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I just Bought A Project……Opinions

pintopete said:
Jackie, if you hunted, I would lean towards suggesting an 8x57. As an alternative, 7x57 or 7x57AI. If you want to shoot it a lot, .244 Rem. Some call it a 6mm Rem LOL.
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Since the OP is leaning toward .30-06 or .338-06, might look at 7.65 Argentine or the 8x57, both of which are pretty close to the 1st two options. And they don't require any feed rail work, opening up the action or extending the mag. box. I have a 7.65 Arg. (using .308 bullets via a .308 neck die) and it's a pretty decent .30 caliber case, holding almost as much powder as a .308.
 
Out here in California it would be a 22-250 or a 22-6mm or a CHeeta! Tou will probably have to remove a little wood in front of the front action screw since it's a military action.
 
Reason for the pics of the 6.5 Mauser is to show just how fun and nice you can make a old war horse Mauser into a fine hunting rifle.
 
Since you aren't going to hunt, in no particular order: 6.5 x 55, 7 x 57, 9.3x62. I'm fond of the later as a unique chambering. Keeps with the Mauser theme IMHO.

I'm interested to see what you find with the metallurgy. I've never liked case hardened parts unless the process control and material quality was very good. I never trusted the results were consistent. Partly my bias and lack of experience in that area, partly by my ability to spec higher quality alloys and heat treatments negating the need.
 
3Sigma said:
Since you aren't going to hunt, in no particular order: 6.5 x 55, 7 x 57, 9.3x62. I'm fond of the later as a unique chambering. Keeps with the Mauser theme IMHO.

I'm interested to see what you find with the metallurgy. I've never liked case hardened parts unless the process control and material quality was very good. I never trusted the results were consistent. Partly my bias and lack of experience in that area, partly by my ability to spec higher quality alloys and heat treatments negating the need.
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He ain't got a choice. It will have to be some sort of case hardening.
 
Will Henry said:
I am one of those "old gunsmiths" and for the first fifteen years of my career, I worked on a lot of Mausers. I still do.
A 1908 action from Oberndorff is a fine action. Just how the hardness compares to a 1908 from DWM, I cannot honestly say, but the DWM receivers are a little on the soft side. By the way, I seriously doubt that they have as much as forty points of carbon, beyond the case. The hard surface might run as high as eighty or better. The depth will vary. By the way, I have seen as many commercial FN's set back as any other. Usually, any action which set back had a reason for doing so and the reloading habits of the owner were usually front and center! It is common practice to have any receivers which are suspect re-treated.
Anyway, DWM's drill and tap easily. My 1935 Oberndorff was damn hard. Some of the VZ's were exceptionally hard as well. I use cobalt bits and HSS taps. I like to leave the clip charger hump and inlet the rear base into it. I just like the look of it.
For your rifle, I would be happy with a 30/06, but if the action has not had the mag lengthened, and the receiver been opened up for the '06, I would consider the 7x57. I like the 338/06; it's probably a better cartridge than my 35 Whelen, but the 35 is what I built and what I have
The only appropriate finish on a Mauser is bluing! It's OK to use a stainless barrel, but it really kind of clashes.
Your point regarding the bolt thrust of the WSM cartridges is right on. I would never chamber a Mauser for a WSM. I have seen Mausers opened up for some large cartridges, but these were low pressure rounds.
The old Browning stock is a decent American design and nice to use. It will work well. WH
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Mr. Henry should have mandatory posting each week to teach us some of his know-how. Lots of knowledge here.
 
That should make a very nice sporter. My cartridge vote would be one of the original Mauser rounds or a derivative. I have been working on a 1908 of and on for a few years now, I decided to go with the plain vanilla 7x57, a 21" light weight barrel and Dakota 3 position safety, the metal will be rust blued and slip into a Bastogne walnut stock with raised side panels and pancake cheek piece.
 
I am trying to be logical with this (which for many of us is hard to do in projects:)) in keeping with the 50,000 psi limit, so using a bigger caliber seems to make sense. I guess that is why the 338/06 or 35 Whelen popped up in my head. They offer a lot of punch in a pressure range more suitable for this 115 year old relic.

I don’t hunt, but my Son and Grandson do. I loaned him my custom 30/06 a few years ago and he bagged a great Mule Deer out in south west Texas with it. He was shooting Factory 180 grn Nosler AccuBonds at about 200 yards. He said the muley took about two steps and dropped from a shoulder shot.

This project might end up in my Grand Sons hands.
 
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Cartridge choice is yours to make. It looks to be a decent receiver to build on. That trigger looks like a Timney. They require removing a lot of wood to let in. The stock may not fit. It looks nice though. Kobe might be able to work with the stock trigger and make it better.
 
Heck, a stock is the easiest thing to switch out on a rifle, If this stock doesn’t want to cooperate, I will get one that does.
 
I am in Corpus Christi this week align boring the shaft line on a new 90’ push boat, so I drove up to Falls City and picked up the action.

This is about as nice of an example of a vintage 98 Mauser that I have seen in some time. Who ever did the bolt handle did a nice job.
I see no wear on the bolt lug abutments, the bolt lugs look unmarked. The threads appear to be in excellent shape. The firing pin is still a very close fit in the bolt face.

It is definitely case hardenned. I can’t scratch it with my hardened Starret 6 inch ruler. One thing that does not look quite original is the action face. It appears that at some time, it got faced. Maybe someone trued it. I will check all of that.

My plans are to first put the action on a bolt mandrel and check the trueness of the inner ring, the action face, and the threads, and correct as needed. I will then order a Chrome Moly barrel in a standard Remington profile, (haven’t decided on the chambering yet), and fit it to the action. I will then bed the barreled action into the stock.
The barreled action will then be sent to a top notch blueing operation to be polished and blued.
I think I will have the bolt Melonited.

I want this to be a top not hunting rifle.

here are some image.jpgpictures I just took in my hotel room.IMG_2332.jpegIMG_2333.jpegIMG_2335.jpeg
 
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