Take care when you are lapping the lugs, don't get carried away and go through the case hardening.

I'm trying to clean up my first 1938 Turkish M98 Mauser action. The opertions I will be doing are:

1. Trueing the face of the receiver (the part that touches the barrel).
2. Lapping the receiver lug.
3. Polishing the raceways.
4. Drill the top of the receiver for a scope rail.

I think operations two and three will not break through the hardening. Operation #1 obviously will, and so will #4, but it is not in a critical area.

I'm getting conflicting information as if I can do operation #1 on a lathe with a HSS or Carbide tool or if I can to use a toolpost grinder.

To those that have done this before, how did you do it? What's the true story.

Also, in the other thread there is the ongoing discussion of whether the receivers needs to be re-hardened or not after these operations. That doesn't give me warm fuzzy feelings inside, I must say.

At this point, I'm seriously considering canceling this project and saving up for a new Remington 700 ADL action. If so, I need to cancel the order for the barrel on Monday are they are threading it for a Mauser Large Ring. The stock has already shipped, so I'm in it for about $200 so far.

Why is it I always bite off more than I can chew? :-) Naivety, I suspect.

Regards,
Kory

Kory.....keep going.....you won't regret it.....

None of the four operations listed will cause any ill effects of the hardness.....if there is any at all!!!!!

Use hi-speed steel to cut the face for squaring the action only if you can't file the receiver ring. If a file won't touch it you'll want to grind the receiver ring FACE ......but that's unusual on a '98 mauser.

DON'T GET TOO CONCERNED ABOUT THE SETBACK ISSUE FOR NOW.....

What caliber are you barreling it to?

Don't forget that the Turkish mauser were large rings with small thread. I have a friend in Oregon who cleans up those turkish mauser real well I have a 6.5 swede he did for me and M1Tanker has seen it and he can tell how good they come out, My friend is building my 35 Whelen A.I on a turkish also. He also built his 375-338 on a turkish mauser and he has had no problems.