I just Bought A Project……Opinions

[jackieschmidt]

Jackie, I'm glad that you are finding this old action to be in better than good condition. The work you are doing is very nice and will lend itself to a nice looking rifle. Do you plan to remove the charging hump and the stripper clip guides/slots?

No, I’m leaving them in place.

 

[jackieschmidt]

The way you are holding the action in the chuck, I am curious as to what is supporting the rear of the action?

The action is in the 4 jaw on aluminum soft jaws. That alignment mandrel I made goes all the way the full length of the action.

I simply use the chuck jaws to radial align the mandrel closest to the check jaws, and a soft blow hammer on the edge of the receiver to tap it so the other end runs true. It takes a little back and forth, but I do this sort of chucking up stuff all the time.
You have to make sure the chuck jaws are tight enough, and the mandrel runs dead true.

Then I chase the threads and lightly skin the inner ring and action face.

When chasing the threads and facing the inner ting, turn the chuck by hand. I am removing such a small amount of metal that it’s not a problem. Turning my hand insures I am not going to go brain dead and run the treading tool into that inner ring.

I have a 55degree insert ordered to do the barrel when I get it in around November.

 

[DiffEQ]

Cartridge votes:
257 Rob
7x57
338 Fed
35 Rem

 

[butchlambert]

The action is in the 4 jaw on aluminum soft jaws. That alignment mandrel I made goes all the way the full length of the action.

I simply use the chuck jaws to radial align the mandrel closest to the check jaws, and a soft blow hammer on the edge of the receiver to tap it so the other end runs true. It takes a little back and forth, but I do this sort of chucking up stuff all the time.
You have to make sure the chuck jaws are tight enough, and the mandrel runs dead true.

Then I chase the threads and lightly skin the inner ring and action face.

When chasing the threads and facing the inner ting, turn the chuck by hand. I am removing such a small amount of metal that it’s not a problem. Turning my hand insures I am not going to go brain dead and run the treading tool into that inner ring.

I have a 55degree insert ordered to do the barrel when I get it in around November.

Jackie, I have some 55 deg inserts that I can give you. I owe you for the crowning tool you made for me many years ago.

 

[PhilKeil]

Jackie, was about to ask you where you order 1 of the 66 deg tools from.

 

[Will Henry]

I also turn the chuck by hand when I'm chasing threads on Mausers. Just chicken I guess.
It is SOP to drill the rear hole for the front scope base, ahead of the locking lug abutment. Given the location of the slots on your bases though, you can be forgiven for locating it where you did. It looks good. At the rear, it is normal to locate the rear base so it is even with the front of the bridge, but this can only be done if you slot the clip charger hump and inlet the base into it, or remove the hump altogether. Again, your install looks pretty good though, so it's hard to criticize!
Using soft jaws and tapping a piece into alignment is truly advanced machine shop practice. I have also used shims to achieve alignment in some cases. Of course, you could spend a few hours making a jig to do the same thing! WH

 

[jackieschmidt]

I also turn the chuck by hand when I'm chasing threads on Mausers. Just chicken I guess.
It is SOP to drill the rear hole for the front scope base, ahead of the locking lug abutment. Given the location of the slots on your bases though, you can be forgiven for locating it where you did. It looks good. At the rear, it is normal to locate the rear base so it is even with the front of the bridge, but this can only be done if you slot the clip charger hump and inlet the base into it, or remove the hump altogether. Again, your install looks pretty good though, so it's hard to criticize!
Using soft jaws and tapping a piece into alignment is truly advanced machine shop practice. I have also used shims to achieve alignment in some cases. Of course, you could spend a few hours making a jig to do the same thing! WH

Will, I drilled that hole a minimum dept and finished with a bottom tap so not to get into the top locking abutment much. And besides, the middle of the abutment is where the ejector groove is cut in the top lug.

The front came in exactly between the thread relief and the inner C ring.

I actually thought about building a fixture to set the action up, but but at my age, I doubt I would ever use it again. So I just did it the Machist way.

My next item is a 3 position safety. PTG makes a nice one, I will get it in the white so I can get it blued with the action.

 

[Will Henry]

This is going to make a pretty nice classic hunting rifle. I'm looking forward to the finish! WH

 

[ebb]

Others have talked about votes for chamberings. I know I don't get to vote but 7-08 sounds about right to me. I had Ggmac barrel an old Turk for me with a Montana rifleman barrel that I had and he chambered it in 30-06. The guys I shoot with were experimenting with 30 caliber and light bullets with high speed instead of BC. I tried a few and Liked 125BTs the best and they have a short OAL. I heard other talk about length and magazine problems. I have not seen this with the 125BTs , do you suppose they are short enough to not have the mentioned length problems? I can't remember if I have fired one from the magazine, I know I have loaded the mag and they fit.

 

[jackieschmidt]

This evening Decided to true the bolt face.
the bolt face had some minor pitting, I fugured to take as little off as possible to get it flat and true.

I first turned a mandrel with the .528 13 tpi buttress thread to screw the bolt on to. I then set my stead rest on round surface between the gas ports.

I only had to tweak the set true chuck about .001 to get the other end running dead true. Of course, the steady rest supports the other end.

I then ground a tool to take a very light cut on the bolt face. I probably took .001 off of it. It is now flat and true with the bolt body. It still has a few shadows if pitting, but I don’t think that will matter one bit.

Polished it with some 400 Emory paper.

Once again, it is amazing how true all of this stuff runs.

you can also see how good of shape the firing pin hole is.

Here are some pictures of the set up.

 

[Kwahe]

7x57

 

[jackieschmidt]

This evening I made a lapping fixture and lapped the lugs.

One was hitting quite a bit than the other, I finally got them both making good contact.
here are a few pictures.

If you want some sticker shock, check this out. I have not bought any lapping compound in years, I had a little container I always used. I could not find it. So I went to the local Autoparts.

$68 for that Little container. But at least it will last me forever. That is, if next time I can find it

 

[JSH]

I bought a tube for a project a while back. It said it was multi grit, the more you used it the less aggressive it was. Now that takes a real rocket scientist to figure that.
Seems like I was just polishing a mandrel……..so all was good.
I worked in a shop off and on for a few years swapping work for work. There were gallon cans of compound on several machines, all most folks need is a thimble full.
FYI I like the machinist porn, ;-).

 

[Riesel]

Jackie, are you planning on modifying the extractor to enable you to close bolt on a cartridge rather than feed from the magazine only. The mod still leaves it a control round feed but it will also snap over the rim.

 

[ISS]

Go out on a limb, custom chamber speaking; have your smith do a 375 Whelen. Easy to neck up 35 Whelen brass, and easy on the shoulder with a cast bullet. I have one underway as I type.

JMHO,

ISS

 

[Phil Peterson]

Jackie, your hands and fingernails are awful clean for a machinist!See you at the Cactus or Nationals.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Jackie, are you planning on modifying the extractor to enable you to close bolt on a cartridge rather than feed from the magazine only. The mod still leaves it a control round feed but it will also snap over the rim.

The easiest way to do that is bevel the leading edge extractor to where it will snap over a rim. But this also weakens the extractor to the point of breakage.

Since extractors are not very expensive, and easy to change, the best bet might be to have one for push feed range work and one for control feed field work.

I am also aware of the practice of pressing down on the back half of the extractor as you chamber round, causing the front to rise, helping it over the case rim.

The original Mauser design concept was 100% reliability in feeding from the magazine and extraction. My inclination is to leave it that

 

[shortgrass]

Just a quick internet search; M98 extractors are now $40+, WHEN YOU CAN FIND THEM! Sarco, a popular surplus parts dealer, has ZERO in stock. GPC isn't 'proud' enough of what they have to show the side you'd see when assembled on a bolt. Might be so rusty and pitted you'd not want to use 'um. ALL Mauser '98 parts, that aren't just rusted and pitted junk, are now hard to find, expensive from what they once were, or simply not available.

 

[AlNyhus]

Ive replaced a Mauser extractor with a new one from KB Tactical. Black finish and very good quality. About $50. -Al

 

[jackieschmidt]

Just a quick internet search; M98 extractors are now $40+, WHEN YOU CAN FIND THEM! Sarco, a popular surplus parts dealer, has ZERO in stock. GPC isn't 'proud' enough of what they have to show the side you'd see when assembled on a bolt. Might be so rusty and pitted you'd not want to use 'um. ALL Mauser '98 parts, that aren't just rusted and pitted junk, are now hard to find, expensive from what they once were, or simply not available.

I probably should not have said….”not that expensive”.

years ago, I built a Mauser for my oldest brother on a Santa Barbara after market action that would easily feed rounds in push fashion. it probably had an extractor that was not as stiff as the military versions and modified somewhat.

Like I said. My inclination is to leave this strictly control feed out of the magazine, since this is going to be a rifle meant to carry and hunt with. Heck, I plan on shooting Factory ammo, as there are excellent choices for the 280 Remington in the pressure range of this old vintage action for just about any scenario. Granted, not as many choices as a 7/08, 270, or 30/06, but enough.