Where, and how much , is metal removed from to fit the length of the 300,375H&H ,416RRigby cartidges into the Std98 action?
Technically speaking we could remove that much metal from any length 98(kurz,inter.,std,magnum) to fit a longer than design length cartridge,yes?
For example if the 375 2.85"case goes into an action designed for 2.5" then we could with a Kurz action (6.5x54 with 2.1"case)put a case in it .35" longer (2.45"), with the same kind of mods, right?

300 hh , 375 hh... it SHOULD be from the rear...

not even *I* an nutz enough to try a rigby on one
sunnyhill and blackburn sell bottom metal for both.

model 70 in either is a far better starting place

jeffe

Harry Selby I believe hunted with an originally produced Rigby Std length98 in .416 Rigby. I remember seeing some photos of it in an old article that John Taylor wrote about his own 416T about 14 yrs ago. But i clearly remember it. Atkinson also talks about 416Rig on a std98 working fine.

That some serious masters can do it, i don't doubt. With the world of today's litigation, there's no possible way I would even think of it, nor do I think you can buy production bottom metal for it.

the 375 length rounds push the mauser envelope about as far as one can go.

then again, I've seen 50 bmg on an enfield... you screwed off the barrel, using the entire action as a shell holder/cocking piece.

Ray takes of AN example of it working. Yes, there were SOME made on std 98s.. for exactly one reason... customers had paid for guns and the magnum action was not available, due to the war.

jeffe

The metal is not always removed from the rear only. I had a 375 Whitworth and it had obiously had the feed ramp ground forward. Also, I bought a stock from Sarco or someone last year that was an Interarms stock for a 375. When you put a regular floor plate in this completed stock, it had about an equal gap front and rear. It looked like Interarms made about half the change on each half of the action.

The problem of course is how much metal is left behind the lower lug when the action is closed. There really is very little left when the ramp is ground out. However, when shaped carefully, it is thin only in the middle and thicker at the sides. I feel a lot better about this than any of the many Mannlichers I have seen with two thirds of the top ring dovetailed out for a scope mount. In my mind, many of these old European rifles are operating with essentially one lug.

As to the Rigby, I have seen several pictures of Selby's and others. I don't remember if it was his, but one I recall recently showed the top of the action. It had clearly been relieved at the front to the point of having a notch in the top edge to let loaded rounds clear on ejection. It looked almost like a smooth sided clip notch on the front ring.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodjack:
Where, and how much , is metal removed from to fit the length of the 300,375H&H ,416RRigby cartidges into the Std98 action?
Technically speaking we could remove that much metal from any length 98(kurz,inter.,std,magnum) to fit a longer than design length cartridge,yes?
For example if the 375 2.85"case goes into an action designed for 2.5" then we could with a Kurz action (6.5x54 with 2.1"case)put a case in it .35" longer (2.45"), with the same kind of mods, right?

Hi Woodjack

I have a .300 H&H made on a std98 action which is ok. It feeds well,IF one remembers to pull the bolt all the way back to the bolt stop!. I read in a Gun Digest that someone had made a 2+1 .416 Rigby on a std98 action, so sure, it can be done!. But if a 416 Rigby rifle should be used for DG, then a std98 wouldn`t be my choice, as I would have all the confidence and margin of repetingerror in a real Magnummauser!.

Harry Selby's .416 Rigby was indeed built on a standard Mauser '98 action. It was strong enough for him to fire enough rounds through it that he wore out the barrel.

For all I know, it's been rebarreled and is still going strong.

Gentlemen,

I have somewhere a letter sent to me from Holland & Holland discussing this issue. IIRC they removed the metal from the front only and had found that adequate. I'll try to find it and post the contents here.

I also seem to remember that the H&H rounds were designed from the start to fit into a modified 98 action.