I read about all you folks doing projects on the 1909 Argies and have one myself but felt like a pig in sh** when I found it .....and it's original and untouched for $150 so I bought it immediately.

My question is.....Is there a place that sells them?.....or do you do like I do and buy them when they majically appear at gun shows etc. Further, what's a reasonable price for a project grade action.....is $300 too much for a good specimen? I consider them to be rare.....maybe I just don't know where to look!!!

I think $300 is a little steep for a donor Argentine action, even if it is real sharp. I still see decent sporterized 09's in pawnshops for $150-$250. I don't consider them rare.

I have two. One I found at a pawn shop that was in pristine condition for $125. For some reason around here, there just aren't a lot of Mausers for sale, so I considered myself extremely lucky to find this one. For the second one, I had to buy three over the net to find one good one. I found two from individual sellers who claimed they were in great shape for $150ea. Only to find out they were pitted junk when they arrived. These were stuck on GUNBROKER with an honest description and sold for about what I paid for them. When I finally found the second keeper, I had to pay a premium for it. the seller was about 150 miles away, but fortunately I was going in that direction anyway and meet up with him in person. The action looked new and in the white, but it wasn't cheap, $250 ouch! But, what the hell, quality is remembered long after the price paid is forgotten. And besides, the price of the action is one of the cheapest things in a custom Mauser rifle project anyway. Man, I crowed when I found the 1st one for $125! Now that I've got about $1600 tied up in the barreled action. Well, it kinda takes the "good deal" right out of the equation. I'm still glad I did it. It's turning into a beautiful rifle.

It's been my experience, while there still is a good supply of 1909's out there. The supply of nice ones has dried up. I think it has something to do with the fact they aren't making anymore.

Terry

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There were a number of places that used to sell them. None of those have any supply of them anymore. BTW, when you see one that looks like it is "in the white" that is the way that they were used. They did not have any bluing on the action, those that are blued have been refurbished in an armory at some point in time. The most recent price I paid any quantity (17) was around $120.

I consider $150 a very good price for an as issued action. I can not remember how many I have left but I am going to sell what I do not plan on using in the near future. Most of mine have been surface ground and some have new bolts in place. You will see them here on the classifieds when they are ready to go.

The action that seems to have dissapeared is the 1910 Mexican. It takes more money to get working well (new bottom metal) but I do like the rifle when finished. I was buying them at $40 each and not long ago and the supply seemed endless, or at least I thought.

Well there are still plenty of 1909's available for around $130, just that they're the Argentinian made ones, (FMAP's?), not the DWM's. There's been some discussion that they are as well finished but perhaps need heat treatment.

I figure that if I'm going to have a big boomer custom gun made it'll be surface ground and rehardened so it doesn't make a difference.

If I was just going to slap a barrel on one and not reharden, I'd probably want a DWM.

Rob

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I was buying them at $40 each and not long ago and the supply seemed endless, or at least I thought.

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What year was that exactly????

I bought 2 of the SA versions a couple years ago for $100 each, both in the white and primo shape. Won't be taking any chances, both are going to Pacmet for heat treating.

Bill,
It was 1910, they were brand new. No, not that long ago, may be 6 or 7 years.

Remember, you offered those 09's to me first!!! Missed you at the expo. Some eskimo from Nome got the rifle. The '06 is really nice; 30-06 with a double shotgun to go along with it.

why not just use a vz24 you can find um all day for$75 the hingded bottom metal is overrated. I would think that if someone made up some kind of machine and produced hindged mauser bottom metal they could make a ton of money.

Cummins Cowboy,
Ted Blackburn is already doing that. The machine is a CNC Mill, the cost for the bottom metal is $325 +/-. The argentines are worth the difference.

yeah I know bottom metal is available, even used argie floor plates show up every now and again, but the cost is enough to make your eyes water. I don't see why it couldn't be done mass produced for say 75-100$

Id like to know where to find some Argentine actions, I just settled on a pair of BRNO's for upcoming projects. I will do a bit of modifying to the bottom metal to improve it but would certianly prefer hinged.

I paid $80.00 for the BRNO's but an extra $70.00 for a well made hinged floorplate would be worth it IMO.

Anybody know the feasibility of building a .404 Jefferey on a 1909 and retaining the original bottom metal?

Mike

Anyone know what became of the Argentine Straddle Floorplates that Brownells used to offer???

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Originally posted by cummins cowboy:
yeah I know bottom metal is available, even used argie floor plates show up every now and again, but the cost is enough to make your eyes water. I don't see why it couldn't be done mass produced for say 75-100$

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Probably could be....but Im not sure I would buy it. I've had plenty of experience with cheaper bottom metal and none of them were pleasant. Rounded corners, no draft for inletting, holes drilled crooked etc. I'll stick with Blackburn.

Those straddle floorplates from Brownell's were made by Dave Talley of the scope ring fame, I think. I bought several from him but he quit making them. Recently, Jim Wisner made some but I think he sold out in a hurry. They were really nice and sold for less than $40

Has anyone just ordered replacement bottom metal from CD for the Zastava actions?

Many years ago I bought for $10 a Parker Hale aluminum annodozed and engraved bottom metal and I wish I'd bought a whole truck load of them.....they're not for a high end custom rifle but sure work nice for a light weight sporter.....where does one find those today?

IMHO, The CD bottom metal belongs on the CD action, not a nice gun. The older Mark X metal at least had the release in the bow.

Either get the Blackburn or fit a straddle floorplate to Argie bottom metal.

I recently got three New stripped Argie triggrguards and ordered up three stradle floorplates. Cost per unit is $75, a deal in my book. All I need do now is fabricate the release lever which would have needed attention had it been included anyway and fit the floorplates.

I'd rather have a nice reworked non-hinged military unit than a cheap aftermarket piece.

I think this is a pretty well designed triggerguard modification built on a military unit. It could easily be dressed up with a little narrower trigger guard. I would think someone could set up and make these fairly easily. I'm sure there would be a pretty good market for such a product.

Weagle

Here is a very well done conversion on a military action bottom metal. In this case it is a Springfield.

The work was done by a very gifted metalsmith - Jim Dubell. I have never seen a piece of custom bottom metal that even approached this one.

Chic, that's a true art work...love it.....BUT...I smell many denaros there and it's truly hard for me to shell out more for a piece of bottom metal than I do for an entire M-70 action!!!

The mausers I build are not intended to compete with D'Arcy & Co....just to be nice private sporters in such practical things as .338-06 etc.....

Again....very nice!!!