I recently saw a high quality 270 light weight sporter, made by Gene Similion, in a gunshop in Lamar Colorado. The spec sheet that comes with the rifle says that it is made on a small ring 98 action, made by Erfurt. Is this referring to the Prussian government arsenal in Erfurt which made German army Lugers from 1909-1914? Is the Erfurt small ring action a good action? are they common, readily available, expensive? Which models of military or comercial rifles used the Erfurt small ring 98 action?

The rifle is probably a KAR98a, which is a small ring Mauser that uses a large ring barrel. Some gunsmiths question the strength of these actions for use with high intensity cartridges. S40

As stated above, they were small ring actions that used large ring barrels. Not much receiver steel around the threads. The design was abandoned after WWI.

If the action is solid and hasn't been butchered with scope mount dovetails and such, it should be fine with a standard pressure cartridge like the .270.

The Erfurt action is a large ring action that uses a .980 (small ring) barrel shank.

quote:

Originally posted by M Pursell:
The Erfurt action is a large ring action that uses a .980 (small ring) barrel shank.

You are wrong. The Small ring Erfurt has large ring barrrels threads, I have one in .257 Roberts, it's a nice shooting rifle.