Friends,

I have recently ordered a M48 Mauser. I am looking at getting one nice one for the collection and tinkering with another for a hunting rifle project.

I have read that the M48 action is an "intermediate" action and that the M98 stocks won't fit but the M96 (small ring) will with some work.

Has anyone stocked these things, is anyone making an aftermarket stock for them?

Any help and experience would be appreciated.

Boyds is making a sporter stock, it's available from Federal Arms.

You are right. The M-48 is the same length action as the 1893-1896 small-ring Mausers, but it has a large receiver ring. You can alter a small-ring stock to fit, but its a lot of trouble. If you want to save some money, you can buy a used very good condition FN 24(the M-48 is a copy of the Model 24) stock from Gunparts for about $35. This is a drop-in fit and unlike the M-48 stock it does not have the hole in the buttstock. Most are solid walnut.

I altered a Model 24 some years ago and all it took was a little work on the buttplate, stock toe and grip area to make a decent looking sporter. I left the sling loop in the butt and added another in the forend that I salvaged from a '96 Swede. The rifle I had came with a rusty barrel and I re-barreled it to 7x57 with a surplus tube from Gunparts. It shoots sub MOA groups!

Try to keep it in the 8x57 caliber if at all possible. You can handload it to .30-06 velocities with the medium weight bullets and they tend to be very accurate. Just don't remove the barrel steps. They add rigidity and if you have them turned off the barrel it will be too thin and will never be very accurate. Also, fitting a new barrel to a M-48 is not as easy or economical as a regular M-98. The M-48's have to have special recess and extractor cuts made to the barrel to accomodate the enclosed cartridge head feature these rifles were designed with. It added an extra $100 to my re-barrel job!

Good luck!

Bobster