Hello I have a Mauser action that has stamped on the receiver 42 1939 and a open wing eagle with 655 stamped on it. What kind of cartridges is this action satiable for. What kind of pressures would be safe in it. I would also like to know where is a good place to find after market parts for it. I am open to suggestion on what cal. to have built on it. Thank you very much. Joe.

Joe, I have the very same action, which I built into a .338-06. It turned out very nice. That action is very hard and (experts out there correct me) is suitable for almost any caliber out there except for maybe the .375 and longer cartridges. Be aware that the feed rails may need some work for rounds that are dimensionally different from the 8 x 57......but that is not a problem for an experienced Mauser gunsmith, either.

Mike K. aka BigDogMK

You should have the action checked for hardness. If you can locate someone in your area with a Rockwell tester, take the action to them and have it tested. For modern cartridges of 50,000 cup the action should be 20-30 on the Rockwell "C" scale.

Sounds like the mate for the one in my gunrack. The markings you describe indicate it is a pre-WWII Nazi K-98 action made in Oberndorf, Germany.
This is the most desireable of the K-98 actions. These were usually made to better standards than later models. For safety reasons you should have it checked before building a rifle. Hardness should not be an issue in a rifle of that period. These actions were proofed to handle 50,000 psi loads, so any caliber in that range is fine. The action is of a length to handle the 57mm case of the 8x57. Sticking to a case of that length will allow you to feed cartridges with little if any modifications. Some possibilities are: .220 Swift, 6mm Remington, .257 Roberts, 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser, 7x57 Mauser, 8x57 Mauser and 9x57 Mauser. I left mine in 8x57 and handload. Aftermarket parts are availble through Brownells, Gunparts, Midway and Sarco to name a few.

[ 12-06-2003, 07:42: Message edited by: Bobster ]