I would like to get the front of a Mauser bolt release checkered. Does anyone have any recomendations on who can do this type of work and what should I expect to pay?

Thank you, Tony

What exactly do you mean by the 'front' of the Mauser release. It's a simple enough job for anyone useful with a checkering file if the shape is not too irregular. The standard 98 release has a rectangular shape with a raised portion on front top used to open it. It would depend on exactly what part is to be checkered. To flatten and checker the raised bump would take maybe 10 minutes,tops. I have 2 checkering files ,one is 20LPI and the other is 36LPI. I don't really know what is available today as I have had these two for probably 20 years. Brownell's has 6 different from 20LPI to 75LPI. I would just check with your nearest gunsmith and see what he has. The files are reasonably expensive so to do one job it would be a pretty expensive proposition to have to purchase a file. If he has a file I can't imagine he would charge very much.It really depends on the complexity of the shape you want checkered.

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What exactly do you mean by the 'front' of the Mauser release.

The 1/4" x 1/2" surface towards the muzzle.

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The standard 98 release has a rectangular shape with a raised portion on front top used to open it

My release has the arm that wrapps around the top of the action toward the stripper clip slot. I am going to remove the arm.

Thank you, Tony

sending you a pm

Doesn't this front portion include the spring, which is obviously tempered? Can this part be checkered with reasonable effort?

I would call this the end and it is the portion that has the dovetailed spring. Should checker quite easily.I see your idea and it should work well and look neat.You are talking 5 minutes to remove the arm and another 5 minutes to checker the end. Any gunsmith with the files should do it easily . My files produce a square checkering pattern that looks better than a diamond pattern. I bought mine to do the front straps of 1911's. When I was building rifles I would then engine turn the spring surface that shows on the outside length. Just looks neat and finished. Good luck.

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Originally posted by zimbabwe:
My files produce a square checkering pattern that looks better than a diamond pattern.

Doesn't that all depend on the angle you make the lines intersect?

Certainly but it also depends on the construction of the file as to the angle the teeth of the file cut on the vertical. On mine the square checkering looks better than the diamonds do. It's just a matter of personal esthetics.