Build a Mauser Based Hunting Rifle

icanuck

icanuck

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I noticed this discussion going on in a neighbouring thread (http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=390528). I must admit I really like the results of those builds and I think I'd like to start one without hijacking his thread. I've wanted a Mauser based rifle for many years and I like the idea of building one more than just buying one - anyone can do that!! I figure I should be able to start now and have it ready by next summer to develop a load and use it next fall!!

Verbal diarrhea warning!!

As someone who has never built from scratch. Where do I start. I understand I'd have to look around for the parts, but there are so many questions that come to mind? What make of Mauser action is considered ideal? Does it matter? Whats a good place to look for one (few matches in the EE)? A matter of patience perhaps? Barrels? Stocks? Triggers?

I'd like a 7x57mm cartridge. I've seen reference to the Mauser in this cartridge. Are they available readily in this chambering or is it something that has to be gunsmithed? 6.5x55mm? It'd be used for deer.

Do I find an old K98 and start there? Would this option be more expensive/destructive? I don't really want to be responsible for destroying an historic example. Should I just contact a good gunsmith and stop typing so much?

Good gunsmith - leads me to another question - what is a good one in the Ottawa area who could help me with such a thing? Am I looking at hundreds or a couple thousand to pull this off?

Any advice is greatly appreciated to get this young buck started oh wise ones.

Once I start, I think I'll keep this thread updated with progress.

Thanks.
 
Hey I Canuck,

It can be addictive and costly to build from scratch.
My 7X57 cost well over $2000 by the time I was done, I had a budget of $1200 then kept adding.

Would have been cheaper to find one already started by someone else.

Send me a PM and I will give you the name of the guy who built mine and building 2 more in Ottawa area.

Hope you have patience, will be well over a year before it is done.
 
Starting with a surplus military action can be an expensive proposition. Time you replace trigger, safety, floorplate, bolt handle, possible re-heat treat for some, surface grinding, fitting mounts and then a stock you can be into some serious coin.

A better way is to find a used commercial Mauser such as sold once by Browning, Sako, Interarms, Brno, Husqvarna, Sears (FN actions finished up by High Standard), Whitworth, etc. and start with some of those components already supplied. Try to start with an action and magazine that are already sized correctly for your cartridge choice be it a standard cartridge head size or a Magnum head size. Mausers can be finicky with any variation in cartridge shape from what they were originally designed for. The problems associated are fixable but at a cost(s).

If you visit the AR gunsmithing forum you will quickly find lots of great examples of custom Mausers by guys like Ralf Martini and Duane Wiebe, Maurice Ottmar (now deceased) and others . We are speaking serious coin there by the way with some custom stocks approximating $5000 by themselves.

Also do a web search for Hallowell and Co. to see some great used rifles of all types.
 
A lot of smiths want to do a lot of work to a Mauser action before using it to ensure that it is sound. Of course, all this costs more money. But custom rifles cost money. the downside is that most guys that build a custom Mauser want a certain style. Most want a classic hunting rifle which means fine polish and bluing, open sights as well as scope mounts and a wooden stock with nice figure. All these things cost money, certainly more money than a matte stainless rifle in a synthetic stock built on a Remington action. Everything about the rifle costs more, from the action to the bottom metal to all the finishing. Then again, you end up with, in my opinion, a much finer looking rifle. Now, if you're going to hunt in a downpour or other soggy conditions, the finish on a fine walnut stock will take a beating and will require redoing and if you aren't meticulous with maintenance you will have rust before the trip is out. That said, I know of one particular example of a fine rust-blued custom Mauser with a walnut stock that hunted hard in the Granisle area of BC and did not come to any harm. If you take care of them they will last, but if you're the kind of guy that walks in and stands the rifle in a corner for a few days to dry out, rust-blued and walnut is not for you. Too, the Mauser action is probably not the ideal one if you're looking for a lightweight mountain rifle. They can be made light, make no mistake, but the action starts out much heavier than a Remington, so the weight will have to be saved elsewhere, either with a lighter weight barrel than you'd have on a Remington, or in a lightweight stock (and featherweight glass stocks aren't cheap).

If I was building a Mauser it would certainly be a 98. Caliber is always open for debate. I have a Mauser in 9.3x62 that I dearly love and the Old Man has a fine featherweight M98 in 7x57 that is just a beauty (though I can't remember what manufacture the action is). Whichever way you come down, I would start with an action appropriate to the chambering - meaning don't try to build a 338-06 on a 7x57 donor action, use a 9.3x62 donor or a 30-06 donor. No matter what chambering you decide on, you can find a M98 from TradeEx (site sponsor) and would be well served to go from there. In fact, they have a M98 in 8x57 (item 5607), 30-06 (item 6011) or 9.3x62 (item 6338) that would serve beautifully as donors. I wouldn't start with an action that is drilled and tapped for a side mount (I'd like to have some words with whomever drilled and tapped all those 98s for side mounts) and instead look either for one that is not drilled at all (ideal but likely pricier) or one that is drilled and tapped for Weaver mounts (less desirable because I'd rather I knew the 'smith that did the work to ensure that it's up to scratch). It's easiest if you're keeping the original barrel, and you may even be able to simply rebore the barrel if you go to a larger caliber (unlikely though unless you're going bigger).

When deciding on what to chamber the rifle in, I tend to be a traditionalist. There's nothing wrong with chambering your Mauser project to 270, 30-06, 338-06 or anything else - it's your project and you can do what you like. But for me, I tend to be a traditionalist. That means Mauser chamberings in Mauser rifles. I might be persuaded to do a Mauser in 30-06, but I doubt it. 7x57 and 9.3x62 are the only ones that interest me at this point. You might be happier with a 35 Whelen of a 280 AI. That's the beauty of custom rifles - you get exactly what you want.

I also think that a Custom Mauser should have open sights. I don't know why, in this age of optical sights, but that's how I'm wired. My 9.3x62 doesn't wear a scope, being a dedicated open-sighted moose and bear stomper. For sights I am a big fan of New England Custom Gun's Masterpiece banded front sight because it looks th eway I think a Mauser front sight should look. They also make several rear sights which I wouldn't hesitate to use.

For a wooden stock on a custom, you'll be looking at a custom stock and really it would be foolish to slap a custom in just any stock (God forbid, a laminated stock). A top-notch stick whittler will cost you a bundle of money, but in the end you'll have an amazing stock that fits you perfectly. Again, you won't be struck down for putting a custom Mauser in a plastic or fiberglass stock...I think... :D

Bottom line - if you want a custom rifle on a Mauser action you should go ahead and do it. No matter the cartridge, style or configuration, a custom rifle will be exactly what you want with no compromises - exactly the way it should be.
 
Rekon if I could build what I wanted it would be the olde guild prewar style.
Posted pics of this one before. This is before I started refinishing the stock, it had a real gross orange tinge to the stain.
Toyed with the idea of adding a side mount but was advised to stay away as they can tend to shift POI from the side torque recoil produces. Suhler claw mounts perhaps. A shame to modify the old girl but I plan to use it long term and my eyes are no good in the dark timber using irons.

This is a pre war German Guild rifle. In other words small buisness smithy's would buy milsurp actions and take them home to build their rendition of a hunting rifle. Many have similar designs from the time but may have been built for the end user in mind, specific LOP etc. I guess this would fall into a custom Mauser, it certainly is not your average reworked misurp!
-1912-1917 Small ring 98, 9,3x57
-full rib.
-stock and bottom metal nearly identical to a Brno 21.
- engraved receiver and bottom metal.
DSC01422.jpg

DSC01423.jpg

DSC01427.jpg

DSC01428.jpg

DSC01420.jpg

DSC01426.jpg


Here are two other similar guild rifles top in 10,75x57 and then a 318 Westley Richards. Not sure if the same maker for the 318 but I am 90% sure the 10,75 is. At least it and my 9,3 were both exported by 'KABA'. My rifle had the bolt lost hence why it uses a butterknife now. Fluked out and found a replacement that fit with only slight honing.
1075x57.jpg

318WestleyRichards.jpg


I got mine from Simpson's Ltd. They get some neat stuff in from time to time. It will cost far less if you get one that someone else paid to get built. SakoAlberta can help you get it up here wil no fuss at all.
 
Curious - I after checking around the net I see there are lots of M96 around for much less $. Why is this? Any opinions on why a 98 over 96 as a donor welcomed.

I think I like one of the M98's at Tradex, but it's in 8mm. You just can't rechamber it 7mm can you?

And who did drill all those things in side mount!?!
 
icanuck said:
Curious - I after checking around the net I see there are lots of M96 around for much less $. Why is this? Any opinions on why a 98 over 96 as a donor welcomed.

I think I like one of the M98's at Tradex, but it's in 8mm. You just can't rechamber it 7mm can you?

And who did drill all those things in side mount!?!
Click to expand...

They are all imports from Europe. side mounts were at one time popular for using open sightys with the scope in place.

96's don't have the crowds attention like a 98 and therefore bring a lower price. To go 7x57 is a rebarrel job unless they by chance end up with one so chambered. Ellwood Epps might get a 7x57 in too. Challenge is the bore condition of some of them.
 
icanuck said:
Curious - I after checking around the net I see there are lots of M96 around for much less $. Why is this? Any opinions on why a 98 over 96 as a donor welcomed.

I think I like one of the M98's at Tradex, but it's in 8mm. You just can't rechamber it 7mm can you?

And who did drill all those things in side mount!?!
Click to expand...

The 96 action has 2 locking lugs as opposed to 3 lugs on 98.
The 96 cocks on closing the bolt where the 98 cocks on opening.

JJ
 
Keep in mind a lot of Milsup Swedish Mausers where turned into target and hunting rifles after the war...and I'm told not much if any trigger work was needed.

Most of the focus seemed to have been on modding the stock and adding front and rear target sights, and I'm told there was a law in Sweden to change out the military sights anyway if it was to be used for hunting.

Mounting a scope with enough eye relief and bolt/safety clearance is another issue. Changing the floor plate is not really needed, especially if the original saftey is still intact as center position (safety wing up) was used for safe unloaded via the action with short cycling.

Personally I would take a peek at what Tradex has to offer, they have lots of Mausers to choose from that might make a good starting point for you.
 
Personally I would take a peek at what Tradex has to offer, they have lots of Mausers to choose from that might make a good starting point for you.
Click to expand...

This is the way to go IMO, unless you have to remodel your own, but it is going to cost you alot more.

You can buy Parker Hales, Brownings, Zastava's and all the rest of them ...they are available regularly on the EE.

In fact that is where I bought my 30.06 mauser all ready done, and it shoots under an inch at 100 yards.

Cost was $450 and it is a great hunting gun.
 
Thanks to all who offered advice. The general consensus seemed to start with a Tradex donor. So that's what I did. I followed BigUglyMan's advice and picked up the Husqvarna M98 Sporter in 8x57 from Tradex (5607). Seems a good start. I'll start thinking and deciding what to do with it as I wait for it's arrival.

Initial thoughts are to re-barrel if for 7x57 as that's the calibre I have my mind set on. Bit of a traditionalist also, Mausers should be in Mauser chamberings. I found this article at surplus rifles (http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/duckeaglepart1/index.asp) and I like what they have done. Any one have an idea what it costs to perform some of the work done to the action (I've budgeted $1000 for action and barrel work including buying the donor). In that article this work was done to the action:
# Supply & fit an # 3 contour, 26-inch barrel in 7mm08 caliber.
# Supply & fit a custom bolt handle.
# Lap Bolt lugs into action recesses.
# True receiver & bolt face so they are axially aligned.
# Fit a Timney Sportsman Trigger (set trigger weight at 2.5 lb).
# Replace military leaf safety with a low profile Bueller Safety Lever.
# Drill & Tap the action for Weaver scope bases.
# Bead blast & satin blue the action & barrel.

These all seem reasonable to me to smooth the action and restore it to good working order. I'm also thinking that the individual parts be looked at to ensure proper function, look at the extractor, head space, etc. to ensure good working order. I'm thinking the heavy barrel as well as it would be used at the range and I deer hunt from a stand and the camp is minutes away from the stand. I'll start thinking about the stock after the metal work is done. When I get it from Tradex, I'll take some detailed pictures to serve as the "before" shots.

Any advice on who to do the work (local to Ottawa would be nice if possible) would be helpful. I have one contact so far, but always interested in options.

Also, any advice on what else I should consider is welcomed.

Thanks all.
 
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I don't want to overstate someone else's product, but you should consider that coming from Tradex, your rifle will probably be in better condition than expected. I bought one with the same intentions as you. It sits in my safe in its original configuration - too pretty to mess with.
 
From an economic point of view I can't really recommend sporterizing a Mauser (and I've done at least a dozen of my own and a few for friends). On your list above, I do everything except the blueing, and it is still tough to come in under 1k. As a labour of love, an interesting project (knowing going in that you will NEVER get the money out of it), sure. For a practical (in the original sense of the word, not the modern "tactical practical" fad) hunting rifle, use as is, or buy a Rem/Win/Sav/Rug/Sak/Tik/etc. FWIW - dan
 
Not a matter of money, it's a matter of interest and a learning experience and if it all works according to plan I'll hopefully have a rifle that's customized the way I want it.

I've already learned alot about Mausers (98 vs 96 for example, large ring, small ring), military vs commercial, Mauser calibres, reading about what I'll need know to hand load for it, gunsmithing, etc. I'm sure there will be much more to learn as I go.

I've got a Remmy 700 VTR in 308, it probably shoots better that I do (just picked up a new stock for it, hopefully to improve my groups) I caress it more than my wife sometimes. It serves as my current go to rifle for range fun and deer and fullfills the "modern darth vader/tacticool" section of my collection.

Looking to add something older and more traditional to the locker.
 
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