I know you all seem to be partial to the various forms of the Mauser Action and frankly whats not to like. I have an economical project coming up for a light, accurate, reliable utility rifle in .257 Roberts. This gun will need to be done right but it is not a show piece with fancy metal and wood, more of a workhorse, (maybe a pony due to its scaled down weight).
I don't have the money, skills or wherewithall to do a beautiful old Mauser action justice so I am considering some other actions as starters or donors and would like some opinions.
Win M70 in pushfeed, is a Model 670 same? or junk?
Weatherby Vanguard
Ruger M77
Savage
Mossberg's ATR
any others?
Sorry I'm not a big Rem700 fan, but will consider it.
I've found several of the above guns reasonably priced that would be easy enough to re-barrel to .257 and re-stock with a light contoured stock of my choosing and make a go of it.
Not a true custom but something not just off the shelf either.

There is only ONE action worth considering, and thats a Mauser... ...and as far as cost and size go, there's always a small ring Mauser, as in the HVA 3000 series, or a nice 96 or 38 military action. They seem well suited to the .257 Roberts. Rough 96/38's with good actions are available for peanuts.

If you want a light economy 257 you can start with a Savage Sierra at 6 lbs and rebarel to factory contour. That's the cheapest route. The prettiest route for not much money is to find a used Ruger Compact (again around 6 lbs) and do a rebarrel only to the original contour. In between is the Winchester Featherweight Classic. Again, just a rebarrel to factory contour.

Tumbleweed I'm not disagreeing with you a nicely worked and customized Mauser is beyond comparison and highly sought after, but ( there's always a big but isn't there) as I stated in my post I don't have the money to pay a "smith" what it would take to do that build up justice, I too don't personnaly have the skills or the time in my life right now to dedicate to that involved of a project so thats why I'm considering another route.
I hope you understand.
By the way I just ran into a FN Mauser sold years ago by Sears that I think I can buy from the guy pretty cheap. What is a complete gun like this worth ? As he describes it about 80%finish and blue and no rust or pitting.

I'd be thinking about an M48 or 24/47. Both are available (e.g. Century and AIM) one for less than $100 the other a bit more.

You can buy pretty much drop-in stocks for these intermediate actions, and for the 257 you'll need to rebarrel anyway. If you're worried about bolt work, quit because there are excellent low-cost services available.

You'll spend more buying and fixing up an FN, although it will remain worth more when you're finished.

PS I think a reasonable price for the FN you described would be ~ $300.

Originally posted by Snellstron

quote:

Weatherby Vanguard
Ruger M77
Savage
Mossberg's ATR
any others?

Interarms MkX, it's still available.

You mention money, skills. The closer you are to a complete rifle with your start point the less of all both you will need. All the little things add up quickly especially when you have someone doing the work.
Just finished an M-48 that I picked up for $90. Wanted a 6.5x55 Rigby looking rifle. Wanted to do reasonably but right. I've got about 650 in it right now and that's mostly parts with me doing the labor stock/barrel/sights/scope bases/bolt handle/trigger. Had the bluing done outside but there were hours of polishing. Hours on the stock semi-finished stock.
I've done this several times and the economics are always the same -- start with something completly like you want or close.
One thought might be to only rebarrel something that you find with a wood stock and reduce the original stock to your custom dimensions and refinish (most factory wood stocks have extra wood).
This winter is a Greek MS action as a starting point. Here we go again.
Good luck.

Just buy this and get immediate delivery, rings and a warrantee. Forget the Mauser torture til you hit the lottery.



http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=40336376

Thanks Craigster the verdict is still out

Thanks Savage99 but I bought one of those already(new not in the box $289.00 shipped to my FFL 5 years ago) for the little woman and man is she posessive about that gun! She loves it! It is a fantastic shooter, she is able to print sub MOA with it shooting IMR4064 and 100 grain Sierra SPBT's. But I don't want to get a twin to hers, I'd like to do something that handles similar, maybe a bit longer barrel, very thin contour on the barrel and a toothpick stock real similar to that Rugers but without duplicating it exactly.

The Savage 110 has the easiest barrel for an amatuer to replace. It is also available with the excellent Accutrigger, and there are a number of aftermarket stocks for it. Not necessarily my favorite action, but very serviceable and well-designed.

quote:

There is only ONE action worth considering, and thats a Mauser

May I take exception to this statement.....hell I'm going to anyway!!!!

The push feed M-70 can make a fabulous .257 Roberts and if you watch gunlist you can buy (at times) whole guns for $250...yes...$250...I've done it...bear in mind you're buying an action...the heck with the stock and barrel.

I'd prefer the long action and then block the magazine for the Roberts shells.

I would not use the M-670 at all...

Snellstrom, I'm not sure what the budget constraints are, but I wouldn't rule out a barreled action from Montana. That action has a lot of the best of both the Mauser and Win action, and would give the benefits of new and waranteed, whatever that might mean to one.....

I have spoken to a lot of folks way more knowledgeable than myself, and they all feel that the 1999 action is one of if not the most safe out there, not that .257 is super hot or anything, but just the same.

Good luck--Don

1) 90% of the guns I build are 98 Mausers
2) Ruger #1
3) Mosin Nagant 91/30
4) early Mausers, Chile 1895, 1896 Swede, etc
5) Win 70
6) Rem 700
7) Sav 110

My, advice is to start a gun fund for yourself. Set aside what you can each month, be comitted to it and keep your hands off the cash. Save $2500.00 take that money and put it down with a smith as deposit, this gets the ball rolling on your metal work. Start saveing agian for the final payment on your rifle. About 12 to 16 months later your rifle would be finished. Giveing you time to save the secound half. About 225 a month will get you there. Use all the best materials in your project. If your going to do it, do it right. Mex.-98 intermediate action or a quality reproduction of one, Peterson or krieger barrel the best wood you can afford. You'll be glad you did, and in the end you'll have exactly what you want. One rifle you want is worth more than ten you don't.
Timan

I like the post-64, push-feed Model 70 action. It's really well-made, feeds well, and offers a superb accuracy platform. The best ones were made after 1968 (beginning with the "G" prefix), and especially after 1981, when Winchester went back to the original pre-64 type bolt sleeve, and did away with the red cocking indicator.

You can get good post-64 doner rifles (the Model 670 will certainly do) for a very reasonable price at just about any gunshow or used gun shop.

AD

A 257 roberts is a medium pressure round. Thats opens up some avenues you might not have considered. Additionally your trying to keep this reasonable priced and your aware of the limitations. Nothing wrong with that and there are some good options none the less.

Check out Sarco inc, they have a lot of Swede and Husky's in stock currently and there ae several rifles that are very suitable for a 257 rob conversion. I am not running to the website but around $300 should get you a complete rifle. Once bought pull it out of the stock and have the barrel changed out, while its getting a new barrel, start working on cleaning up the stock. This can be done in two stages, rifle first, then barrel later, and around $600 total investment, in two $300 installments, broken up to where your comfortable will get you in business. I think youll find that these are slick mauser actions, no there not a 98, but these can be pretty nice rifles all and all.

My advice is get a complete rifle, then you can shoot it now, and rebarrel it later when time and money fit you. Other good candidates:

Winchester featherweight Model 70 CRF post 64
JC Higgins Model 50
Husky HVA
Any standard cartridge Rem 700
A original FN
A Interarms Mark X
CZ 550

A last option is a Charles Daly. Buy a complete rifle in a 25-06. When the time comes send it to the gunsmith and have them set the barrel back a thread, and chamber it for the Roberts. Maybe not the cream d la creme, it will get you a good working rifle though.

What I recomend is you look over the Sarco sporters first and see if a rifle catches your eye. Look here: http://www.sarcoinc.com/guns12-12b.html

These swede 96's are good actions, the price is right, and with a two step concept rifle first, new barrel later fit your budget exactly, and you end up with pretty slick rifle in the end.