Left handed Mauser's are an Abomination!

Just brought home a new Chas. Daly mauser action. Std. bolt face and std. length. It is said that they are the successors to the Interarms Mark-X action. It is a relatively std. mauser in every way except the bolt shroud is smoothed over and the adjustable trigger has the safety. I have added the Dakota M-70 bolt shroud and safety and will convert to double set trigger. Action is heavy, heavy, So I will need to lighten it, trim down the trigger guard, etc. Any pearls of wisdom on this one? TIA

It should be about the same weight as the normal commercial 98. Yes they are heavier than say a 700. Two easy ways to cut weight are. Find an after market alloy guard. Or build it blind and use an alloy 700adl triggerguard.

Although I haven't weighed them, it feels a little heavier than the usual commercial '98. The trigger guard is full thickness, like on a military and will need thinning and tapering. In addtion, the magazine box looks and feels robust, so maybe I can give it the swiss-cheese treatment. It seems as if there might be something more to do, but I can't think of it. I am building a .35 Whelen because I have wanted one since I was a kid reading Col. T. Whelen's writings. A caliber more in vogue is the .338-'06. I have an acquaintance that has a .333 OKH and has Hopkin's rifle (documented). Don't know if that makes it wildly valuable, but it is an interesting peice of history.

I wouldn't do anything to it. The extra weight will come in handy on that 35.

Terry

Just compared the guard from my daly and a MKX. The Daly is a little heavier. Using my trigger pull guard it appears the Daly is 14oz the MKX 13oz. The floor plate and sides of the box appear to be a little thicker. I was too lazy to dig out the Mic. Yes you could take a couple oz out of the guard. Lot of time and work for an oz or two. Back in the old day (when MKX barreled actions sold for $125) I tried reducing weight. Decided if I wanted it lighter I would build an aluminum box and build blind. You can cut out about 10oz. As Terry said for a 35 whelen I would just leave it alone. Due to inflation that is my 5 cents.

When are the stainless 375 lengths comming out, or the blued, or have they ?

checking their site. http://www.charlesdaly.com/
There is no ship date for stainless and the 375. Mostly what is available is the high polish. There might be some matt by now they show shipping on 1/20/04.

Geo, what did you pay for that thing, if you don't mind me askin".

As far as the extra weight goes and being needed for the .35, I understand the sentiment. I might just leave it alone for now and see. As far as the price goes, I paid $229, which is what I figured I'd have to pay. By the way, the only one available is like I got, the rest are to come. The action is in the white, carbon steel, and I wouldn't get so carried away as to describe it as highly polished, although it isn't so bad, either.

I got my CD mauser action last spring from brownells It is heavey but works nice in 375 improved. Put a douglas barrel and a dakota 3 position on it in a Hi-Tech stock. Shoots like a dream I can get 5 rounds into an inch at 100, Got 10 in an inch once but usualy 1.5 inches for ten. (That would be me not the rifle) Have fun with it I hear they're gonna have lefties out soon.

I've been talking wwith Charles Daly (KBI Inc) for over a year on the left handed Mausers. Right now they only plan on importing complete guns in 30.06 and 223 as left handed. I've about gone blue in the face trying to convince them to import left handed bare actions and barreled actions in other calibers. Their marketing people "are considering it".

Fjold

Looks like a great little business opportunity. If Charles Daly is not the exclusive importer, or if they are and do not want to import the actions theirselves, maybe you and a few other lefties could get together and become the "exclusive exclusive" importer for the left handed actions. Nothing like a little competition to stir things up.

Blue