Years ago I purchased a top drawer bottom metal in the style of Wiebe, Blackburn, and others. Was not aware, from picture viewing prior to purchase, that the darned thing was a standard depth drop-box. You are reading correctly in that the trigger guard is 1/4" above the magazine bottom. This is going to allow for a slimmer-than-normal grip. Am I over-thinking that this departure from standard depth will also require a slimmer an more svelte stock all the way around? The action this is being paired with is a FN with magnum bolt face. The box on the bottom is 3.16" and takes a .375H&H easily. Another issue arises due to the box sitting .125" forward of the feed ramp. Too much to take out in the front?
Mayhaps this is not the anomaly I think, so I am hoping for clarity from all you Mausersmiths. Almost forgot to note no maker's mark or any mark, for that matter, on the metal anywhere.
Thanks,
Stephen

/The sole purpose of a drop box is more ammo in the box..They do not slim the gun up, quite the opposite, they add a little bulk..they don't slim the grip but they can flatten it out if the stock maker is atune to stockinng them, and that makes a beautifuly grip and gun..Im found of drop box English type rifles..and perhaps you are over thinking it, hopefully you live close to your stockmaker and can drive him up the wall, but thats what he gets paid for..

Yes and now you need an expensive custom stock for the drop box mag.
FN took all the metal out of the receiver front (behind the bottom locking lug), to make room for H&H mag cartridges. I usually take some from the front and some from the rear.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
/The sole purpose of a drop box is more ammo in the box..They do not slim the gun up, quite the opposite, they add a little bulk..they don't slim the grip but they can flatten it out if the stock maker is atune to stockinng them, and that makes a beautifuly grip and gun..Im found of drop box English type rifles..and perhaps you are over thinking it, hopefully you live close to your stockmaker and can drive him up the wall, but thats what he gets paid for..

I understand the purpose of a drop box is more rounds available however, this is a standard depth box with a trigger guard bow 1//4" above its normal position. If the magazine touches the action as I understand they should be inlet, the wrist automatically becomes trimmer by the 1/4" mentioned above. This is what generated my post initially.
Any more clear?
Stephen

If you follow the lines of the bottom metal through the action area and into the wrist it sounds like this bottom metal should create a slimmer stock all around, like maybe a ladies rifle? How does the trigger work with this metal? Do you need to cut a 1/4" off the tip of it too? Not sure why this bottom metal really exists if it holds the standard amount of cartridges.

clowdis,
Exactly. A Sako trigger is on the action now and I would like it to remain. I believe you may have discovered the truth behind this bottom metal as the beginning of a ladies rifle. Someone spent serious time and resources creating this, I will call, anomaly of a bottom metal as a go-nowhere and difficult to sort out entity, as you point out, having no reason to exist. The trigger needs bending ever so slightly at the tip to clear the guard bow's bottom. Am a bit obsessive/compulsive about trigger's curvature matching the guard bow closely. Magnum box to boot.
Thanks for your reply.

Stephen