Gunsmithing Mauser Precision Work

H

Hundo

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Minuteman
Jul 12, 2018
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#1
I have 4 very high quality pre-war VZ-24 Mauser actions that I would like to start builds with. These will be Coyote/Varmint applications and an Africa gun.
Does anyone know a Smith that does precision Mauser work? Seems like all the old guys are retiring. leaving the youngsters doing Rem 7oo and Tikka work.

Hundo
 
#2
Last Mauser custom I had was an FN action built by Flaig's "back in the day". 30-06 and a 28" Heavy profile Timken barrel. Looked great, shot awesome with 190s and a healthy (56.0gr) charge of 4350 in a LC Match case.
confirmation
 
#4
I had a really nice M98 that was done by Jim Cloward. Not sure he’s still working as he built that gun a 20-30 years ago. Maybe contact some ACGG members or the Mack Bothers to see if they can recommend a smith to you.
 
#6
Nuke,
I think I own that rifle now. I purchased exactly that including the load you mention a year or two on this site.

OP,

If you are looking for an accurate Mauser I have a single shot action made for the 36 Olympics. It is an early version of a BR action that is shrouded and very stiff. In great shape. Let me know if you have interest.
 
#10
Ledzep said:
They turned me away from a M98 build years back before I worked there. Not going to say he won't do it, but in the 9 months I spent working there I never touched a M98.
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Talked to Chad about it and he was not excited. Said the lead time would be very long. Nice way of saying no.
 
#15
Hundo said:
I have 4 very high quality pre-war VZ-24 Mauser actions that I would like to start builds with. These will be Coyote/Varmint applications and an Africa gun.
Does anyone know a Smith that does precision Mauser work? Seems like all the old guys are retiring. leaving the youngsters doing Rem 7oo and Tikka work.

Hundo
Click to expand...
I don't know if he's still working but the guy that did a bunch of my gunsmith work was Jim Kobe in Bloomington, MN. I'd use him in a second. The other was Bob Odenthal of Prior Lake, MN (952) 440-7977 , who I know is still active. Bob charges a lot more, but produces a good product.

Any decent gunsmith should be able to spin up a barrel for you. There were two brothers in Helena, MT. who did excellent work as well. One worked for Capital Sports and Western and the other had his own business.

for the Afrika gun, @sirhrmechanic would be a good source.

Just know that if you want these pretty, and shoot well, (no sense in them not doing that) they are going to cost a bit. And yes, Mausers can shoot every bit as good as any other rifle. They do take a little work.
 
#17
sandwarrior said:
I don't know if he's still working but the guy that did a bunch of my gunsmith work was Jim Kobe in Bloomington, MN. I'd use him in a second. The other was Bob Odenthal of Prior Lake, MN (952) 440-7977 , who I know is still active. Bob charges a lot more, but produces a good product.

Any decent gunsmith should be able to spin up a barrel for you. There were two brothers in Helena, MT. who did excellent work as well. One worked for Capital Sports and Western and the other had his own business.

for the Afrika gun, @sirhrmechanic would be a good source.

Just know that if you want these pretty, and shoot well, (no sense in them not doing that) they are going to cost a bit. And yes, Mausers can shoot every bit as good as any other rifle. They do take a little work.
Click to expand...

The Earhardt brothers in Helena. Arno is the one at Capital Sports. First rate smith!
 
#20
The comments about Jim Kobe are spot on and he is still in business, his rates are very good turnaround time is amazing and the complete Mauser builds he does are works of art. I like his 3-position Win Mod 70-style safeties, most other safety mods that are done to the 98's lose do not lock the firing pin up from moving just the trigger. The 3-pos lock the firing pin from moving when in the rearward and middle position, the middle position allows the action to be operated while the safety is engaged which I really like in a hunting rifle.

I find mausers whether works of art that some can do to the struct utilitarian sporterized versions to make great hunting guns.
 
#21
wadebrown said:
The comments about Jim Kobe are spot on and he is still in business, his rates are very good turnaround time is amazing and the complete Mauser builds he does are works of art. I like his 3-position Win Mod 70-style safeties, most other safety mods that are done to the 98's lose do not lock the firing pin up from moving just the trigger. The 3-pos lock the firing pin from moving when in the rearward and middle position, the middle position allows the action to be operated while the safety is engaged which I really like in a hunting rifle.

I find mausers whether works of art that some can do to the struct utilitarian sporterized versions to make great hunting guns.
Click to expand...
Jim did my 7x57 that shot many sub 1" groups @ 300 and a few sub 1/2" groups. He also did the setback on my 6.-284 twice. It's kept it's accuracy, but it never had a good burnout rate, ha ha. He was only doing the two position Winchester style safey when I lived there, but they work well. He also has a really nice teardrop bolt he welds on for you. VERY fairly priced. And, as noted, turn around times are fast. I've dropped stuff off thinking it might be a month and he's called me inside a week. He was a retired Northwest Airlines machinist IIRC.;)
 
#22
sandwarrior said:
Jim did my 7x57 that shot many sub 1" groups @ 300 and a few sub 1/2" groups. He also did the setback on my 6.-284 twice. It's kept it's accuracy, but it never had a good burnout rate, ha ha. He was only doing the two position Winchester style safey when I lived there, but they work well. He also has a really nice teardrop bolt he welds on for you. VERY fairly priced. And, as noted, turn around times are fast. I've dropped stuff off thinking it might be a month and he's called me inside a week. He was a retired Northwest Airlines machinist IIRC.;)
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Actually he is a retired air traffic controller and he still gets it right even though the stakes are much lower with a single firearm than plane loads of people, always has a nice shop dog. I have been having Jim do work long enough that I have known 3 of his shop dogs one at a time. Keep in mind that if you go in and he is not talkative he really has no time to talk so tread carefully, otherwise a rather dry humored guy.
 
#23
wadebrown said:
Actually he is a retired air traffic controller and he still gets it right even though the stakes are much lower with a single firearm than plane loads of people, always has a nice shop dog. I have been having Jim do work long enough that I have known 3 of his shop dogs one at a time. Keep in mind that if you go in and he is not talkative he really has no time to talk so tread carefully, otherwise a rather dry humored guy.
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I remember his black lab while hanging around in his shop. He was getting pretty old, but still a good pal. That was back in 2010-2011 ish?

He wasn't always talkative, but he did talk to me a fair amount. I defended him vehemently one time as someone at our club, DCGC critized what he did for me. I had the choice of leaving the barrel big or paying to cut it down. Pure cosmetics. I never ever had accuracy problems with that rifle.
 
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#24
I now understand why these guys have quit working on the Mausers. I ended up with two 98s and decided to build them recently.

I can tell you now it is a lot of work. I have spent more time converting them over from military rifles than anything. If I would have started with 700s, the project would have taken half the time. That being said, there were short cuts I could have taken but I wanted to do it like they did back in the day.

I have learned a lot and did things I would have never done to a custom action or a 700. So I now have a real appreciation for a converted Mauser when I see them. I ran into another military Mauser 98 today and the better half asked why I didn't buy it, without thinking I told her" I wouldn't go through all of that ever again." They are lots of fun but I think the newer actions are much more worth the time invested.
 
#25
Price of the action was the big thing. You could get an old Mauser for 1/10th (or less) of the cost of a 700. Now, the supply has dried up and they aren't cheap anymore. Not to mention, so many of them got made into sporters, the value of originals has gone up. Since that went up, so have the cost of nice sporters.
 
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