Here is a M43 Spanish Mauser in .8MM I bought to use as a donor action. However as bad as it looks it shoots pretty good. I have decided to remove the ugly bolt handle and add another, remove the sights, put the scope on regular scope base and rings and add an after market trigger. Then I will clean it up for a reblue or paint and mount in a new stock.



This rife is the .308 I have talked about in the Medium calibers section. This rifle started life as a K98 Mauser. It looked much like the above rifle when I got it. Someone had already bent the bolt, chopped the stock and installed a Timney Trigger. Like the above rifle it also had those horriable see thru scope rings but they were drilled wrong and were off some. The rifle shot horrible. I totally reworked this rifle hand lapping a new .308 barrel into the receiver and lapping the bolt lugs. All parts were painted with Gunkote a bake on finish. The rifle is set in a Hogue overmolded stock. It wears a Nikon Buckmasters 4.5-14 power scope. With my handloads it shoots sub MOA and will make me a fine foul weather hunting rifle.

How do you like the Hogue overmolded stock? Every time I picked one of them up at one of the shops it felt sticky to the touch.

I really like it. It takes awhile to get used to that feel and it is not at all attractive. but it is quiet and I like the feel.

I really like the 308, how durable is the green finish? Do you have any closeup pics of the action?

I am not as happy with the finish as I thought I would be. I should have sand blasted the parts before I painted them. That said it is holding up o.k. but will scratch off. I can take some pics of the action and post them.

I like the finish, looks-wise. I have an M1 carbine finished in Brownells bake-on lacquer that has served me well- any scratches were just repainted and re-baked.

You have a nice example of a working rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by tin can:
I like the finish, looks-wise. I have an M1 carbine finished in Brownells bake-on lacquer that has served me well- any scratches were just repainted and re-baked.

You have a nice example of a working rifle.

Aren't they all supposed to work?

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:

quote:

Originally posted by tin can:
I like the finish, looks-wise. I have an M1 carbine finished in Brownells bake-on lacquer that has served me well- any scratches were just repainted and re-baked.

You have a nice example of a working rifle.

Thank you I think so.

Aren't they all supposed to work?

Yes they are but some work better than others.

quote:

Yes they are but some work better than others.

Make no mistake, I'd own that rifle and enjoy it in a heartbeat.