I'm going to stock a 98 mauser in 6.5x55, with a blind magazine. My question is does the magazine well need to lined, or use a box like adl remington, or can I just leave it bare, also would this cause feeding problems? I realize the wood walls would need to be smmoth and finished. Thanks in advance

If you make the walls the same dimensions as the inside of the steel mag box, it'll work fine. The insides of the walls have to match the interior width and length dimensions of the original steel box very closely and they must be very smooth. I suggest that you use a thin piece of steel to line the rear of the wood cavity to simulate the rear section of the steel mag box where it extends up into the receiver recess, this will serve to prevent the cartridge rim from hanging up on the receiver lip at the rear. You can attach the steel rear liner section with epoxy or screws or ??
Regards, Joe

Or cut the box section off of an old military trigger guard and bed it into the stock.

thanks guys I want to make it as light as possible but hadn't thought about the possible problem at the rear section. AGAIN many thanks for your reply.

I don't remember if I thunk this up myself or saw it somewhere but....How about fabricating two channels of thin sheet metal (brass or blued steel) and bedding them in the stock? One in rear to cradle the base of the shells, and one in front to cradle the bullet ends. Minimum weight, maximum effect.

quote:

Or cut the box section off of an old military trigger guard and bed it into the stock.

I had a couple of the m98 guards that had the lighter sheet metal box and I cut those off and used them. Then used the light weight ADL guard. The one on the wifes is the nylon and it has worked fine.

Mike Ray,

I would think you should use a magazine box. Without it you would probably end up with feeding problems due to recoil which would drive the nose of the bullets into the wood at the front of the magazine well deforming it with indents.

Headache

thanks again for the ideas, I guess i will at least put some metal fore and aft to prevent the problems you brought up. I am to reshape a krag triggerguard and use it.