Metamorphosis of a Mauser

[kombi1976]

Metamorphosis of a Mauser.....finishing the project

I think I should state at the beginning of this thread that my aim here was to produce a functional rifle that would fulfil my needs from a fairly second hand military rifle that still had plenty of life in it.
If nothing else I hope it gives some people ideas so that they don't just rebarrel a perfectly good '09 M98 7.65x53 or P14 303 to a boring same-old-same-old cal like 30-06 or 270.
About 18 months back I bought a bubba'd 1941 Berlin-made Kar98k from a mate as I needed something bigger than my 303/25 for deer hunting.
It was a matching numbers rifle and the Waffenampts(Nazi markings) and factory proof marks were still there.
It still had the military stock but it was cut back & the handguard and all the related metal for holding it on was long gone as was the cup shaped buttplate.
It had been replaced by a hard plastic Baikal buttplate (goodness know's why! ) and the remaining gaps in the wood filled up with putty or bondo......I still haven't decided which.
From a distance it looked quite good......see what I mean?

Unfortunately, there was some pitting on the top of the barrel and more on the bottom where the full stock and handguard had trapped moisture against the bbl at some point.
Ugly, huh?

The metal lip on the rear sight sleeve that held on the handguard also was corroded badly.
If the bore had been less than amazing I would've said no thanks at that point.
But the bore was shiney, the action was tight and for $125 for a complete matching action I couldn't really pass it up.
So she joined the limited collection in my locker.

 

[kombi1976]

Stage 2: Decisions and a scope

The first thing I did, after doing a rough bedding job using epoxy based bondo(yeah, nuts I know ), was take it out to the local range and shoot some groups prone using some PMC 180gn loads I bought with the gun.
Well, even with the anaemic nature of the factory loads the thing kicked like a rogue elephant.
Prone isn't a happy position to shoot from with decent recoil and no pad plus a hard buttplate and a lightened stock equals pain.
Nonetheless, it showed signs of accuracy so clearly, no matter what the bbl looked like, it was a keeper.
From this point I decided the first thing I needed to do was scope it.
I'll admit I'm a big wuss in terms of optics and I figured that if I was going to be serious about knocking deer down at decent distances then I needed a scope.
But most of you well know that 98 Mausers have a 90 degree bolt throw and a bolt handle that does not allow standard scope mounts.
So off to the local gunsmith it went, along with a Leupold bridgemount and some Super High rings, to have the bolt handle bent and sculpted and the receiver drilled and tapped.
Here's the results:

And here's a closer look at the bolt, all polished and "purty"; I had the smith flatten the sides of the knobe as it too had a little pitting.

The chosen scope, due to budgetry constraints, was a Tasco World Class Mag IV 3-12x40AO.
You've probably also noticed the Pachmeyer Slip-on pad was added to tame the recoil.
The groups obtained soon after were around the 1.5" to 2" @ 100yds using 170gn Speer handloads and I tried some 180gn Nosler Ballistic Tips but I couldn't better them.
I believe there are probably some better groups there but I'm yet to try as range facilities are a bit far away.
Probably the most promising groups have been achieved using the Woodleigh Weldcore super heavy 250gn RNSN grouping 1.18" @ 50m.
Here's a pic:

But things are not over by a long way.

 

[kombi1976]

Stage 3: solving the pitting issues

Despite the fact the 8mm was beginning to shape up ok there was still the issue of the pitting, mainly on the bbl but also to some small extent on the floorplate and there were also scrapes on the receiver.
I know that no amount of filing and polishing would correct the pitting on the barrel and the floorplate wasn't a great deal better.
I even considered re-barreling but at at least $500 I couldn't really foot the bill for that.
Besides, the military barrel was fine on the inside.
So I rang Keith Hills, a Canberra gunsmith who has done excellent work for me before to enquire about some solutions.
There has been some talk of different finishes on this forum and one of them was powdercoating.
So effective it seems is powdercoating that Rocky Mountain Rifles have implemented it as their primary finish for serious hunting rifles.
But there were still other problems I had to deal with.
The sight base sleeve was ugly & the lip that is part of the handguard mount was corroded and quite frankly dangerous.
The rear sight leaf had to be removed for the scope to fit and the base was pointless and in the way, as can be seen if you look closely at the photo above.
Keith recommended removing the sleeve, lopping the barrel behind the now pointless front sight to about 21" in length and recrowning it, all for the princely sum of $60.
He said sandblasting & powdercoating the barrel & floorplate a charcoal colour to mask the pitting was an excellent idea and suggested getting the receiver done as it would not impede rebarreling in the future and would solve any corrosion problems completely, cleaning up the entire unit.
Total costs(including the 'smithing) were projected to be under $200, far below the rebarreling cost of circa $500.
So after short hunting trip next week the Mauser will be taken to Keith Hills for the next stage.
I'll keep you up to date as it is transformed.

 

[geologist]

Good on ya mate!

What will you be hunting with it?

 

[kombi1976]

As I said before I intend to use it for deer hunting which (perhaps fortunately considering the shape of the 8mm) I haven't had a chance to try yet.
In all truth it should also be perfect for all game here in Oz with the exception of water buffs and scrub bulls(feral cattle) which really need something to put them down with authority.
I have a large frame Martini action which will be built into a custom 45-70 specifically for this purpose and also to play with BP loads.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
There are other considerations for the Mauser like re-stocking it but I'll address these later on once Stage 3 has been completed.

 

[catnthehatt]

Looks good so far Andy!
A 45/70 Water buff rifle? KEWL!!
You'll love the Martini in a large caliber!
Cat

 

[Gibbs505]

Very nice!!

 

[Amphibious]

Very nice!!

way to go!
looks good!
I like!

 

[kombi1976]

Well, I'm happy with the way it's heading.
BTW, I forgot about this group shot at the Silverdale range in Sydney's west using the 170gn Speers @100m.

So, yeah, considering I was the man behind the trigger it's not too shabby for an old warhorse.

 

[oldbadger]

Andy, PM coming

 

[Kilo Charlie]

Kombi, my brother just gave me a BRNO-made 98 Karabiner in 8mm. My plan was to try to swap it for a Winchester 94, and now you're giving me ideas. Thanks for nothing, amigo! (LOL)
Actually, he just gave it to me last week and I've yet to fire it, but it should be fun! Nice rifle you've got there, by the way.

 

[kombi1976]

Kombi, my brother just gave me a BRNO-made 98 Karabiner in 8mm. My plan was to try to swap it for a Winchester 94, and now you're giving me ideas. Thanks for nothing, amigo! (LOL)
Actually, he just gave it to me last week and I've yet to fire it, but it should be fun! Nice rifle you've got there, by the way.

Swap it for a '94!
You've got to be kidding.
Seriously, the 8x57, either in it's early .318" J bore, in the later .323" JS bore or in the JR & JRS rimmed rounds, is the European equivalent of the 30-06.
In fact during WW1 when the 30-06 was firing a 150gn bullet at about 2550fps the 8x57JS was being loaded to over 2800fps with a virtually identical bullet.
It's one of those rounds that's been passed over because Germany lost both wars and is loaded ridiculously low because there are a few J bore rifles still around, notably the '88 Comission rifles which are also quite weak compared even to a Mauser 93.
But score yourself some Norma, RWS or some the new Hornady 195gn Spitzer loaded ammo and suddenly it becomes quite a beastie.
Hornady's standard 180gn 30-06 load does 2700fps developing 2913 ftlbs of ME.
The 8mm load, a full 16gn heavier and not a Light Mag, cracks 2500fps and develops 2706 ftlbs.
This may seem significantly less but the 8mm has a maximum powder capacity of about 54gn and while the 30-06 will fit 62gn.
You can duplicate or better this with your Mauser by reloading.
So keep the damn thing and get some dies!!

 

[kombi1976]

And update......Stage 3 is in process!

Today I threw caution to the wind and decided I didn't need my 8mm for this weeks trip away.
So as the family was heading to Canberra I visted Keith Hills and gave the Mauser to him for the job.
His opinion was that the present crown on the barrel is shocking basically from corrosive ammo and lack of cleaning.
He could also see a little pitting in the bore but said that really didn't matter since it was shooting fine.
The barrel it seems will be lopped to 22.5", not 21", and the sleeve removed.
It will hopefully be ready for next week so I can take it to the sandblasters.
The guy who is doing the blasting will only cost $30 and has agreed to take it straight to the powdercoaters when he's finished saving me a 2 hour round trip.
I've been invited by another mate to shoot in a Big Game comp on the 30th so with a bit of luck it will be ready for that shoot, although the new stock won't happen for a little longer.
In a final excellent turn our club president has a Timney Sportsman he is willing to part with and it will be taken down to be fitted when the rifle is reassembled.
Basically, there is every chance that it will shoot ALOT better when it's done.

 

[catnthehatt]

That Timney is about a 2 minute job, and will increase the potential of that riufle by ba very large margin!!
Nice going, Kombi!
Good luck in the competition.
Do you know the course of fire?
Cat

 

[kombi1976]

That Timney is about a 2 minute job, and will increase the potential of that riufle by ba very large margin!!
Nice going, Kombi!
Good luck in the competition.
Do you know the course of fire?
Cat

I was speaking to my mate about the comp and basically you need 30 rounds to compete.
The targets are shot at 25yds, 50yds and 75yds simulating the close nature of dangerous game hunting.
Any centrefire round may be used although magnums and big bores are preferable.
At each target the shooter may fire 6 shots within 35 seconds.
The catch is that each rifle may only be loaded with 2 rounds at a time, basically to simulate double rifles.
A number of people use doubles and that gives you a bit of a head start as your first 2 shots are as fast as a semi auto could shoot.
Then the process is repeated.
So there's your 30 shots.
The really interesting thing is that they also shoot Rook Rifle...basically anything chambered in a Cadet or small frame Martini action.
The cartridges used include the original .310 Cadet round, 297/230 Rook, 297/250 H&H and 300 Rook cartridges to the more common Aussie choices like .22 Hornet and K-Hornet, .222 Rimmed, 25-20, 256 Win Mag, 32-20, 357 Mag and even the odd .225 Win Mag, 44 Mag and 30-30.
My mate uses his scoped .222 Rimmed Improved.
I think it's shot under the same rules are Big Game and there's also a rimfire comp with similar rules.
Anyhow, I'll post some pics if possible.
First things first though, the Mauser needs finishing.

 

[Kilo Charlie]

Okay, who wants to irritate our Aussie brother? Trade me your 94's right now!
Seriously, Kombi, I'm well aware of the 8mm Mauser's record and potential, but I want less bolt guns, not more. And I sold my last .30-30 two years back. I plan to play with the 98 for a bit and then down the road it goes. It'll make a great addition to my list of guns I should have kept.

 

[kombi1976]

The next update - Stage 3 complete

Well, as most of you know from my Big Game Rifle thread the Mauser didn't make it in time.
Keith Hills was busy for a while but when I rang him the day after the BGR shoot it was all done.
All I needed to do was find time to get down there.
I should perhaps describe the issues in getting to Canberra in an afternoon.
I live a good hour from the beginnings of Canberra and probably an hour and 20 mins from Keith and I finish work at 3:30.
I bolted home from work about a fortnight ago and ran out the door with my 2 year old son in tow and got down to Keith's at 4:45.
By the time he'd stripped the receiver ready from me to take it it was 5pm and even though I'd said I'd be at the powdercoaters on the other side of the city by then I rang them and it was ok.
So slogging through peak hour traffic I got there at about 5:50.
They showed me some colours and the closest they have to a matt black is called custom black.
It wasn't going to be like primer as all powdercoating has some sheen but I wasn't worried so everything was sorted, the money for the sandblasting left there and I headed home.
Things were looking even more positive when I rang the sandblaster the following afternoon to find out that they'd picked it up, done the job and returned it to the powdercoater's ready for the next part.
Another 2 weeks went by and I thought I'd better go and get it so I rang Keith first and then the powdercoaters, saying I'd be as close to 4:30(which I'll admit was ambitious) as I could be and I put off some extra stuff at work to try and get away, again with Bryn my 2 year old riding shotgun.
The powdercoaters are actually more like an hour and a quarter drive so I rolled up at 5pm.........and the whole place was shut up!!
I asked a young guy from the engineering firm who share a warehouse with them and he said they'd been gone for a while.
Clearly I hadn't been there right when they wanted and they'd gone home on the crack of 4:31!
The young guy let me into the powdercoaters through an adjoining door but we couldn't find the stuff and so his boss rang one of the powder coaters, found out where my things were and took the $50 for the job to give to them the next day.
I don't know what I would've done if they hadn't been there and I'll be sending down a thankyou card with some beer money to show my appreciation.
So I'm on one side of Canberra, it's 5:15 by now and I'm supposed to be at Keith's place at 5:30.......a half hour drive at the best of times.
It wasn't the best of times........it was peak hour.
I rolled up at Keith's place at 6pm and I strongly suspect I took him away from his dinner but he was very patient and gracious and reassembled it.
He also answered some questions about a project I intend to do in the future on a Martini Cadet action regarding rimless extractors and action strengths so it was quite enlightening.
Anyhow, after getting some dinner for Bryn & I and pumping myself up with energy drinks to avoid falling asleep at the wheel we cruised in the door at 8:30.
I think the next time I get a gun powdercoated I'll have it done here in town.
Galavanting all over Canberra was false economy in a big way.
Bryn, who endured all of this messing around, has to be the best 2 year old in the world.
I mean, I think that's true anyway 'cause I'm his dad but he was amazingly behaved in the midst of that time I like to call Cactus Hour......y'know, where your kids cry non-stop for 60 mins just before you feed them and put them to bed.
So now you ask, but how has it all come out?
Well, first up, it hasn't hidden the pitting.
In fact, because the rest of the finish is so astounding it sticks out a little more in some ways, but it's tidy and sealed and won't corrode anymore and I really don't care.
I knew it would never look like a new gun.
The bolt rails were a little rough when I cycled it as they now have powder coating on them but with gun oil and a bit of time they should wear as smooth as they were before.
I guess neat is the word really.
With a new stock to replace the bubba'd Teco one it'll look great.
The Timney hasn't made it to me yet so that will also be a welcome contribution but for now I'm satisfied........well, as much as I can be until it's entirely finished.
The coolest thing about the powder coating however is being about to finger the metal as much as you like and not have to worry about it getting rust spots in the safe!
P.S. My digital camera, which was lost during a hunting trip about 6 weeks back, has turned up so if it's still working I'll post some pics when I get it back next week.

 

[kombi1976]

Price list so far....

I almost forgot.
Here are the costs so far.

• Rifle - $125
• Drilling tapping & bolt turned - $130
• Leupold Bridgemount & Rings - $70
• Barrel sleeve removed, barrel shortened and re-crown - $85
• Sandblasting - $30
• Powdercoating - $50
• Total - $490

Now, I left out the price of the scope because I think in this case it's a little unfair to compare add that to it.
You may say "But you can pick up a decent 2nd hand Mauser sporter for that!"
Well, yes, but I didn't have $500 in one hit.
A good new pillar bedded plastic stock will add around $250 to that but then it's worth spending the money if it'll shoot better with it.
Who knows, I may go a wooden stock instead(which I might add isn't much cheaper).
The possibilities are endless!

 

[kombi1976]

Well, the camera is back so here are a couple of pics to go on with.

Sorry about the quality of the pics.
My camera isn't real good indoors, especially at night.
Tomorrow I'll take some outside that give a better impression of the changes.

 

[stocker]

kombi: Chuck the slip on recoil pad and get a proper grind to fit pad. Those slip on pads do nothing for consistent accuracy as they are too susceptible to squeezing out at different shoulder pressure which affects muzzle rise. The Mauser stocks being thinner at top then bottom offer some challenges in getting a pad that will fit. I have had some good results by getting an oversize pad and installing it up side down and grinding the angles to match the stock lines.