My gunsmith has offered me to build a high grade 577 Tyrannosaur safari rifle. He will cut the action (magnum mauser system) from a solid block of high grade steel, XXXX wood etc etc(and 10000$)
My question is about the action. What is the hardness of such a "cut from solid steel" action.I quess it is not possible to heattreat or in other ways harden the steel further after it is cut out.
But the gunsmith guarantees that it will work flawlessly with 65000 psi loads for at least ten lifetimes...
Let me hear some qualified comments JBelk, Robgunbuilder and others...

He sure could harden the metal after it is cut. Or if he wanted to he could use a piece of hardened steel to start with, that of course would be the hard way.

Ulrik Hentzer,

An American gunsmithing icon, Fred Wells has been making Mauser actions from scratch for decades now. Do check his website out
http://home.earthlink.net/~debpedersen/gunsmithing.html

And, when you do get your file made, please post pictures of it on AR!

Good shooting!

Ulrik,
It would be fantastic to have a one off custom action in a mauser, but I think that you would be far far ahead to go with an Olypmic Arms, Vektor, or brevex, even a 602 (after reading JB's post, I realize I made an opps.. I was thinking nyati, not trex)
Ming has feedback on the Oly. I think that it's rough as a corncob, but could be polish/ground/honed into a fantastic action.

10k for wood? WOW, but I would have grave reservations about it "living" through the recoil I would suggest a bastogne, in mebbe A fancy, as your beater/load dev stock.

cheers
jeffe

[ 11-05-2002, 20:36: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

Ulrik---

Pre-hardened steel is used for Dakota rifles and the old Grisels as well as the Norreen actions. The receivers are about 32 Rc and the bolts about 35. It takes carbide to cut profitably.

Your gunsmith is working way too cheap if he's going to build an action and the rifle from scratch for $10,000. The action alone is worth that if it's a one-off prototype. XXXX wood is a thousand and labor for the wood, barrel, sights, trigger, etc. I'd say he's WAY too cheap.

The 585 Nyati *will* fit and feed in a 602 BRNO because I did it for Ross Seyfried. I don't know about the 577 T Rex. I've never seen one.

I would obtain a Vektor action from RSA. Not only are they much less money, but they are the nicest magnum Mauser actions I have seen at any price.

J.Belk,

If you ever see or hear from Ross please let him know that myself and my mate built .585's on 602 actions and followed his article to a tea and wel love them for large "Aussie dangerous game" Just let him know that his invention is catch9ing on down under. We only shoot the 650 grain woodleigh's cause were sissies

Ulrik, good luck with this project just make sure you post some pics of this nice action your going to get.