Mauser feed rails

[6mm06guy]

Ok guys I'm building a 450 bushmaster on a Turkish mauser. I have the barrel and the stock ordered but decided to see how the round would feed.
I have never messed with feed rails, I have completed 6 custom rifles on my own, but I have always used an action where no modification was needed.
The 450 bushmaster nose dives hard and the feed rails seem to be a little to narrow.
I'm hoping for some desent feed back on this. I'm hoping to do a 284 winchester build on another mauser I have .
Thanks in advance guys if you need any pictures or any other information just let me know.

 

[CaptnC]

I'm a member of Mauser Central (tons of info there, same user name too) and I too have done several home builds on mausers...4 this year. I've done as much as I can to avoid cuting the rails but still get them to feed correctly.

Before cutting the rails you got to get the follower right so your ammo stacks right. On my 7mmRM build I did years ago I used a Mark X magnum follower and never touched the rails.

Take 4 rounds and tape them so they are a ranged like they would be in your mag...then compare that to how they would sit on your follower. Then make alterations to the follower to get them to stack properly.

That is the first and most important step to getting it too feed smoothly.

 

[6mm06guy]

Thanks for the reply. I'll try to modify the follow first, but do you haver any suggestions on keeping it from nose diving?

 

[CaptnC]

I don't know anything about the caliber...is it a lot shorter than a 308?

A lot of guys put a spacer behind short cartridge to keep them closer to the feed ramp.

 

[6mm06guy]

It's the same length as a 223 remington.
It's a 284 win cut down to 1.7". A spacer is a good idea but do I use something like a Remington or savage spring and follower?

 

[CaptnC]

Just looked up the C.O.L...it is a ot shorter than 308 so yes you will need a spacer to keep the ammo towards the front of the mag well.

Try inserting a loaded cartridge in the mag well but put the tip of the bullet right at the feed ramp...see how a single feeds.

 

[CaptnC]

I'm not sure how they do it.

On my 308 in a intermediate action...I made bottom metal to use AI mags so I wouldn't have to deal with feed issues.

 

[6mm06guy]

I did that and the rail has to be opened for the 45 cal bullet to fit, that part looks easy enough. I'm considering using aics mags. Do you by chance know if k98 bm will fit a Turkish mauser?

 

[CaptnC]

I'm not sure if all Truk's are intermedate and some full size. I know I got a Turkish mauser bolt for my 308 because they are stronger than the Yugo.

I had to use a full size bottom metal to make mine.

Here it is after welding it back together;

I wish I took pictures of how I got to this point. But the mag well is too narrow for the AI mag to just slip in. So I cut the sides of the mag well of and reall just welded them to the outside and it fit perfect. I over lapped it just enough to weld it back together.

Of course then I welded plates for the latch in front of the trigger guard...

Here is the gun when finished...

 

[CaptnC]

Not sure why it copied the same picture...

Here is the finished rifle...

I did all the metal work myself...tactical bolt...stock of course...got a short chambered barrel from Midway USA and head spaced it by hand with a finish reamer.

Don't care for 308...after deer season, I'm going to put a 6.5 Creedmoore barrel on it.

 

[shortgrass]

Sounds to me like you have your hands full, or should have them full (with a 4-6" mill bastard file). That Mauser box was made to stack 8mm X 57mm Mauser cartridges. There are times when you barrel a Mauser 98 for a cartridge other than it was designed for where nothing has to be done to the feed cycle and other times much time can be spent getting it to feed,, and it must feed as the system is CRF. Short cartridges are a pain, not impossible. Would I chamber up for the .450 BM? Nope! My time is more valuable than that. The .284 Win. you mentioned can be a "bear", too. But at least it has some length to it. We used many Mauser actions when I was in gunsmithing school, because they were readily available and a $100 bill would buy a CZ or DWM, and $110 would buy a 1909 Argentine complete with its hinged floor plate bottom metal. Most likely your Turk is of intermediate length,.

 

[waltercrouse]

I don't know anything about the caliber...is it a lot shorter than a 308?

A lot of guys put a spacer behind short cartridge to keep them closer to the feed ramp.

I have Mauser 98 built by Steyer for some south America country. The rifles were 7x57 and they were converted to 308 win (7.62 Nato) in 1961. They had rebored the barrels for the 30 cal instead of the 7mm cal. The magazine had a spacer installed for the shorter cases. The problem I had was the rifle would shoot 165 grain or heavier bullets. I was able have it rebarreled with a Shilen barrel in 308 win. A spacer in your magazine maybe your answer.

 

[sable tireur]

Ok guys I'm building a 450 bushmaster on a Turkish mauser. I have the barrel and the stock ordered but decided to see how the round would feed.
I have never messed with feed rails, I have completed 6 custom rifles on my own, but I have always used an action where no modification was needed.
The 450 bushmaster nose dives hard and the feed rails seem to be a little to narrow.
I'm hoping for some desent feed back on this. I'm hoping to do a 284 winchester build on another mauser I have .
Thanks in advance guys if you need any pictures or any other information just let me know.

Respectfully, you are a little out of your comfort zone when it comes to customizing Mausers to feed odd, wildcat cartridges, especially those with rebated rims and short OAL. My opinion is that you need someone for some hands-on guidance since simple to read instructions from a forum are not going to cut it. Here is an article about this cartridge and some fitting and feeding advice with pictures:

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/09/josh-wayner/bolt-action-450-bushmaster-hunting-gun/

The process of feeding this type of cartridge is not a cut and paste situation when you want to use something approximating the original magazine system. It will be much more simple if you make the decision to use a DBM system. Yes, you'll still need to do some work on the feed rails and the feed ramp but that's better than fabricating a whole new magazine/trigger guard system.

CDI can help with this:

http://cdiprecisiongunworks.com/

Good Luck with your project!

 

[CaptnC]

Sable...if you buy center feed bottom metal you will not have to touch the rails.

My rifle above has a center feed mag in it and it feeds perfectly. I didn't want to touch the feed rails...mainly because I'm not into 308 and the only reason I went that caliber was a super deal on the new barrel.