I have rebarrelled several mauser actions but all were .308,
.30/06, 7x57 class calibers. I would like to rebarrel a large ring 98 to .458 Win. mag. First of all has anyone done it? I know the action is long enough, .458 pressures are not as high as 7mm mag and I have built a 7mm mag
although I didn't hang the barrel. I know Adams and Bennett
sells their 98 barrels in .458. I 'm concerned about removing a lot of metal to accommudate the fat cartridge
as far as feeding the round. Also is headspacing any more
difficult than a standard caliber? Any help from you
knowlegable folks would be appreciated.

The 458 does require opening the feed rails and ramp, but that is easily done. Slow and easy does it. (This is a hobby, right?)



The expensive bit is that the M98 magazine geometry is not truly suited to the fatter cartridge. Custom trigger guards for 458 cost upwards from $280.



IMHO, if you are going to all that expense you should go for a Lott rather than a Win. This does involve opening the action further forward and further back, which some claim weaken the action dangerously. But gunsmiths have been doing it for many, many years. I think it can be done safely.



Go ahead and spend a little more money on teh barrel. For $188 you can get a threaded, deep-chambered Lothar-Walther Mauser barrel. See www.lothar-walther.com

Don G,
Thank you for the input. One reaon I am going with .458 is
because I already have dies and components since my brother
has one that I built for him on a Win. P-17. I have several solid 98's so I'm doing everything with something on hand.
Expense is a major factor also. I am waiting on info from
Lothar-Walther. I have head good things about both Adams&
Bennett and Lothar-Walther but have no first hand experiance with either yet. I just got an Adams & Bennett in 30-06 for a Mauser so I'll see.

Don_G;

Quote:

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For $188 you can get a threaded, deep-chambered Lothar-Walther Mauser barrel.

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Could you point me to your price list? When I called L-W a few months ago, the prices quoted were around $300.

Regards,

Mike

If I Remember Correctly (IIRC), the L-W site is not link-friendly.

I just clicked on Old Glory, then barrels at bottom left, then looked at articles 720-724 on that page. There are no prices on the site that I know of. I just called the number and asked Woody how much they cost.

$376 for two, shipped to Cincinnati, IIRC.

The caliber choice is limited on these pre-chambered large-ring Mauser barrels, but the custom barrels are much more. The Mauser barrels are also available in stainless (shudder). I don't know the prices, but they are listed in the European sites, and Woody can get them.

I agree with Don G re: the LW barrel. Spring for a few more bucks on the barrel. Even a Douglas is only a few $$ more. And yes, I have used all three.

As far as a Lott, you can use your 458 win accessories for it. Putting the longer round in would be no problem, if you follow the very logical advice of Buchenschmeid (why didn't I ever think of that?) and lap the lugs until the third safety lug also begins to bear. I really wanted an 8x68 on a Mauser, and thanks to that bit of advice I will have one eventually - and a good use for my 1909 Argentine with lug setback.

If you open up a Mauser triggerguard maximally from the inside, with a file, you can get enough room for three rounds. You may be able to close the bolt on #4. If you use a hinged unit, it is not overly complicated, if you weld, to move the rear wall back.

Good luck, sounds like fun.

Todd

Thanks Todd,
Does anyone know of a source for a laminated stock with
crossbolts for a magnum rifle on a mauser 98 to complete my project.

I just had one barreled as a 458 Lott, using a Ruger #1H 458 takeoff barrel. It finished up as a 22" tube, with a nice barrel heavy balance. I had this built to replace my previous 458 Lott that was too light and poorly built. I also plan to shoot primarily 350 gr bullets and cast 500 gr. There isn't any NA game that won't succumb to a 350 gr @ 2400-2500 fps within reasonable ranges, and those loads are much more enjoyable to shoot than the 500 gr @ 2300 fps.

If you build a magazine for the shorter 350 gr bullets, your COL is in the ball park of an -06 round, there is enough metal behind the bottom lug to allow just the front of the mag to be opened up. If I decide to use 500 gr jacketed rounds, I can either use win mag cases, or cut a secondary canalure in the correct spot. I haven't done the feed work yet, but don't expect it to be much more work than other cartridges.

I would also second everyone elses recomendation of using a higher grade barrel than an A&B. The one I have in 35 bore and chambered as a 350 Rigby is accurate enough, but rough and a bear to clean.

I just finished a 98 rebarrelled to a .458. It was my second sporterized mauser. I used a shilen barrel on a 98/22. Right now it has only the express sights but I may scope it. I have put 40 rounds through it so far and can get 5 shots under 2 inches with the open sights.

The hardest part was getting the feeding right. I had to file on magazine box, open the feed rails, grind on the follower, polish the feed ramp and sacrifice a chicken but it now holds three rounds securely and feeds every time without jamming. The members who posted above are correct in that you have to go slow and work on all areas of feeding at the same time - if you concentrate too much on one area then you may find that it feeds OK but the cartriges won't stay in the magazine. Here is a picture of my rifle.


DrScott

What about getting the A&B 458 barrel and useing a Lott chamber reamer on it? Could you just get a laminated stock, then put your own cross bolts in it?

http://www.midwayusa.com/rewriteaproduct/712752

Try Boyds for a laminated stock. Cut the pistol grip shorter, rasp the grip open a bit, and put a steel grip cap on it. Add an ebony forend tip, and you're looking sharp. About $70 I believe, unfinished. Brownells also sells a cross bolt jig by B-square, works fantastic. FFL cost is about $35, which is less than most people charge to install one. Crossbolts are $5.00. Roger Kehr does a nifty job of engraving the heads too.

Todd

Dr. Scott,
Beautiful rifle. That's what a .458 should look like. Where did you get the wood? Did you make the barrel band or buy it? I made one and it's not quite as nice as that one. What sights did you use? Thanks for the picture.

The wood is a Richards Microfit English walnut that someone else had ordered and rejected. I got a good deal on it and was able to fix the poor action inletting with the glass bedding. I did a lot of reshaping to remove the rollover and openned up the area between the trigger guard and the grip. I wish it had ebony instead of the rosewood tip and white line spacer. The wood is darker than the picture looks - I have a cheap camera. I used the jig Todd mentioned to put the crossbolts in. I put an extra recoil lug on the barrel. Here is a different picture - still not very good with the glare from the flash.





The barrel band is a Talley I ordered from Brownells. The sights are NECG - also ordered from Brownells. I rust blued the metal using the Mark Lees Express Rust Blue.

DrScott

DrScott,
How did you attach the recoil lug and how far ahead of the original lug did you put it? The few guns I have bedded with
2 lugs have been a bear to get bedded so they weren't to tight. Also did you remove the rollover cheek piece for the more traditional look or because of the recoil?

I put the lug 4.5 inches ahead of the action recoil lug. It is attached with 2 screws and highforce 44 solder. I used the acraglass gel to bed the entire action and the barrel out to and including the barrel lug. The last few inches of the barrel are free floated.

I removed the rollover because I like a more traditional look. Recoil with factory 510 grain RN and handloaded 400 grain PP has been only slightly more than my 375 H&H.