For building a pair of rifles in .300H&H and .375H&H.

Would a standard length commercial mauser action ie.. .270/30-06 be better than a .375H&H size (already opened up) action?

As I understand it the .375H&H the Withworth is opened up in the front instead of back of the action.

Would a .458 WM work or would front of rails be to wide?


Thinking of using a Withworth Mk X, or an Interarms Mk X as as a doner rifle.Or is there a better Mauser 98 action to use Would like to keep action price around $400- $700.

Action will be surface ground,new bolt,Blackburn bottom metal,wing saftey ect. If that makes a difference in action choice.

Mauser 98s are confusing for a beginner. Suggestions?

Allen

quote:

Mauser 98s are confusing for a beginner. Suggestions?

Allen

Allen,

You said it! I have been looking at them for a year or two. A couple of basic references provide details: Stuart Otteson's The Bolt Action; Jon Speed's Original Oberndorf Sporting Rifles; and Frank de Haas' Bolt Action Rifles. There are some folks here who speak Mauser very well. I have learned a lot from Alf especially.

You can find some of these books in your local library, or perhaps they can get them for you on an inter-library loan.

I favor the actions with a full C-Ring (as compared to the H-Ring) no thumb cut in the left side wall and commercial sourced vice military. I needed an intermediate length, and went for one by Heym that was sold in the USA under Monkey Wards' Western Field label.

I would look for something else than the Mk X, have you considered the Wff Hein actions?

jim

quote:

Originally posted by HunterJim:
have you considered the Wff Hein actions?

jim

The Hein is a Model 70 variant, not a true Mauser.

Over the years I've read a lot on these messages boards about the c-ring/ h-ring debate. I think at times we are comparing apples and oranges. The military 98 receivers could be produced anywhere from 1898 to perhaps the end of WW2. The metallurgy from these receivers were soft and need the c-ring for additional strength. I live in the land of Boeing, the airplane maker, and I have an inspector as a customer. He took in a 1909 Argentine receiver and did a spectro chemical analysis. He said the the closest modern steel was 1018 cold rolled.

For a commercial Mauser action made say after 1960, made of modern steel with an h-ring, which would I rather use? I think in depends on the cartridge to be used. For the higher pressure cartridges for personal use I go with the modern commercial with the h-ring.

Some say, send the military Mauser in and have it heat treated. Well there isn't enough carbon in 1018 cold rolled for heat treating to have any effect. Perhaps recase hardening would do some good for the ware surfaces, but in the middle of the steel you still have peanut butter.

The is one good thing about the older military receiver, because they are so soft, when you have a pressure problem, they stretch or the bolt is set back into the receiver. In a Mauser if you fire a round and you can't open the bolt, this is a warning sign. Usually you need to remove the barrel to open the bolt.

On the other hand, if you have a problem with a Model 70 sometimes a doctor need to remove the bolt from you. Something to think about.

WStrength issues aside, I regard a standard length Mauser as too short to be altered to the .300 H&H-length rounds. Yes, it can be done, but the only GOOD way is to cut and weld two actions to give you one long and one short. Just my opinion, but if you start with a Magnum length Mauser action to begin with, you are better off.

I fully agree with El Deguello about reworking a standard length military action for long .375 length cartridge. You would be cuttung away the steel that make a Mauser action strong.

Here's something else to consider about using a Mark X action for this project. It's resale value, OK you have the rifles built and your paying good money to the craftsman who put them together. The custom gun world is a funny place, people will pay good money for a Winchester pre-64 Model 70, but what's the resale for a custom Mark X? You saved money up front because of the actions cost, but will you regret it later?

Mark,

Thank you for commenting on the C-Ring vs. the H-Ring designs. My donor rifle was built in July of 1963, and is a C-Ring. Perhaps that is the best of both worlds.

jim