If you are as old as me, you remember the term "sporterized". It meant that you started off with a surplus military rifle, usually a Mauser '98 and maybe bent the bolt, cut off the barrel to 24" or so, put on a front sight and replaced the stock with a drop-in. The wing safety usually required a very high scope mount (see-throughs were popular) and the barrel steps meant that your stock never really fit.

Here's a couple of pictures of a sporterized '98 8mm Mauser that I'm having an additional bit of work done to.

Since it will retain the original barrel (which is turned down and amazingly accurate), I'm calling it the ultimate "sporterized" Mauser.

To suit my fancy, the front sight will be re-replaced with a NEGC barrel-band model which will both look better and raise my cheek a bit off the relatively straight stock (really designed for a scope (IMHO), Talley bases will go on the action (small enough for the receiver sight to bridge over when in place) and the Neider (I think?) buttplate will have a trap door for the receiver sight and three rounds.

When it's finished, I'll have an amazingly little investment in the gun. I ain't telling what, in case I want to sell it down the road and get greedy.

Not bad for "sporterized", huh?
When my mods are finished, I'll post additional pictures.

I think the drop-in stock looks OK.

Very nicely done Ernest... may I request to be the first to get this "cast-off" when you tire of her?

Just curious, at what point does a rifle cross that magic threshold and go from "sporterized" to "custom"? I'd say this is knocking on the door...

Thoughts?

Of course, this is "sporterized only that it is the original action and barrel. Kind of like a "stock" car?