Demilled Suomi rebuild

OK, you guys shot down my last dumb ideal (talking to your Bill), has anyone tackled the rebuild on a real live torch cut demill such as the Suomi 31?

File this under the category of taking longest route possible to getting a rifle.
I have tons of .22 rifles but get the urge every once in a while to mess with a centerfire.
I know- pistol ammo rig but still...
One of these would be sort of fun to have for historical reasons.

Yes.

I used a reduced diameter sleeve that the original receiver pieces were welded over. Turned down the original bolt to fit. Cut a slot in the bottom of the bolt for a receiver, and drilled it for a rebounding firing pin. Modified AR trigger/hammer/etc for the fire control group. Originally, I wanted to do striker fired, but had issues with that. I also added a permanent extension to the barrel to make it 16".

If you go to one of the gun building sites, like Weapons Guild , or one of the others, there are dozens of Suomis built with detailed pictures.

Ok- thanks!
Did you save the torch cut pieces for authenticity/historical reasons?

I saved the torch cut pieces because I wanted it to look original, and that was a fast way to get there. You have to make it so an original bolt won't fit. One way is to use a reduced internal diameter tube. That also gives a convenient "jig" for welding the original pieces back together. The other common method is to use a full diameter tube with a "blocking bar" so you have to notch the bolt.

If I was going to make one today, I would just machine a new receiver tube. The front 1/3 is a big chunk of steel, and the back 2/3 is thick tube. I would also do it as a stryker fired gun instead of hammer fired. I did this one about 15 years ago and didn't have as many tools as I do now.

Thanks.

Are there roll marks on the receiver tube?
I would wish to save those if present..

I am seeing two varieties of torch cut:
Three vertical fully through tube and fire group plates, and others which are cut horizontally taking top of tube fully off..

The history is compelling.
I read Frozen Hell.
Remarkable.

Amazon.com: a frozen hell

Mine was cut vertically. There are markings on the receiver pieces. Wherever they were away from the torch cut, they are still there. Near the torch cuts, they got buggered up by he torch. If I was trying to keep the original markings, I could recut them with my pantograph. The fonts are available on the Internet, and I would cut the stencils on a CNC, then shrink them with the pantograph.


I have a horizontal cut kit that is in a box somewhere. I never got around to building that one. It would take more work, unless you bought an 80% tube.


If you want to do one of these, you really should go to one of the gun building websites. There is a shit ton of info available on Weapons Guild and some of the other sites that isn't Google searchable.

Ok- thank you.
I will register to Weapons guild.

That book "A Frozen Hell" is really great.

You may want to read this one too: Campaign In Russia: The Waffen SS on the Eastern Front : Leon Degrelle : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive