A client recently shipped a Brevex Magnum action to me for a .450 Rigby project. The good folks at FedEx lost the action & a replacement is necessary. Does anyone have experience with the Mayfair magnum Mauser actions? The Mayfair would seem to be a quality replacement, & there is a US distributor. Just trying to determine a good source for a new action.
Thanks.
Roger

I'm not a builder but from what I hear Mayfair are absolute tops - I believe they are who Westley Richards uses. FZH may be another action to consider. Last I saw Roger Green handled both.

Prechtl is another, but not sure if anyone is bringing them in now.

Roger, a friend has a Roberts & Richardson magnum action in the white if that's of any interest. Nice piece of kit.

I have heard from a very reliable source that you won’t get any better than a Mayfair. Have contemplated a custom large bore on one myself.

I thought that Roger Green was the only source for them in the USA.

Roger,
I have a couple of Mayfairs (none long magnum)
that Roger Green imported. He is a good gentleman to do business with. Closer to true mauser dimensions that GMA, very good finish.
But with import fees, shipping, quite a bit more than John’s.
A couple of months back, Roger had a right hand long magnum setup for 416 Rigby, in stock.

Lost Brevex is a two edged sword...The Brevex was not made with clearance for single loading...bitch to do afterwards. I'd also go with the Mayfair

Why wouldn't you go with an American made action?

quote:

Originally posted by Kolo-Pan:
Why wouldn't you go with an American made action?

Give us a critique of American made actions vs European made actions.

I don't know except that on several occasions Mr. Wiebe mentioned that the Satterlee Action is quite good. Moreover, on several occasions I have read opinions on the Brevex action that weren't all that favorable.

But again, I don't know. That is why I asked.

I would give another vote for the Satterlee action. They feed right out of the box. Don't know why his action slipped thru the cracks on this thread

I have a few in process, 1 in particular very near completion. I need to make a floorplate for the magazine frame and fit it. Then feed and function it. Otherwise all other components present on that one.
The magazine box is 450 Rigby with 4 rounds down.
It's conceivable I could have it out by early to mid December 2020.
Asking $4,500

IMO, and at least for me, I don't need or want an action that single loads, I find it quicker and more postitive to plant a round firmly in the magazine and close the bolt..I base that of what Ive seen in Africa for the most part when someone is trying to drop a round in the chamber under stress and the round ends up on the ground in almost every case, most of the time fortunatly the animal causing the stress is retreating...To go into detail the position of the rifle while being loaded is very important in either case..

Ray...the 98 has 1MM extra extrator clearance at ring....not so at the bridge. So....why would that be if not for single loading?

M-70s. Springfields, Enfields all can be single loaded..If you don't want this...tell me what action are you using?

The Mauser gentlemen wisely kept the bridge tight so there was no way the extractor would not stay in the exctraccor groove (for CRF)

I'm not even suggesting that you HAVE to single load, but I make sure the rifles I deliver have that capability...I have no cure for "clumsy"

MOstly mod 70 pre 64s and some mausers where in you can't close te bolt on a live round and that need the extractors shaved to load into the chamber, and that weakens the extractor/ejector...

but mostly I find it more practicle to push a round into the action and you have to close the action anyway, and then you don't tend to drop the ammo under stress..I saw this in the field, (not in the gunsmiths shop) many times over the years under a number of circumstances...

I'm sure you meant "ejections" instead of the part called the ejector.

At any rate, the extractors on M-70, etc all have plenty of slope and room to snap over a single load.

I a 98 does not snap over, t he extractor face is slightly as viewed from the front....weaken..well..I suppose ANY metal removal, in theory, has some effect.

However the amount of material removed is darn litle, just changing the slope near the top.

I'd bet a dollar and a doughnut that the rim of the case wild yield before a CORRECTLY modified extractor that single loads does.

Depends on who does the modifications..Iv seen these failures many times in Africa over the 40 plus years I was there on a yearly bases, I suppose it was client or gunsmith error...All my rifles were left as is, and again it was my choice because its simply much easier to push a round down into the action and close the bolt is it not??? Not saying it right or wrong just my choice as it works best for me.

The largest elk Ive ever seen, caught me running with a round lying on top of the floor plate I guess and I pointe the rifle down and the round fell in and as I came upon the bull I upped the gun closed the bolt and click, the round had fallen out at the last minute..shooter error maybe yes, maybe no, maybe shit happens, but Ive seen worse, thus my post to be considered based on field experience only..Over the years I had my gunsmith modify a few guns, but ended up going with my method..

I wouldn't bet much more than a dollar to a donut on that!

Well...in more years than I want to admit ..I've actually SEEN only three 98 extractor failures.

Handloaders can stick cases like they are welded in place. A 98 extractor is like a Chinese finger prison. harder you pull, the tighter the extractor grabs...at some point, somethings gotta give....In my observation, it's always been the brass.


Id take that bet and throw in a big mac and fries

Cast extractors as found in early post 64'
M-70....they will break every time.

I know nothing about Magnum Mauser actions so can't help Roger.
However, there are many misconceptions about the design and purpose of the Mauser claw extractor. And it was definitely NOT designed for hunting purposes.
Until 1893, all Mausers had push feed extractors, which worked very well. In 1893 Mauser developed the claw extractor expressly designed NOT to snap over a cartridge dropped into the chamber, and the 5 round stripper clip; these features were dictated by military doctrine, and were originally made for Turkey. (Exclusive production rights) Doctrine was to ONLY load from the clip, and never to load only one round, not into the chamber or magazine. (yes some early 93s had cutoffs but they were quickly deleted). Just like now, we never train soldiers to load one cartridge.
And the claw extractor/CRF feature was not designed for better extraction; it was to prevent poorly trained Ottoman soldiers from jamming up their rifles. Even Germany did not adopt this new invention; they waited 6 years.
All other military rifles were designed to allow single loading and doctrine even called for it. The Springfield, Mosin, All Enfields, etc. allow single loading into the chamber.
Fast forward to modern American hunters, who are largely spoiled and untrained. They all want to single load; a good idea when hunting. And not by putting one into the magazine; if they can't master simply dropping a cartridge into the chamber they damn sure can't master putting one into the magazine under pressure.
Again, they have not trained to do it.
So, since every other sporting and most military rifles are designed to single load, the Mauser, converted to sporting use, needs to be as well. The alternative is for the user to actually train and master the equipment, which 95% are unable/unwillng to do.
Oh, I've seen several broken Mauser extractors; it is from trying to single load a cartridge into the chamber. The lip is very thin and will break unless beveled.

Many years ago, I attended a metalsmithing class (NRA sponsored) It was given by Tom Burgess.

Tom claimed that not only was the 98 designed to single load, ammo of the day had a pronounced bevel at the base of the case to smooth the transition.

Further proof is the 1MM extractor clearance at the front ring. Note that the bridge does not have that clearance, designed to keep the round snugly held in place as it slips under the extractor hook.

Close examination will show that the extractor is able to move fore and aft...if encountering a single load the extractor is pushed to the rear slightly to clear the famous 98 beveled undercut.

Those extra machining steps were there for a pretty obvious reason.

Before this carries on forever, let me make a statement clear...you don't HAVE to single load, but if the gunsmith makes sure the rifle CAN single load, it will prevent a least... a hopeless jam

He was wrong in his analysis and interpretation of those design features. If you have Mausers that will snap over the rim of a cartridge, that is just an anomaly.
There is a reason that gunsmiths charge money to alter Mauser extractors to single load.
And that the original German TMs call for clip loading.

Single round loading?
Yes please, I would like my rifle to have that capability.

Invariably, regardless of training, history lessons or the way the German Army did it there will always be someone who attempts a single round loading.

It's pretty nice to be able to say "No problem" .....CLICK...as the properly fit and timed extractor goes over the case rim with very little effort and the cartridge can be cycled thru....no drama.

Or would you rather have....you dip shit...what did you do that for??? Didn't you know a 98 won't single Feed? Well let's see what we can find to knock that round out with, maybe there's a rod back at camp, only five miles away.

Thanks but no thanks I'll just make mine single load......

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the way all sporting rifles should operate, or be altered to do so.
(Because most Mausers won't, and everything else will)