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Been getting calls for 33-40 actions, and also the ultra rare VZ33. Guys choke when I tell them how much they will cost. But then, reality sets in when I tell them the actual weight difference. People seem to think that the 33-40s are going to weigh half as much as a standard rifle just because of all the lightening cuts and the small ring. Here are the numbers; Standard length 98 Mauser receiver: 14.50 Ounces. G33-40 Receiver: 13.01 Ounces. Wow, that will make up a rifle at least two pounds lighter. Now, of course they are good actions; small ring and small thread. But not the mystique and magical properties that some think. | ||
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So how much do they cost? | |||
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Look around, Tom, reality doesn’t count for much these days. John Farner If you haven't, please join the NRA! | |||
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I know I am asking too much for any rational thinking these days. Cost? 33-40s will cost $1500 because I have to break down a rifle to get them. I do have them though. VZ33s are so rare, I have not seen an action in the wild for decades. My real point, however, is that the weight is not as light as most guys think. | |||
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If you know of someone looking for a G33/40 action I have one I’d sell. I have complete VZ33 also but just not ready to part with it. John Farner If you haven't, please join the NRA! | |||
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I'll let you know if any of them contact me again but I am pretty sure I already scared them off when I told them they only would be saving 1.5 ounces and paying hundreds of dollars for the privilege of doing so. None of them realized the weight difference was so small. Ok, it's a small ring......I have 1.4 inch Mausers ground down to 1.3 as well....... | |||
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Just went through this with a friend that wanted to build a fully equipped, 6.5 caliber rifle that would weigh "under 6 pounds". His budget was about $750 and his current .270 model 70 push feed. I told him to just go and buy a barret or kimber lightweight, and it would be 6 pounds for the rifle, without scope, mount, sling, and bipod. I mocked up a bunch of components on my scale. I can readily make a 8 pound complete rifle. It's easier with a wood stock than a composite. Model 700 is the easiest, model 70 gives you a several ounce handicap. He refused to give up on using his cast iron scope preference, and wants to use his "lightweight" carbon fiber bipod that weighs 3 ounces more than my harris steel ones. That, plus his model 70 action pushes him right up to 9+ pounds. The reality of lightweight rifles is you're paying many hundreds of dollars per ounce to get a field ready rifle that weighs less than 8 lbs. Three best ways to get weight off of the rifle. 1) Lighter scope. This is the easiest and most significant. 2) Shorten the reinforce on the barrel to the minimum. Takes off a lot more weigh than shortening the barrel. 3) Use a trim, short forend wood stock. Surprisingly, this gets you easily less than most of the common aluminum bedding block composites out there. | |||
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Tom, "they" used to send out the torches and pitch forks when i explained that a 3"4 forstner bit, run under the recoil pad, would reduce more weight than buying a g33/40 ... or using a lighter/thinner recoil pad .. or sling stud delete ... (or take off your watch, dude) i have the same "Argument" on racing bicycles - a SUPER heavy road bike could weigh 30 lbs .. that's SUPER heavy minimum UCI "legal" weight is 14.99 -- and, you could have guessed it, 22-23# is run of the mill bike... 7#? you want to pay $5,000 MORE for 7#? or, motorcycle HP gains --- cars tend to be $100 per HP, motorcycles, it's closer to $200 per hp, even though that same 7# on the bike is net ~1hp... in all three (4?) cases, the solution is the same .. lose 10# and be miles ahead opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Just how much weight can be safely and estheticly removed from a standard 98 Mauser action to make it competitive with other available actions? Shoot Safe, Mike NRA Endowment Member | |||
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Bullpup bolt action: a novel approach. Russ Gould - Whitworth Arms LLC BigfiveHQ.com, Large Calibers and African Safaris Doublegunhq.com, Fine English, American and German Double Rifles and Shotguns VH2Q.com, Varmint Rifles and Gear | |||
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already is, if commercial action with thumbcut and slide safelty alum trigger. the "most" weight you can lose from an action is a blind mag, you can shave/save more weight from scope selection than from hacking on an action some "saves" alum bolt shroud (sp?) with side safety trigger grind off hump select action with thumb cut titanium firing pin (just light $100 bills for this one) alum bottom metal (these are cheap but tacky) blind mag thinner/lightweight pad alum scope bases soda straw barrel profile not so great lightening cuts on outside of feed rails grind front ring to small ring external dims (i hate large ring threads/small ring external setup .. as heat treat is ify by today's standards, i wouldn't do this) or just buy a remington mountain .. $1k, done, works, accurate, and light opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Grinch, A featherweight rifle can be built on a M98, but it takes some work. This summer I put together a 30-06 on G.33/40 action that I pared down to 5 pounds 1 ounce, w/scope in steel mounts, a lightened 09 steel guard, and a very trim barrel & walnut stock. | |||
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Jeff, Just price the mods to gain speed in airplanes. Cubic dollars chasing a few knots. Have gun- Will travel The value of a trophy is computed directly in terms of personal investment in its acquisition. Robert Ruark | |||
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Jeff is right; it ain't the receiver part of the action that is the problem; it is all the other steel components hanging on it; Jeff outlined what to do. You are pretty much stuck with the receiver and bolt; weight has to come from somewhere else. A 5 pound Mauser must have a less than traditional stock shape (meaning real thin) and a paper thin barrel. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Not criticizing anyone; no hate mail. I get enough now. Everything said by all the posters above, is true. | |||
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Tom, You are correct, the bolt body and the receiver are nearly as issued on my 5 pound M98, but the stock, the TG & the barrel are very, very trim. Proper layout is critical in such a stock, and I will only fire factory loads this barrel. It is a blessing in the mountains, but a curse off the bench! | |||
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dear god, don't get me started on planes.. and then the entire rant that HP means nothing, torque is everything (uhmm, careful jeffe, you'll sound like a harley guy in a minute) .. oh, you want TEN!!! HP on your 470CID engine? that will be $5,000, please.. oh, and do you have an STC for that? You want 10 knots faster? and within a YEAR? hahahahahAHAHAHAHHAhahaahahaha ... as with many things, it's all a compromise -- two planes, nearly the same mission Bonanza and Navion Rangemaster -- I'll take the Navion, 6 ways from Sunday, because it's a flying suburban .. and other than weird gear (hydraulically actuated) it's GREAT ... 20-25kts slower than the Bonanza, room for 4 full sized Texans, and a very forgiving CG .. but HALF the price .. most other folks would take the Bonanza, because it's a AWESOME plane, and their mission has a higher focus on speed... but i could spend a dumbtruck(sic) of dollars and make a rangemaster 10kts faster... heck, if it matters, leave 30 minutes early! want to upgrade to a 550 CID motor from your running 470 CID, and there's a STC for it? got $75k? opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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I saved 9oz on a factory 700adl by swapping the stock for a B&C and swapping a bushy 3x9 to a leupold 2-8. tally lw mounts over weaver is <1oz. could go even lower if I spent +4-500 more on a 1 lb stock. | |||
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A stock maker in Beaumont,Texas by the name of Sam Marino built a 5# 15oz pre 64 model 70. He turned down the 3006 barrel down to 1/2" at themuzzle. He annealed and drilled the guard screws. The bolt handle looked like a nail with an acorn on the end. The magazine box was Swiss cheesed. The recoil lug was drilled and lightened. He hollowed out the fore end and drilled out the butt stock. He also used duraluminum bases and rings, along with a 3x leupold scope. By the way the barrel was 20" in length. | |||
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Whittling every ounce off your mountain rifle counts, when you have to lug along a pack full of junk. lol | |||
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The weight isn't substantially different, however, the slimmer receiver allows you to use a barrel contour that does offer significant weight savings along with an appropriately scaled stock.  Aut vincere aut mori | |||
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https://www.gunsinternational....cfm?gun_id=101312694 Here the elusive vz33 action exists. It's a fair price considering an extra $1600 would get you a whole rifle to tear down for a custom if your conscience and pocket book will allow it. | |||
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Other than the elusive and expensive VZ33 and the 33/40 action, are there other 98 versions suitable for lightweight sporters? What about the Turk 03/38 high hump version?  Shoot Safe, Mike NRA Endowment Member | |||
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No Mauser is suitable for a truly light weight rifle. Including the over rated 33-40s; still a lot of steel in them. Your Turk is still a 98 Intermediate length, Mauser. Which can be ground down to small ring because it has small threads. Saving you one ounce. Any weight savings has to come from elsewhere, like the stock and barrel. | |||
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If you are really hunting in the "mountains" with steep remote terrain, unpredictable weather especially in hunting season you have to pack so much gear, ammo, food, binos, game cleaning, extra clothes, emergency gear etc, that saving an once or two on the gun is absurd. Real world, get in shape. Fantasyland, build a expensive uber light mauser that sits in the safe. | |||
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You are right Doug. Some might remember that Satterlie sells Titanium Mauser clone receivers. If you're not needing the magic CRF, you can buy a Pierce Titanium receiver and build a pretty light rifle. Brown Precision can build you a Kevlar stock and bed it for your barreled receiver for a little less than a grand. I think mine weighs about 20oz. I know we have a lot of dangerous game squirrels around here that require CRF. | |||
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Butch I do not know what your problem is, but I have personally handled Marino's rifle. By the way he killed and mounted over thirty elk. | |||
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If you are looking for a g33/40 or vz33 contact Lee Hegland, he has a few that are priced right. | |||
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I never knew you were Bonanza knowledgeable. I worked for Smith Speed Mods in SW KS slicking up Bonanza's, with no engine work. Then I went to FlightCraft Turbo in CO and learned the turbo-normalizing game. After that, it was some airline work then over to OK at GAMI, who bought the FlightCraft STC. You are right- the speed mods can do some good, but short of a $20-$30K invoice, you are cutting large corners to get small gains. But alas, this is a gun, not an airplane thread. Merkel 140A- .470NE Beretta Vittoria- 12 Ga. J.P. Sauer & Sohn Type B- 9.3x64mm ArmaLite AR-10A4- 7.62x51mm Franchi Highlander- 12 Ga. Marlin 1894 CB Limited- .41 Magnum Remington 722- .244 Rem. and many, many more. An honest man learns to keep his horse saddled. | |||
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Merkel 140A- .470NE Beretta Vittoria- 12 Ga. J.P. Sauer & Sohn Type B- 9.3x64mm ArmaLite AR-10A4- 7.62x51mm Franchi Highlander- 12 Ga. Marlin 1894 CB Limited- .41 Magnum Remington 722- .244 Rem. and many, many more. An honest man learns to keep his horse saddled. | |||
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I tend to keep this affliction quiet .. i can bore one to sleep on guns, cartridges, motorcycles, bicycles, project management, finance, and IT... but when i start talking planes, even i realize that the audience is literally bored to DEATH ... such as why i prefer the slower Navion to, well, nearly anything .. the old adage of "designed to be flown by generals and maintained by privates" rings true.. not to mention the BARN DOOR flaps, and soft field capabilities .. now, if someone would come up with a io470v STC for them .. opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Perhaps we should get together and engineer an STC? Naw...too much cost up front with very little market interest. Typically, it costs upwards of $250K to bring an STC to market. FAA Air Cert is getting tougher and tougher with application requirements. Given what has happened with the 737 Max, it is bound to get even more difficult. I like the Navion as well- solid little airplane with classic lines. Imagine a Navion with a small turboprop engine (Allison 250) ! Merkel 140A- .470NE Beretta Vittoria- 12 Ga. J.P. Sauer & Sohn Type B- 9.3x64mm ArmaLite AR-10A4- 7.62x51mm Franchi Highlander- 12 Ga. Marlin 1894 CB Limited- .41 Magnum Remington 722- .244 Rem. and many, many more. An honest man learns to keep his horse saddled. | |||
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navion..+ TP100 would be AMAZING.. 270hp, 20-22 gph on the ONE rv10 it's on .. but 90ish gallons of fuel, 4 hours, with reserve, deck to 10k in 5 minutes, cruise at Vo 'forever' and full power... oh, and it weight 100kg!! opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club Information on Ammoguide about the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR. 476AR, http://www.weaponsmith.com | |||
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Perhaps the whole point of a G33-40 is that its a streamline small ring, weight has nothing to do with it and when you surface grind that puppy you have the sweetest action every made..that and the Brno mod 21 and 22, some of which were G33-40s in the early days after WW2, they were the round top model Brno 21, 22....Ive used g33/40 for years as my favorite action for a custom job, The most Ive paid is $600 for one..and I won't pay more than that and only that when I really have to have one..MOstly I just keep my eye out for them and run across them once or twice a year at $400 and I pay that for them. I never buy the whole rifle, too expensive. I believe I could build a 6 pound mt.rifle on a small ring mauser action or damn close, but why would I want a 6 lb. big game rifle that would wobble all to hell and back after a typical short run and taking and off hand shot..My mountain rifles will be 8 to 8.5 lbs scoped and loaded..That's the most useful rifle in the mountains, plains, are the thick stuff. that has been since I have aged somewhat, prior to that as a young man I liked a std weight pre 64 mod 70 and still do to a lesser extent, the 9 to 9.5 rifle with a 26" barrel holds so steady on off hand and running shots and that is what we're out there for, to make that one shot, not for a walk in the woods. I also like a 8 to 9 pound rifle a horse back, doesn't pull my saddle off to one side, but then I like a 30-30 for that, or my 99 250 fwt..but not a six pounder..only my 22 Brno mod 1 and my sako 6x45 weighs in at the 5 lb. 15 ounce mark..maybe less. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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The gym and your own cardiovascular performance is a whole lot better investment. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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+100 | |||
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QUOTE]Originally posted by skb: If you are looking for a g33/40 or vz33 contact Lee Hegland, he has a few that are priced right.[/QUOTE] what is the right price? I have three g.33/40 actions and would like to know what they are worth these days. | |||
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