Mauser actions

[junkpile]

I've got a couple Mauser type rifles laying around. All the builds I've ever seen are on push-feed actions. Is it too much trouble with a mauser?

[Bullet bumper]

Most people think that the controlled round feed of the Mauser will cause eccentric fireforming and it is not as easy or reliable to just drop a round in and close the bolt as it would be in a push feed.
However I have found that accuracy can be every bit as good with a Mauser as many other non custom actions. A good German made one is quite strong and the extractor powerful. What I do is bevel the front edge of the extractor slightly more than standard so in a pinch you can push feed but it's not wise to do it regular .
My long range gun is built on a German made Columbian Mauser 98 , wolf firing pin spring , Timney sportsman trigger and Timney low swing safety.
In 243 and 30-06 . The 243 barrel will shoot under .5 inch groups and sometimes puts the first three in a one hole group.
I am a poor starving ex war veteran so I can't afford custom actions and such which are way better but way expensive also.
One of the secrets to making a Mauser shoot is a strong rigid stock .
Most modern actions are all copies of the Mauser's so why not use a Mauser.
The guys at my range hate my Mauser because when it puts three in one hole from full velocity 243 loads that send up clouds of dust it makes there $ 6000 guns look bad .
Of course it is not as simple as that , I make my own bullets and and I'm a precision handloader and the gun weighs 17 lb.
However it all goes to show that a Mauser 98 action is still as viable as it was 100 years ago . Amazing. I am happy with mine for what it is and what it cost.
However if you are going to pay for lots of new gear and pay a gunsmith to do it all then in the end you may as well add a custom action to the whole setup and be done with it. If you can build it yourself on teh cheap then a Mauser is a good start . I am pleased with mine .

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by junkpile

I've got a couple Mauser type rifles laying around. All the builds I've ever seen are on push-feed actions. Is it too much trouble with a mauser?

At one time almost all custom rifles were built on Mauser actions.

They still make beautiful custom rifles.

The extractor can be modified to function like a push feed.

PM Shortgrass and talk to him, He is one of the best and knows a lot about Mauser's.

J E CUSTOM

[Gene]

One of my favorite rifles is a custom 98 Brno action with featherweight Douglas barrel in 7mm-08 with Timney trigger and Buehler safety, Lee Six sporter stock. It is topped with a Burris mini 2-7 scope. It is still controlled feed. I simply put 4 in the magazine, chamber the top shell, and it works fine.

The key is getting a strong Mauser action. Some were built with inferior metals, and will not take a lot of pressure. You can google search this. The only drawback after that is weight. The 98 is too heavy for a light carry rifle, as I found out. But the accuracy is great.

[RT2506]

As to the caliber you can use depends on which actions you have. ONLY the Model 98 large ring is suitable for pressures over 66,000 CUP. The lock time is a bit slow but you can make a good hunting rifle out of them. There is a reason that you don't see them on the bench rest circuit.

[Rem700]

Since you have them, i would definitely use them. But I wouldn't buy one to build off of.
By the time you modernized it, you would have the price of a used modern action. My .02¢

[fmsniper]

many of my rifles are built on Mauser, as a matter of fact my long range hunting rifle is a MKX Mauser in 7mmRM



.270's




300wm

308's


35 Whelen


6.5x55