I spoke with Mr. Christman on the phone today, and we discussed the parameters of a custom rifle.
Nice gentleman, spent some time discussing this rifle, as well as other topics.

Need to know if I've overlooked anything? Embellishments?

Details as follows:

Caliber: 7x57

Metal
Action: Mexican Mauser (Without round cocking piece)
Barrel-Octagon to round Lilja 23”, 1 in 8 twist
Bottom Metal: Wiebe custom w/inside bow magazine release
Burgess style bolt with Glimm bolt knob, tear drop checkered (3 panel)
Double Square Bridge
Sights: Quarter rib with one standing, hooded banded front
Inletted swivel studs (no barrel band)
Talley Rings
All metal Rust Blued
Action trued and squared
Dakota steel grip cap (with initials engraved? (in gold??))
Lugs lapped and polished
Trigger honed 3#, no creep or over-travel
Jewel Bolt and extractor.


Wood
English Walnut (Blank provided by me)
Classic Style stock, hand rubbed oil finish
Shadowline cheekpiece, “Pancake style”
Ebony fore-end, 90 degree
Checkering-point pattern
14” LOP
1/2” Red Pachmayr Pad


Barrel engraved to read “7x57 Mauser”


David suggested glass bedding the rifle as well.

Looking forward to this one, rifle will begin construction sometime around next August. Blank and deposit will ship early next week.

Thoughts?

Sounds nice.

I did not see a type of safety specified.

David

David has done 3 for me and he is a gentleman. His work is very good as most have seen on this forum.

This is my Mexican 7X57. We are blessed in having several great craftsman in the USA.
Butch

DKim, quite right, David is looking into a three position, perhaps from LaPour.

Butch, your name came up when David and I were chatting. The pics of your Christman rifles were partly responsible for choosing Christman. Did he do a double square bridge for you on a Mexican? If so do you have a pic?

Doug,
It is a double squire bridge. I will post more pics tomorrow as they are in a different computer.
Butch

Be sure to discuss with David how you want your scope bases cut in the bridges.

I don't think Mr. Weibe makes that bottom metal.

Terry

I don't know about honing a mauser trigger, but if I might make a suggestion I would highly suggest a Blackburn trigger. They are very well made. I just spoke with Maggie this afternoon and she advised me she has about 15 of the steel ones left in stock. I believe they are $125 plus shipping. If you get one you won't have to "hone" anything on it.

Blackburns do make a Mexican Mauser bottom metal. I don't think they have any in stock right now, but you might ask them if they plan on making a run of them in the near future.

http://www.cncspecialtyproducts.com/Models.html

How about a trap door grip cap with a spare front site and a gold oval in the butt stock with your initials engraved.

Butch: Thanks, I appreciate that!

Terry: I'm not quite sure what you mean about the scope bases cut into the bridges. We'll be using Talley rings, so they'll need to be cut to accomodate the footprint of the Talleys. David thought Duane might be making Mexican bottom metal. Blackburn's seems difficult to get ahold of.

gwhjack: I dont want to ruin the clean lines of the stock with a gold oval, although a trap door grip cap has me thinking!!

If not a trap door grip, then a skelton grip and but is in order; or at least a neidner type butt plate. A full octagon would look better than half and half, IMHO

quote:

Blackburn's seems difficult to get ahold of

do you have an email account?

Doug,
I guess we didn't take any good pics of the Square Bridges.

Hopefully this will help.
Butch

stippling! I have to say if I can afford a custom ever it will have stippling somewhere!

also, I would go with 275 Rigby engraved versus 7x57, same thing IIRC, and sounds cool. (I want one by the way, but would do full octagon. I had a pristing argentine I had earmarked for said gun but it got surface ground )

Red

We do not have any Mexican bottom metal at this time.

We do have Blackburn Triggers.

When you get your bottom metal you might want him to reshape trigger bow. Add that to your cost.
Butch

Have him bed a Synthetic Stock to the Barreled Action.. You'll want to Hunt with it..
AK

Jim: I have a lovely BRNO 21 Dennis Erhardt made up for me with a Niedner buttplate, want this one to be a bit different, hence the red recoil pad. I may yet go with the skeleton grip cap though. You have me thinking on the octagon bbl though, with a quarter rib, would the full octagon look better?

butch, thanks for the pic, any chance you have a pic of the double square with the quarter rib? Or of a proper trigger bow?

Dago, Stippling! Yes! I'm thinking along the length of the quarter rib and the ramp of the front sight? The Erhardt has stippling on the rear and front sight, nice touch, excellent suggestion.

AK, I have all the synthetics I need. I do enjoy still hunting here in the Adirondacks with my customs (although never in the slop ) the Erhardt has been out a few times this fall.

22WRF: David suggested Wiebe, so I'm going with his recommendation.

I've also decided to color case the grip cap, bolt release and bolt shroud, and nitre blue all the screws.

Thanks all! Anyone have anything else?

As an aside, James Anderson will be doing the metal work on this one, per David's suggestion.

James, if you read this you might recall a .264 Win Mag you and Bill Soverns did for me on a classic M-70. Shot it this past weekend, grouped .2 with Berger 130 VLD. (And I'm still planning on that Dakota 10 in the future, just needed to scratch the 7x57 itch first.)

I was wondering if you ever got to shoot your 264. Glad to hear it's a screamer. Sounds like you've got some sweet projects lined up.

I would get it done in 308...

Just because it is so much easier to get 308 ammo and reloading componets...

Not only now, but in the future as well.

David is a very nice guy.

I examined several examples of his work at one of the Shilen Swap Meets and his work is first class.

David is a great guy to work with. He has built 2 for me. Recently finished a .250 Ackley and previously a .45-70. Both are lookers and shooters.

He had the action screws engraved in sort of a star-burst pattern on my .250, very nice touch.

Tell him Rusty says hello. Also, he is a real artist with a Ruger Number 1.

Did you mention getting it re-heat treated after all the lapping and trueing? I don't want to raise a "s" storm here but it seems like the thing to do to an old Mex Mauser. It pre-cludes a lot of possible problems after a beautiful and expensive custom rifle is built.

David has always sent them out for recase after putting on the square bridges.
Butch

quote:

Originally posted by TC1:
Be sure to discuss with David how you want your scope bases cut in the bridges.

I don't think Mr. Weibe makes that bottom metal.

Terry

Well...seems like a good time for me to chime in! Yes, we've just made a run of Mex/94 bottom metal in two tang widths....650 for the sporter and .690 for original replacement.

The .690 comes with an uncontoured guard, though has inside bow release

I'll be sure to let David know Duane. He is counting on you.
Butch

Thanks, Butch..they're so far along now, it's a "slam dunk"