A Chinese Para... sort of

[yellowjacket]

So this rifle started out life with me as one of the recent sino-banian imports from Classic.   Everything was very serviceable with little to no rust, typical finish wear, and stocks bumps and bruises.  No mods other than installing a Murray firing pin/spring.   About a year ago, I got the bubba bug and when considering the choices between my Russian, two Yugos (59 and 59/66), and this Chinese... the arsenal 26 lost out.  At first, it was a fully reversible bubba, but later... not so much.  Some days I think about lost collectibility, other days I'm glad I have a serviceable, practical, fun-to-shoot, built-like-a-tank SHTF gun.

Here it is in its original state:





After having her for a couple of years, I added Tech-Sights, installed a donor FSB that I neutered, and then mounted in a Ram-line stock.  I never really liked this configuration but, it was reversible.





Eventually, I went full bubba, cut the barrel to 16 1/2", added a Prince50, and shed the Ram-line in favor of a custom, cherry stock from a guy on Etsy.

Here's the way she looks today:






I'm happy with it.   

[running-man]

That's a pretty stock, I like the blonde-ness of it.  Usually cherry wood stocks are stained dark (nearly black) and you never get to see any of the grain. 

[echo1]

Turned out good looking. Is it very heavy? PAX

[yellowjacket]

Turned out good looking. Is it very heavy? PAX

Pax, definitely heavier than the Ram-line you have but honestly I haven't weighed it.  I have been tempted to taper the fore end a bit.  The finish looks great at a distance but the actual woodwork quality is just average; the fore end grip slot has a sharp edge on it that needs to be rounded smooth, there's a couple of spots where the spar urethane didn't fully cover, and if you see the inletting, looks like a hammer & chisel went crazy.   So a CNC-machined Boyd it is not, but it does have character.  The longer I wait, the darker the stock with get from the spar so I need to do it soon.

[yellowjacket]

Turned out good looking. Is it very heavy? PAX

Just FYI, with a not-so-accurate luggage scale, the M59 weighed 8.5 lbs., the Russian refurb 8.25 lbs., and the chinese bubba 8.0 lbs.  Never weighed the chinese when I had it in the Ram-line.

[echo1]

Now that you've had some time to bond with your rig, how's it doing for you yj? Sweet no doubt. PAX

[yellowjacket]

Now that you've had some time to bond with your rig, how's it doing for you yj? Sweet no doubt. PAX

PAX, haven't been around here lately but i will be posting an update on this project soon.  The cherry stock has darkened with age and I added sling swivels (not perfectly aligned  ).  On the P50 front sight, I ended needing to take some feeler gauge stock and insert underneath the sight as it wouldn't clamp adequately.

Anyway, pictures to follow by Sunday.

[Larry D.]

Nice work!

[yellowjacket]

Posting updated photos of this project as it looks today.  As expected, the cherry wood has darkened a good bit and I changed the glossy finish.  Tapered the fore end a little more to better match up with the ferrule and added sling studs (which I’m not completely satisfied with the placement).

[echo1]

Looks really great. How's she run, getting a good, quick sight picture? I'll venture that the LOP is perfect with that recoil pad. For carrying, I like the stock sling location, but for a shootin sling, it's better not on the barrel. PAX

[yellowjacket]

Pax, it’s a very natural shoulder-aim-fire rifle.  The LOP is perfect for me and I like the feel better than the butler creek.  I had to shim the p50 to keep it from walking on the barrel.

Probably my favorite which means my 54 Tula will just collect dust.  My M59 and 59/66  already found new homes.