The Accurate Reloading Forums
High End Mauser Question
14 July 2019, 01:37
Magnum Hunter1High End Mauser Question
Yesterday I bought as a project, what appears to be a high end 98 Mauser put together by a very talented gunsmith. I could tell by the near 100% finish and the rest of it looked like it took quite a few man hours to build. The finish was near perfect as whoever did it, sprayed the Krylon paint without any runs, drips or errors. They had meticulously hand fitted a Remington 700 barrel in 7mm Rem Mag to the Federal Ordnance receiver, which showcases their skill. They had turned down the shank on the barrel and then made a metal collar to screw on it that in turn matched the Mauser threads in the receiver. I get that. What I don't get is what they used to permanently attach the internal collar to the threads in the receiver. I first thought I would soak it in PB Blaster and use a screwdriver or small chisel to back the collar out....no go. Then, no problem, I would heat it up in case they used some thread locker and peck it as before, negative. I just managed to borrow a large ez-out that will fit but don't want to mess up my last option. My question is this.....what in the world could they have used to fuse this thing together? Any of you 'smiths that work on these best quality Mausers seen this before and have a fix?
Thanks in advance.
Don't laugh; the Germans did exactly that in WW2, at the Gustloff Works, to fit the smaller thread obsolete MG13 barrels to 98ks. I have a couple of them and they work fine. They used no adhesive on either sets of threads; just torque against the inner collar. But since the 700 has none, your "gunsmith" used some ilk of epoxy compound; which can only be removed with heat. It won't take much to turn the epoxy to powder, without hurting the receiver.
Have fun.
14 July 2019, 03:31
lee440Seems like the sarcasm used with the word "gunsmith" might be a bit unwarranted. If he could make a bushing to mate a 700 bbl to Mauser, he has more skill and talent than many 'smiths I have seen. And, Tom, that is not directed at you.
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14 July 2019, 06:33
CMcDermottCould he have silvered soldered the bushing to the barrel?
Not sure if that would mess up the heat treatment of the barrel over the chamber, but since sights are often silver soldered at the muzzle and double gun barrels get the ribs etc silver soldered on maybe the gunsmith figured it would be ok.
If you mean low temp solder, when you say silver solder, which is really silver brazing at very high temp, then no heat treatment would be affected. The term silver solder is often used but what is really meant is solder that melts far below the melting point of silver. Most gunsmiths use 96%tin and 4% silver, melting at 450 or so. That is nothing for steel.
But I think he is saying the busing is in the receiver, not stuck to the barrel. I hope he did not solder it to the receiver for a couple of reasons and heat treatment is not one of them.
14 July 2019, 18:43
Magnum Hunter1I'll have to admit...he did have some skill. The barrel was timed correctly to line up the sights and the bushing/collar was made well. But what he used to adhere it to to inside of the receiver ring I don't know. It's in there good. Maybe I am not applying enough heat..overly cautious; but will heat it up and try the EZ-Out tomorrow. If it doesn't "bite" enough and I can't twist it out all I am left to do is try to ream/cut it back out to the max diameter of the interior threads of the receiver and try to tap them back out.
Sounds like he used the glue to hold it in place; easy way to time the threads so the sights end up on top. I assume there is no shoulder bearing against the receiver ring front?
14 July 2019, 22:33
Magnum Hunter1Actually he squared the front of the receiver ring and the shoulder did bear from what I could tell. The collar inside is firmly up against the C ring as well. It's just that collar on the inside of the receiver ring is practically impossible to get out!
Might have to bore it out and once the inner bearing is relieved, the rest will come out. I had to do that once on a CZ that had the barrel cut off. A new receiver will cost less if you have to pay for boring it out.....
15 July 2019, 00:19
Duane Wiebe (CG&R)Maybe I'm missing something...Why are you trying to take it apart? Just a thought...I have used a collar on occasion, but do the work on the barrel instead of the receiver (Always work on the cheapest part first)
A bolts are notorious for galling the barrel into the receiver. We set the receiver up on the lathe and bored out the barrel shank..once you hit the minor diameter, things come out like a spring..mayhaps be your last option IF you really HAVE to remove it
15 July 2019, 02:05
Magnum Hunter1Duane,
I am trying to remove it so I can use the original receiver threads when I re barrel it. Otherwise all I can do is thread a barrel down (way too small) to fit the collar. The Remington barrel was turned down and threaded to a fairly small diameter. Of course now, after I have worked on it....its got to come out.
15 July 2019, 20:14
Magnum Hunter1Got it
A little heat and a big EZ Out. But, whatever they used for a thread locker was goooood.
Nice job. I was going to tell you that if everything went South, I have receivers for $75. Not that I didn't have faith in you.
Glad you got it out.
16 July 2019, 17:35
Magnum Hunter1dpcd,
Glad you had full confidence in me. Please let me know what kind of receivers you have. I am actually looking for another. You are welcome to PM me if you don't want to post here.
I have an assortment of them; ranging from VZ24s, WZ29, DWM, Mauser Banners. Most have been surface ground and polished by a gunsmith, now gone. Complete actions are $250, with nice low scope bolt. Bare generic receiver is 75. PM me with how many you want. I should actually post this in classifieds; they are being sold to pay the medical bills of the relatives of him.