They don't make 'em like this anymore .....

SuperCub

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I recently bought a Browning Safari. Made in the early 60s.

It was a .264Mag but the bbl was messed with by the torch removal of the front sight. I just got a new, factory, 300H&H, Browning bbl from WGP.

It won't be as nice as Claven's H&H, but it will be nice. :D


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If you decide to refinish the stock use a chemical finish remover, that checkering will stand right out, then fix any brused area followed by a good hand rubbed poly applied at slightly above room temp. Then to finish it all off, hand rub some true oil. It will look fantastic:D
Frank
 
I've always been partial to these rifles. I restored an absolute basket case of a small Browning with the round top Sako action, a replacement lightweight pencil .222 replacement barrel rechambered to .223. Have another partially restored. It was a .264 with Mauser action, and for some inexplicable reason, I went with a .264 replacement barrel from WGP. One of the most frustrating rifles I've ever worked with: 3/4" groups with 85gr hollowpoints, 3"-4" with anything that you would hunt big game with. Metal is all refinished, but I was so frustrated that I've never finished the stock work; haven't even completed the recheckering. Should have gone with a 7mm Mag. barrel.
 
.300 H&h

The Super .30 is a great round. I really don't have much use for most magnum calibers but a few years ago picked up a really nice pre-64 Winchester model 70 (it had never been scoped and came with a box and a half of 1960's Western ammunition). The rifle carries great and the round is accurate and packs a significant punch. The 6.5X55 is still my favorite round but when I hunt something bigger than deer/caribou the Super .30 gets the call. With the Winchester's 26" barrel 3000 fps is easily reached with premium 180 grain bullets. What more do we need?

Finish up your project and enjoy your new rifle.

Outdoors
 
Decent piece of wood :)

If it's a stock Safari, I would suggest a Dakota or Gentry 3-position safety. I HIGHLY recommend them, having used several of each. Well worth the money.

I'd also consider ditching the PH designed trigger on those and switch to the Dayton Traister model. MUCH better and all steel too.

The checkering on the Safaris was hand done. If you send that stock to a decent stock man, he'll remove the old finish, detail the wood, (maybe get a shaddow line added to the cheekpiece?) and reapply a good finish like tung oil or tru-oil. AFTER the new finish is applied, he'll re-point the checkering and brush in some thinned linseed oil so it doesn't gum up on you.

It'll look better than new.

Nice project!
 
Claven2 said:
If it's a stock Safari, I would suggest a Dakota or Gentry 3-position safety. I HIGHLY recommend them, having used several of each. Well worth the money.
The trouble with a Winchester style safety is that the stock is inleted already for a sliding side safety. Interestingly, it is a three position safety that locks down the bolt on safe position.

Any suggestions for a gunsmith for both wood and metal? I talked to your guy Jason and he won't do the action to H&H length. Bbl is already threaded and chambered.


sc

 
SC, so it's not a magnum length action already? Many Safaris already were magnum Mausers - i had thought yours was already. Hmm... you might be in trouble then. Try contacting Bill Leapers and see if he can do it.

Problem is you have to lengthen the action at the back behind the mag box as far as it will go AND lengthen at the front inside the receiver ring and shorten the feed ramp. You also need to work on the feed rails a little for the wider cartrige base and open up the bolt face too.

ALOT of smiths feel that this leaves too little steel behind the lower locking lug at the front of the bolt. Such a conversion, IF you can get it done at all in Canada, will also probably necessitate re-heat treating the receiver.

At this point, if you're devoted to using your barrel, it will likely be a better idea to trya and trade your rifle to someone with the magnum version of the Safari - probably a .375 H&H - or look for a magnum length Interarms MkX or something similar to use.

The advantage, by the way, to using the shroud safety is that you acre actually taking the cocking piece (and also the firing pin) off the trigger sear, making accidental discharge impossible.

the trigger safeties instead just block the trigger from being pulled and in the case of a 3 position also stop the cocking piece from moving enough for the bolt to roatate, but it's not as safe as a shroud safety by any means. Not to mention the shroud safety looks way cooler and will make you the envy of mauser sporting rifle owners everywhere... lol.
 
PS: also forgot to mention, unless you want a single-shot, you will also have to cut your bottom metal and extend the mag box longer, or buy an aftermarket Magnum Mauser set of bottom metal with Large-ring 98 standard hole spacing.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you're paying the labor, converting a std. length action to magnum length is what I like to call "prohibitively expensive".

You'd be farther ahead just buying a longer action. Worst case, you could buy a whole new CZ magnum Mauser in .375 H&H and part it out... Even that would be cheaper than converting your existing receiver if you're hiring out the machining.
 
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