Fate smiles...I have a 1910 Mexican, 1909 Peruvian and a G33/40...I want as light a weight barreled action when finished as possible and need some advice...caliber of choice: 7/57...since I want to use this "newbie" this coming season, and also probably will not have all of the $$$ I need to finish all the work, I will need to do this in two steps--now and later (like next-next year). Here goes: which of this list MUST be done, and in which order, NOW and which can wait...use numbers, make additional suggestions, imply brand names...help me spend the Christmas $$$$...1) surface grind/fix spots, etc. 2) bolt handle 3) drill and tap 4) custom bases/rings 5) barrel (length, twist, brand name) 6) bottom metal 7) ejector box tab 8) safety 9) trigger 10) blind the rear tang screw 11) polish and blue (difficult if I want to use it BEFORE finishing)...any suggestions are welcomed...I hope to perk the interest of Mr. Belk and Mr. Burgess, and all of the others with Mauser interests...Thanks in advance, Arthur

Arthur,
Any one of those would make a nice finished rifle. The Mexican and the G33/40 would make the lightest. The Peruvian has a small thread and is an absolute gem of an action and I would save it for something else. BTW, I very much approve of the caliber. You have good taste.

I am assuming that you are just looking at getting the barreled action done first and then doing a stock. Whatever happens, don't blue it until the stock is done. If you are considering a wood stock and with those action choices I would anticipate that it would be hard to find a synthetic, there will be someone finishing the stock with the barrel action in place and your bluing can easily get marked up. Best to keep that until the stock phase is finished.

If you are looking at the stages being somewhat equal in money I would start with the barrel, surface grinding the action, drill and tap, custom bases, bolt stop ejector box tab, blind rear screw, and bolt handle first. That does not leave an equal amount for the second session with only custom bottom metal and trigger remaining. I guess I would take the ejector box tab and blind screw hole and bolt knob and move it to the second stage if you had to. Depends also on how far your gunsmith is from you as far as excess shipping. Okay thinking on the run here.

Someone who makes good custom bases will build it to in essence to align with the bore. That is after they have trued up the action, recoil lugs and have surface ground the front and rear bridges. When they do that the mandrel that the action is placed on will align the briges. So the barrel, surface grinding and custom bases are a match and should go together.

As far as barrel brand I would use a Krieger in 22 inch with a one in 9 twist some latitude there.

Mr Olds,
Beyond or in addition to Chick's appropriate remarks, Simply have those things done that will have no effect on a completed stock. A hinged magazine/floor plate conversion would be a nightmare to make fit a finished stock. Altered bolt handle? By far easier to do later,BUT I always preferred to let the stockmaker inlett the handle. Scope bases, No big deal later. Trigger unit? BEFORE stock. Different makes inlett differently. Pulling a finished rifle down years after completion viewer can be illiterate and yet read the tracks ,identify the various triggers once fitted (smile and know why!)Side swing safeties? 2 position on re-vamped military sleeve-anytime, before bluing. 3 position when trigger is installed because there is more fussy fitting involved. Scope bases and auxiliary iron sights, toss-up. Many stockmakers want to insure both come up easily to view. Bad form when you can not see the Irons with a lot of(or any for that matter) face and chin scrootching to find the damned things. Inside polishing bright? This is sometimes called honing of the parts for smoothness of operation, but the more cosmetic "bright" is beyond and includes "honing". This might end up in three rather than 2 stages. If the smith who grinds the receiver true deems receiver hardening to be advisable if not totally necessary, then any rough dings, gouges, machining scratches and the like should be done after grinding ,drilling and tapping, cleaning up draft planes where it fits the stock that would be much more labor intensive and expensive AFTER hardening. My own procedure is to take the surfaces that are to be bright after bluing up to about 500 grit, then after bluing either Boron Carbide or Diamond lapping powder on shaped pieces of wooden dowell. The wallet will determine how far and the rough guideline the sequence.