Wouldn't ya know it. It's finally done and this camera decided to underperform bigtime. So, only a few pictures are shown and those are barely presentable. My humblest apology. They do not do this rifle justice. Ah well. Nevertheless, here are a few highlights followed by some pictures. I will try for better images in the near future.

The story goes:

I know, I said my last custom rifle was the last. But, I just had to add a .22 to the mix if I could find one to get the juices flowing eventhough I had little interest in hunting small game. Anyway, a very clean Mauser MM410B was chosen for the build. It already had a M70 style safety, a contoured and polished trigger guard and a custom bolt handle installed. The price was $200 taller than I thought it was worth. But, experience has taught me not to loose something you like for a couple hundred bucks.
First thing I did was check and clean the bore. It only took a few passes with Hoppe's #9 to expose the mirror like lands and grooves.
After searching high and low for a custom pattern for the chosen stick of budget-priced kiln dried California English, I ended up having to make my own. Instead of modifying the nice original stock, a old Ithaca X5 lightning stock was chosen for the pattern. First thing was to remove material and add Bondo as needed to allow the barreled action (trigger removed) to sit properly into the pattern.
Next up was to align the butt stock for open sight use to my eye. The decison was made to cut the butt stock from the grip on the radial armm saw and lower its' position as needed for proper eye alignment which ended up at a drop of .75 inches.
Hours and hours of filing, Bondo and sanding got the pattern to a "suitable" shape for duplication.
Then the real work began with the semi. No need to go there. Suffice it to say that it probably took me 3-4X as much time as a seasoned/experienced professional might require to do a suitable shape & fit. Lots of slimming and re-shaping went on until it was shaped "just right" followed by the numerous coats of TruOil and leveling, etc.
But, here it is in its finished state, minor flaws included, except for the tweaking of the safety and a final adjustment on the "creapy" factory trigger.
Rust bluing by Roger Ferrell. Checkering by Smith-Lyon.

Ray,
Many thanks for sharing the photos of your lovely Mauser 22LR. Thanks, also, for the privilege of polishing and rust bluing the barreled action. The Mauser 22LR is a true classic. No one makes rifles like this anymore.
Please enjoy your new rifle. It will always be a treasure!

Roger

Looks great. Would like to see a full length right and left side.

The total weight is 5 pounds 13 ounces.

Nice to hear that my stock work is Roger approved.
Thanks Roger.

More pics in a the next few days thirdbite.

Very nice.

Everybody needs a .22 so it might as well be a pretty one!

Bravo Ray, a classic rifle to be proud of, thanks for sharing.

What model is your Mauser? I foolishly sold my old 350ES. Looking for another.

lowgun. It's a MM410B.
350's are out there. Nate Myers has a nice one.
Just Google mauser 350ES for sale

Who supplied and fitted the M70 style safety?

thirdbite - I'll have to find out. I forgot. He's no longer with us, some gunsmith out west. I emailed a family member offering to buy any left over safeties. Never heard a peep.

Dean Zollinger of Idaho made the safety.

These cell phone photos may or may not be a bit better than the Previous Sony pix.

That is a beautiful little gun, Ray! what a sweet little toy!

Man thats nice. Im working on a Brno model 1 now. Wish I could find a a way to convert the safety so its not backwards!

Anyone notice the .75" cast off of the butt? The donor stock for my pattern was a Ithaca X5 lightning. Lots of filling and shaping, dropped the butt .75", etc. until the open sight alignment was perfect. No more pros or cons? Honesty is welcome even on the negative. Angry people not so much.
CB

With your pictures you cannot tell what you have honestly. Take a picture from the muzzle looking down the barrel toward the butt should show the cast- without a tree in it! Then how about a right and left full length profile that shows the actual shape of your creation.

quote:

Originally posted by custombolt:
No more pros or cons? Honesty is welcome even on the negative. Angry people not so much.
CB

I'm only angry because you've got a sweet custom 22lr and I have not got off my butt and done something like that for myself....YET!

Looks like stellar custom work all the way around. Huge congrats on a very sweet rifle.

Zeke

It turned out great, I missed this when you posted!

Gives me some motivation to get the 3 position safeties I started finished. Maybe this thread will turn up a little interest!

Thanks for all the compliments so far.

Zeke. No better time than the present.

Well I sure hope so Nate,

The craftmanship on these little sporters is just incredible and worthy of customization.

As requested by kda55.

Better.

And the butt plate I ended up with. The smallest Pachmayr basket weave pads weren't narrow enough. The steel backer was too wide. They are still for sale in the classifieds.

Outstanding!

Thanks UEG. Looked at 50+ before I found a nice one. Still need another screw to replace the buggered one.

Beautiful!

Just matched in the missing bluing at the gas vent.

Great job! Nothing like a customized .22RF in the gun rack. And that's a nice one...

Thanks bwanamrm. The factory machining on these is the best of Mauser. Hope all is well down your way.

Thanks for the compliments.
CB

Very nice. Just for perspective, can you tell me the buttplate dimensions? Thanks.

Thanks.
1.0625 X 4.375 inches. About 7/16" thick at both ends.

quote:

Originally posted by thirdbite:
Very nice. Just for perspective, can you tell me the buttplate dimensions? Thanks.

Custombolt

Havig never seen one of those before I am curious what the inside of that action looks like. From the outside it looks like a steel tube. What is going on in the inside. Does it look like a Mauser 98 action in there?

No tube here. It's a fully machined Mauser with a front lug, similar to a small ring 98 including a similar (yet offset) controlled round feed extractor. If I ever open it up again, I'll take some more pictures. Here's the extractor in the 2 o'clock position.

Here's what they look like without any mods.
Bone stock MM410B.

It's simply gorgeous. If a man had to have only one gun -- and one that can be passed down as a priceless heirloom ...

look great! good job.

Is the MAS trainer a copy of the Mauser 22? They should be plentiful.

quote:

Originally posted by Vol717:
Is the MAS trainer a copy of the Mauser 22? They should be plentiful.

No, the MAS is a direct copy of the KKW produced at Mauser. France produced some while occupying Mauser, and then absconded with the machinery.

I have 3 positions safeties in the prototyping/development phase for the MAS's. I doubt I will sell many, but I want one

I have an old ww2 Brno #1 with the dog knot rear sight ala M-70 Win, Schnable fore end, barrel band front sight ramp, double square bridge action, clip fed,skinney little Bugger with grip checkering. I love it and have had it for half a lifetime.. I recently sold my beautiful in moment of greed for my favorite color (green) Lordy but they fetch a high price these days..The same guy wanted my Brono for a kings fortune offer, but I was strong and refused all his offers. Unfortunatly he passed away some years past..He was a great friend and an outstanding gun smith and stock maker by hobby and never built a gun for money that I know of, His muzzle loaders and sako pistols were sought after for big bucks..Tony Barnes, Kimberly Idaho.