Gunsmithing Mauser Build

[kfwittekiend]

So last week I bought two Mauser Rifles and got them in today. I am currently attending the machining program at Trinidad State Junior College in Alamosa, CO. Not the gunsmithing program in Trinidad, but the faculty has been very helpful.

The plan is to tear the rifles down, and turn them into 6mm-06 AI's with a couple of 30" Kreiger 1-7.5 twist heavy palma barrels. Also adding new triggers, bolt shrouds, stocks, etc. They will also get painted/cerakoted some color at the end.

There is so much talent here I hope to get some feedback, whether good or bad.

Here they are. One as it was torn down, and the other after stripping and bead blasting.

Loaded the clean one into the spider on the lathe, dialed it in until it the 10,000th needle wans'nt hardly moving, faced it, and cleaned up the threads.

Then started on lapping the bolt lugs. If you can see on the pictures there was hardly any contact on the lugs at the beginning and approx. 75% where I finished up.

Before

After

That is as far as they got yesterday. Hope to get a little more done on Monday, but have to go to a machinery auction. By Tuesday evening hopefully one will be wearing a new barrel.

Ken

 

[bohem]

Re: Mauser Build

Looks good so far.

A word of caution lapping Mauser bolts.

The action is case hardened, not through hardened. It is entirely possible to "lap through the case" and end up with an essentially "soft" receiver in the load path of the lugs.

I would strongly encourage you to do a hardness check on several points of the receiver of and compare it to the lugs now that they are lapped.

Also, when you work on the second rifle, you should check the hardness prior to lapping and then after lapping to verify that it is unchanged. A change of more than ~5pts is a red flag.

 

[kfwittekiend]

Re: Mauser Build


Thanks for the advice. The way I understood it was that the receiver was case hardend and the bolt was through hardend?

At the beginning I was coloring the lugs on the bolt with a sharpie and testing the contact. Then used a fine file to go over the exposed metal until there was good contact showing on both lugs. Then used 1000 grit lapping compound to finish or polish. Also, there was no contact present on the safety lug on the back of the bolt.

We have a hardness tester at school I'll try out on Tues.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[kfwittekiend]

Re: Mauser Build


What hardness or Rockwell number should I be looking for in the receiver?

 

[bohem]

Re: Mauser Build

The bolt is through hardened, the receiver is cased.

You should be seeing case hardness values in the 50's and the core will be in the high 20's.

If you cut through the case it is immediately apparent.

 

[excaliber]

Re: Mauser Build

Remember that a 98mauser has a very short barrel tenon. Long heavy barrels on short threads means you need to bed more of the barrel to help support the weight.

 

[bigwheeler]

Re: Mauser Build

It's not all that expensive to have them heat treated after you machine them. Some
actions, like the spanish mausers, are known for bad heat treating.

 

[bohem]

Re: Mauser Build

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: excaliber</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Remember that a 98mauser has a very short barrel tenon. Long heavy barrels on short threads means you need to bed more of the barrel to help support the weight. </div></div>

This statement always gets me.

Not to pick a fight but the statement is false. I don't know where it started but when you sit down and draw the Free Body Diagram and figure out how much of the tenon bending moment you're reducing by bedding 1-2" under the barrel the difference is minimal.

After spending some time both wearing down my pencil and then getting my hands dirty to see if the theory works out in the real world I have not been able to replicate any validity to that statement.

It's not advice that is <span style="text-decoration: underline">only</span> given to the Mauser 98 action, but also for things like the Winchester 70, Remington 70, and Savage 110 and variants.

The statement doesn't "pencil" out.

 

[kfwittekiend]

Re: Mauser Build

Got some more work done on the first Mauser this week.

The barrel is threaded and chambered, but didn't get any pictures of it. I was using the bald eagle reamer holder and everything worked out well on that end.

Here is a picture of the muzzle end getting crowned and threaded for the muzzle brake.

Here is what the basic brake profile will be, I'll cut the slots in on the mill in the morning.

Next, made a bolt knob and handle.

Got it Tig welded on.

Then with the mill, files, dremel it looked like this.

UPS brought the box with the new 12oz Jard trigger and bolt shroud.

So now this action is looking a little better than it did last week.

Should be able to get the brake all finished up tomorrow, and get the scope base mounted. Then do a final sand blasting, and get ready for the cerakote.

 

[nashlaw]

Re: Mauser Build

Good on you, Witt! I have paid many $$$ for some work that was not as nice looking as yours.

Bohem is a Sniper's Hide Old Salt. He is casting you pearls, young man.

 

[Beef_Supreme]

Re: Mauser Build

Nice looking work. I do a lot of Mausers, just because I have a bunch of actions laying around.
What caliber? I am doing an 8mm Rem Mag on a commercial FN action and a .416 Taylor on a Spandau that I have had laying around for a while.

While at MCC, a very green student put a Turk Receiver in lathe to face it. He shaved off about two threads worth of receiver. When all said and done he had 3 complete threads holding the barrel (in .270 Win) on and I sat back with indifference to watch and it still worked, and even shot well in a hand made stock. I was verrrrry wary, but- it worked out ok.
I think thread tennons needing support are a stretch, I think the entire receiver needs the support based on the weight of the barrel pulling everything forward and down. Offsetting this by bedding and preferably pillaring is paramount to accuracy.
+ .02 cents

 

[kfwittekiend]

Re: Mauser Build

Both of them will be 6mm-06 AI.

 

[Beef_Supreme]

Re: Mauser Build

I have built one of those on a 700, but never shot it other than test firing it. Neat round and I may do one for me someday since I now own the reamer! Let me know about the performance of this round once you get them up and going please.

 

[kfwittekiend]

Re: Mauser Build

I'll let you know how it goes.

My idea was to shoot it until the barrel wore out - should'nt take too long. Then replace the barrel with one that was melonite treated and see how much longer it lasts.

 

[tomtomz]

I have more than one good large ring Oberndorf Mauser 98 LR rifle that I'd like to rebarrel, and I wonder if anyone here can give me a contact for someone who could rebarrel and generally lap and true up the bolt, action, and bolt face, and do the gunsmithing for a fair price? I understand that I can buy a new rifle for less money, but I'd like to find a gunsmith who will take this project on.

My grandpa was a pretty fair gunsmith, and bought 50 actions for $50 from an ad in Outdoor life after WWII, and they have all been very good rifles, some 300 WIN MAG conversion P-17 Enfields, mostly 98 Large ring Mauser long actions (well made, early German models, BYF and Oberndorf markings) with the original bolt face for 7x57, 30-06, 270 WIN, 250 Savage, 22-250 REM, etc. And if they can be reworked into rifles of considerable quality and accuracy then I will pay "extra" for that value.

Unfortunately, I was 16 when he passed, and I did not learn gunsmithing from him - no opportunity.

PS - I have a 98 Mauser with a 22-250 Heavy varmint profile barrel that does not like to feed the shorter rounds. I'd be very happy to have that rifle reamed to any long action 22-caliber or perhaps a 5.56x57 wildcat just to have use of the rifle again. I already have a 22-250 which I prefer to use, and would like to give the old rifle new legs.

Sorry if I have hijacked this post. It seems that the OP's talents will be in demand. His work looks good so far. Keep it up!

 

[EasyGravy]

Now when you rebarrel these do the actions lose their original nazi markings. I have a couple byf'42's Im just scared shitless to ever have anything ruin the history of the rifles.They both shoot great but one has what I think is an ejector issue(brass sometimes sticks to bolt face after extraction). Timney mauser triggers are like $65 that and a new barrel could make for great fun.

 

[Clark]

Braz VZ24 7x57mm from Century

Oberndorf 1908 Braz 8x57 from Century

Oberndorf 1903 Turk Mausers from Century

I have been sporterizing Mausers for 49 years.

I love it, but I would warn you about two things:
1) It is not typically cost effective.
2) Kuhnhausen's book on Mausers must be taken with a grain of salt. [FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif]Walsh's book [a retired chief engineer] may be taken as a rebuttal to Kuhnhausen's book.[/FONT]

 

[gewehr]

Looking good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tomtomz]

I'm not too worried about the markings, I think most will stay. I don't have the original barrel or stock. These have already been sporterized, and need a refresh.

 

[EasyGravy]

Mine are legit killers. Not ever going to degrade them