Country Bumpkin
Well-Known Member
Pictures please!
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What is this and can I do anything with it?
- Thread starter Elkeater
- Start date
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shortgrass
Well-Known Member
"Good quality" and "cheap" rarely go together. The rifle action, as mentioned earlier by roundball, is the 'heart' of any custom rifle. There's no need to pay more than is necessary, but cheap can be just that, cheap, hard to use, not what you wanted, not much aftermarket support such as triggers/safeties/stocks. And 'cheap work' is usually not acceptable. Over the almost 30yrs I've been gunsmithing, I've seen most all of the screw-ups that can be done to a Mauser action, and newer commercial actions, too. Bolt handles that look like he!! and won't clear the scope, scope mount screw holes not on the centerline, butchered triggers installed, safeties that don't work. But hey, for a guy like me who actually attended and graduated from a 2yr gunsmithing school that still makes a stock by hand from a blank occasionally and finishes synthetic blanks sometimes, my views are probably way out of line here. Do the 'best ' you can afford to do, but 'cheap' seems to be everywhere these days...…..
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
Sorry, there is virtually no collector value there as it is not in original, "as issued" condition.
Gee...i guess the same can be said against all of us over 50 guys...and you young punks that live that long.....NO COLLECTORS VALUE.......
HA
Elkeater
Well-Known Member
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- Dec 3, 2017
- Messages
- 1,431
Sorry cheap meant a sale on Remington 700s at the local big box store for a donor action. Or someone's used 700 or model 70.
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
I am 60+! NO collector value. Collectable Mausers of any vintage are #1, in original, AS ISSUED WITH MATCHING NUMBERS on receiver, bolt, barrel and bottom metal,,, and any other parts that my bare serial numbers too, AND, in VG to Ex condition! There are examples in the hundreds of thousand that have been altered from 'original', many if not most times, POORLY altered and in poor condition (meaning they have rust somewhere and/or the barrel is 'rotten'!
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
Buy a 700 receiver instead of a 'donor'. The fit and finish on those far exceeds the gravel blasted "big box" rifles.
Mowgli Terry
Well-Known Member
As to actions: My BYF 43 was matching but totally butchered stock. When the action was converted all numbers were left intact by gunsmith. He did wonderful work. His work of art bolts were forged not welded. He totally refused to weld on a gun part. Bubba had gotten to the 98 stock. All the work on my action was done over thirty years ago. As to history, I would have done differently today.
The point made here is don't use marginal stuff building up a rifle. No matter how simple start with a good action.
We have a local custom maker. Their 700 actions are outsourced with new contours and fluting. The big box finish is chips in somebodie's shop. I had my 98 action bead blasted. This process did give an egg shell finish. This tends to cover up dings and such on a military action. Totally, the worst butcher job I ever saw was on a pre-war Mauser commercial 98 with Mannlicher stock etc. It looks like the bolt was melted and the root where a new bolt handle was attached. It was desecration pure and simple.
Mowgli Terry
Well-Known Member
Actions: How about a big box Howa donor action. Those come well finished and don't cost a war pension?
