Gunsmithing Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
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Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
No.
Wrong bolt face diameter. Military Mauser's were not designed to handle that level of pressure. It can be done but you should get the action heat treated first. With all of the other things that need to get done, you are better of buy a modern gun in the caliber you want.
No.
Wrong bolt face diameter. Military Mauser's were not designed to handle that level of pressure. It can be done but you should get the action heat treated first. With all of the other things that need to get done, you are better of buy a modern gun in the caliber you want.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
Well, I wouldn't say 'no' offhand. It <span style="font-style: italic">can</span> be done, but it is not cost effective, very labor intensive, and the pressure handling is, and always will be an issue of great debate.
There are better holes to throw your money down.
Well, I wouldn't say 'no' offhand. It <span style="font-style: italic">can</span> be done, but it is not cost effective, very labor intensive, and the pressure handling is, and always will be an issue of great debate.
There are better holes to throw your money down.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
No is the 2011 answer; it's not 1960 when they were $20 in Sunny Surplus.
I have done .270 Winchester on a 1898 Mauser. I would not spend the money to do another. I would not ever consider a .257 Weatherby on a military action.
Good luck
Jerry
No is the 2011 answer; it's not 1960 when they were $20 in Sunny Surplus.
I have done .270 Winchester on a 1898 Mauser. I would not spend the money to do another. I would not ever consider a .257 Weatherby on a military action.
Good luck
Jerry
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
Heat treating doesnt make an action capable of withstanding more pressure, it makes the wear surfaces more durable. Heat treat too deep and the steel becomes brittle, prone to shatter. Read up on the early Springfields.
As mentioned above, the mauser era has passed. Savage has taken over the handyman rifle niche. That said a nice shooter can be made if you rebarrel to a 'common' cartridge like 30 ought, 308, 260, 243 and the like. Install a good commercial trigger, but unless you do the work it will cost you about the same as a Remington or duded up Savage.
Heat treating doesnt make an action capable of withstanding more pressure, it makes the wear surfaces more durable. Heat treat too deep and the steel becomes brittle, prone to shatter. Read up on the early Springfields.
As mentioned above, the mauser era has passed. Savage has taken over the handyman rifle niche. That said a nice shooter can be made if you rebarrel to a 'common' cartridge like 30 ought, 308, 260, 243 and the like. Install a good commercial trigger, but unless you do the work it will cost you about the same as a Remington or duded up Savage.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
Unfortunately, I would have too agree....better ways of spending dinero IMO.
I have an 09 Argentine, I picked up, just the action...complete w/matching #'s D&T w/bolt job...
Had the iconic "Mauser Project" in my mind.
After getting a few quotes, I'm gonna move it down the road, so unless you're able to do it yourself, it does seem there are better "values" out there nowwa daze.
Unfortunately, I would have too agree....better ways of spending dinero IMO.
I have an 09 Argentine, I picked up, just the action...complete w/matching #'s D&T w/bolt job...
Had the iconic "Mauser Project" in my mind.
After getting a few quotes, I'm gonna move it down the road, so unless you're able to do it yourself, it does seem there are better "values" out there nowwa daze.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
Wow!
I'll go completely against this crowd of naysayers. You can build a pretty nice rifle the way you want it using a Mauser action. Get a good action to start with. You sound like you already have an action. I would say for historic purposes, don't modify it if it is complete. Just shoot it that way. And, then go buy yourself the rifle you want. FWIW, if you are just looking to save money, there is a standing auction on AA for a Wby Vanguard in .257 Wby. IMO that is a better action than the standard Weatherby. They use two lugs instead of 8 in a double row and are much easier to true up.
Again, I think it's worth it if it's what you want. The Mauser is a great action. Even though they are supposed to feed from the magazine, and control the round completely during feeding it will pop over the rim and feed if necessary. Mausers understand force.
All that said here's a breakdown of how much it's going to cost you to build a rifle from a Mauser:
Action: if you don't already own one $100-$200
New barrel: $100 for good used or up to $350 for premium
New stock: $260 from Midway or brownells for a decent composite stock. otherwise you can get a shootable composite for around $100. If it's a hunting rifle or something of that nature you can look at Richards microfit stocks or Boyds stocks, www.rifle-stocks.com, www.boydsgunstocks.com or you can do a search and find more stocks, composite, laminate or solid wood. Solid wood and laminate are easier for you to finish out.
Trigger: You can go timney tactical/target or hunter, Boyds also has triggers and Jewell makes a good one. $50-$200.
For a good shooter all you need to do is glass bed a laminate that you like and seal it and it'll stay nearly as good as the better composite stocks.
Gunsmithing: Here's where it adds up or you can cut down. Anytime he works on your stock it'll get pricey. But if you give him the metal work he may tell you what you need to do to your stock to make it work better. You can glass bed any solid wood or laminate, even a composite. Shaving the stock down and finish inletting takes a little patience but you can do that. Don't do that with a composite unless you know what you're doing.
Chambering/re-barreling- $50-$100 for the chamber and another $100 to install and headspace the barrel. It is also very wise at this time to spend another $100 to have him true the action.
bending/replacing the bolt handle: new handle- $10-$100 Bending or welding a new one on- $50
Installing trigger: You can do this. But if you don't trust yourself it will cost you $20 for a drop in to install and set it. Some guys charge more.
Drill and tap for scope: either $100 total or $25 per hole. You can do this yourself with a jig and save some money and own the jig when you're done. Again, have patience and check yourself before you drill. The jig, if installed right will align you with the action and keep the bit straight while drilling the hole.
Edit: forgot the safety. You can get a trigger safety for no extra money to $10 extra. Or you can spend up to $160 for a 3 position Winchester style safety. There are also a couple of makers that make a 2 position side safety. One thing I would avoid is the Buehler type safety. That's the one with the longer thinner arm that simply replaces the Mauser safety. My problem with them is they are too easy to bump off safe.
And that's about it. As you can see, if you just want a .257 Wby (which any M98 action will handle easily) it isn't cost effective. But, if you are looking for a custom rifle for yourself it is a great way to go. I have a 7x57 I customized this way. Including the scope I have $1400 into it. It shoots lights out, feeds great and fits me well. And to those who say the Mauser days are over don't know what they are talking about.
Wow!
I'll go completely against this crowd of naysayers. You can build a pretty nice rifle the way you want it using a Mauser action. Get a good action to start with. You sound like you already have an action. I would say for historic purposes, don't modify it if it is complete. Just shoot it that way. And, then go buy yourself the rifle you want. FWIW, if you are just looking to save money, there is a standing auction on AA for a Wby Vanguard in .257 Wby. IMO that is a better action than the standard Weatherby. They use two lugs instead of 8 in a double row and are much easier to true up.
Again, I think it's worth it if it's what you want. The Mauser is a great action. Even though they are supposed to feed from the magazine, and control the round completely during feeding it will pop over the rim and feed if necessary. Mausers understand force.
All that said here's a breakdown of how much it's going to cost you to build a rifle from a Mauser:
Action: if you don't already own one $100-$200
New barrel: $100 for good used or up to $350 for premium
New stock: $260 from Midway or brownells for a decent composite stock. otherwise you can get a shootable composite for around $100. If it's a hunting rifle or something of that nature you can look at Richards microfit stocks or Boyds stocks, www.rifle-stocks.com, www.boydsgunstocks.com or you can do a search and find more stocks, composite, laminate or solid wood. Solid wood and laminate are easier for you to finish out.
Trigger: You can go timney tactical/target or hunter, Boyds also has triggers and Jewell makes a good one. $50-$200.
For a good shooter all you need to do is glass bed a laminate that you like and seal it and it'll stay nearly as good as the better composite stocks.
Gunsmithing: Here's where it adds up or you can cut down. Anytime he works on your stock it'll get pricey. But if you give him the metal work he may tell you what you need to do to your stock to make it work better. You can glass bed any solid wood or laminate, even a composite. Shaving the stock down and finish inletting takes a little patience but you can do that. Don't do that with a composite unless you know what you're doing.
Chambering/re-barreling- $50-$100 for the chamber and another $100 to install and headspace the barrel. It is also very wise at this time to spend another $100 to have him true the action.
bending/replacing the bolt handle: new handle- $10-$100 Bending or welding a new one on- $50
Installing trigger: You can do this. But if you don't trust yourself it will cost you $20 for a drop in to install and set it. Some guys charge more.
Drill and tap for scope: either $100 total or $25 per hole. You can do this yourself with a jig and save some money and own the jig when you're done. Again, have patience and check yourself before you drill. The jig, if installed right will align you with the action and keep the bit straight while drilling the hole.
Edit: forgot the safety. You can get a trigger safety for no extra money to $10 extra. Or you can spend up to $160 for a 3 position Winchester style safety. There are also a couple of makers that make a 2 position side safety. One thing I would avoid is the Buehler type safety. That's the one with the longer thinner arm that simply replaces the Mauser safety. My problem with them is they are too easy to bump off safe.
And that's about it. As you can see, if you just want a .257 Wby (which any M98 action will handle easily) it isn't cost effective. But, if you are looking for a custom rifle for yourself it is a great way to go. I have a 7x57 I customized this way. Including the scope I have $1400 into it. It shoots lights out, feeds great and fits me well. And to those who say the Mauser days are over don't know what they are talking about.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
Another M98 fan here. While I don't care for the military actions, you can make a very nice gun on a commercial action. I have a custom FN 98 Mauser with a Pac-Nor #7 SS Super Match in 6mm-06 Improved that will shoot much better than my factory PSS. I have built a pair of 30-06 AI Mauser guns that will shoot 1/2-3/4 MOA and the 6mm-06 AI mentioned above. All on commercial FN, Interarms, or Parker Hale actions.
They do have a few drawbacks like the huge ejection port and the magazine is a tad on the short side but they are CRF and are super easy to rebarrel. They do not have the tacticool stocks, but there are a variety of options available.
I am getting ready to build a 375 Ruger on an Interarms Mk X I have laying around. It will have a Timney trigger and I picked up a grey laminated stock with checkering for $90 from Stocky's, so the end cost will be very reasonable. I expect it to shoot no worse than 1 MOA.
Another M98 fan here. While I don't care for the military actions, you can make a very nice gun on a commercial action. I have a custom FN 98 Mauser with a Pac-Nor #7 SS Super Match in 6mm-06 Improved that will shoot much better than my factory PSS. I have built a pair of 30-06 AI Mauser guns that will shoot 1/2-3/4 MOA and the 6mm-06 AI mentioned above. All on commercial FN, Interarms, or Parker Hale actions.
They do have a few drawbacks like the huge ejection port and the magazine is a tad on the short side but they are CRF and are super easy to rebarrel. They do not have the tacticool stocks, but there are a variety of options available.
I am getting ready to build a 375 Ruger on an Interarms Mk X I have laying around. It will have a Timney trigger and I picked up a grey laminated stock with checkering for $90 from Stocky's, so the end cost will be very reasonable. I expect it to shoot no worse than 1 MOA.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
Not all Mauser 98's are created equal. There were 10's of millions manufactured, both military and commercial, by dozens of countries from 1898 through present. Dumping $1,400 into a rifle just because you have an action does not make good economic sense to me. How much of that $1,400 could you recoup, if for an emergency reason, you had to sell? Spending $800 on an LTR seems a better idea to me. YMMV
Now if you are independently wealthy and have money to flush or your a descendant of Paul Mauser, go for it.
Good luck
Jerry
Not all Mauser 98's are created equal. There were 10's of millions manufactured, both military and commercial, by dozens of countries from 1898 through present. Dumping $1,400 into a rifle just because you have an action does not make good economic sense to me. How much of that $1,400 could you recoup, if for an emergency reason, you had to sell? Spending $800 on an LTR seems a better idea to me. YMMV
Now if you are independently wealthy and have money to flush or your a descendant of Paul Mauser, go for it.
Good luck
Jerry
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
There is also a difference between the 1898 mausers and the K98 mausers of WWII. The K98's shoudl be fine. I've seen a number of their receivers redone in 7mm Magnum. I think Kimber has done a bunch of those also.
There is also a difference between the 1898 mausers and the K98 mausers of WWII. The K98's shoudl be fine. I've seen a number of their receivers redone in 7mm Magnum. I think Kimber has done a bunch of those also.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
The 98 Mauser days are by no means over. Just ask Larry Potterfield of Midway, He has made tons of money off of selling custom accessories and parts for the 98. He still builds them himself. Brownells has probably made even more money from them. I have built several custom mausers And used a commercial Husqvarna 98 action I chambered in 30-06 ackley imp to shoot at our local 1000 yard matches. These are extremely easy to learn how to do it yourself. I like the Bell & Carlson Stocks the best and you can Find lots of good take off barrels and lop the old threads off and rethread them for your mauser, My husky I used a brand new take off trg 22 barrel I rethreaded to fit the 98. And built another one in 30-284 and another in 300 win mag on an interarms action. The yugo 48 makes a perfect 308, made one of those too, I just wish there were more stocks for them as they have an oddball size intermediate action and you need to cut a small shoulder and an extractor releif on the chamber end, but I like those actions the best out of all the military actions I have used. So go ahead if it is what you want to do then do it, But you will not get back the amount of money you put into them. I dont care I am keeping mine and it gives me the satisfaction I did it myself.
The 98 Mauser days are by no means over. Just ask Larry Potterfield of Midway, He has made tons of money off of selling custom accessories and parts for the 98. He still builds them himself. Brownells has probably made even more money from them. I have built several custom mausers And used a commercial Husqvarna 98 action I chambered in 30-06 ackley imp to shoot at our local 1000 yard matches. These are extremely easy to learn how to do it yourself. I like the Bell & Carlson Stocks the best and you can Find lots of good take off barrels and lop the old threads off and rethread them for your mauser, My husky I used a brand new take off trg 22 barrel I rethreaded to fit the 98. And built another one in 30-284 and another in 300 win mag on an interarms action. The yugo 48 makes a perfect 308, made one of those too, I just wish there were more stocks for them as they have an oddball size intermediate action and you need to cut a small shoulder and an extractor releif on the chamber end, but I like those actions the best out of all the military actions I have used. So go ahead if it is what you want to do then do it, But you will not get back the amount of money you put into them. I dont care I am keeping mine and it gives me the satisfaction I did it myself.
Re: Rebarrelling am 8mm large ring Mauser???
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: angsniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There is also a difference between the 1898 mausers and the K98 mausers of WWII. The K98's shoudl be fine. I've seen a number of their receivers redone in 7mm Magnum. I think Kimber has done a bunch of those also.</div></div>
I've seen Argentino 1909's chambered in .375 H&H. It's a strong action.
And while I agree with JerryM about them not all being equal, the vast majority are plenty strong enough for a custom action in a lot of powerful rounds. It doesn't take but asking a question or two to find out if it is a good one or not.
Also, you may not get out of your rifle what you put into it as a custom. But, that is any custom rifle. Unless you pay top dollar to a "known" builder you won't get the money value out of it you put into it. It's still your choice if you consider what you have a value or not. The $1400 I put into my 7x57 has been worth it because it is an accurate rifle. And, it shows little wear even after 2000+ rounds.
<span style="color: #3333FF">Edit:
And example of that last statement is some while ago I bought a .257 Weatherby, customized on a pre-64 Win 70 action. All of the things were done to make the action not collectable any more and the .257 WBY cartridge in a non-Weatherby rifle means little. Anyhow, I got the rifle for just over $400 and by the time I paid shipping FFL is was just over $450. But, once I found the load for it, it shot lights out. In fact I had never loaded for a Weatherby before that shot .5 MOA. But, had someone from a gun guild built it, the cost would have been around $3K-$5K.
That's just the way it is with all custom rifles. Name branding brings more money.</span>
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: angsniper</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There is also a difference between the 1898 mausers and the K98 mausers of WWII. The K98's shoudl be fine. I've seen a number of their receivers redone in 7mm Magnum. I think Kimber has done a bunch of those also.</div></div>
I've seen Argentino 1909's chambered in .375 H&H. It's a strong action.
And while I agree with JerryM about them not all being equal, the vast majority are plenty strong enough for a custom action in a lot of powerful rounds. It doesn't take but asking a question or two to find out if it is a good one or not.
Also, you may not get out of your rifle what you put into it as a custom. But, that is any custom rifle. Unless you pay top dollar to a "known" builder you won't get the money value out of it you put into it. It's still your choice if you consider what you have a value or not. The $1400 I put into my 7x57 has been worth it because it is an accurate rifle. And, it shows little wear even after 2000+ rounds.
<span style="color: #3333FF">Edit:
And example of that last statement is some while ago I bought a .257 Weatherby, customized on a pre-64 Win 70 action. All of the things were done to make the action not collectable any more and the .257 WBY cartridge in a non-Weatherby rifle means little. Anyhow, I got the rifle for just over $400 and by the time I paid shipping FFL is was just over $450. But, once I found the load for it, it shot lights out. In fact I had never loaded for a Weatherby before that shot .5 MOA. But, had someone from a gun guild built it, the cost would have been around $3K-$5K.
That's just the way it is with all custom rifles. Name branding brings more money.</span>
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