Want to build a mauser
I am interested in learning how to build a Mauser. I have done a little reading on them and understand that M98 long actions are the easiest to find. So that is where I would probably start, but i would like to get into an intermediate action to build a WSM as well. How does a person get started, what is the best literature, do I need to purshase an entire gun or can I piece it together, and any other info would be greatly appreciated. Thanx, Nate
the earlybird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.---Red
the earlybird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.---Red
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You need to purchase a receiver w/Bolt. However it's often easier (and cheaper) to purchase the entire rifle, remove and sell the stock, barrel and other pieces.
Now that the inexpensive part is done, it's time to watch your credit card start to smoke. Parts and labor start at $500 for a Bubba job, about $1000 to do it right and can easily reach $5000 for a fancy grade custom (one stock maker I know of starts at 3400 PLUS the wood, and he goes up from there).
Overall, your better off to start with a comericial Mauser, Mark-X, FN (a lot of old JC Higgens are FN's), CZ, etc. Again start with the complete rifle, but there is a lot of work that won't need to be done to the action that a Military action will need (surface grinding, drill/tap, cocking shroud, re-hardening, welding of rust pits etc).
Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.0 -
Jack Mitchell's book Riflesmithing is readily available and not very expensive. It gives a decent over view of the entire process. My copy new cost me $15.95 ten years ago. The reason to buy a whole rifle and take it apart is to try to asure yourself that the reciever and bolt are sound. Otherwise you should consider magafluxing it for cracks and checking it for hardness, both real pains. The new WSM's are very high pressure cartridges. ER Shaws was doing a M98 conversion to the WSMs when they first came out. They have now stopped as folks were doing a poor job of sorting the recievers they wanted to convert. I'd advise that your first attempt you should consider building something in the lower pressure range. 6.5x55 and 7x57 are the classics, but anything on the .308 and -06 hulls will be a lot lower pressure then any magnum. You are going into a learning curve that can last for the next several decades depending on how far you decide to go with this. The best intermediate length actions out there and easy to buy are the 1903 Turks and the 1948 Yugos. Between them I like the Yugos alot better then the Turks. The Turks fit the same hole pattern as a full one standard M98 while still having the shorter throw. The Yugos are shorter and will require a different stock then the others. 0 -
Sound advice on which caliber to use when "converting" a Mauser action. I have a Mauser 98 custom sporter that I built, started as a standard 8MM but is now a really fine shooting 25-06.
What you need to consider is what you are going to do with the rifle before you start building it. Hunting, silhouettes, punch paper...and then go from there.
You can email me if you have more questions, or post them here and let the real experts guide you further.
John
The original point and click interface was made by Smith & Wesson0 -
.270, and .25-06 are two calibers that I am interested in building. What do you mean about doing something with the rifle before building it? I will of course shoot it to make sure everything works, but beyond that???
I have found a magazine that has Yugo M48 Mausers complete, in what they list as "good condition," for $72 is this a good idea or should I wait for something I can personally inspect? Thanx for all the input thus far
the earlybird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.---Red0 -
You need to make sure that the reciever is not cracked and that the bolt is in good operating order. You can buy an action (reciever and bolt) for a reasonable price, but you can find a complete rifle for less than the reciever/bolt a lot of the time. Just depends on how eager you are to get started and how much you want to spend.
If you are going to go the .270 or 25-06 caliber route, then make sure that it is a LARGE RING Mod. 98. Operating pressures for these two calibers are about mid-range for a 30-06 and will handle both cartridges easily and safely....assuming that the bolt and receiver are in good shape.
Past that, you will want to do several things such as replacing the military bolt handle, military safety, trigger, floor plate, etc. Have a competent gunsmith install the new barrel and headspace it. Cost is reasonable and your life/vision could depend on having it done right.
On the one I did, I have a Douglas Premium #2 barrel, Timney trigger, Lyman low scope safety, and hinged floor plate. Stock is totally custom as I "carved" it myself...never again! 400+ hours just in the stock, but it does have a rosewood fore end and pistol grip 'cap' along with white line spacers and a Pachmayer rifle pad.
The firing pin and spring were both replaced at the outset, and the bolt handle is a butter cutter that I created out of a broken Craftsman wrench.
I've been happily shooting this rifle for almost 35 years. If you want/need more info, click on my screen name and send me an email.
John
The original point and click interface was made by Smith & Wesson0 -
Unless you are a pretty good machinist or know one you'll have to pay someone to do a lot of the work. I've "put together" several mausers and doing a good job costs more than a commercial rifle. For the personal satisfaction or as a hobby it's doable on a budget but you won't end up with a $5000 "custom" rifle out of the project. I'd advise against the WSM project due to the difficulty of getting them to feed properly out of the magazine.
Mobuck0 -
The intermediate length actions, like the 48 Yugo, are great for cartridges in the .308 and 8x57 range. If you want to step up to the 30-06 length then you need a standard length action, like the Burno VZ-24, a very good action for the money. One of my favorite home built sporters is a 25-06 stocked in a Boyds nutmeg laminate JRS classic stock, with timminy trigger, etc. As for the advice that you need a good machinist, yes it will help a bunch. One of the more particular points will be getting the scope mounts on straight and true. I figure on using in building one of these at any given time are: drill press, lathe, mill, band saw, oxy/acet torch and a pile of custom jigs and tooling that I've either bought or built over the last decade. You can start slow however. One of the better wildcat cartridges out there is the 8mm-06 and all you have to do is rechamber a nice barrel from 57mm to -06. There are places where you can send off and rent a chambering reamer and gagues for a couple of days. Military stocks can be refinished, cut down and have a nice forestock tip put one. Starting slow can be a good way to get into this. My old 8-06 is still a favorite pig and black bear rifle for me. It pushes a 200g Speer Sp hot core to 2650fps from it 22" barrel. 0 -
This is a 22-250 I built from a 98 Military action I bought on GB for $60 ... As it sits I have just over a grand in it, partly because the tools to do things like replace the barrel and install the scope mount cost about the same as paying a smith to do it, partly because as the project progressed I up graded everything except the receiver. The project took a couple years, picking up a part here and another there ... and after all, it was "just a little more than I'd planned" ... Parker-Hale trigger and bolt, Douglass Premimum XXX barrel, the stock is a Boyd, which the action has been bedded and barrel floated ... I still want to replace the floor-plate for the hinge type but thats another$150, then it still has to be modified for the shorter cartridge and re-bed everything ... maybe someday.
It is an excellent shooter and I'm very happy with it; but I could have bought a nicer Kimber for the same money or maybe a little less..If you really want to do something, you'll find a way ...
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... If you don't, you'll find any excuse.0
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