[mikew13]

First of all I know I would need some of the build done by an gunsmith.
But I'd like to build a .338 WM custom big game rifle using a Mauser reciever made by Mauser or FN.

My questions are:

A) Will the standard reciever found on a K-98 load and feed .338 rounds assuming it has a new barrel chambered for it, otherwise does it need miminal or alot of modification?
Or do I have to look for FN/Mauser made big game reciever?

B) Who makes a good book guide to stock making? I have built boxes and furniture in the past so I'd like to get an idea of how to make my own stock once I obtain a bandsaw.

C) Who can I send the barrel and reciever to for bluing (shipped from and back to a FFL dealer). I'd like the bluing to be good as my ruger M-77 Mark II.

D) Any good places to buy the reciever and bolt along with action assembly besides Numrich?

 

[rpu99]

Many years ago i traded a guy for a custom .338 win mag on a VZ 24 action. I didn't keep the rifle that long, but i do remember it shot and functioned well. The 'smith that put built it was Sam May- he was the owner of Apex barrels. It had a sporter weight apex barrel, a custom stock, and an old weaver 2 1/2 power scope. The magazine held only two rounds.

It is doable, but i am not up on who currently does this kind of work. As to the accuracy, it would shoot about an inch and a half (or less) at 100 yards with its favorite load.

mark
rpu99

 

[jjk308]

My advice after building some custom mausers is;

DO NOT START!!!!

If you were doing almost everything yourself it'd be a nice hobby to spend $500 bucks plus on.

Paying someone else to do most of it - No. You'll be happier with a a good quality sporting rifle from one of the big manufacturers. Any teething problems and they'll fix it. Build it yourself and you may take years to get it right and be heartily sick of it long before then.

If you are competent to make a stock you can get a sporter with a cheap or beat up stock, or a barrelled action, and make your own, perfectly fitted to you. I would suggest an inletted stock. Thats done by a stock duplicator and is pretty inexpensive. If you get a nice blank you can have it done pretty cheap, or just buy one of their inletted, unfinished stocks made on their blanks.

I've done a couple of Richard's Microfit 96% inletted stocks that worked out very well. They also do a 99% inlet on some actions. http://rifle-stocks.com/ I had good luck there but there are lots of other companies, just do a search.

Some of the older gunsmithing books cover making a gunstock from scratch but I haven't seen any modern books on it. BTW, if you want the stock checkered, and its good or better quality wood - send it to an expert. You will be guaranteed to screw it up.

 

[CDFingers]

It is true that you might spend $500, and you might take two or three years to finish your build. Those are not necessarily reasons to avoid your sporter project.

I used two years and $500 to make a wonderful .45-70 sporter from a Siamese Mauser that had been stored muzzle down in a barrel of water, ruining the barrel.

I also reload. So the first time I took my reloads and my newly finished sporter to the range and it turned in six touching holes at 100 meters, well, the time and money was worth it.

Now I'm tinkering with the loads to get .5 MOA. Not a bad goal.

Just because it's expensive and takes a long time are not good reasons alone to avoid the project. Just don't wreck a good collectible.

CDFingers

 

[bph9]

Rather than destroy a valuable military rifle and spend a ton of money doing it and end up with a rifle that is then worth only about $75 dollars despite your spending $500 plus to modify it why not just find a gun that is already butchered up and rebuild it.

You can find tons of butchered military rifles as gun shows and you will only have to spend about $75 to get them, I also see tons of them go at auctions for this price.

Take the butchered military rifle and saw and grind away at it to your hearts content, when you have spent tons of money and then tire of working on it you can then sell it at auction for $75 bucks.

Another option would be to take it to a gunsmith and then have him rebarrel it. If it has a nice wood stock you can refinish it yourself or if it has the typical junk injection molded plastic stock you can spray paint it.

I was just at a gun show last weekend and saw a 1903 Springfield rifle that had been sportsizted and to do that job today (it was actually professionally done) would cost someone about $1,500 plus. The gun sold for $200 bucks. Now you can see what a waste of money such a project really is.

 

[mikew13]

Never said anything about destroying a Mauser, which I cringe when I see people posting about turning their granddaddy's/fathers bringback rifle into a sporter.

Bascially several sources like Numrich, or Shotgun news will have sources to obtain a reciever, along with the trigger assembly and action.

Now that Winchester has discontinued the Model 70, Ruger could use more stock options (I wish they looked more like Remington, or Browning), I wouldn't plan on buying a Remington or Browning. Kimbers are out of reach especially over $2000 for the SuperAmerica in .338 WM. Just under $3000 you can buy a genuine Mauser made 03 model.

The Montana action is a another option but its pricier. Reason being is I'd like the pride of having an rifle that at least I did some work on myself.

 

[jjk308]

Considering that a gunsmith is going to have to do all the barrel and chambering work and tap it and/or install sights, and forge or weld the bolt handle to clear the scope, and blue it that doesn't leave much for you to do beyond the stock!
So far I've been happiest with my Interarms MkX Mauser in .375 H&H Magnum. It was already tapped for a scope, almost new but mounted on a really crummy stock. I installed the sight bases, had to file an edge off one to fit, and the 2x7 scope. Made a stock in a Richards Microfit "Modern Classic" style with rosewood cap, 2 crossbolts (capped off with contrasting wood dowels) for the dual recoil lugs, Decelerator pad, used Brownell's steelbed for the action and free floated the barrel. The stock went throught he usual oil finish procedure, sanding down to 600 grit, sealer, lots and lots of coats of tung oil, and a wipe-down every year with more oil. Didn't bother with checkering because it a. costs b. isn't needed for a good grip with a properly sized stock and c. I like the way the wood grain looks.
Recoil, thanks to the stock in length, grip and forearm size, fitting me perfectly, is pretty light, and the rifle does 1.5 inch 100 yard groups with loads right out of the reloading charts.
No problems or drama whatsoever.
I'll post a pic next time I get the camera out.

 

[guns-guns-guns]

Actions: Allan at Allans-Armory (A GB sponsor!) has an FN barreled action right now, less bottom metal

Reference materia/peoplel: Krause Publications is but one of several that offer such thing. Shotgun news had an article recently about doing that very thing. Also, any edition of RIFLE maazine will have lots of custom 'smiths that can do this type work

BEAR IN MIND, BELOW DOES NOT INCLUDE THE COST OF THE ACTION

If you go to the ER SHAW website (use a search engine) it will give you a pretty good idea of what you are looking at. Basically, you will have to the following, and will wind up with about $500 in it:

Open bolt face
Adapt magazine rails
Rebarrel, chamber, and headspace (+barrel cost)
Drill & Tap receiver
Reblue

You will also have to do something with the safety. You can go with a mod.70-type (about $150) or a Low-Swing type, or a safety mounted on the trigger, which will then require a different bolt shroud, so the Low-swing is a good and realtively cheap option. this does not include a good trigger either. masuers are not knowne for thier sorting triggers so expect to spend about $50 on that too

That puts you pretty close to $550.

Does not include a brake, which on a .338 you may want to consider.This also assumes that you have the guard and mag, or "bottom metal." If you do not, expect to shell out another $150-200 easily. If you do, you may want to have the fat ugly triggerguard contured. This could run you about $100 more to whoever does all that stuff above.

Now we are at the stock. Wood or Plastic? If it's "Plastic", then you can go from about $100 to well over $400. If you go wood, then you are dependent on wood type and grade as to price. JJK correctly ID's my fave for this, but there are others. Figure from about $100 for a really straight-grained stock that will require some work to $400+ for premium wood.

If you go wood and want checkering, there is a guy at Classic Checkering that will do the work for between $170 - $300, depending on what you want.

We are now at about $650 to $1000, depending on the above.

Of course, this does not include the actual assembly of alot fo this, or the glassing/free-floating of the action in the stock, or, in the case of plastic, the possibility of pillar bedding. Oh, and I never did mentionthe purchase/installation of iron sights, scope bases/rings, or scope itself.

That puts you at about $850-1200, for a gun that will sell at about $200-500, depending alot on the stock and the barel used and any other goodies therein.

Something you may want to SERIOUSLY consider is either the purchase of a "custom" mauser that some guy has abandoned and radily avaialbe on the gun auctions for bewteen $200 to $500, depending on what you want, or a factory gun like a Charles Daly or similair gun for about $400 or so for one in great shape. if you can find an FN Mauser at Allan's or on one of the auction sites you can then have it either rebarreld or rebored, and that would add $200-400 from a reputable place like those in Rifle magazine, and then you are out only $600 or so for the same gun.

Of course, it's up to you. Good luck!

 

[mikew13]

Someone who is close family has one of those Interarms Mausers with Zastava made reciever. Not very well taken care of through. (In .300 WM)

I areadly have a Ruger Mark II 30x06 and Browning A-bolt .22 (Made by Miroku).
Now Mauser used to be making rifles at reasonable cost decades ago postwar.
Weatherby used to made on FN recievers until they were cost probitive.
It is my preference to have a Mauser or FN made reciever, but its cheaper than paying $3000 for a Mauser '03.
I was planning on a muzzle brake through.

 

[Ordtech]

Charles Daly doesnṫ import the Zastava 98 (used to be the Interarms Mark X) any more. Remingon does as the Remington 798. Not in .338 Wincheser Mag either. They have a gap from 300 Winchester to 375 H&H. The stocks are Remington laminated wood.
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_798_specs.asp
Dennis