machine gun vertical grip embedded in the forearm. The stock and forend work would be performed by a good friend of Pete who has been doing this kind of work for years.

There was a long hesitation and I thought I had lost the connection with my new found friend. Then in that deep voice, which Pete has, came a perplexing yet excited, “You got to be kidding!” I could sense the excitement in Pete’s voice but also detected the hesitation about where he was going to get the “other” magazines for the conversions.


As of December 29th, I only had one magazine which I had mailed to Pete. I had made several inquires and done multiple posting to various forums in an attempt to locate the magazines. I told Pete that I was searching the country for the magazines and could only hope that I would be successful. Pete was excited about getting the magazine and said that maybe by the time he had everything figured out for the conversion, I would have some leads for the magazines. He told me that he would get right on it and would call me when he had the conversion worked out.

The magazines literally came from across the USA. I told Pete that all of the magazines would be mailed directly to his residence. I left the decision to Pete as to which magazine would be put in the appropriate rifle.

On January 1, 2010, I received the first response for a POE magazine from Arizona. Pete had told me about seeing a POE magazine on Amoskeag Auction about a year earlier in an online auction. It is a story in itself about how I tracked it down, but I had the second magazine located. It would take nearly a month before it would arrive at Pete’s home on January 29th. This was truly a case of the first shall be the last.

On January 4th I located two more magazines on the west coast. These magazines came from a very special acquaintance who was interested in the project. The gentleman was very encouraging and told me that I had got him out of hot water with his wife for having purchased them several years ago. Most of us are very familiar with the “hot water” problem caused by the Remington rifle! The magazines were mailed to Pete and he received them on January 15th. Pete now had four magazines and two of my rifles to be converted.

On January 6th, I had purchased the fifth magazine from the New England area and Pete received it on January 21. With five magazines purchased, we were in a position to start the project. A few minor details were worked out as to timing and shipping of my rifles for the conversions. I packaged the last rifle to be converted into the carbine and shipped it to Pete.

While it took almost a month before Pete had all the magazines he had already started the conversion process on his “clunker“. Pete told me he took a day off his regular routine to work on the conversion when he received the first magazine. There was too much anticipation to wait until the weekend and he just had to get started.

I will always remember the day Pete called me to tell me that he had completed the conversion. It was on my 67th birthday, January 8th. It was one of the better birthday presents that I have received. Pete could hardly contain his exuberance. He told me that after he had seen the POE magazine, he had decided not to use the clunker. Pete chose another of his Model 8’s for the conversion and it went very well. Pete was now ready for a test firing, but Mother Nature had dumped three feet of snow the evening before and he could not get to the firing range. Pete was disappointed that he would have to wait until Saturday to do the test.

Pete called me on Saturday, January 9th and informed me that the test firing went very well. Pete was so excited about his accomplishment and I was privileged to be able to share the movement. He told me there was a lot of brass in the air and the firing was flawless. He said the rifle had “hammered” his shoulder and he was nursing a sore shoulder after the firing.

I asked Pete if he was satisfied with the conversion and did he have any reservations about doing another one. He reassured me that the rifle performed very well and the magazine fit his rifle as well as any factory magazine. Pete was very pleased with the ease that the magazine fit into the rifle.

Remember the surprise I mentioned earlier that I had for Pete? I told Pete the POE Detachable Magazine that he had converted his rifle to accept was his to keep for his efforts. There was an extended silence and then some very special heart felt words of gratitude. To say that he was surprised at getting the magazine would be an understatement and he was so gracious about the gift. While I could not see him, I had no trouble visualizing Pete’s expression of satisfaction. It was one of those special moments that words can’t describe between two good friends. I felt very good to have helped a truly dedicated man like Pete VerSchneider fulfill a dream of converting a Remington 5-shot fixed magazine to a 15-shot detachable magazine.

With the test firing being successfully completed, it was now time to get my rifles ready for shipping for the conversions. The magazines which I had purchased over several weeks were in route to Pete‘s home. I contracted with Pete to convert a Model 8 .35 and a Model 81 .35 to accept a Model 8 POE magazine and a Model 81 POE magazine respectively.

In addition to these two conversions, I contracted for a Model 81 .35 to be converted to the VerSchneider carbine with a POE magazine. I mentioned earlier that I wanted the Thompson sub-machine vertical grip embedded in the forearm. Searching the internet produced a find for the grips. I purchased two grips, one for me and one for Pete. Pete told me that he had a good “wood” man and he was sure that he could get the forearm altered.

The process that Pete VerSchneider uses to make the conversions is proprietary. The means and methods belong to Pete. He told me how and what he did to make the magazines work and I sincerely appreciated his openness and straight forward attention to detail for my benefit. I will not disclose Pete’s means or methods for the conversions. To make it perfectly clear, these conversions are not factory made, but were made with the same attention to detail that the workers at Remington would have done.

Pete did say that it was important that the internals be pinned in place. The pinning of the internals on the VerSchneider Conversion can be identified with a modern stainless steel cap screw. Pete also added a safety stop screw on the right side of the receiver. These two changes would be the way to identify these VerSchneider Conversion hybrids from the original issue.

I have every confidence in the safety of the conversions. The finished conversion is excellent and is as good looking as the original Police Models except they do not have the inconsistent nomenclature that is on the left side of the police model receiver identifying the police agency for which the rifle was made.

While these conversion are similar to the conversions done by the Police Officers Equipment Company of St. Joseph, Missouri, they are not Police Models nor were they intended to be Police Models. They are not “fake” police models. They are Remington Model 8’s & 81’s converted to accept the POE magazine. There are no patent infringement on the magazines or the rifles. The conversions were done by a competent individual who has the innate ability to visualize what must be done to make a rifle work differently than it’s original issue and design.

There are no expressed or implied warranties or guarantees with these conversions. They are performed solely for the benefit of the owner at the request of the owner. Each rifle must be in good operating condition before the conversion is attempted. The old saying of “You can’t make chicken salad out of chicken crap,” is true when it comes to having a good rifle to convert.

Pete assumes no liability for defective rifles or improper use of the converted rifle. Pete will return the rifle to the owner if there is any question as to the rifles safety to accept the conversion. Pete can perform some gun repairs and will contact the owner if he can perform the repair. Each conversion is tested before the rifle is returned to its owner and will not be shipped back to the owner until it has been test fired and all monies received.

The rifle’s owner is responsible for all costs associated with shipping the rifle to and from Pete’s residence. The rifle is to be shipped broken down and properly protected so the rifle is not damaged during shipping. The owner will be responsible to provide adequate insurance on the rifle. If an insurance claim is required, it is the responsibility of the rifle owner to file for damages. Since there is no transfer of ownership of the rifle, FFL forms are not required. Conversions will not be made for rifles in the state of California or any state that has prohibition on large capacity magazines.

Estimates for conversions will be made after the rifle has been examined and may vary from rifle to rifle. The rifle owner should contact Pete for details before shipping their rifle to him. There is a basic conversion fee which must accompany the rifle in the form of a USPS money order. This fee will be for the estimated labor only. Arrangements for the ammunition to be used will be discussed with the owner. If the rifle owner wants a specific shell load used, they will be required to supply the ammunition. If additional work is required, the owner is contacted and informed of the additional work and a money order will be required from the rifle owner before the work is performed. The rifle will not be shipped back to the owner until all monies have been received.

The owner of the rifle should be aware of the danger of high volume rapid firing. Extensive rapid firing can result in overheating of the barrel and may result in barrel warping if not allowed to sufficiently cool after empting the 15-shot magazine in a rapid fire mode. Pete assumes no liability for improper or abusive use of the rifle. Ear and eye protection should be worn if the shooter is going to empty the magazine in a rapid fire fashion. The vertical ejection of the empty brass in the Remington Model 8 & 81 can result in the hot spent brass coming in contact with exposed skin areas and may result in burns to the exposed skin.

Those of us who have collected the Remington rifles over the years have done so with fervor and passion. We have tried to get what ever we could put our hands on that would add something to our collections. We have sought factory approved changes done when Remington was still making factory alterations. We have sought unique additions such as the FN Browning, Police Models, FBI models, Krieger Conversions and anything that else that would make our collections what we wanted them to be.

When I see the carbine that Pete VerSchneider perfected and there is no official name associated with it, I feel that Pete has not been recognized for his work. Having gotten to know Pete, that doesn’t surprise me. He is not interested in recognition but rather excellence in his craftsmanship. I find it unusual that someone like Pete has not been recognized publicly before now for his talent and craftsmanship. Pete has told me that he isn’t interested in what the public thinks and he does the conversions for enjoyment, relaxation and for others who share the same interest in the Remington rifles. Anyone that has the level of perfection and dedication to doing excellent work should be recognized for their abilities and their accomplishments. Pete is a hard worker, humble in his accomplishments and dedicated to helping other Remington Model 8 & 81 owners appreciate and expand their knowledge about this fine rifle.

Having stated the obvious, it is with a great deal of pride that I am adding three conversions done by Pete VerSchneider to my collection. They are the first of several that I plan on adding to my “Set” of Remington’s. Someone, somewhere decided it was okay to have Krieger Conversions, Police Models and I am hear to say that I have decided that it is okay to have the VerSchneider as a recognized conversion and I will call them “VerSchneider Conversions”. I guess Pete will just have to tolerate the recognition.

I would encourage any of you that want a drop magazine for your hunting rifle to send Pete a Private Message through The Great Model 8 & 81 web site under the Forum name of “2verpsters” and schedule a time to have your rifle converted. You have to provide the rifle and the magazine because of the scarcity of the components. I can promise you that you will not be disappointed and you will have what I believe is the best conversion made for the Remington’s.

I consider myself fortunate for having Pete VerSchneider as my friend and collaborator. I can assure all the readers that these conversions will turn heads. The expense is well worth the end result. Oh yeah, if you take the rifle to the range for some rapid fire, have some good shoulder and head protection. It will “Hammer Your Shoulder and Rain Brass!”



This article is authored by Jack G. Ahlberg. The information and opinions contained herein are those of the author and may not be used without the expressed written permission of the author. Photographs were contributed by Pete VerSchneider, Cam Woodall and Jack Ahlberg and may not reproduced without the permission of the owners. Jack is a MBA graduate of the University of Chicago, a retired healthcare executive and currently resides in the state of Georgia.
Attachments
IMG_1359.JPG
IMG_1359.JPG (56.86 KiB) Viewed 17979 times
Cam Woodall
Site Co-Administrator
User avatar
jack1653
Posts: 984
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:52 pm

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by jack1653 »

To The Readers;

I want to thank Cam for his assistance in getting this lengthy article posted for me. Cam and I will be posting some pictures during the upcoming weeks.

Regards,

Jack

Hey guys,I just realized that the links for the pictures had expired and there was nothing to see. I will make an attempt to get some pictures of these conversions in days to come. I am sorry for the inconvience.

Jack
Last edited by jack1653 on Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:49 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Behemotosh
Posts: 38
Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 11:44 am

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by Behemotosh »

Jack,

I read your post several times trying to compare your love of these "old girls" with mine.

I have two complete Model 8's that have a very storied past in my family. When I get the first one of the two refurbished I will show and tell. I also have another that is now without a barrel so it will never be completely authentic. And, yes, I would like to do a project with it. I do, however, live on the "left coast" in the People's Republic of Kalifornia so a 15 round magazine is out. However, the carbine project was really cool! I have been looking at several beaters for a barrel in order to fill that fantasy.

Your post has made me realize that there are other ideas-moods-flavors-thinking that must be accepted so all of the "old girls" can spit fire like they did in their heyday. The pictures were really cool. Shoot straight!!!!!
User avatar
imfuncity
Posts: 1208
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:44 am
Location: 2hrs N of Sac., Tehama Co. CA

Re: The VC Enterprise

Post by imfuncity »

Amazing what a "sort-of" accidental PM can do. I would be amiss if I didn't say that I had hoped that something like this VC/POE would happen. Great Job guys. :D

May I carefully ask, is there any hope for those of us without POE mags? I would think that the patents have expired or will soon on both the POE and the Kreiger. Any chance that the VC enterprise could expand to do mags also? I'd be happy w/ a reporduction of either, or better yet, how about a "better mouse trap" :shock: - a new PVMag for the VC? (Pete Version Mag for the Vershneider Conversion) = ".25Rem M8-VC/PV 10 or 15 shot!" WOW!

I know, I have no shame.
Though defensive violence will always be “a sad necessity” in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men. - St. Augustine
User avatar
81police
Posts: 2613
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:12 pm
Location: TEXAS

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by 81police »

if you hold a 15 round POE mag in your hand, you will quickly see how vastly expensive it would be to reproduce. I picked up a spare 15 rounder in .35Rem last month and if you put several mags side by side you will see quite a few differences as well. Keep your eye out online, they pop up from time to time!

Hats off to Pete and to Jack's article writing.
Cam Woodall
Site Co-Administrator
User avatar
imfuncity
Posts: 1208
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:44 am
Location: 2hrs N of Sac., Tehama Co. CA

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by imfuncity »

Rats. I suspicioned something like that.

I obviously have not held either mag nor do I know anyone in my area that has or even seen one. The pictures do make one drool and starts the imagine wandering.

I will continue to watch and hope ... I never expected to see a .25 M8 either, had two. :D
Though defensive violence will always be “a sad necessity” in the eyes of men of principle, it would be still more unfortunate if wrongdoers should dominate just men. - St. Augustine
kenhwind
Posts: 265
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:50 am

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by kenhwind »

Very interesring for sure. I'd be happy if my Model 8 had a detachable mag period. Wouldn't have to be 15 rounds either. I guess I'm gonna need a magazine a peep sight and........
KEN
User avatar
81police
Posts: 2613
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:12 pm
Location: TEXAS

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by 81police »

Posting for Jack1653

Here is an update on Jack's custom Police conversions. Forum member remcrazy (Bob B.) made him up a couple reproduction Police 8 & 81 forearms that really set these rifles off nicely. I'm sure they'll be a little more controllable now!

Pictured with the rifles' original forearms below,
Attachments
DSC_2895.JPG
DSC_2895.JPG (171.37 KiB) Viewed 17975 times
Cam Woodall
Site Co-Administrator
User avatar
jack1653
Posts: 984
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:52 pm

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by jack1653 »

Hey Guys,

Thanks 81police for posting the pictures. The reproductions done by Remcrazy are first class. :D They fit the rifles with no adjustments and as you can see the alignment is perfect. The model 8 feels much more comfortable with the police forearm. I am sure it will be easier to hang on to in rapid fire. The rifles, along with the carbine will be headed to Texas next month to do some target shooting. 81police and me are going to pile up some brass next month emptying the 15 shot magazines. :o

Regards,

jack1653
ctgodog
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2011 1:29 am
Location: Roseburg, Oregon

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by ctgodog »

Outstandingly written article and a project that is so cool. Great end result. Congrats to you Jack for taking the initiative to do something a little different.....as is normal for you, I guess. I envy you and your collection, and your intuitive imagination, and the guts to "get-r-done"!!!! My compliments!!! Your projects with these rifles are very rewarding, even from this distance. Thanks for sharing.

Clint
[b][color=#0040FF]Time is the Essence of Life, Wine, and Great Guns[/color][/b]
User avatar
jack1653
Posts: 984
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:52 pm

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by jack1653 »

Hey Clint,

Thanks for your kind words. I really like these rifles and when I retired in 1997, it gave me more time to dedicate to some serious collecting of these rifles. I like thinking outside the box sometimes and this was one of those occassions where the results were better than expected. Sometimes things don't work out as planned, but it has kept me busy. So far I have had no disastors but if I keep messing aound I suppose that will eventually happen and I will have ruined a good rifle.

I would like to do another "Project Rifle" like the one I recently done but would make it in the .35 Rem and .300 Savage. It would be another one receiver with two barrels. I have a couple 81-D 300 Savage and one would be a good candidate for the project.

There are two replica projects in the works and I hope to have them in the next few months. That is about all I have in the works at the present. If any of the readers have ideas that they have been considering for these rifles, let me know and maybe we can make your ideas come to life.

I haven't been interested in trying different calibers because I don't fully understand ballistics and I don't want to take on projects that involve using different ammunition beyond what these model 8 & 81 was designed to shoot. Also, I don't have the metal working tools any longer. I sold my lathe years ago and probably would have to be re-schooled. At 69, I feel I don't have the skill sets any longer for sophisticated metal work. Wood is challenging enough these days.

Well I have rambled too much, again. This was just to be a "Thank You" for your kind words.

Kindest Regards,

Jack
Last edited by jack1653 on Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Sarge756
Posts: 832
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 10:17 am
Location: N.Florida on the coast

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by Sarge756 »

Again Jack, you continue to amaze. Thanks for this latest. I`m sure I am not alone with thoughts of project possibilities with you setting the example.
The pleasure of seeing the results of your ideas are always welcome. I am still on lookout for the mount and scope for the FN project. Let us know of any progress there.
Joe
".......ain't many troubles that a man cain't fix
With seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six."
User avatar
jack1653
Posts: 984
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2009 7:52 pm

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by jack1653 »

Hey Joe,

Thank you for the kind words. As for the FN 1900, I think I have decided to remove the soldered mount. I doubt very much that one of the ring bases will ever be found stateside. I have made postings on other forums and they have not been encouraging because this is an old mount and was made in Germany prior to WWII.

I took the rifle to my gunsmith and he thought it would not be an issue to remove the mount. He told me he has a process of using flux and a very, very, fine wire mesh that would "lift" the solder out of the lettering. He was of the opinion that the area underneath the mount would probably be in decent shape. He said it appeared to him that the solder was only around the edges of the mount and there may be some "wicking" under the plate. My thoughts are that the rifle will be better without the mount. He felt that he could touch up the bluing and I would not be able to ever tell it was there.

This process sounds reasonble to me but I would be interested in your thoughts before I do this. I had this issue on my list of things to do and I wanted to run it by you. The big "IF" in this scenario is what the area looks like under the mount. I figured the worst case scenario would be that I could solder it back if the receiver is messed up. 81police thought that the rifle would look better without the base mount if I could not find the rest of the scope base.

Regards,

Jack
User avatar
Sarge756
Posts: 832
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 10:17 am
Location: N.Florida on the coast

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by Sarge756 »

Jack,I agree with your 'Smith' that there isn`t any reason for there to be damage under the mount. The touch up blue in that area if needed should work fine. Using an Express rust blue to build up the color slowly to match the surrounding metal should do the trick. Yes ,it would look better without the mount and you still have the option, should you ever acquire one, to reattach it. Like I told you ,out there somewhere someone has the missing mount and scope so who knows it might show up.
Joe
".......ain't many troubles that a man cain't fix
With seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six."
sighthound
Posts: 233
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 11:39 am

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by sighthound »

Jack, My FN had a 2 piece mount with 3 screws in front and 2 in screws back positions also soldered on, traces of solder remain and looks like area under mounts was roughed up a bit. Would like to plug holes and touch up blue, but they seem to be metric, larger than our 6 and smaller than 8. Will send you a picture, Jerry
Saintd
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Aug 18, 2019 8:31 am

Re: The Verschneider Conversions

Post by Saintd »

Back from the dead but there are new age group of buyers coming into this market. Has anyone ever considered a 3D printed or some other means of fabricated hi cap mags for these rifles? I have my eye on about 3 of these rifles and I’m going to buy one. One of the 3 are converted to removable mag but the other 2 are not. Just the sheer fact of being able to load and unload the rifle per clip makes so much more sense to me. Also lots of people remark that they own the rifle but the converted mags are missing. I may begin to pursue options and reaching out in every direction I know.
Post Reply