Gents,
Found a 1909 Mauser Action in a box of stuff....now comes the Question....What to make of it ? Seems I have nearly all the classics covered already that I want. Or something that covers the base nearly so well that it really has to be something special for this new rifle to be. 308,7x57,8mm,30-06,,ect have them,been there and even the quarter-bore is covered pretty well by the 250-3000 so a 25-06...nahhhh....now I have a 35 Whelen even. So a 358 really ain't so unique as to make me drool. the 30 mags are covered by a 308 Norma and the 30-378. I am at a loss as to what to do,,,,and don't offer to take it off my hands either ;>
I just need a few fresh ideas for a easily available,1909 mauser action sensible cartridge.
TIA 45nut

How about 405 Winchester Ken??

I am not familar with that rifle but know that a 405 would be a cool bolt gun, LOL!

MSS,
I was thinking I should save that one for a lever or an Encore....But thats just the kind of idea I was leaning to. 45nut

How about a 9.7 x 57 or 40 Whelen? wrg-inc

45nut

I own a 7x57 Mauser and I just love it, I know it is not that different than what you can buy at the local walmart, but still I love the history of the cartridge.

Clint

Do you have enough room in that action for a Sharps 50x140 case? If so,I have long wondered about necking one down to 45 just to see what would happen. You have to admit,That is a little offbeat! derf

Az,
I have a 7x57 in a 95 Mauser,yes it is a great cartridge in a great rifle. I am a big fan of Mausers already having a 308,a 7x57,a 7.65 Arg.,a VZ24 8mm and the already mentioned 250-3000 in Mausers alone. I also have P-14 Enfields and Model 1917s aplenty...in 303,30-06,30-378,35 Whelen,375-338 Taylor,416 Rem Mag,458 Lott & 458x2" American and 500 A-Square,,,plus a P-14 drill rifle and the 308 Norma in a 1903A3,a 1898 Krag and plenty of lever guns,,,,so I am not gun poor,,,just running out of ideas. A 338-06 appeals to me having thought it over a bit.
I would imagine it would fit nicely in the 1909 Action. And it is nearly a perfect fit for one of the "gaps" in my collection . So many choices...............so many dies and brass to keep track of. 45nut

Have you thought .45ACP? Someone on shooters was talking about converting a mauser to that cartridge. An interesting sub sonic choice. I believe the Brits made an Enfield with a supressor during WW II that was accurate and almost noiseless.

45nut, have you considered the 338-08 instead of the 338-06. You wouldn't have to modify the magazine at all and could seat the boolits out to any reasonable length you wanted. You might want try the 338x57 and be able to use everything as is except the barrell.
Ken(350mag)

45Nut, you are in a dilema aren't you? This sounds like a job for a new wildcat. Maybe a RUM case cut down to 06 length, then you would have to decide on a bore. Maybe 9.3 just to be different? Or a 404Jeffery cut down to 06 length? Or extend the magazine box rearward and make a 375 Weatherby?

Or you could just trade it to me for a rusted out VZ24

45nut, I got me a little mexican 95 action that you are going to see some pictures of the bolt getting bent hopefully very soon.

Now, for my little project I am going to keep the same military 7mm barrel, but I will rechamber the barrel to 7mm-08 for ease of brass (don't have to monkey with the feeder rails to do that) turn the barrel way down and shorten it and greatly thin out the large amount of nice walnut to make me a slim little ultra-light carry piece out of the old gun.

Since some of this is obviously impossible to do, it will be a good project gun for me to work on.

A good project gun should last for a year or more as you cheerfully work through all the little details, you should never hurry through them.

Oldfeller

Don't believe I saw a 6.5 bore there. The 6.5x55 would be a good choice, or the .260 Remington, or that old favorite, the 6.5-06. Not that they'll do anything your present battery won't but we're not talking "need" here, are we?

Not a doubt in my mind I would build a 7x57.... sundog

Gents,
Thanks for all the replies..
Sundog...Good to see you here.
And one 7x57 is plenty for me....4 308's however didn't seem to faze me
And I also have a Swede 6.5x55 here and one of those is ample,,,
that 338x308 idea.....hmmmm
gotta think on that....45nut

.......45Nut, How about a bolt action .444 Marlin, 30-30, or 38-55? Hindsight's friend Ol Gringo has a really well done VZ-24 in 30-30.

The .444 has ballistics very similar to the 405 Win and brass is easy to come by. Plus the rim isn't so much larger than the Mauser .473" as to make a major impact. You have the action, so you can load up 4 or 5 dummy rounds and by trying them in the magazine for feeding trials can get an idea of the modifications needed (beyond having the boltface opened up a bit).

When I had a MAS36 rebarreled to 45-70 that's how I went about it. Going from feeding a rimless 308-ish cartridge to the rimmed, fat straight cased 45-70 was a leap in feeding management :-). Had to widen the feed rails a bit so the case wasn't presented to the chamber at an acute angle. Then you'll find the point where you need to make a mod so the rim pops up out of the magazine and is captured by the extractor.

Since I left the magazine 'as-is' as far as width goes, they were still mildly staggered. This meant that this 'pop up' point is a tad different for the right and left side. Easily seen as you push a cartridge forward, from either side.

It's obvious from your battery of rifles and cartridges that you don't have any holes to fill as far as performance or capability is concerned, so this should fit your 'I want something different' catagory :-).

........Buckshot

Okay, how about a 35 Winchester?? And, good to be here with all my fiends, uh, uh, fRiends.... sundog

I realize you have a couple of quarter bores, but how bout a .257 roberts? All said, iff'n you can't come up with something, you could always give it to me.

Errant thought department

At work we use a rubberizing compound to build nests out of. It cures to be about like tire rubber, or maybe a little harder.

If I were to fill up a large capacity rifle case all the way with the stuff and let it cure good, then mill out slightly less than the bullet diameter all the way back down to the case head, clean out the primer flash hole, blow it out good -- would I have created a case that in essence has a reduced capacity that would tumble and reload just like a normal case?

Why do all this? Permanently installed "filler" is what I was hoping for.

Say I wanted to shoot cast bullet loads in a 7 mag, I could do this to a couple of dozen cases and then I could "fill it up" with Unique or 2400 and get the magic 1,650 without having to screw around with putting fillers in all the time.

Thoughts?

Oldfeller

Sundog,,
I forgot to mention I have an 1895 Win in 35 Win on the way already,,,,
Buckshot,
Don't you remember the 45-70 SMLE I brought to Winniemucca ? That was a beast bolt action...not as beastly as the 500 A2...but not as recoil friendly ;> 45nut

Whaddyathink bout a guy what wants help finding something in betwixt and everthang mentioned he's already got one? Time to WILDCAT, son! sundog

What about a 375 H&H Mag???

Sundog,
Friend....I was not trying to be difficult( )
I am just trying to come up with something different from what I have without going the way of fifty dollar per 20 brass and 300 dollar dies while covering a "niche" that "needs" a filler.
I am the proverbial "Gun Enthusiast" . Yes I do already have a varied collection and also have three Enfield actions available for future projects....haven't addressed those guys yet.
It just occured to me that this particular Mauser needed special treatment.
I already have a 375 Taylor by the way
There are still choices that I haven't thought of or have been mentioned yet,,,I think C.O.T.W. and my Wildcats book need another look.... So far the .338-06 seems favorable.
Thanks everyone for the input so far. 45nut

I was raggin' on ya, man, and no offense intended. How do you have time for all those in betweens? I can't even master the standards. Hell, I've been trying to get .22 RF and 30-06 right for forty years, and I'm just now gettin' close! And then someone comes up with stuff like a .308 and .223 and 7mmRM. Hey, just havin' fun. So, we're back to WILDCATTING, huh? Ahhhh, I've got it - kid in a candy shop syndrome.... When y'all git there a range report is required. sundog

OK folks,
Here is a couple pics of the "found" action..



This is not going to be a overnight success....but there is potential here. 45nut

[ 08-28-2003, 09:21: Message edited by: 45nut ]

Good evening 45nut,
Taking your screen name at face value--how about a .450 Marlin. All 45 nuts, like me too, should have one. I built one on a J.P.Sauer action and it's great fun! I already cast .458 heavy bullets and had all the other accoutrements necessary. Go to http://users.ev1.net/~printolive/450marlin.htm for the story and pictures. I've had a couple of other scopes on it and glass bedded it since I wrote the initial story. I haven't spent the time that I wish I could working up loads, but the best group so far was with the 520 Saecos and 46 grains of 4895. 5 in 1.1 inches with 3 of them in .414. The 405 gr RCBS shoot OK but not nearly with the Saecos.
Good luck and God Bless,
Randall in Houston

Trapdoor,
I already shoot the original 450 Marlin in a bolt,the .458x2" American. Everything the 450 is except the belt is in the standard belted case location. I use cut-off .338 belted mag brass trimmed to 2.10" with my dremel then finish with my RCBS case trimmer 2 to end up @ 2" exactly.
I have plenty of belted mag brass on hand and I use 450 Marlin dies for the reloading duties.
It is a very capable cartridge,my rifle is built on a P-14 Enfield and carries a 24" barrel....
I should take a group picture of my Enfields......from 303 British to 500A2.
Of course then I would have to post a group pic of my leverguns,then my Mausers,my 1911's,my revolvers,,,,it never ends where you think it should.
That is the point of this thread,that even when you have capable and varied examples of the guns you want,there are always guns that you don't have and still "need". 45nut

[ 08-29-2003, 08:23: Message edited by: 45nut ]