Mauser 66 - Project or not

Dug through a pile of rings and bases. This vintage weaver Rem 700 set up should work. Machine the front flat and add a hole over the rear claw that lines with existing hole. A couple longer screws and it might work without adding any other holes in the gun. In the mean time I’ll send the old scope out and wait for hopefully good news.

GFKHu3tl.jpg
 
When you sanded the coin hole out, did you hit a glue joint? It almost looks like there was a glue line on the side in the one picture, but the grain all lines up so perfectly… not sure what’s going on…. I think sanding out the hole was the best option for sure.
 
Last edited:
No there was no joint there. That mark is a pencil line I put on to get a feel of how far back I’d have to sand to blend it in without showing. I sanded forward all the way to the bolt handle notch. Used 80 grit with a block to keep it flat. Worked out pretty good. I don’t think anyone would know. Unless they read this thread.
 
Holy moly, great job on that coin insert and the rest of the rifle! Promise to give me first dibs to purchase it, once complete and when for sale?:d:d:d
 
Nicely done. Are you keeping the white lines or replacing the grip cap and forend tip?
Any word from trace scope repair?
Cool project, I hope you keep posting progress pictures.
 
Sure Gary. I hope it turns out. I’ve hit the stock with some antique oil. The first few coats are boring but ime it will improve with drying, multiple coats and wet sanding.

I left the white line spacers because I would have had to cut off and reattach the grip cap and rosewood tip. Which is beyond my skill set. I’ll see how the original finish on the rosewood tip looks after I’m done with the rest of the stock. Might have to strip it and refinish separately but hopefully not.

I haven’t called Trace yet. This next week I will.
 
Buckmastr said:
Sure Gary. I hope it turns out. I’ve hit the stock with some antique oil. The first few coats are boring but ime it will improve with drying, multiple coats and wet sanding.

I left the white line spacers because I would have had to cut off and reattach the grip cap and rosewood tip. Which is beyond my skill set. I’ll see how the original finish on the rosewood tip looks after I’m done with the rest of the stock. Might have to strip it and refinish separately but hopefully not.

I haven’t called Trace yet. This next week I will.
Click to expand...

Awesome!:d:d:d
 
It looks like both the front and rear claw are drilled and tapped? And both on flats presumably, I wonder if you could get a one piece ring mount blank of some kind and use those holes.

I think longwalkers solution is probably the most elegant but it’s fun to speculate.

I do wonder what the cost would be to machine new bases fit to the dovetails with a Talley pattern dovetail on top and how it would compare to getting blank rings from optics trade filed to fit
 
Longwalker said:
The Suhler claw mounts installed on that rifle are worth about $2000 to replace. You can't just buy another mount, they are individually hand fitted by a master craftsman. Perhaps three gunsmiths in Canada can properly install claw mounts. Martin Hagn is the only one I personally know of. The LM "prism" rail on the scope is no longer available on a new scope in Europe, unless a small boutique maker like Karl Kaps can be pursuaded to make a scope with those rails. You might find a good used scope with the exact correct height between objective bell and the main tube, but it's a long shot. What I did recently when faced with a similar dilemma was to get a good custom gunmaker to build a set of 1" (or 30mm) rings with the bottom machined into a dovetail the correct contour and height to imitate the rail on the bottom of the scope, then mount the scope of choice in place of the old one in the rings fitted to the claw bases.
The coin hole in the stock likely gives you three options - fill it with another metal, wood or other insert as a decoration, or fill with a wood plug that is a close facsimile of the stock wood, or just make a black or dark brown epoxy filler and when it's cured sand it to match the contour of the wood. In any case, good luck! Your rifle is well made, if oddly styled. It should be used and appreciated.
Click to expand...

I believe that EAW pivot mounts will fit nicely on this Model 66.
 
No I didn’t do the other side. You can’t see the difference unless you start taking measurements. Can’t feel any height difference either.

kdVZoeql.jpg
 
The following link might provide some insights for you on the scope mount front. As I mentioned before, you might have good luck finding modern rings for a scope tube from either Recknagel, EAW, or one other German company I forgot to mention, MAK. MAK appears to make SP66 specific mounts.

ht tps://www.optics-trade.eu/ca/mounts/shopby/make-mauser_66.html
 
A few options there thanks. The pics aren’t clear to me as how they would attach.

I’ve got that soldered on claw base sitting on the receiver bridge. That can be removed but I’d rather not until I decide whether the original scope will work or not.
 
The factory mounts should screw onto the rear and attach to the dovetail rail sight base. But, the rear has been machined out for the claw base, so I don’t see how the mounting solutions meant for a 66 would work.

Mauser 66 comes with a unique mounting surface. Optic mounts are mounted on the barrel rather than on the receiver with the front mounting surface using a 12mm dovetail and the rear one being drilled and tapped for scope mounts.
Click to expand...

Too bad that ringmount setup would probably be slick

I have not had great luck personally with MAK rings/ mounts
 
Buckmastr said:
There is a long dovetail on the front. Im not sure what sits under the rear claw. But, like you said, it would be nice to get a nice set of talley split rings on there somehow. Without drilling. I just dealt with one hole in this gun, Id hate to add more.


Click to expand...

OP, it sounds like you have machining capabilities???

I have modified similar bases for different rifles, including one recently on a custom 98 project.

The easiest method is to purchase or make up a Picatinny style rail, with enough depth that you can machine the desired widths and depth needed to install it in the present claw mounts.

It isn't difficult, if you have the equipment or a good friend to help.

By modifying a Picatinny base to fit between the claw mounts, you will not only preserve the look and intent of the bases but preserve a very valuable and capable mount system.

I have three different similar style mounts on different rifles. One I've left original, because I've got a couple of excellent scopes with proper ribs to fit.

One I've modified by machining the bases of off the shelf rings to fit into the dovetails of the claw bases and this was very tedious, especially getting them absolutely level and square to each other. I used Burris Signature rings to take up the very slight differences of a few thoushandths of an inch.

The other has a modified Picatinny rail, which had to have two different length/depth bases cut to fit the dovetails on the claws, very similar to those on your rifle.

A blank Picatinny rail base costs around $200, for a 15cm length and IMHO would be your best overall option and still preserve the originality/purpose of those great claw mounts.
 
^thats a great idea, and even preserves the bases if someone wants to file in new rings. Not to mention allowing stockmaster to mount his scope further back if he wants to use one with a shorter tube. Bet it wouldn’t even be higher than it is currently with the right rings.

Do you have a preferred solution for rifles with claw mount bases and no rings?
 
Last edited:
My machining capabilities go so far as filing down screws that are too long. But fortunately I know a gunsmith that is good and likes challenges.
A steel rail added into the claw bases would be the most useful. Not the most aesthetic imo but probably the best option. Adding bases on top of bases has the issue of getting the scope too high.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom