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I'd like to make a batch of repro G98/40 sight hoods

Mauser4me

Senior Member
Hey there guys I'm hoping some of the guys that have been around for a while can help me out. I realise that a few years ago (honestly no idea when, just heard it happened) that a forum member who has since passed, contracted a batch of G98/40 sight hoods to be made. I'm a bit of an entrepreneur and would like to do the same as he did, since I heard they were extremely well made (correct strength, steel, thickness, finish, etc)

Does anybody have the technical schematics he used to make that batch? If I could get those I would for sure put in an order. I know plenty of guys that are looking for these hoods, and repros are better than nothing since nobody is gonna sell their originals.

If you have any info that could help me out, please PM me!

Thanks guys.
 
They were extremely hard to get made too, between the shape, and the spring strength required...I bought a couple from John when they were done...

Good luck, I'd be up to buy another or two if they come out ok...
 
anybody know any shops that do this kind of work? I can hit the googles but if anyone knows any off the top of their head that would save me some time and a few phone calls.

Thanks for the schematic! That's the hard part (I hope).

But wait was Flynaked = the member that passed away?? I used to get parts from him and he was always very pleasant to work with. I hope I'm misunderstanding...
 
anybody know any shops that do this kind of work? I can hit the googles but if anyone knows any off the top of their head that would save me some time and a few phone calls.

Thanks for the schematic! That's the hard part (I hope).

But wait was Flynaked = the member that passed away?? I used to get parts from him and he was always very pleasant to work with. I hope I'm misunderstanding...

Sadly Fly was killed when his giant collection of rare rifles and projects fell on him, but he lives on as the living dead, a Zombie/Nosferatu hybrid...his hands aren't as steady so his new screws and end caps and other hand made prizes are a bit shaky now...

Just kidding...:laugh::happy0180: Although the bastard is supposed to help me acid soak a M1935A slide, amd its been like he's been dead...:facepalm::laugh:

The ones I was talking about were made up by John Wall, they were beautiful....I want to say he sold them for something like $45 each? It was quite a while ago...
 
Lol!! I’m still here I think. This may not be quite as easy as you think to be honest. I found a suitable spring steel when I was thinking about making some, at any decent price per unit you obviously have to buy in quantity, I think it was about $300 minimum in steel, which would make a lot of them obviously, but how many would you realistically sell? Then you’re going to have to have tooling made, more than a simple two piece die for the unique shape. Whoever you could find to do that work may not and likely does not have the capability to heat treat them correctly which is where you will make or break these parts, figuratively and literally, you can easily get a thin piece of spring steel hard enough to shatter like glass, or two soft and it bends like a jelly doughnut. Whoever does the heat treat will need to know the exact steel composition and carbon content to get the correct ramp temperatures etc, all of this can be quite expensive, especially if you’re just going off a cold shot and don’t have an in already with a shop or something, I assumed you did when you proposed this thread as it can be quite expensive otherwise. I will be the last person to dissuade anyone from giving something like this a shot however! I’m all for it in fact, you may want to get with fal grunt as he has CNC capability it looks like.
 
you may want to get with fal grunt as he has CNC capability it looks like.

Shhhhhh don't tell him that!

In all seriousness, I worked most of my career as a tool maker in stamping. That is not an easy part to make, for several reasons, including what flynaked said. It is especially difficult, because of the low volume desired.

For example, dsm bottom metal. I am working on making tooling for them. Problem is, I look at them and it is two dies $20k or so. But I will only sell maybe 100 in my life time? So how do I make a cheap and dirty set of tooling that makes a quality product, that I can amortize the cost with 100 pcs and not work for $2/hr? In the interim, it was easier just to machine them from Solid. Not "correct" for a collector, but it works beautifully for the project I am working on.
 

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?? on hoods

Are the 35m, 43m & 98/40 all the same hood ? If so I'll take 3...
Watching this thread with interest.
 
Lol!! I’m still here I think.

Hey I'm glad you're still alive!! haha I heard the guy that made them passed away and then saw your name on the thread that was linked so you were dead for a second of my life! lol

Well I'm still willing to give it a go, or at least get the project set up so that I have someone who will do the work, and just need money to get it done. Problem is I have no original hoods myself, and knowing the exact 'stiffness', size, feel, etc would no doubt help not only me but the shop that ends up making them. I'm mentally prepared to be spending up to $3,000 in overhead for the project. Obviously I don't want to spend that much, but if the project gets near or above that, I may have to call it off. But again, until I have a quote from the/a shop I won't give up.

Does anybody have an original hood or know who would be willing to lend one to get it done? Or at the least be involved with the project enough to determine when the repros are 'finished'/correct. I wouldn't be able to tell myself when the hoods are as close to the original quality as we would want.

In the real world I have a degree in engineering so hopefully I can manage a few sight hoods from all that calculus and what not..... I hope...
 
Does anybody know who made them last time? That would help a ton. And also I'm still hoping someone will lend an original sight hood to be used as a control.
 

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