Gunsmithing Mauser options?

[Munimula]

I'm new around here so I thought I'd ask a few questions.

First off here is my current rifle. It was a gift from my father who got tired of it beating up his shoulder after surgery early last year.

It started life as a K98 Mauser chambered in 8mm (.323), Turkish made, approximately 1947 according to the smith who put it in it's current stock and mounted the scope. I do not know if the model and make are 100% correct.

My questions are on options for making this into a bit more accurate rifle. I do not like the stock that it is in currently. Just doesn't fit me well. I've also been doing a bit of longer range shooting with it lately and after 300 yards is a crap shoot. I'm a decent shooter, shooting for a solid supported position and it just doesn't group well. I assume this is mostly from the unknown number of rounds it's had through it and the thinner barrel. Best I can get is about 1.5"-2" groups at my 100 yard zero. I can shoot those all day. The groups open up an expected amount at 200 and 300 yards but past that they are wandering around so far I needed to find a larger target to confirm.

So do I have any options for re barreling this rifle?

Is it worth it?

I hear this action is a very simple and solid action. Would it be possible to use it as a base for a different caliber build?

Thanks for any responses. I have experience shooting. Just not experienced with the different equipment. Always been more of a natural shooter I guess and wanting to learn more on the gun smith side of the house.

 

[DMann]

Re: Mauser options?

Go to http://www.mausercentral.com and read. There are endless possibilities where Mausers are concerned. Is it worth it? Probably not.

 

[Munimula]

Re: Mauser options?

I'll head that way and do some research.

I'm thinking at the very least a new stock and barrel. Other wise its staying as is.

The stock for comfort and appearance.

And a barrel mostly because I think this one is spent.

 

[bohem]

Re: Mauser options?

You can do it, I did it with a 1943 Turk and cheap parts and did all the work with my dad in his shop. My 30-06 with a cheap Adams and Bennet barrel will shoot 3/4 MOA to 400 and hold MOA to about 700 or a little longer if I do my job.

I put a Fajen stock on it. My biggest problem is that I'm a lefty so the thumbholes out there for it can't be used for me.

You can get an unfinished stock for about $125 bucks from stocky's stocks in a laminated version. Bedding can be done yourself.

The barrel needs to be done by a gunsmith, and it's going to cost probably $250 for a 'smith to install the barrel if you handed a blank to them.

There's TONS of possibilities and you can make some very good shooting rifles with them. It just takes more care and time to do it. Everyone and their brother can rebarrel a Rem or Savage, but not many are doing 98's any more.

What ammo and bullets are you using? If you're rolling your own, there's not many bullet options out there for match stuff.

Check you scope bases, rings, and that the action is properly torque'd in place. I'd get some GB Weld and bed that action in the stock to start, and put a recoil pad on it. For $25 you can have a rifle that's more comfortable to shoot and will end up more accurate until you can afford to spend some money to dress it up.

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: Mauser options?

FWIW I have a 1941 Mauser from Oberndorf with Zeiss Zielvier in a SSR mount.

Without bedding or crowning it is OK for 2MOA at 100m using 200Gr SMK.

For me, for a 70 year old battle rifle, that is fine.

I keep it and enjoy it as an historic/fun rifle with no great expectations on performance

If I was looking for a sub MOA long range tack driver, I wouldn't use this rifle as a starting point.

Just my £0.02

 

[Munimula]

Re: Mauser options?

I've been looking at it and I realized it's probably the ammo I'm using. Can't believe I missed that.

I have reloading equipment and a few rounds worked up at minimum load to start stepping up with this rifle. But I've been trying to get a solid zero at 300 to get better test results. I'm using the Federal 170gr. Soft points. They are dropping below super sonic levels at about 400 yards according to some numbers on the box and research online. So they are destabilizing like a bastard past that.

I have Speer 200gr Spitzs with a BC of .440 in front of 42.0 gr's of IMR 4064 ready to go for my starting charge. I'll see how they do next day at the range.

Guess I'll have to start working up my hand loads.

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: Mauser options?

I use either 198Gr Privi FMJ or 200Gr SMK's, Remy brass and 47.0Gr of N140.

 

[bohem]

Re: Mauser options?

I use PRVI 175 BTSP's over ~ 47gr of BLC-2 and with original irons from a VZ24 they run 1.5" @ 100y. I can't see better than that with the v-notch sights.

I've also used the 170 RN's from Hornady but the BC on those is so poor that they're not really useful for much beyond shorter range hunting.

 

[jesseruns]

Re: Mauser options?

I am currently building up a 1903/38 Turkish Mauser and have been leaning towards the 6.5x55. My gunsmith ( http://1customgunsmith.com/ ) has said that is a conversion that he recommends and I like the idea of a flat shooting bullet like the 6.5. I have had the bolt bent, rails and scope work done by him and have been pleased with his work. His price for rebarreling is 200 so it might be worth sending it to him.
I picked the Mauser as a rifle partly for the cheap start up price but also because of the number of guns that have been based on it since it's inception. To me that says something. Good luck with your build.

 

[Schleifalot]

Re: Mauser options?

If it is in 8 x 57 IS it will probably not get really accurate. The reason is a really long throat in the standard chamber. The 8 x 57 was originally a round nose cartridge. As most military stuff it was considered necessary to be "downward compatible" with the older RN bullets. The long neck makes it an inherent not very precise caliber IMHO.

If you decide to re-barrel the 6,5 x 55 would be a cool caliber. It is a very precise shooting caliber wich was recommended by Mauser back around 1900. But the German military boneheads wanted a bullet you could stop charging cavalry with.
The 6,5 x 55 (swedish) is a real winner in this system and an original Mauser round.

You can chamber all calibers which fit into the system. Up to 8 x 68 S (around 5500 Joule muzzle energy ~ 300 Winmag).

Last fall I saw some pics from a gunsmith. There was a kaboom of a 98 shown. The owner shot accidentally (moronically) a 7 x 63 round (~ 30-06 performance) out of a 6,5 x 68 chamber. The bottom metal was bent, the stock split, the shooter rattled.
The barrel and action were OK. The action was used again in another rifle. The barrel was discarded for safety reasons.
This action was designed to blow out in this kind in order to protect the shooter from severe injury.

This is a 1A++ construction, if your Turk is a good action has to be discerned by a competent gunsmith.

Have fun with it.

 

[x ring accuracy]

Re: Mauser options?

Or, you can rid yourself of that nasty, non-tack drivin' Mauser and sell it to me

It will become a "tack driver" as they use the term