Anyone have a better idea for attaching claw bases to a double square bridge mauser?

honestly, no... nof if you want to use claw mounts, this looks like "the" way.

jeffe

Thanks, jeffe - just thought I had better double check.

I would also put a couple of screws through the front base. Otherwise you may have some problems.

Bill

DO NOT put screws through the front foot. If the dovetail is done properly, the foot is not going anywhere. There are lots of guns out there that have been set up this way for many decades without a problem.

Just make sure that front ring is not an objective ring, as that would moove the scope 4" to the rear ant 2" up from were it has to be placed to look through.(unless it is a straight tube, without an objective bell.) Since the front ring often is an objective ring, (otherwise the objective will hit the barrel before it is fre of the claw), I would place it on the barrel in front of the action. This way, you will be able to shoot it without breaking you neck.

Forrest,

The reason I said what I did is because of problems. I have 3 original comercial mausers that have claws on them. I had trouble with 2 of the 3 due to the front mount not having screws set in. The only one I didn't have a problem with is a 7x57 and I always just figured that was due to the minimal recoil.

Bill

Oh also forgot to add that I have one 11.2 Shuler that I'm pretty sure originally came with screws in the front base. 2 years ago when I was in Germany I saw 2 others and both had screws through the front base.

Bill

P.S.- There were plenty of older mausers with screws through the front base.

The operative phrase is, "if done properly". Recoil shouldn't be a problem as it is in-line with the bore (and perpendicular to the dovetail). The front foot takes about 75% of the recoil, but it shouldn't move the foot a bit. I would imagine the screws were added after the original mounting because there was a movement problem with your older Mausers, not to prevent a movement problem. I'm just guesssing, but it could be that the foot was changed out or driven through the dovetail a time or two and that caused enough wear to require the screws. If the foot is tight and driven into the dovetail only once for the original set-up, it will be VERY difficult to move side to side with a mallet - recoil shouldn't affect it at all.

Once? The idea of the claws is to be removable and to be able to replace it with out loss of zero. Thats what they were designed for.

Bill

Bill,
the dovetail isn't meant to be moved or removed, just the scope rings, not the mount

jeffe

The misunderstanding is my fault. We're using different nomenclature. When I said "foot" I probably should have said "plate" as in the plate that fits into the dovetail. The male piece on the ring can also be called the "foot".

In any event, the plate fitted into the dovetail should fit so tightly that it wouldn't be effected by recoil. I don't think I've ever seen a new front plate that has been drilled and tapped to accept screws. If one is determined to go the belt-and-suspenders route, I'd suggest using set-screws instead of screws tapped into the bridge (bottom of the dovetail).

Would that work on a girl's head for the beer cup holder and pizza tray base anchor??

LD

Forrest, yes clearly we were using different nomenclature. Though I guess I should be fair and say I wasn't clear either. The screws shouldn't be into the bridge but simply a set screw as you had stated. I never really made that apparent in my posts. I'll try to get a couple pics of mine up and show you what I mean in pictures.

Bill

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:
Here's a link to a photo album:

Pair of Mausers

Yess!!!!!!!!!!!


This is how it is done! Duane Viebe is the man!!!!

NOT like this, and note, theese scopes have the same eye-relief! See what I'm saying?

[/QUOTE]

I say yes to that, and that method has been around as long as scopes have been around and of course it looks neat too. Cutting a tight dovetail for the claw plate is no big deal, just a simple matter of getting it right.
Stuart

Timan,

Yes to what? Putting a dovetail in the front ring? Does it look neat? Like this?

This scope has same eye-relief as the scopes on Duane Viebe's guns, and abouth the SAME length!

It might have been a solution with the first scopes, 100 years ago, but time has moved on. With dodays scopes, front ring needs to be placed further foreward.

The short scopes from dangerous game can still go on the front bridge. I'm thinking of the 1.5 x 5 Leupold, or the 1 x 4 Swarovski, both on magnum actions.

On the longer scopes I agree that the front base should be out on the barrel. Just turn a section lto a level diameter and put on a Piece from Recknagel. Then mill the slot. Cheap, easy, accurate and not too bad looking.

LD

I'm with Bent 100% on this one.

Having the front objective (on scopes with larger objectives than the tube) mounted so far back as the front square bridge as seen on the picture from Ritterbursch might look classic/traditional, but if you're going to be using the rifle, lets try to be practical...

I'll measure my CZ tomorrow.

LD

Bent,

Do you think machining in such a slot into the front square bridge weakens the action any more then machining in the same for a swingmount? Both have been done "forever", and I've never heard of that being a problem?

Eric,
I do not know. I know it has been done "forever", and there does not seem to be a problem, but I am sceptical anyway. I am not sying it is wrong, but would have liked to see some testing. My old teacher at CSofT refered to it as "crazy", but it was more like his opinion, than cold facts.

quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
I'll measure my CZ tomorrow.

LD

LD,

You need new glasses. That's not a CZ, but rather, a good looking German Shorthair Pointer!

[QUOTE]Originally by Bent Fossdal:
But, I do not like the idea of milling a big ole slot in that bridge. Has anyone tested to see how much this weakenes the action?[QUOTE]


OK, this statement is NOT for milling a slot in the square bridge, but for those who make the slots in the round actions like this:


I have seen this to often to be a "coinkidink", and I think this is a quite another cup of tea than milling in the suare bridge.

quote:

Originally posted by Bent Fossdal:
Timan,

Yes to what? Putting a dovetail in the front ring? Does it look neat? Like this?

This scope has same eye-relief as the scopes on Duane Viebe's guns, and abouth the SAME length!

It might have been a solution with the first scopes, 100 years ago, but time has moved on. With dodays scopes, front ring needs to be placed further foreward.

Sorry, I should be more clear. I'm not going to use a large objective, long scope like that.

But a small one - like this.

quote:

Originally posted by new_guy:


Sorry, I should be more clear. I'm not going to use a large objective, long scope like that.

But a small one - like this.

That should work well!¨
Good luck!

New Guy
I would check with JJ Perodeau on this. Seems like I read somewhere that dovetailing into the front action was currently considered a bad idea.
I think even one of the European Proof Houses [Germany??] would not proof such rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
New Guy
I would check with JJ Perodeau on this. Seems like I read somewhere that dovetailing into the front action was currently considered a bad idea.
I think even one of the European Proof Houses [Germany??] would not proof such rifles.

NE450NO2,
I think what you are saying is connected with the slotting in the round actions like the one on my last pick above. I can not imagine why slotting a square bridge should be any problem, the slot all comes above the radium of the round profile.

To Brent's point, this cut will be outside the perimiter of the front ring's circle of steel.

N E 450 No2 - good point. Probably a concern on an older action, and definitely on a military action.

In this particular case, a new action made from pre-hardened 4140 will be used. It also has a lot of integral steel left on top for the bridges.

The "blank" bridges will be machined to accomodate the mounts (vs the other way around.)It should be much stronger than the old actions.

New guy is correct. The dovetail cut for the claw plate WILL NOT invade the cicumferance of the receivers' front ring. Clearly visable on the photo of the kraft rifle, the front ring has extra steel in its' front ring for the claw mount plate. I have seen where the dovetail has been cut into a mausers' front ring and there was no square bridge to cut it into at all, that seems risky to me, which is probably why there are differant QR systems for non square bridge actions on the market today.
Timan