You have to have the proper tools to properly do anything. Taking a Mauser apart is no exception. Since you say you have access to a machine shop, why not build a barrel vice? You can use it again and again or sell it on eBay when you're done with it.

You'll also need an action wrench if you don't have one of these yet. Without a proper fitting action wrench, you may end up ruining the action while taking it off.

If the appropriate tools are unavailable, I'd take your rifle to a gunsmith and pay him a couple bucks to pull the barrel for you.

Otherwise, you may risk damaging your rifle which is never a good thing...

Just my $.02

Here is my simple tools for barreling. Copy these and you will have all that is needed except for a few different bushing sizes.


The action tool is made to work with Rem. or Mauser actions. Bore tool with about a 5/8 in spacer to Mauser receiver dia. plus about .020 for a brass shim. Reverse and place the round section together for the Rem. I use about a 20 inch pipe for the handle. I have seen barrels taken off with only a brass hammer, but this will damage the receivers on most guns and this does not work for mausers with the inter ring inside the action. It will tighten these because of the up set of metal. I have seen springfield and enfield receivers that are cracked because of improper removel. Alway look for hair line cracked on any of these actions. I have seen bolts with hair line cracks also. Be careful

As long as you don't want the milsurp barrel its easy to take the barrel off of a mauser..I use a couple of big wrenches and stomp it with my foot and they pop right off but it scars the barrel....Its kind of hard to explain how I do this, but someone around there should know how to do it and show you....

A second method is chuck it up in a lathe and take some turns on the barrel where it butts up into the action..then it comes off easily, usually by hand, if not a small pipe wrench will do the trick.