rebarreling a mauser

[epoletna]

Brazilian Mauser. Good rifle if it's in good shape. It looked to me as if there was light rust on the bolt. A good gunsmith can tell you if it is safe for a high pressure cartridge.

OTOH, you'll be putting a lot of money into a build that will need a new barrel, trigger, bottom metal, stock, scope base and rings, as well as refinishing, probably. Are you sure you want to do all this to an older military action? It wouldn't cost a whole lot more to get a barreled action that has a good trigger, bottom metal and is already drilled and tapped for a scope base.

Bottom line: you can do it, but you probably won't save anything, if that's your goal, do a careful list of all the costs associated with each option.

 

[mongo4567]

I've done this before, made an exceptional shooting 6.5 swede. That said, I spent a bunch of money that would be better spent on a better platform to begin. The safety conversion, the cock on close bolt, bolt angle change, more limited stock choices....

 

[LoneTraveler]

If the rifle has any collectors value, Start with rifle value, New barrel, Drilling scope mount holes, Bolt handle work, New stock, New trigger and possible new bottom metal.
About 1960, I was in on a building a hunting rifle out of a M98 years ago. A friend had an old military Mauser rifle, He wanted a deer rifle with Weaver 4X scope.

By the time he got the rifle finished, He said, "I should have bought a Remington 721 in 30-06 been cheaper".

 

[8x68s]

Mausers are always enjoyable projects. Not expensive but often times exasperating to find parts and info. The gunsmiths that use to specialize in making good hunters out of them are mostly gone from this Earth. Bless their souls for advancing the technology.
I have a Charles Daly/Zastava rebuilt to 240 Wby, a lightweight 6XC built on an FN commercial action, and two in process. An 8x68s on a Harrington & Richardson model 300 and a 9.3x64 Brenneke on an FN. I found beautiful old wood stocks for them by rooting around online. Refinish, renew and go hunting!

 

[Mike Matteson]

Mausers are always enjoyable projects. Not expensive but often times exasperating to find parts and info. The gunsmiths that use to specialize in making good hunters out of them are mostly gone from this Earth. Bless their souls for advancing the technology.
I have a Charles Daly/Zastava rebuilt to 240 Wby, a lightweight 6XC built on an FN commercial action, and two in process. An 8x68s on a Harrington & Richardson model 300 and a 9.3x64 Brenneke on an FN. I found beautiful old wood stocks for them by rooting around online. Refinish, renew and go hunting!

The biggest thing is having to build the stock to fit me. There been lots of time I have purchase a new rifle off the shelve and turned it back to the smith to work it over. Generally changing out the barrel and trigger. Otherwise I get used rifles and have them worked it over. The older Rem 700 A,B, & C serial No's with triggerteck trigger can make a great rifle. Easy to have different bottom metal, and get a stock ready to go. Being a left hander I had to learn to built or fit an action to the stock. Interesting but takes time. i never had a rifle I had done shot bad. I've seen other brand new that didn't group very good and lost of reloading was tried.
I am not a smith so I have to get that part done. So I have to get in line and wait.

 

[R. Cram]

I've done 5 mausers and they have been good learning projects and not too expensive but none of the mausers run as smooth as m70's or m700's, the military ones are loose for bolt fit and clunky to operate and the last one I put in 22-250 was threaded so crooked the back of the reciever was off by .125 thousand relative to the bore, not that much fun to get to feed, not near as nice to operate as a modern action. after this one I told myself never again. I just bought a new m700 for the action and the face is surface ground, very good machining and so tru it would be a waste of time and money to blueprint it. sorry to rain on your parade but if you would have fun and find it interesting learning has great value

 

[std7mag]

I don't exactly know about a Mauser build being exactly cheap...

I accidentally bought an 8mm large ring Mauser at an auction for $65.
Dakota 3 position safety was $200ish.
$100+ for a non safety Timney trigger.
Went on the cheap with a 22" E.R. Shaw sporter barrel in 7X57 Mauser. Just under $300.
Purple Boyds AT-One stock. Just under $300 if I recall correctly.
EGW one piece rail with Vortex Viper low rings.
Vortex 4-12X42 Crossfire II with BDC reticle.

I did all the machining work myself at a local machine shop that I know the owner.
Faced off the receiver, locking lugs, face of bolt & drilled and tapped for a scope. Along with the machining on the bolt & Dakota safety to fit & work correctly.

Build was for my daughter. Was looking for something with a little weight to it as she's recoil shy.
Handloads with 120gr Nosler Ballistic Tips.

I know there is a special place in the afterlife for putting a purple stock on a Mauser, but at least I got my Ruger 77 MKII in 257 Roberts back.

 

[AkleyFan]

For those 4 barrels, did you upgrade to cut rifling or stayed with button? What chambers & twists? Many thanks!

All cut rifling - 2 in 280AI both are 8 twist, 1 in 30-06 10 twist, 1 in 6.5x280AI 8 twist. Very happy with their barrels.

 

[crazymonkey]

It's probably already been said but it gets expensive and good gunsmith that will take on a Mauser build ar getting hard to find . I had my grandfather's interarms Mauser rebuilt from a 243 to a 7-08 and it was a expensive endeavor. It wasn't about cost as it is a family gun and my dad was going to rebarrel it anyway back in the early 80s. I took it to the extreme and made it into a tack driver . It's now a 7-08 with a 26 inch brux and mcmillan stock . Sports a 5x25x56 atacr and a suppressor. All in its probably a 10k or more rebuild.

 

[xsn10s]

You have to really love Mausers to build one now. Even screwing on a barrel yourself isn't a cheap endeavor anymore. Don't get me wrong I have a JC Higgins FN Belgium Mauser waiting for a new barrel. I'll probably end up keeping it and rebarrel it latter on. But for now I bought a new Remarms ADL and that with a used KRG Bravo stock will still come in under a grand.

 

[xsn10s]

It's probably already been said but it gets expensive and good gunsmith that will take on a Mauser build ar getting hard to find . I had my grandfather's interarms Mauser rebuilt from a 243 to a 7-08 and it was a expensive endeavor. It wasn't about cost as it is a family gun and my dad was going to rebarrel it anyway back in the early 80s. I took it to the extreme and made it into a tack driver . It's now a 7-08 with a 26 inch brux and mcmillan stock . Sports a 5x25x56 atacr and a suppressor. All in its probably a 10k or more rebuild.

What twist barrel on your 7-08? I was thinking of rebarreling my Mauser to a 7-08 1-8" twist. And getting a McMillan stock. Nice combo and build.

 

[crazymonkey]

What twist barrel on your 7-08? I was thinking of rebarreling my Mauser to a 7-08 1-8" twist. And getting a McMillan stock. Nice combo and build.

It's a 1in8 twist

 

[crazymonkey]

It's a 1in8 twist

Check with Josh at mcmillan and make sure you can get a stock cut . I was up there a few weeks back and he was saying they might not do any more .

 

[xsn10s]

Check with Josh at mcmillan and make sure you can get a stock cut . I was up there a few weeks back and he was saying they might not do any more .

Thanks for the heads up. I see them occasionally for sale used. If one isn't available when I get ready to build I'll end up with either a laminate or bird's eye maple. BTW I had a Interarms 243 Win and it was a shooter.