i make a couple of batches of these a year for my project rifles.
i make the lever from 1/4" or 5/15" keystock, whichever i just happen to have on hand and an 8-32 stud. the stud is welded on from the top then the lever is rough shaped. eventually i'm going to machine the lever as one piece. i do the final shaping and polishing on the lever after i fit the latch blank and solder the bushing to the floorplate.
the latch blank is made from 1/2" rod and is .175 thick. i cut a 3/8" step leaving the 1/2" step right at .085 thick, then drill & tap 8-32.
the floorplate bushing is made from 3/8" rod, when i first started making these i would just drill a clearance hole in the bushing for the 8-32 stud then part it off to length now i cut a tapered bushing then slightly ream the floorplate hole for the tapered bushing instead of drilling the floorplate hole all the way out for the straight 3/8" bushing. once the floorplate bushing is soldered in i put the lever & latch blank on the floorplate and mark the sides of the latch blank. then the sides of the latch blank are filed off and one side is drilled & tapped 6-32 for a set screw. i then drill and tap the floorplate for a 4-40 detent screw to hold the lever in the center of the floorplate.
the original plunger in the triggerguard can be left in, it will hold tension on the lever and pop the floorplate off when the lever is turned 90 degrees.
a few rough shaped levers with bushings and latch blanks
lever fitted to a small ring mauser floorplate
on the triggerguard
i make the lever from 1/4" or 5/15" keystock, whichever i just happen to have on hand and an 8-32 stud. the stud is welded on from the top then the lever is rough shaped. eventually i'm going to machine the lever as one piece. i do the final shaping and polishing on the lever after i fit the latch blank and solder the bushing to the floorplate.
the latch blank is made from 1/2" rod and is .175 thick. i cut a 3/8" step leaving the 1/2" step right at .085 thick, then drill & tap 8-32.
the floorplate bushing is made from 3/8" rod, when i first started making these i would just drill a clearance hole in the bushing for the 8-32 stud then part it off to length now i cut a tapered bushing then slightly ream the floorplate hole for the tapered bushing instead of drilling the floorplate hole all the way out for the straight 3/8" bushing. once the floorplate bushing is soldered in i put the lever & latch blank on the floorplate and mark the sides of the latch blank. then the sides of the latch blank are filed off and one side is drilled & tapped 6-32 for a set screw. i then drill and tap the floorplate for a 4-40 detent screw to hold the lever in the center of the floorplate.
the original plunger in the triggerguard can be left in, it will hold tension on the lever and pop the floorplate off when the lever is turned 90 degrees.
a few rough shaped levers with bushings and latch blanks
lever fitted to a small ring mauser floorplate
on the triggerguard