Now we talking. The original poster forgot the best action around. Heck...more customs are built on the 700 than any other. More after market goodies avaliable too.

I am sorry that this thread got sorta hijacked from the original question. After re-reading the original post I would use the three different actions as were suggested by some. Part of this is because I am a hopeless nostalgic, but part of it is also because of this statement.



I'm looking to build three rifles that are basically the same.



Maybe I'm reading more into this than I should, but this tells me that they don't all have to be identical, just similar. This being the case it wouldn't be too much of a trick to add a good three position safety to a Mauser and Springfield. This alone would make the rifles awfully similair. Further you could use the same bolt handle on all three and convert the triggerguard with a hinged floorplate and model 70 type floorplate catch on both the Mauser and Springfield. With these modifications you would be doing almost everything in an identical manner when operating any one of the three. I have a couple of Springfields set up in a similair manner and I don't really think about the minor differences between them and my pre-64 model 70 while using them. Yes, I still have one of those in 270 Winchester, and always will. Everything comes automatic because they are so similair. Some folks have even mistaken the Springfields with model 70s from a distance. About the only big difference, if you could call it big, would be the different types of bolt stopes. I wouldn't spend my money on changing that though.



If you feel that all three rifles should be identical, then erase the above from your mind and go with the action of your choosing. If I was making that same choice I recon I would choose the model 70 of those three strictly because of magazine length on the 375.



If I could make another choice other than those three I would choose three Montana actions and let Dennis Olson slick them up for me. In fact I am not so sure I wouldn't choose the Montana over the pre-64 to start with if given that option. They are the closest thing to a model 70 you can get and when Dennis gets done with them they are utterly reliable and look good besides. There, I stirred things up a bit more. Sorry!!