I have a son named Taylor. That being said I would like to build a bolt gun in 416 Taylor. Good enough reason for me. But I am basicly really poor.

I have a couple of ideas to keep the project as cheap as possible. My first idea is to use a Stevens 200 in 300 Win mag. because you can buy one for $259 and I have heard favorable reports on them. Then just rebarrel it. A couple questions... Does the bolt face need to be opened up??? Will there be any feeding problems to be addressed???

Another idea I have, but not sure if it is even possible. I have my Grand Dad's `03 Sprinfield. Is it possible to convert this to a magnum bolt face??? What about the magazine??? Feeding trouble???

The third idea, and possibly the cheapest is to convert an $89 Mosin-Nagant. Not sure if this is even possible either. Same questions as the 03, what about the magazine??? I know a machinest who could make me a new bolt head for next to nothing. Is there something else I'm missing on this idea???

I like the Rem 700 action but I doubt that I could find one cheap enough to do the project.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. Such as recomendations on a brand of barrel, or any cost saving measures.

Thanks for your input,
Redrider.

I believe the Stevens 200 would work fine, at least from the standpoint of strength and length of the action. The only problem you MAY encounter is feeding, The 416 Taylor being nothing more than a necked up 338 WINMAG may feed just fine. A simple re-barrel should have you 95% there.

Have built two 416 Taylors on Savage actions originally in 7mm Rem Mag using $129 Midway A&B prefit barrels.

Had no problems so far.

I would use one of the newer CRF Ruger actions. You can get a used Ruger for around $350 and just rebarrel it. You will have a good action, a good scope mounting set-up, know it will feed well and its plenty strong enough. A 416 Taylor for $850 or so.

The Ruger would definitely be a nice gun.


New Savage/Stevens 200 rifle is $239. New Midway barrel is $129, but frequently Midway barrels are on sale for as little as $60.

Barrel change can be done by nearly anyone.

If you have to buy the tools, the barrel wrench is on sale sometimes for under $30.

Hammer

quote:

The third idea, and possibly the cheapest is to convert an $89 Mosin-Nagant.

DO NOT...repeat: NOT even think of this!

Spend another 100 or so and get a ruger mkII crf in 7 or 300 win, and it will be easy.

dont' bother with the savage, in that price point, as I haven't seen the savage 416T threaded and chambered barrels in awhile

the nagant would be suicide

jeffe

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
Spend another 100 or so and get a ruger mkII crf in 7 or 300 win, and it will be easy.

dont' bother with the savage, in that price point, as I haven't seen the savage 416T threaded and chambered barrels in awhile

the nagant would be suicide

jeffe

Just checked the Midway website. Did not see the 416 Taylor barrel. But Shaw still makes them for $165 blued ready to screw on.

Not sure if you can get a new Ruger for $339 or $439, but maybe you can. As far as used ones, am sure you can get the Ruger down to the $250 range, but of course the Savage used would be cheaper too.

Like Rugers a lot. Have several. But if the objective is cheap and servicable, Savage is an alternative.

Get a used Ruger in 7Mag or .300 or .338 and rebarrel it. You'll already have a good detachable scope mount and a CRF action.

IMHO...the used Ruger is T-H-E way to go on this one. A local gunshop has a used one in 7Mag for (asking price) $350...my guess is a $300 bill would buy it with a bit of haggling. A McGowen barrel (sent thru your shop) will be fitted, chambered, headspaced, etc; and on its way back to you for aobut $300. Dies, etc another $100 bill.

regards,

Rich

you must be a great dad...

i think its a great idea...

a couple of thoughts. do you reload? i dont know how big or old yer kid is but the 416 might have too much recoil unless you reload down or another thought is to do the 375 taylor to shoot the lighter cheaper more common 375 bullets and another occasion build a 416 later as to have a matching namesake set or later do a switch barrel set up to shoot both on one gun. the 375 taylor can be loaded to 300 gr @ 2450 but 2400 is better on the bullets and the shoulder. the 235 gr barnes x should take care of whatever comes in his sigts with ease. good luck and i'd follow the used ruger advice. either way you have one happy kid and dad!.keep us posted and take pictures of the project and yer kid at the range with a smile on his face.

E.R. Shaw sells them chambered and threaded for your action for $135. They'll install and test fire for another $60. Since you already have a magnum boltface and they both have the same rim diameter you shouldn't have to have it opened up any. You may or may not have to have any feeding work done. You'd have to shoot it and see how it feeds. You'll have a barrelled action ready to go for less than $200. That's what's happening to my Weatherby Vanguard when I get back from Afghanistan in 2008.

quote:

Originally posted by boom stick:
you must be a great dad...

i think its a great idea...

a couple of thoughts. do you reload? i dont know how big or old yer kid is but the 416 might have too much recoil unless you reload down or another thought is to do the 375 taylor to shoot the lighter cheaper more common 375 bullets and another occasion build a 416 later as to have a matching namesake set or later do a switch barrel set up to shoot both on one gun. the 375 taylor can be loaded to 300 gr @ 2450 but 2400 is better on the bullets and the shoulder. the 235 gr barnes x should take care of whatever comes in his sigts with ease. good luck and i'd follow the used ruger advice. either way you have one happy kid and dad!.keep us posted and take pictures of the project and yer kid at the range with a smile on his face.

The way I read it the gun is for him. The kid's just an excuse to do it and maybe get it by the wife. Works for me. "But honey, I had this custom made and named it after our son!" I wish I had named my boys Holland, Rigby, Merkel, Heym, etc.

quote:

I wish I had named my boys Holland, Rigby, Merkel, Heym, etc.

damn i got a good laugh out of that one...

i have a adams& bennett barrel 416 taylor f44 contour 1-14 twist 24" in the white thread for mauser action.
i paid 73.00 if you want it you can have it for 73.00.

O.K. let me answer a few questions and ask a few more.
I would like to keep the whole project under $500 bucks or less. Less is more in this case. Yes, I reload, does'nt everyone here. No it's not for my Son, yet. He is only 8. But he won't be forever and he is big for his age, he just weighed in for football and he was the biggest kid out of 24 kids at a whopping 104 lbs. Yes he is a lineman, Offensive gaurd. Recoil isn't a big concern for me and it might not be for him when the time is right.

If I get a barrel in the white how much will it cost to have it blued?

I like the idea of a Ruger but I can't find one in a magnum for much less than $400 bucks which kinda puts me over budget.

I don't want a 375, I just like the 416. A guy at the gun range had a CZ 550 in 416 Rigby, he let us shoot it and that's what started this whole idea, I just thought it was cool and thought I could do one on the cheap. Then I could write an article, "The $500 dollar elephant gun" HaHa.

I saw a Turk Mauser on Auction Arms for $125, but then the price and fitting of a stock could put me over budget. Hmmmm...

By the way my next sons will definately be named Holland, Rigby, Tikka etc. LOL

Other than the expected feeding problems with the Mossin, why would it be suicide, I thought they were very strong actions?

Is it possible to make the 03 Springfield (30-06) into a magnum. I really like that particular rifle as my GrandDad made the stock and we must have the same hands because it fits me better than any other rifle ever. To make it on that gun would be cool and sentimental if possible and it would keep the price down as I allready own it.

cv1973, thanks alot for the offer, I will definately keep that in mind.

Thanks,
Redrider.

If you build it on the 03 it shouldn't be too much problem to keep it around $500 if not under. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the 416 Taylor designed to fit a standard action? If so, you won't need to alter it for the Taylor. If it does have to be modified it is possible but would put it WAY out of the $500 range. All my books are still in storage due to lack of room in this house so I can't look up the numbers. You will have to open up the boltface but I don't think that's too expensive. Using the '03 I would say new barrel fit, chambered, and test fired $200(maybe a little less), new stock around $100 @ Boyd's, and you still have a couple hundred for dies and components. You may or may not have to have it tweaked to feed properly. Oh yeah, sights. Those might come in handy. Ok, so it might run a little over $500 but probably not by much. I'm sure those here that are more experienced than I can give some more concrete numbers. Let us know how it turns out.

Redrider, are you sure you want to get into this (a 416 Taylor)? If you got to cut corners in making it, you best figure it's going to cost you at least a buck a shot, probably a lot more. FORGET the M-N idea. Not to insult the M-N fans, but that would be like putting leather seats in a Horizon then trying to make it into a 1/4 mile drag car.

Probably the best low cost "whomper" is going to be used .338 Win Mag somebody tired of. Heavier recoiling rifles (~.300 Mags and up) have a way of bringing out all the flaws in cheaper rifles and scopes. Bedding that might pass muster for a 30-06 doesn't last long with 250 and up grain bullets and the same holds true for scopes. $59 scopes and $20 mounts might last on a 243....but won't last two boxes of 400 grain 416's!

the stevens/savage or a well used ruger sounds like the way to go. $60 for shaw to put the barrel on the ruger sounds like a bargin.

Rifle on the left is a 416 AR on a springfield


To keep it under 500, you are going to have to cut corners

it would be best if you could find an action, preferably mauser, that's already a bubba'ed up mag. you'll save some money, as it should have a trigger, feed okay, scope bases, and bolt handle... recall that those piece are about $250-350 in gunsmithing

There's a guy on ebay that will provide the barrel and install for $150,
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mauser-barrel-INSTALLED-in-your-cal...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

completed auction, but this runs fairly reguarly. he gets $50 to open the bolt face, so some prices are good, some are high.

a charles daly action "mag" action, $300 or so on gunbroker, $150 for barrel and install, %50 for a stock...

you are still out the bluing, and sights, but those kill your budet

mark skagg will install your barrel for $100, for what that's worth to you

jeffe

Take two Advils, and buy a Winchester Model 70 Classic in .416 Remington Magnum, pronto, before the price for one exceeds the GDP of Burkina Faso.

Here's one way. Clio gunshop has a "do it yourself" special where you can get a 98 mauser with an AB barrel in the chambering of your choice for $350. Richards microfit has some 'semi-fancy' walnut stocks for a 98 mauser for $69-89 bucks. After bluing you are going to be over 500 but probably less than 600. I think Lee makes a 416 die so figure another 20 for that.

Having done the "discount" custom in the past, I have some good practical advice.

First of all, figure out exactly what you want. Then find a good gunsmith that can do the work. See what he charges to build that rifle and then save up for it.

Whenever you take the shorcut route, you will not be happy with the results! Custom work takes more $ than factory work, so paying the same amount for a custom as a factory rifle results in something of lesser quality than a factory rifle.

If you're still not disuaed from the project, you'll need to first find a donor action that is already set up for feeding a standard length belted magnum. Don't settle for any sort of -06 or X57 action, because even if it's $50 less than the magnum, you'll be out $100's making it magnum ready.

As far as bluing, well if this a father son project, blue it yourselves! If you don't like the job it can always be re-blued later. Also in the Father/Son veign, consider a savage, as you can get a pre-chambered barrel and install it yourself. Just keep an eye on Midway for barrel sales, or pick up the barrel the guy here has offered.

I built a pair of them on ruger MKII stainless sty cost with a leupold 1.75x6 vari x 3 was 1200 each. Good tough rifles.

To bad on the cost you would like to keep it below. I have a 1917 action (eddystone) that the bolt has been opened to a magnum and has been reworked so that feeding is about perfect, plus it comes with a timney trigger and a 2nd bolt body that is still standerd. Finding a decent stock would be the hard part on a budget.

I have 2 mausers right now that I'm either having built or about to have built and the 1917 is just sitting in my safe.

Since you're asking, take CV1973 up on his offer, buy a barrel nut wrench for $30, and the Stevens or a used Savage 110 in a mag caliber. You can do all the work yourself and, although some would disagree, if you make this a real project and stock this nicely yourself (use the Stevens stock while you're working on your new one), Savages can clean up into good looking, accurate, and very serviceable rifles. I'll even trade you a decent walnut blank for your take off 300 barrel. You've gotten some good advice here but for the money you'd like to put into this project I really think that's the best option.

By my math you'd be into it, sans scope, for $375 ish. Consider the new Weaver fixed (k) 2.5 or 4x scopes. $100, good optics, and tough.

My grandson has a Stevens 200 in .25-06 that is really accurate. He also got grandpa to give him a .338/06 A&B barrel that was laying around (he plays football too and weighs in at 165). NOW, for a Christmas present, he wants a .416 Taylor that he read about and I would have to buy the bolt face (cheap) and the barrel (should never have started giving him my old magazines ). Three calibers on one action and stock.

My advice, if you are not planning to go to Africa in the near future, is to ignore all the talk about controlled round feed, etc., etc. Instead, buy the Savage 110 used or Stevens 200 in a magnum caliber, buy the already chambered and blued barrel, reinforce the stock (you're gonna need to do this), and have fun. The .30-30 shooters will really be impressed and you can use the rifle in its original caliber for normal hunting.

I have a 416 taylor on a mauser action in a plastic stock with a break on it you can have for 500

If CRUSHER's 416 shoots any resonable patern take it, I don't think you can do any better. I just did a 416 Taylor and I ended up with a great deal more than $500. If I had known about C's offer I would have taken it so fast his head would still be spinning!

I got it in a trade with 4 others not one I wanted so not sure how it shoots never fired it needs detail work to be great but a good solid rifle with break. would be a great project for restock and guncoat maybe sights and bbl band sling stud

Crusher what type of 'mauser' action is it and do you know what make the barrel is?

Thanks

Hey cv1973, are the Savage/Stevens threads the same as the Mauser threads??? If so I would like to buy that barell from you. I have decided to go the Stevens 200 route. I have liked that gun since it was introduced. I will start with the 7mm Mag since I have 3 boxes of Sierra 160's in 7mm, cant have bullets with no gun to shoot 'em in. So I will play around with that for a while, and then screw the 416 on when I'm ready. I forgot to mention that I have a good friend of the family who has a gunsmith shop in his garage too. That will keep the cost down as much as anything as he will help me for free or real cheap, should have mentioned that from the beginning I guess.

Crusher, if the Savage threads are not compatable with Mauser threads I'd like to look at getting your set-up. Kinda takes the fun out of building a "project gun" but it would be quick and easy though.

Please let me know.

Thanks,
Redrider.

I misread CV's post earlier...he's got a M98 barrel which will not fit the Savage/Stevens. You can buy a Savage Taylor barrel from Shaw

ER Shaw

For $135 plus your barrel nut wrench for $30.

You'd likely be better off foing with Crusher's Mauser ready to go. I'd immediately get rid of the muzzle break, recoil isn't bad on these and the break will deafen you and make you pretty unpopular at the range. Don't worry much about barrel length, the Taylor works fine with barrels in the low twenties.

I'll give my $.02. Go with the ER Shaw barrel. I was in a very similar situation a few years ago. I sold all of my guns to finance my wedding and an upcoming child.
A year later I got the bug to get back in to hunting, but I was basically broke. I scored an FN Mauser with a cracked stock, bad trigger and pitted barrel from a friend for $100. After a few simple repairs, I had a fully functional 338-06 that is now my pride and joy. Here's a list of expenses:

rifle: $100
Bold Optima trigger: $40
Core Lite stock: $70
ER Shaw 24" Matte Stainless 338-06 barrel installed: $330

I built this over a period of 3 months to streach out the expenses. I splurged on the barrel thinking that this would be my only rifle. It would cost less with one of the pre-fit Savage barrels. I have nothing bad to say about Shaw barrels and plan to get another one for a Savage switch barrel project I'm working on.

I say go for the Stevens/Shaw combo I think you'll be happy with it.

ok dug this thing out last night it is a model 98 with dirty birds stamped all over it all matching numbers in the 1500-1600 range all original metal except bolt handle turned down and after market trigger with remington style safty plastic stock weaver bases mcgowan bbl taped for sights with break if you dont want the break I will remove and recrown it for you it needs to be parkerized or blued in a bad way no serious pits but no real finish left looks like a cold blue job. so you will still need to get a swing safty decent wood and metal finish with good bases and rings or sight or both not hardly finished to my liking but a good solid working rifle

If it doesn't have good iron sights then it is not really a complete rifle, in a 416 that is.