Help with Bubba Mauser 98

canoe2

canoe2

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Seeking some opinions on this. I bought this Mauser at an auction (very cheap) because the custom stock is nice. Didn’t look closely, it had an old mounted 4x banner scope. Found the scope moved almost freely, and was mounted with a single-bolt ring setup that actually had a paper washer as a spacer (seriously). So removed it, and have now found there are 3 holes, two of which line up and one off-centre, and it doesn’t match the 3-hole (1 rear hole) Mauser setup. So I really don’t know what this is.

Any options for a sight mount here, aside from tig welding the holes and re-drilling? Seems like a lot of work and could make it worse. I’d be fine with a peep sight - note there is no front sight at all and no filled holes, it’s one of the stepped-down barrels. Not familiar with old Mausers so maybe the front sight is not drilled on them?

Thanks!

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Front sight on a military mauser 98 were soldered as well there was a set screw under the front sight blade and some went as far as a cross pin. Personally I think they're ugly and rather have a ramp front sight installed.

EGW makes a 1 piece mount that only requires 1 secured screw in the rear and 2 up front. Was designed for rifles that did not have the stripper clip guide grounded off.

Or just take it to a smith and get them to drill 2 new holes and mount weaver bases.
 
Install a one piece bridge mount. Drill additional holes as necessary. The one piece mount will hide the misery.
Or use a sidemount.
The holes can be plugged by installing screw plugs left a bit proud. Use a light hammer to rivet them down, dress flush and cold blue. The holes won't disappear but will be unobtrusive.
 
I don't know if they're still available but if the tangent sight base is still on the barrel, there's a diopter type sight available that utilises the base/spring and is adjustable for windage/elevation. Very simple to install and doesn't require any tools.

I have one on a rifle and it works very well and I bought it at a gun show in a parts box. There isn't any manufacturer stamp and it's aluminum

The Japanese used a similar type sight on some of the Type 99 rifles.

I believe they're made by S&K Insta Mounts
 
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Somewhere I had read should be two holes on that front ring - rear of the two into the recess for the bolt lug (not into the bulkhead that supports the bolt lug) and then front one often done as "blind hole" - NOT into the barrel, which I have had opportunity to see often - is one that was here that Buddy had to be very close to breakthrough into the chamber - but had not. I see is various hole spacings over the years on rear bridge bases that were used - some as close together as 0.375", some at 0.505" and some at 0.605", as well as the type with the single rear hole - and if that one not drilled precisely, end up with a series of holes back there. It had been my practice, before I got a Forster jig, for one piece base, to install rear front hole first - drill and tap it and mount the one-piece base - then use that "installed" base as a template to drill and tap front hole on front ring - then snug those two screws down and verify (the lack of) clearance to rear bridge - then do that lone rear hole, last. That lone hole on the rear often becomes front or rear hole for two hole base, if I change my mind about the base arrangement on that rifle - but does not always work out that way - is several Mauser rifles here with a empty drilled/tapped hole under a rear two hole base.

There is an elderly (?) XS brand "Ghost Ring Aperture Rear Sight" for a Mauser 98 - 22-2015A-058-1 that calls for #6 holes @ 0.605" C-C. I have not yet come across a Mauser 98 with that hole spacing for rear scope base holes, so it has never been installed yet, although I likely could install it on common 0.505" spacing holes, by drilling and tapping a third hole.
 
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Looks like the charger bridge has been ground down crudely. Any decent gunsmith should be able to remedy the various faults, including possibly epoxy bedding the rear bridge area the correct the grinding faults.
 
I have an old one piece scope base from the sixties that was made for the standard length and inermediate length 98 actions.

It only has one hole on the receiver ring and it has two holes for the bridge. The charger bridge needs to be ground/milled flush to properly mount.

One of the biggest bubba mistakes made is to try to measure the centers of where they want to drill the holes, then use a center punch to indicate and guid their drill bits.

The proper way to do this is with a trammel and initially indicate the holes with a "center drill" then install the proper size tapping drill and drill out the holes.

It's also advisable to use the chuck on your drill press or mill to ''start'' the tapping process "turned by hand" to ensure the holes are tapped true.

I can't count the amount of very decent receivers that have been buggered because the operator of the tooling doesn't know what they're doing.
 
Coyote Ugly said:
I would put on a set of repro High Turret Mounts.

https://accumounts.com/german-k98.html
Click to expand...

I am not sure of that? A buddy was struggling to repair one that had worked loose - at least the front base was mounted with screws that enter the receiver at an angle - they were not at Top Dead Center of the receiver ring - so have to be set up to drill and tap that angle - on each side - not terribly difficult to do, but those turrets were also originally soft soldered in place, besides the screws - can not have ANY shim or gap underneath, or the mounting holes do not line up due to that installed angle.
 
Not all of them are done that way, but many are. I have a set of High Turret Ring bases on a 98 and it has two holes drilled through the recess, on center from the top and are covered when the bases are in place.

Same goes for the claw mount scope mounted Mannlicher in the safe that doesn't see the light often enough.

High mounted scopes really need to be mounted properly or they come off when least needed or expected. That's why so many of them were soldered in place.

I've even seen a couple that had some incredibly large dovetails cut into the receiver ring to form a base that would stand up to the torque forces.

Those holes can be filled and the reciever refinished/bridge milled and d&t properly but at what cost???? if you can't do the work yourself.

If you have to job that out, it's going to cost more than one of the similar rifles offered on the banner sponsor "Intersurplus" which has a fine selection of similar rifles at very decent prices.

If the rifle in the pics was mine, it would get stripped for useable parts and the receiver would be set aside for repair or tossed.

Right now, that rifle is worth more as parts than it is as a complete rifle. Just IMHO of course.
 
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