Vapodog,
I'm a sucker for anything Mauser, and your Whelen is a real sweet rig. You must just ooze pride when you clean it, shoot it, and generally admire your piece. Really nice job. My grandad made a living sporterizing military rifles, mostly Mausers 98's and Swede Mauser 96's and 38's. He'd be quite tickled with your Mauser. It's a beauty.