I have a mauser 98 that needs a facelift. I want to know how hard it is to customise it, and how many option's there are for doing this? it seem's like every where I turn its rem 700 this or that or a true custom that's outragous in price. I want to know where the Masuer sit's in all of this, is it even worth doing?
Mauser 98?
- Thread starter WtxHunter21
- Start date
butchlambert is a member of the forum and has a few very nice custom Mausers he has posted pictures of. He would be a good person to talk to. You may want to send him a PM as he will likely have a very good idea about what it takes and the results you can expect.
Here are the pics he posted of his Mausers:
http://www.accurateshooter.com/forum/index.php/topic,3749104.msg35868941.html#msg35868941
I know they are a bit more money to work on, and it takes a smith that knows the Mauser actions well. They are a bit harder to work on from what I understand. I am not sure if they can be made to be truly competitive with a full custom benchrest rifle, though they make excellent custom hunting rifles, and may even make a nice prone rifle or other rifle where pin point accuracy isn't quite as critical. It's not to say they can't be accurate, I am just not sure of what level of accuracy can truly be expected.
My local shop has a few nice custom Mausers. A really nice prone rig, a few heavy barrel varmint rigs, and several hunting rifles ranging from a basic sporterized Mauser to beautiful customs with very nice wood and deeply blued metal. If you have the money they make some of the nicest looking rifles you can buy, though that is more my opinion. They just have a style that is beyond that of most modern actions. They had style combined with function, something that I feel is rare in a modern bolt rifle.
I had looked into building a Mauser, as I have a 25-06 that needs attention. I ended up going with a Steven's as I just wasn't prepared for the investment at this point. I plan to keep the Mauser for a future project at some point.
Here are the pics he posted of his Mausers:
http://www.accurateshooter.com/forum/index.php/topic,3749104.msg35868941.html#msg35868941
I know they are a bit more money to work on, and it takes a smith that knows the Mauser actions well. They are a bit harder to work on from what I understand. I am not sure if they can be made to be truly competitive with a full custom benchrest rifle, though they make excellent custom hunting rifles, and may even make a nice prone rifle or other rifle where pin point accuracy isn't quite as critical. It's not to say they can't be accurate, I am just not sure of what level of accuracy can truly be expected.
My local shop has a few nice custom Mausers. A really nice prone rig, a few heavy barrel varmint rigs, and several hunting rifles ranging from a basic sporterized Mauser to beautiful customs with very nice wood and deeply blued metal. If you have the money they make some of the nicest looking rifles you can buy, though that is more my opinion. They just have a style that is beyond that of most modern actions. They had style combined with function, something that I feel is rare in a modern bolt rifle.
I had looked into building a Mauser, as I have a 25-06 that needs attention. I ended up going with a Steven's as I just wasn't prepared for the investment at this point. I plan to keep the Mauser for a future project at some point.
Preacher
Gold $$ Contributor
The 98's can be made into a nice shooting hunting rifle no problem, if you plan on shooting comp with one you'll spend a ton of money doing it to be able to compete and win..... I have a nice VZ-24 in a 280 Remington I will not part with... it's a heck of a shooter on large game but has a time keeping 140's under a inch at 100 yards.....
The Mauser I want to make over is curently a 30-06, It will primarely be used for hunting so as long as it can shoot an inch and under at 100 yd's that will be a ok with me.
This is what I was thinking for the facelift:
Blueprinted action ( new parts as ness.)
I would like to do a box mag conversion
maybe a custom wood stock that mimic's the Mcmillan A-2 stock
Rebarell in .280 caliber w/ 24-26'' Pacnor #8 varmint contour
A aftermarket trigger
Just some item's I would like to consider. I need to find a reputable gunsmith that could take on this challange, anybody?
Oh yeah and thank's for the coments guy's, keep'em coming.
This is what I was thinking for the facelift:
Blueprinted action ( new parts as ness.)
I would like to do a box mag conversion
maybe a custom wood stock that mimic's the Mcmillan A-2 stock
Rebarell in .280 caliber w/ 24-26'' Pacnor #8 varmint contour
A aftermarket trigger
Just some item's I would like to consider. I need to find a reputable gunsmith that could take on this challange, anybody?
Oh yeah and thank's for the coments guy's, keep'em coming.
Check over on www.accuratereloading.com Several first rate Mauser smiths frequent that site.
WtxHunter,
sound like $500-800 or more project?
Is this Mauser in OK shape? if so put it a safe and get Stevens 200 for hunting. Unless this is an itch that needs a scratch
Stevens 200 .308 I have with custom como in gun kote finish, devcon beaded stock, Stevens hand lapped barrel, custom recoil lug, adjusted trigger (http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/savage/) shoots 1/2MOA with hand load ammo. All for $450.
I post a picture later today.
sound like $500-800 or more project?
Is this Mauser in OK shape? if so put it a safe and get Stevens 200 for hunting. Unless this is an itch that needs a scratch
Stevens 200 .308 I have with custom como in gun kote finish, devcon beaded stock, Stevens hand lapped barrel, custom recoil lug, adjusted trigger (http://www.varminthunters.com/tech/savage/) shoots 1/2MOA with hand load ammo. All for $450.
I post a picture later today.
My friend and I have 4 Mausers between us that we use for prarie dogs and coyotes. All 4 shoot great. My 243 shoots consistent 1" at 300yds and has killed pds over 1000 yds. Our gunsmith for Mausers is The Mauser Man (Jim Caudill 740-965-2185). If he could do it for you it would be an excellent job. Good luck.
John
John
I hear a lot about small ring and large ring Mauser's. How can I tell which one I have?
shortgrass
Silver $$ Contributor
The large ring measures 1.45 on the front receiver ring, the small ring measures 1.35. These numbers are approximate because they are forgings not milled from a billet. The large ring has a barrel thread tenon of 1.100"x 12 t.p.i. , the small ring has a thread that is .980"x 12 t.p.i.. There are many variations when it comes to Mausers. Large ring w/ small thread, small w/large thread ect., ect. The '98 w/ large ring and thread is the one you want. All Mausers take extra work. They need to be drilled and tapped for scope mounts, an after market safety will be needed, bolt handle will need to be forged or cut off and another welded on. The front of the receiver ring should be "trued" but I'm not a fan of lapping lugs as these are 'case hardened' low carbon steel not alloy steel like modern actions. They make fine sporters or varminters when properly built. There are better choices for target/high precision rifles out there. I have several I built while I was in gunsmith school and a couple more on Mauser '98s' since then. They'll all do better than 1" groups @ 100 yds. w/ handloads. I'm particular about who made the '98 I'm planning on using. I'm partial to DWM, Oberndorfs', CZs', and those made by Steyr. The FN isn't bad either. You can do with the military trigger but you are better off replacing it w/ a good aftermarket one. That's alot of extra stuff to do verses a modern made action, especially if you can not do the work yourself.
I sporterized (1) Mauser 45 years ago.
I have sporterized (100) over the last 10 years.
It is generally not worth the time and money.
If you look at a Rem 700 and think it is perfection, you are lucky.
If you look at at Rem 700 and think it is a cheap piece of junk, it will cost you.
Mausers are not the only well built gun. Ruger #1s are well designed too.
I have sporterized (100) over the last 10 years.
It is generally not worth the time and money.
If you look at a Rem 700 and think it is perfection, you are lucky.
If you look at at Rem 700 and think it is a cheap piece of junk, it will cost you.
Mausers are not the only well built gun. Ruger #1s are well designed too.
shortgrass said:
Shortgrass,
I genuinely thought the Mausers were having the barrel bearing against the inside collar, then, why trueing the receiver face?
From all the geramn G98 and K98K I have seen, all those made before mid-WW2 were of excellent quality. It is then important, I think, to identify the manufacturer and year by interpreting the 'Waffenamt' code on the receiver.
All those mde under various foreign contracts prior to WW2 by DWM, MauserWerke.., were of excellent quality/materials...
R.G.C.
shortgrass
Silver $$ Contributor
Yes, If when breaking down a military '98, and one pays attention, you will find it torques against the "Mauser collar". I was taught to square the face of the front ring, cut the barrel tenon length to .0015/.002" less than the distance from the face of the front ring to the collar and let thread crush (from torquing) do the rest. Makes for an accurate set-up and no unsightly gap between the barrel shoulder and the front of the action. The '98s' made between the Wars are the ones I want to use. European craftsmanship was at its best, then. Unfortunately, those are getting harder and harder to find that aren't a collector,,,, or a rusty piece of junk.
You can true the action face, true the inner C ring, lap the lugs, true the bolt face, chase the threads, speed up the lock time, glass bed the action, pillar bed the action, get a 1 ounce trigger, turn the case necks, weigh the brass, de burr the flash holes, weigh each powder charge, put a metalflake paint job on the stock, and lap the scope rings.
Your groups likely won't change.
You can get a heavy, high quality, clean barrel with quality bullets touching the lands in concentric ammo, with scope mounts tight on the action, a shooting technique that keeps the cross hairs on the bullseye when dry firing, and a trip to the range on a windless day.
Your groups will likely get better.
Your groups likely won't change.
You can get a heavy, high quality, clean barrel with quality bullets touching the lands in concentric ammo, with scope mounts tight on the action, a shooting technique that keeps the cross hairs on the bullseye when dry firing, and a trip to the range on a windless day.
Your groups will likely get better.
shortgrass
Silver $$ Contributor
Dry fire a Mauser, sometimes only once, and you'll need another firing pin as the cam on the pin will deform.
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