I am purchasing a Bansner synthetic stock to be fitted to a 300 Win, commercial Mauser. I have decided to try to configure it with a blind magazine/no bottom metal (due to the original alloy bottom metal being both damaged and ugly). I originally thought that I would simply cerrocast the original magazine box and inlet this into built up fiberglass in the magazine mortice with a aluminum plate epoxied into the front to prevent damage from the bullets during recoil. After studying the problem, I have begun to doubt the wisdom of NOT having a metal box. In addition, by using a sheet metal box, I would gain some much needed length.

The original box was 3.40 in length. Is there a factory box that I could easily modify to use with the Mauser (I realize that I may need to weld on a tab to engage the rear of the action)? If not, is it possible to make one with the proper geometry so that feeding is reliable?

Thanks for all the help.

When I build a blind magazine on a Mauser I use a surplus box. I pick up the old stamped steel box/guard and simply cut the box off and use it. Then use an ADL guard. For a longer box I cut the front off and weld in a spacer.

Could you not cut the box off your current assemble if you aren't going to use it?

Jay

If I recall correctly there have been a few threads in the past that dealt extensively with magazine geometry. You may want to do a search and read them.

If I remember the gist of the threads, a regular 98 box does not have the proper geometry for .300 Win Mag.

You could give a call down to Blackburn and ask them what geometry they use for their Win Mag boxes. Another fellow who knows the geometry lives close to you. His name is Tom Burgess.

I can vouch for ramrod 340's method. He did the blind box in a Ruger 77 that I recently purchased from him. It works and looks great. Perhaps you should use a Ruger or Sako A-V sheetmetal box and manipulate it to your desired dims. I had a blind box mauser done pretty close to what Ramrod has described. On mine though the floorplate was ground flat, and the box was milled shorter. The whole outfit was then inletted and glass bedded into the stock. I believe it was an ADL trigger guard. I guess that was the best way the builder could figure to keep the spring and follower in place and not have an overly deep belly in the stock.

22WRF-the rifle was originally a .300 and the box geometry was appropriate already for that round though only 3.40.

Per your and Ramrod's suggestions I lengthened the back of the box by .05 (leaving the tab) and cut and shaped it to a stand-alone unit. As it is alloy it should be relatively light. I think that I should nix the existing steel floorplate and inlet the box directly into the stock which will require that I remove material from the bottom of the box I think...I should be able to skim glass bottom of the mag mortice and create a recess for the mag spring to rest in when assembled. I reshaped the remaining alloy triggerguard but need to fill the gap where the in-the-bow release was...I may bubba it and inlet it as is and fill and file using glass prior to final stock painting.

I couldn't imagine climbing to the mountaintoop and asking Burgess anything, christ, what he would think of some of my projects...

Good suggestions guys---I'll post pics when she's done.

Snowcat

In my opinion Tom Burgess is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet.