With so many out there how do you learn which are quality and which are not? Do different actions take different sized/contoured barrels? I'd love to learn more about Mausers, any suggestions?

Perry

quote:

Originally posted by perry:
With so many out there how do you learn which are quality and which are not? Do different actions take different sized/contoured barrels? I'd love to learn more about Mausers, any suggestions?

Perry

I recommend you find a copy of "Mauser Bolt Rifles" by Ludwig Olson and read it a couple of times......

www.gunbooks.co.uk/cat-rifles.cfm

"Mauser Bolt Rifles" Ludwig Olson
"Bolt Action Rifles" Frank De Haas
"The Mauser Bolt Actions" Jerry Kuhnhausen
"Original Oberndorf Sporting Rifles" Jon Speed
"Mauser Rifles & Pistols" W.H.B. Smith
"Mauser Rifles" NRA Publications
....and various books on custom rifles

Read, read, read. There's tons of info here and other forums.

Pretty much any Mauser 98 action in good condition is going to be a quality action. The 98's are large ring actions, except for the Turkish mausers, which 90% are large ring actions with small ring barrel thread dimensions. Not much you can't do with a large ring 98 action. other folks will argue with you about the improvments of this one or that one, but at least you will have a good argument.

Small rings are another story. Very good quality actions, but they were not designed for the pressures of most modern cartridges.

What else you want to know? You have a project in mind? You can build sporters, restore military rifles, or anywhere in between.

generally those that are stamped "DWM"
"Mauserwerk", "VZ-24", "BRNO", or made in Berlin, or czechlosvakia are good ones and many of the '98 are so marked.

There are others that are good as well.....but the advise about Olson's book is good.....spend a couple bucks and read it.

Thanks for all the feedback. I am fairly nostalgic and would love to build one up in 7x57. I currently deer hunt with a 7x57 in m700 Classic but would love a mauser. Also I am just curious and want to learn more. my family was in the gun business for years so I come by it naturally.

Perry

If you want to cut to the chase w/o spending alot of money, find a vintage FN Deluxe or Supreme, either a factory sporter, one of the many manufacturers who used these fine actions (HVA, Marlin, Colt, H&R, Browning, National Arms, FI, etc.) or an older custom.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
generally those that are stamped "DWM"
"Mauserwerk", "VZ-24", "BRNO", or made in Berlin, or czechlosvakia are good ones and many of the '98 are so marked.

There are others that are good as well.....but the advise about Olson's book is good.....spend a couple bucks and read it.

Add to that list any of the Nazi Mausers made before 1939 by Sauer und Sohn and Mauser Oberndorf when the finish quality was still superb. lots of bargains out there in russian captured pre-war 98's that have been cheaply sportered in the last few years that you can use for donor actions.

From 1946 to 1962 receivers were imported from FN by several companies who barreled them using different barrels and stocks sold under several names:Colt,JC Higgins,Herters,Western Field.JC Higgins mod 50,51 had High Standard Barrels & Bishop Stocks selling for approx $65.I remember seeing them in a local Sears Store in NYS in 1956 right after my discharge from the USAF but being young & unknowledgeable I had no use for a JC Higgins rifle,learned the error of my ways later on in life .Side of receivers were labeled made in Leige Belgium.My gunsmith said they were Browning Supreme actions that would rockwell 21/22 and were suitable for magnum barreling.The ones I bought and or located for my gunsmith were really smooth,triggers were changed to Timneys ,barreled by Douglas,blued and stocked with a Triple A select Fajen walnut stocks with a hand rubbed oil finish selling for $2000+ in the 1970's and 1980's.

Perry,

If you want to build a 7X57, look for an intermediate-length action. That was the original pairing.

jim