Has any one chambered a 98 mauser in 30-30? I have a few 98 action's kicking around and I have thought I would like to play around with cast bullet's . The 30-30 seems to be a pretty good case capacity for that. My concern is 30-30 brass is not as strong in the web area as the typical rimless case the 98 was designed for. Not concerned with feeding as it will be shot from bench single shot. 30 BR seems to be the caliber of choice in cast bench rest at the moment. But a look at the cost of a set of die scares me off that idea when I can make a 30-30 go with what I have on hand.
30-30 Winchester in 98 mauser
- Thread starter slowfire
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
A 98 Mauser and single shot - I think you will find that the standard extractor will not want to "snap over" the rim of the cartridge if you drop a cartridge into the chamber and try to close the bolt. I had read that some have been able to grind or modify the face of the extractor, but I have been "too chicken" to get it to work, since not really very much there to start with. P14 and M1917 were made for single loading - the front end of their extractor has a lot more "meat" and their receiver seems to be broached along right side to allow that extractor to cam to the right as it goes over the rim.
I have a "project" here that I can not get to work as a repeater - a Mauser 98 that I have installed a 243 Win barrel. I know the Isreali's and other converted many 8x57 Mausers to 7.62 NATO - I have more than one here - but I am missing something in the feeding system that does not allow this 243 to feed correctly. So, I bought a single shot follower (Score Hi or Hi Score was the brand name) that allows the single load to start below the level of the bolt, so that the cartridge rim rises up behind the mauser extractor as the bottom of the bolt pushes the top of the cartridge forward. Since the 30-30 has a larger diameter rim than does the original 8x57 family, I think that will be an issue, after you have opened up that bolt face.
I have a "project" here that I can not get to work as a repeater - a Mauser 98 that I have installed a 243 Win barrel. I know the Isreali's and other converted many 8x57 Mausers to 7.62 NATO - I have more than one here - but I am missing something in the feeding system that does not allow this 243 to feed correctly. So, I bought a single shot follower (Score Hi or Hi Score was the brand name) that allows the single load to start below the level of the bolt, so that the cartridge rim rises up behind the mauser extractor as the bottom of the bolt pushes the top of the cartridge forward. Since the 30-30 has a larger diameter rim than does the original 8x57 family, I think that will be an issue, after you have opened up that bolt face.
I have considered .308 and have a reamer , but 30-30 case capacity seems like it would be a advantage.Potash I have a 98 chambered in .308 set up with a home made single shot feed ramp and it does pick up a 30-30 case with the rim under the extracter like it should, at least it starts , the bolt face needs to opened up a smidgen for the 30-30
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The 98 is relatively easy to set up as a single shot to use a rimmed cartridge though you may have to open the bolt face a bit. Also, check to be sure the extractor will allow the thicker 30/30 rim behind it. It may be necessary to either thin the extractor a little or face the bolt back about ten thou (shorten the firing pin at the same time). If you wish to headspace on the rim (as you should) the bolt nose needs to be altered and the barrel fitted with a protrusion to extend to within .063" of the bolt face.
As far as concerns about web strength go, you might want to measure the thickness of the web on some 30/30 brass and compare that to some 308 brass. There is little, if any, difference. On fact some 30/30 brass is quite thick at the web
As far as concerns about web strength go, you might want to measure the thickness of the web on some 30/30 brass and compare that to some 308 brass. There is little, if any, difference. On fact some 30/30 brass is quite thick at the web
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
That would be my choice for a cast boolit launcher in a Mauser build. The smaller rim diameter of the .35 Rem (.460" vs .473") compared to the .308 Win, 7x57 etc.
will negate true CRF, but t'is an easier conversion than a rimmed cartridge job. Fixing the barrel to the receiver with a barrel nut like Savage and others allows for simple headspace adjustment as well.
I have a lovely GEW 98 that was converted to 8.15 x 46R, sometime before WWI.
Cases are still available from RWS but very expensive.
I use 30-30 cases, trimmed to proper length and also trim the rims to .486 diameter from the .506 of the parent case.
This rifle was built utilizing a set back Gew 98 barrel. It will shoot any jacketed 323-324 diameter bullets well. It really likes .330 diameter cast lead bullets that start out at .329 and gain appx .001 with powder coating.
My rifle is unusual in that it likes heavy appx 180 grain bullets.
I posted this for a comparison of your 30-30 proposal for a single shot Mauser 98.
You can open the bolt face if you choose, but if you're going to keep your cartridges separate, why bother? Much easier to just turn down the rims to fit the existing face. As for the extractor, someone with experience, should do the grinding for you.
IMHO, grinding a 98 claw extractor to "snap" over the rim can be done but it can lead to breakage. Those extractors weren't designed for upward pressure.
It has a hardwood block that has been carved to allow a cartridge to be placed on it, so that its rim is just below, what appears to be a slightly modified extractor.
The cartridges feed flawlessly.
Potashminer, you need to carefully stone the cartridge guides on your receiver to reliably feed the 243 cases in your rifle. Most don't require any modifications. Is it possible the receiver was used for a larger diameter cartridge, before you got it?? Have you modified the mag well and floorplate for the shorter cartridge, to keep the nose from tipping down, when it's pushed forward by the bolt??
Cases are still available from RWS but very expensive.
I use 30-30 cases, trimmed to proper length and also trim the rims to .486 diameter from the .506 of the parent case.
This rifle was built utilizing a set back Gew 98 barrel. It will shoot any jacketed 323-324 diameter bullets well. It really likes .330 diameter cast lead bullets that start out at .329 and gain appx .001 with powder coating.
My rifle is unusual in that it likes heavy appx 180 grain bullets.
I posted this for a comparison of your 30-30 proposal for a single shot Mauser 98.
You can open the bolt face if you choose, but if you're going to keep your cartridges separate, why bother? Much easier to just turn down the rims to fit the existing face. As for the extractor, someone with experience, should do the grinding for you.
IMHO, grinding a 98 claw extractor to "snap" over the rim can be done but it can lead to breakage. Those extractors weren't designed for upward pressure.
It has a hardwood block that has been carved to allow a cartridge to be placed on it, so that its rim is just below, what appears to be a slightly modified extractor.
The cartridges feed flawlessly.
Potashminer, you need to carefully stone the cartridge guides on your receiver to reliably feed the 243 cases in your rifle. Most don't require any modifications. Is it possible the receiver was used for a larger diameter cartridge, before you got it?? Have you modified the mag well and floorplate for the shorter cartridge, to keep the nose from tipping down, when it's pushed forward by the bolt??
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Good idea.
Israelis also changed the receiver guide rail profiles, albeit very slightly. I checked out the difference between a CZ24 chambered in 8x57 and a CZ converted by the Israelis to 7.62 Nato. The Israeli also has a spacer, along with the shorter follower.
Check the internet for 98 triggerguard/floorplate assemblies with spacers and shorter followers. They used to be offered by several different suppliers, such as Sarco and Numerich.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Thanks for suggestions. I have no idea what the receiver had previously been used for. It has been a few years now, but I think the receiver, bolt, stock and barrel were all separate purchases - had them on hand a while before I tried assembling it? It does seem to work fine as a single shot, but I was hoping for a repeater. I was using a trigger guard / magazine box from an Isreali conversion that is blocked, with a follower that goes up and down smoothly - was actually my next plan to lay this receiver upside down beside Isreali conversion to see if anything was altered. I also have a Parker Hale with a mauser receiver that feeds 308 Win just fine, so was hoping to pick up what the difference might be, by trying to feed 243 Win through that Parker Hale. I do also have a BSA sporter in 30-06 - a conversion from an M1917 - rifle was originally for 30-06, yet BSA did some pretty serious re-shaping on the side rails - had read somewhere that was to allow round nose bullets to feed slickly - to allow the cartridge shoulder to rise sooner as the "fat" bullet rides up the feeding ramp a bit sooner than the milsurp bullet would - in my mind that this 243 is a combination of smaller diameter bullet going up feed ramp and not getting cartridge shoulder far enough out of the rails, compared to original 8x57?.
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