What Do I Do With It?

mmattockx

mmattockx

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So I bought a beater Mauser 98 last year to use as a basis for a custom rifle, but it is still sitting over a year later. It is a 1940's Spanish Mauser, with what looks like the military barrel still on it, chambered in 8x57 and set into a beat up sporter stock, with hideously installed open sights. Still has the straight bolt handle and has not been drilled and tapped for scope mounts. I am losing enthusiasm for using the action on a custom due to it's short mag not allowing me to chamber for any of the 30-06 based cartridges and load to full length. I am not a fan of the 8x57 or I would simply put a new barrel on it in that calibre.

So, what do I do with it? Build a custom anyway and accept that any '06 based cartridges will need to be loaded to a max OAL of 3.30"? Sell it and use the money to buy a different action to start a build with? Spend $$$ to stretch the mag enough to allow full length 30-06 based calibres?

If anyone cares, my first choice for a calibre is 338-06.

Thanks,
Mark
 
Well - You'd probably be better off with an 1917 Enfield action if you want to stay in the 30-06 league. Perhaps you should reconsider the 8X57 calibre, assuming the existing bore is good - it has some serious thumping power.
Do a minimalist effort - new stock, peep site ... If you dont like it, you can likely get your money back.
 
I would not bother getting it rebarreled.....you can find another stock...scope bases and maybe rechamber to something like 8mm-06 if you want to stay in that Family.

Not that there are any flies on the 8x57 .
 
sell it and buy a 35 cal tradex rifle. You can't even begin to stock, sight and barrel it for the 300 tradex will charge you for a ready to hunt rifle with a 35 cal bullet in a x57 or x62 case. Building a sporter from an action is only for the deep pocketed guy with a yearning for something odd and unobtainable. If you lookign to spend 2K on building a rifle at least start with a better action.

stock 200-300 or more
bolt handle 100-200
DT 60
mounts/rings 100
barrel/fitting skys the limit
scope compatiable saftey and trigger 100-300
refinishing/bluing skys the limit.

new stock, peep site ... If you dont like it, you can likely get your money back.
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only if you can stock it, buy the sight and drill and tap it for 150 bucks, The you'll still need to find a sucker with more money then market knowledge LOL. There really is nothing to do with that rifle other then use it as is, which is not a bad thing.
 
david doyle said:
sell it and buy a 35 cal tradex rifle. You can't even begin to stock, sight and barrel it for the 300 tradex will charge you for a ready to hunt rifle with a 35 cal bullet in a x57 or x62 case. Building a sporter from an action is only for the deep pocketed guy with a yearning for something odd and unobtainable. If you lookign to spend 2K on building a rifle at least start with a better action.

stock 200-300 or more
bolt handle 100-200
DT 60
mounts/rings 100
barrel/fitting skys the limit
scope compatiable saftey and trigger 100-300
refinishing/bluing skys the limit.
Click to expand...

Well, I am not looking for a cheap rifle, or the fastest route to a ready to hunt rifle (I already have several of those). A lot of people would say that the 98 action is as good as it gets, if short for my uses.

Mark
 
I wouldn't invest any money on anything made in Spain of that vintage. Their
quality does not warrant any investment except for a beater.
JMHO
bigbull
 
Desicions, desicions huh?

Just out of curiosity, why arn't you a fan of the 8x57 cartridge mmattockx? I'd love to get my hands on a good Mauser chambered in that round. Thats just me though. Again, if it were me, i'd just get rid of it if it's not up your alley and use the money toward something that's more of what you want. From the sounds of it, you'd have to spend a sh*tload of money converting it into the type of rifle your looking for.

I've said this in other threads and i'll have to stand by it now but if Trade Ex has any more BRNO ZG-47's in 30-06 then maybe that's something that would fit the bill for you. They had 4 or 5 a few weeks ago that were chambered in 30-06 for 850$ a piece. I've got one and it's a beautiful Mauser type actioned rifle. That way you could get a very reliable action and then get it rebarreld to the 338-06 that you're looking for without having to do much else, if anything, to it. Good luck in whatever you decide man.

Dorian
 
It's hard for me to comment on the action's suitability without seeing it but it is common practice to lengthen the magazine box slightly to allow the use of 30/06 length cartridges. If the action is reasonably good, you can figure on spending about 700.00 to end up with a barreled action in 338/06 which is drilled and tapped and with the bolt handle altered for scope use. From there, the more you spend, the nicer it gets. The expense of lengthening the mag box is a drop in the bucket. Regards, Bill.
 
david doyle said:
I am one of them but amongst mauser actions there are good ones, better ones and crappy ones.
Click to expand...

That is a fair assessment, IMO. Before progressing with this project, I will be spending more effort to determine where this one sits in that spectrum.

Leeper said:
It's hard for me to comment on the action's suitability without seeing it
Click to expand...

Bill, PM sent with some more detailed questions.

Thanks,
Mark
 
david doyle said:
I am one of them but amongst mauser actions there are good ones, better ones and crappy ones.
Click to expand...

The more I look at this one, the more I think it should be someone's truck gun somewhere. But not mine.

What do you think of the Husqvarna commercial FN98 rifles at Trade Ex? I can get one of those already in 30-06 for ~$350, with bent bolt and weaver bases already mounted and only needing a rebarrel, new trigger with side safety and refinish to have the 98 action I want in 338-06, ready for a stock (which I plan to finish myself).

zuke said:
What's a Tradex rifle?
Click to expand...

http://www.tradeexcanada.com/index.php?option=com_paxgallery&task=table&gid=5

Site sponsor Trade Ex, up in the banner ads at the top of the page. They have a huge pile of used rifles at generally decent prices.

Mark
 
mmattockx said:
So, what do I do with it? Build a custom anyway and accept that any '06 based cartridges will need to be loaded to a max OAL of 3.30"? Sell it and use the money to buy a different action to start a build with? Spend $$$ to stretch the mag enough to allow full length 30-06 based calibres?

If anyone cares, my first choice for a calibre is 338-06.

Thanks,
Mark
Click to expand...

The 9.3X62, with it's OAL of 3.29", will fit quite nicely in that 3.30" box.
 
The FN actions are top shelf, as far as fit, feel and finish. FWIW - there are two variants, I believe the newer one had a hinged floorplate vs fixed. Be mindful of anything that has been D+T'd - Swedish gunsmiths were a pretty rough crowd.
 
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