Anyone still build accurate rifles on Mauser or Springfield actions?
- Thread starter rickt300
- Start date
Adam in WI
Practically lives here
Well; a 5 shot group that takes all day ought to be impressive. Plenty of time to focus...
I have three Mausers and 2 Springfields, all are fine shooters. My Mauser in 270 is a tackdriver and so is my Springfield 280AI. The 7x57 Mauser and my 30-06 Springfield are plenty good enough with MOA hunting loads for both. None are 1/4" rifles though. Around .6 with their best loads, and often 3 touching.
DirtySteve
Gold $$ Contributor
Kind of looks like all day to me.. And on several days..
dave@aDave
Gold $$ Contributor
If you have the action, call Mark Penrod. North Manchester, Ind, 260-982-8385.
SBS
Gold $$ Contributor
Unless you're dead set on the Springfield, might consider a Mauser -- better yet a commercial FN Mauser action and if you don't need a repeater, find one of the single shot BR actions of late 60's and 70's vintage. Although the Mauser locktime is slow compared to more modern actions, the Springfield is even slower and uses a 2 pc. firing pin. However the Springfield is slicker and the coned bolt/breech assures troublefree feeding when used as a repeater. Both actions saw a lot of use in early BR and for a long time in HP position and prone matches. They can shoot even better today, given we have better bullets, brass and barrels available to us with a wide choice of powder and primers (when you can find them). Not competitive with modern day custom BR actions, but accurate enough for most other types of shooting. Anyone that can barrel up a pre-64 M70 and a post 64 M70 accurately can certainly do a Springfield or Mauser. Bedding is critical on both, given they both have a long springy tang which can sure give you some verticals if not bedded properly.
The real problem is that there are too many people with more money than brains or credit cards. Combine that with gun magazines and the internet.
Gun snobs are the so called experts on the internet.
On top of that too much money can be made by gunsmiths and machinist that blow sunshine up peoples rears about a good many things.
The same idiots with more money than brains tend to rule the BR world they are mostly doctors. lawyers, investment banks, engineers etc.....Most of them retired. They have intelligence, time, money, lots of leisure time and boredom on their hands.
While there exception to the above you do not see a lot of working poor people at the top of shooting sports just like the same people make up most of civil aviation again not a lot of working poor.
So the number one problem with any sport from ham radio to shooting sports to fly fishing is that regular people have little voice and idiots and the well off too have too much voice.
Just like gun wirter's aka idiots from here on out have convinced your average gun owning idiot that short actions are stiffer and more accurate than standard actions.
On the Mauser and Springfield side of things people will attempt to convince you that lock time is an issue and that machining clearances and tolerance stacking are to big of an issue to be over come. These same idiots will attempt to convince you that a Remington 700 is some how better? LOL Keeping in mind that Remington does not even bother to machine the saw cut receiver face true at the factor.
Beware of the B.S. trust is a Mauser or Springfield or Winchester or Ruger M77MKII take a bit longer to true up and require more skill to blue print they can be fantastic in the right machinists hands. Anyone that tells you other wise is either a parrot for the industry, ignorant or a liar.
People hate me though because I tell the truth and do not have a dog in the fight or a pony in the race.
In BR it matters but in any shooting sport that is done prone or off hand any decent action from a WWII Mauser to a Mossberg Patriot can be made to be more than competitive with quality machine work, a good barrel and fantastic reloading. This assumes you know the fundamentals of shooting and wind calling!
Gun snobs are the so called experts on the internet.
On top of that too much money can be made by gunsmiths and machinist that blow sunshine up peoples rears about a good many things.
The same idiots with more money than brains tend to rule the BR world they are mostly doctors. lawyers, investment banks, engineers etc.....Most of them retired. They have intelligence, time, money, lots of leisure time and boredom on their hands.
While there exception to the above you do not see a lot of working poor people at the top of shooting sports just like the same people make up most of civil aviation again not a lot of working poor.
So the number one problem with any sport from ham radio to shooting sports to fly fishing is that regular people have little voice and idiots and the well off too have too much voice.
Just like gun wirter's aka idiots from here on out have convinced your average gun owning idiot that short actions are stiffer and more accurate than standard actions.
On the Mauser and Springfield side of things people will attempt to convince you that lock time is an issue and that machining clearances and tolerance stacking are to big of an issue to be over come. These same idiots will attempt to convince you that a Remington 700 is some how better? LOL Keeping in mind that Remington does not even bother to machine the saw cut receiver face true at the factor.
Beware of the B.S. trust is a Mauser or Springfield or Winchester or Ruger M77MKII take a bit longer to true up and require more skill to blue print they can be fantastic in the right machinists hands. Anyone that tells you other wise is either a parrot for the industry, ignorant or a liar.
People hate me though because I tell the truth and do not have a dog in the fight or a pony in the race.
In BR it matters but in any shooting sport that is done prone or off hand any decent action from a WWII Mauser to a Mossberg Patriot can be made to be more than competitive with quality machine work, a good barrel and fantastic reloading. This assumes you know the fundamentals of shooting and wind calling!
jghoghunter
Gold $$ Contributor
The first time I ever shot in the 0's and low 1's was with a Mauser 98 in 220 weatherby rocket 5 shot groups. Paps rifle still makes it to the range on occasion. I also have a few other Mausers built for hunting rifles.
nicholst55
Brass Whore
I've got a Springfield with an ER Shaw barrel in 6.5-06 that shoots better than I can see. For what it is, it's plenty good enough. My Brno Mauser in .257 Wby with a Pac-Nor barrel shoots lights out too, for what it is (a deer rifle).
Brians356
Gold $$ Contributor
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Chuckle chuckle chuckle
butchlambert
Site $$ Sponsor
Beware of BS post.
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
Nice!!! I like Mausers for the history and looks. There’s a reason so many were carried into wars.
Last edited:
AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
About 15 years ago, I bought an old benchrest rifle with a Springfield action, custom wood stock, and built by ole man Douglas, 30" barrel, straight 1" barrel or so, in 22/250. I figure that the old boy had it built, then passed as the gun was complete, immaculate, inside and out. Trigger is about 1 lb.
The rifle has never ceased to amaze me in how accurate it is, bore is now pitted throat is long, it just keeps shooting tiny groups...go figure. I have shot the gun a lot over the years, and plan to re barrel the gun when it stops shooting...it may outlast me...
The rifle has never ceased to amaze me in how accurate it is, bore is now pitted throat is long, it just keeps shooting tiny groups...go figure. I have shot the gun a lot over the years, and plan to re barrel the gun when it stops shooting...it may outlast me...
I have a 30br on a Springfield action I picked up. Open sights only. Suspect someone made it up to shoot competition using cast bullets.(or not!!). Just got it D&T , so will see how it shoots. The oddest rifle I have, along these lines, is a rifle built on a p-14 enfield action. A full bull barrel 38-55 on what looks like a Shilen barrel. Single shot follower made of walnut, thumbhole stock, but stock trigger. I shoot a lot of cast bullets and working up a load with a 310g bullet and Varget, first shots, you could easily see the holes in the target were oblong, by quite a bit. As I went up in charge, the holes were less and less oblong. Finally nice round holes with sub 1/2" groups. Its not much, but at our range we have a gong, about 7" square @500yds just off maybe 2 ft., of our buffalo gong's nose. Had the 38-55 out on a barely any-wind day (not normal for our range)that we had sight-in days. That rifle went 5 for 5 on that 7" square. It has a cheap bushnell 3x9 on it.
That is a superb example of a 1960's BR rifle. Very nice.
Most of my serious hunting rifles are Mausers but I have not built myself a target rifle on one. I do have a 6mm Remington , built on a Turkish Mauser, which is a 1/2 minute rifle, on a good day. I have a 308, on a Springfield, which will produce 2" groups at 300 meters.
My best "different" target rifle is built on a P14 with a welded-in solid bottom. I converted it to cock on opening and built a three lever trigger for it. It wears a heavy varmint contour barrel and is chambered in 303 British. It is an honest 5/16 moa shooter and will produce a 1/4 inch group on occasion.
FWIW, I have had more surprisingly accurate rifles on P14 or 1917 actions than any other military action. Can't say why.
As someone said, sometimes we build rifles just for fun and that is what these are. I have no illusions about building a competitive BR rifle on an old military action but it is kind of fun when a rifle exceeds my expectations. I once managed a second place at an "F" class match with the 303; against stiff competition. I beat a whole flock of 6BR's built on custom BR actions and was only two points behind the winner IIRC. The winner shot a 6BR on a 40X action. WH
Most of my serious hunting rifles are Mausers but I have not built myself a target rifle on one. I do have a 6mm Remington , built on a Turkish Mauser, which is a 1/2 minute rifle, on a good day. I have a 308, on a Springfield, which will produce 2" groups at 300 meters.
My best "different" target rifle is built on a P14 with a welded-in solid bottom. I converted it to cock on opening and built a three lever trigger for it. It wears a heavy varmint contour barrel and is chambered in 303 British. It is an honest 5/16 moa shooter and will produce a 1/4 inch group on occasion.
FWIW, I have had more surprisingly accurate rifles on P14 or 1917 actions than any other military action. Can't say why.
As someone said, sometimes we build rifles just for fun and that is what these are. I have no illusions about building a competitive BR rifle on an old military action but it is kind of fun when a rifle exceeds my expectations. I once managed a second place at an "F" class match with the 303; against stiff competition. I beat a whole flock of 6BR's built on custom BR actions and was only two points behind the winner IIRC. The winner shot a 6BR on a 40X action. WH
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