mauser question
 

i have been thinking of buying and older muaser and remodleing it into a new gun for hunting or w/e.i've thought alot about a model98 in 8mm.is this a dumb thing to do, or is it ok.are they expensive and could i do it easliy?thanks.

RE: mauser question
 

Old military surplus Mausers are the basis of many custom and semi-custom rifles. Prices vary based on condition but normallyprices are reasonable. I would suggest having a gunsmith check any older Mauser that you buy. A gunsmith will also be able to give you help if you get into an something that you don't feel comfortable doing; like cutting a new chamber or rebarrelling the action.

RE: mauser question
 

The only downside to an 8mm mauser is that noone in the USA makes decent ammo for it- its all loaded to 30-30 specs when the cartridge is about equal to a 30-06.

If you are going to keep the rifle as-is and anre't going to rechamber it, I would suggest the following (they have a short mauser action:

Yugo 24/47
Yugo M48

If you want to build a rifle from a mauser 98, these common models have a standard length action:

Kar98
VZ-24- will need new sights, iron sights are regulated for 400 meter
VZ-98/22 - will need new sights, iron sights are regulated for 400 meter
BRNO 98/29
Turk M38

There are a myriad of other makes, but these are the most common.

RE: mauser question
 

If you are skilled at metalworking and woodworking this may be a worthwhile effort for you to try yourself. If you are not so skilled and must depend on a gunsmith to do the work, you may very well be able to have an outstanding rifle built but it will be much more expensive than just buying a modern hunting rifle. If money is an object look on the used market for a modern sporting rifle.

As mentioned in a post above, unless you handload you won't get good ballistics; all the US manufacturers are worried that you'll stuff their ammo into an old Gewehr 88 Commission rifle with a .318" diameter bore, blow it up and sue them. If you handload you gcan make a kick-butt round that will do anything the '06 will do, it'll just do it with a German accent.;)

Unmodified Mausers are not impossible as hunting weapons but if you plan to stick with open sights and US loaded factory ammo, there are better choices.

Another choice to consider if you like military surplus rifles is the Swedish Mauser. The 6.5x55 Swedish Mausers are excellent rifles and the open sights on them are pretty decent. Factory ammo is usually a 140 grain bullet loaded to around 2400 f.p.s. This sounds mild and in terms of recoil it is, but the bullet penetrates very well. Accuracy potential for these rifles (and modern sporters chambered in this caliber) is exceptional.

RE: mauser question
 

My great-grandpa got one of those rifles rechambered to a .35 Whelen and now it's one of my favourite guns to shoot. Good strong action.


Cory

RE: mauser question
 

I have built 3 of them now. Here is a pic of dad's old 98. I refinished it and added the scope some years ago. It is based an original K98 made in the Weiden factory in 1944. I have just finished another one of the same vintage that is a sub MOA with 175gr Sierra Pro Hunter at 2680'/sec. The third one is a FN that I had rechambered and rebarreled to a 6.5X'06 Ackley. I'm working on the stock now. I fully expect this rifle to fire a 140 gr bullet in the 31-3200'/sec range.

Cost. A nice action around 150. Barrel, fitting finish and re-blue including drill and tap for scope say $400. Stock $150-200 depends how fancy you want it. Timney trigger with safety, 70 bucks. Pachmeyer Pad, bolt jeweling, bolt bending, specialized dies, say 150. Now you have a custom rifle that was fun to make and will be fun to shoot. Is $900 too much for a custom rifle?.....for me it's not an issue cause I do a little at a time an 200 bucks every 2 months is not too much for me to bear. In the end, I have a rifle unmatched by anything a factory can do including, Kimber, Browing, Sako and Weatherby.

Sidebar. You also have the most rugged action ever built, a piece of history and your own creation that will be cherished for a lifetime. Good luck and regards, Rick.

RE: mauser question
 

I second that! You can also shoot Norma 156gr "Alaska" for bigger game. I shoot a Ruger M77 in 6.5mm Swede!

RE: mauser question
 

1995 taken with 6.5mm Swede and Norma 156gr "Alaska"

RE: mauser question
 

As posted above, there is no one answer. Kind of a "it depends". Do you have any tools? Do you have any ability to work with tools? What kind of mods will you be wanting? Shortened barrel? Scope mount? Rebarrel to another caliber? To have somebody do these things professionally, you will end up spending enough to buy a very nice ready made sporter.

Building sporting rifles from miltary surplus rifles is not really cost effective today. You can buy a Savage and a pretty good scope for $450 to $500, maybe even less.
Your sporter is going to cost at least as much, by the time you drill and tap, cut off and install a new bolt handle, install a new safety,cut and crown the barrel, possibly restock and bed the rifle. Add in the scope mounts and rings, and a decent scope, and you are talking the same amount or more.

Not saying don't do it, I've built several rifles on 96 and 98 actions, and it is great fun. Nothing feels like hunting or shooting that sub MOA groupwith a rifle you built. Just be sure to go in with your eyes open, that's all.

RE: mauser question
 

i do not need a new hunting rifle it was for more or less a project and i might used it on ocassion but not really all the time.thanks

RE: mauser question
 

This being the case, I'd recommend that you GO FOR IT!!!:D As posted above, a custom rifle built on a Mauser 98 actions is one of the sweetest things that shoots. If you're looking for customization rather than a bargain, you are definitely headed down the right path.

Pre-war or early war German or Czech actions would be my very first choice if I were to embark on such a project. I've got a 1941 Oberndorf K98 in original military configuration (except the bolt serial number doesn't match the rest of the rifle.) It is a glassy smooth action and even with the Mauser barleycorn sights it will keep 'em all in the black at 100 yards. I suspect it would shoot pretty decent groups if it had a scope on it, but it is a collector's item in its current form and as such I refuse to modify it. I do think enough of the caliber to have purchased a Remington 700 Classic last year in 8mm Mauser. Haven't hunted with it yet, still need to "get some blood on" my CZ550 in 6.5x55, which I hope to do on a deer hunt in a few weeks.

If you do decide to do this, we'd love to see and hear how the project comes out. Good luck!

RE: mauser question
 

I believe the best and strongest of the millitary Mauser actions is the 1909 argentine mauser. Made at DWM in Germany, they arte the basis for alot of good custom mausers. My gradad was a gunsmith and he solemnly pronounced the 1909 to be the best mauser ever made. There are cheap wood and composite stock available for under 100 bucks.
But I also have a swedish mauser in 6.5x55mm. It has a cutdown millitary stock and wears a cheap scope. It is a dandy deer rifle and the ammo available for it in the US is much better than the 8mm ammo available.
Go to a gun show and look around. You should be able to find on already sporterized for cheap money
okcmco

RE: mauser question
 

I have 2 Muasers right now. One is a CZ VZ 24 I bought in 2003. Last year, I bought at Yugo 24/47. Both are 8mm Mauser. I shot some 170 Rem. Core Lokt ammo out of the CZ. I got 2100 FPS. I can get 2500 FPS or better with 170 grain bullets, and the 150 grain Hornady load I have now should be topping 2700 or so. The VZ 24 is going to become a custom eventually. It won't shoot but maybe 4" at 25 yards, with handloads, when I can get 1" at 25 yards with my 24/47 (with the Hornady Handload. With the VZ 24, I was trying another handload with some Sierras). The 24/47 shows more promise, so it will see a set of Mojo sights and a Timney trigger. Those two additions should allow me to get quite acceptable groups out to 200 yards, and I can replace the originals back anytime I want.

Good luck on your project!!

RE: mauser question
 

I have a M98 that my great uncle brought back from Europe in WWII. I love this rifle! It has a few slight mods to it such as the rework of the bolt to allow for a scope and drill and tap for scope mounts. It has the original Vermarcht stamps on it.

This weapon is a real treat to shoot. Hardly in recoil and so well balanced it is scary. I shoot the standard 8MM Mauser 180 grain ammo from Winchester. No problems with that load and a very good hunting rifle up to 200 yards.

You can find 8mm in very good condition for around 180 and then it goes down from there.

RE: mauser question
 

Take a look at the charles daly website. They sell mauser actions and barreled actions as well as complete guns.

RE: mauser question
 

My custom mauser was made around 1942. The rifle itself was made in germany in 1899.

In the 1940s, Swedish armorers needed to build a few thousand 'custom' sharpshooter rifles, so they picked the most accurate rifles they could find and mounted what is called a Mauser Short Rail detachable scope mount.


The scope is easily detached and the mounts mate up by friction on a 1 degree taper between the 2 halves. It will return to zero every time the scope is remounted- pretty nifty. The scope is an A. Jackenroll 4x90 scope. windage adjustments are a bit strange, as you adjust windage by tension on 2 opposing screws on the scope mount (see rear of mount above) The optics are very clear and gather light nicely- it also has the nifty German picket fence reticle which helps get on target very quickly.


Elevation is set by positioning the elevation disc to correspond to the correct sight in distance, after which the elevation cam can be adjusted from 100- 800+ meters.


It also has very good and functional backup sights that can either be used with the scope mounted or dismounted. I currently cannot use them because I added a comb raising kit to put my eye in perfect alignment with the scope.



My only complaint is that the rifle is a bit on the long side and a bit heavy. On the other hand, it is steady as a rock when shooting from a rest, its one of the first things some friends of mine noticed while taking a few shots with it.


How does it shoot? If it isn't shooting better than3/4 MOA, it can be attributed to operator error. Doing some load testing 2 weeks ago with 8 different loads, only 2 loads shot over 1" groups, while 2 other loads gave sub1/2" groups.

RE: mauser question
 

Where can I find one of those Scope mounts?

RE: mauser question
 

Oh No!!!!! NOt Barney!!!!! My 3 year old will have a heart attack if she sees this!!:D:D

RE: mauser question
 

Samco has thecomplete rifle with scope price $1000.00 but it is worth ever penny. I have one that will shoot 5 shots at 3/4 of a inch the model 96 is top of the line I won a remmy 700 BDL in a comp. shoot with mine I well buy all the model 96 that I can find.

RE: mauser question
 

i thought about building a custom rifle on a mauser action but i decided that i would probably be better off just getting a rem 700 in 30-06 and stiff have some money left over. that's what i ended up doing.

RE: mauser question
 

That's where I got mine. I was a little hesitant about plunking that much money down for a used rifle, but as you said, it was worth every penny.:D