General Purpose Bolt Action Rifle

[lgm270]

Whenever I talk about "sportzerizing" a mil-surp Mauser, people say that it will cost as much as a new commercial rifle.   When I compare the quality of a good mil-surp mauser with new commercial  products, however, I tend to lean toward the Mauser.  Many new commercial sporters have a fragile, cheap and tinny feel about them.  Plastic stocks give me the creeps.

I'm contemplating a good Yugo 48 milsurp, caliber 8x57, laminated wood military stock and thinking of rebarrelling with stainless steel  barrel (for shooting corrosive 8mm military ammo), and altered  bolt handle, safety, trigger and drill and tap for scope.  I would also install an IER mount for extended eye relief scopes and keep the  clip slots in the  receiver.   With the IER scope it can be quickly loaded with stripper clips.  Yes it will cost as much as "new" commercial rifle, but frankly I think it  would be better than most new  commercial  rifles.  I intend to keep the laminated military stock  as is.  It's in great shape, is seemingly  indestructibe and inspires more confidence than cheesy plastic "synthetics".    I kind of like the rugged handling qualities of mil-mausers.  

McGowen Precision Barrels with duplicate the existing military barrel contour for an extra $25 bucks.  Unfortunatly, most "sportzerized" mausers look like abortions.  I'd rather have a standard Mil-Mauser  set up for a scope with a good trigger  and nothing else.   The as-is  laminated military stock is very stable  and virtually indestructible.  The metal work on the Mauser action is superior to most of what I see on commercial rifles today.  

Except for those specimens with totally corroded and shot out bores,  mil surp mausers have been the most accurate and certainly the most reliable rifles I"ve ever  used.  I've had  accuracy and feeding   prob's with M-70's, Howa's, Remington's, etc., but never with good Mausers.

Frankly I kind of like the idea of an ugly duckling, plain Jane looking Mil-surp that has a stainless match barrel, premium trigger and minimal mod's for a scope.  Kind of like a junker looking car with a racing mill under the hood.     

Does anybody else feel that a  minimally altered Mil-surp Mauser in good shape with selected improvements (i.e. barrel, bolt, trigger) is more desirable and more reliable than a "new" commercial product?

[Swampman]

You'd be better off to find an Interarms Mauser.  They are usually inexpensive to buy.

[EVOC ONE]

I think it is just a matter of what you personally prefer. 

If you have the budget and this is what you want, go for it and don't look back.  And ... be sure to send some photo's.    

Good Luck

[STUMPJMPR]

I loved my mausers.  I don't know what they are going for now but 5 years ago I could buy a Yugo for 89 dollars with a C&R license. 

[mannyrock]

     "Does anybody else feel that a  minimally altered Mil-surp Mauser in good shape with selected improvements (i.e. barrel, bolt, trigger) is more desirable and more reliable than a "new" commercial product? "

      ANSWER: No.

     It is plain that you suffer from a disease called "Mauseritus".  This is a very common disease that strikes middle aged men who are interested in rifles.  There is no cure.  You will just have to let it run its course.  I would warn you, however, that it will be very costly.  You will, perhaps more than once, spend $800 to $1,000 fixing up a military mauser, only to end up with a rifle that's not worth $300.

   If your goal is to have a totally reliable Mauser, then go buy an Interarms Mark X Mauser sporting rifle.  They are very common, and can be had for around $400.  They are true mausers, of high quality, built in the former Yugoslavia on the same equipment that cranked out military mausers.
   
  Or, if you want the best of the best, find a Commercial FN Supreme Mauser, made in the 1950s to the 1960s in Belgium.  These will run around $800.  Frank DeHaas called these the pinacle of mauser sporter rifles, the best factory mausers ever made.

  By the way, you are talking about rebuilding virtually every part of your surplus mauser except for the receiver. (i.e., the bolt, trigger, barrel etc.)  How does this qualify as a minimally altered rifle???

   Go forth, and sin no more.  :-)

Mannyrock

[Black Eagle]

I have "Mauseritis."  I have several rifles built on Interarms Mark X actions and a couple built on CZ 24s [The CZs are mil-surp]. I also have 3 CZ 24s in my home shop waiting to be barreled and re-stocked.  On the CZs, I get rid of the old bolt shroud and safety and put on a plain shroud. I buy Timney triggers with a trigger safety.  I also polish the action rails and square the bolt face before I barrel it. I reshape that too large trigger guard as well and often replace the striker and spring. I sometimes engrave the floor plate as well. That, I guess, is not a "minimal alteration" and usually involves some considerable expense for the bolt shroud, barrel, trigger, have it blued [I don't do my own bluing] and the wood for a new stock. It also kills several evenings and weekends to do the work. The finished rifle always shoots well but its value isn't close to the work and money I put into it. I've also built on Mod 70, Mod 700, Savage, Howa and a couple other actions but I don't ever seem to get out of any work or much expense by doing that. We build on Mausers because they are good strong actions -- with some exceptions like the La Coruna action made in Spain in the 1950s -- and because it's a lot of fun. I say, "Go for it," you can do as much or as little alteration as you like and you will have fun. By the way, some of these Mausers can be very valuable when they are finished. If you doubt that, look at some of the stuff that comes out of the American Gun Maker's Guild built on mil-surp Mauser actions but unless you are a very rich man, don't even ask the price. 

[ScoutMan]

There is the same discussion going on over on the Campfire Forum.
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3569224/bombproof_rifle#Post3569224

[WyoStillhunter]

Buy and modify what you like.  Personally, I would go to the nearest pawn shop, buy the cruddiest Remington Model 700 at the lowest price possible and go from there.  Short action or long action, whatever will fit the cartridge you want.  I would buy a 30-06 and likely not even need to have it rebarreled.

Mauser-itis?  I know about Marlinitis from first hand experience.  I can relate.  If it floats your boat, do it.  I sure wouldn't base my decision on a bunch of good ol' boys on the web.  Like Nike says, "Just do it!"

And don't forget to show us before and after pictures. 

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  you could also check the shops for a modified mauser that has some of the work already done to it...This military stuff never did much for me..when I was young, our neighbor was one of the local modifiers... he has some fair stuff, but something was always haywire with them... some little thing or several that would always need fixing...the thing that really cured me of fooling with old military mausers was a friend had a nice action, put a varmit barrel on it and used it for about 1200 rounds.... one day it just blew to bits... he had just shot one round though it and decided to try another, turned out as near  as they can figure, it was soft or imperfect due to the stress of war time work...anyway that ended it for me... you can pickup a used rifle, maybe pretty beat up for the action and remodel to ones hearts content...and have a good safe action... I guess I do this to a degree. 700's are the basis for the rifles I like, from there it is sometimes custom barrels or custom barrels and stocks...noway will I ever get the money back I have in this stuff, but it is the way I want it, and most are excellent shooters. someday, my stuff will go to friends, and hope fully they will enjoy as much as I have....

[Coyote Hunter]

...

Does anybody else feel that a  minimally altered Mil-surp Mauser in good shape with selected improvements (i.e. barrel, bolt, trigger) is more desirable and more reliable than a "new" commercial product?

The only one I’ve felt that way about was a beautiful pre-war German Mauser with “Berlin” stamped on the receiver.  It was nicely sporterized and the seller was a German gentleman who said he picked it up in the early ‘60’s.  Stupidly I let it go although the price was only $225.

In late 2008 I picked up a new Interarms Mark X action and a Boyd stock.  Then earlier this year I sent both off to Krieger Barrels for accurizing and a 6.5-06AI stainless barrel.  It is now in the safe, and shoots great.  The scope on it is a Burris FFII with Balllistic Plex reticle.  Even with fire-form loads I was able to bust clay pigeons on the 600-yard berm (2 clays, 5 shots total).



It’s a nice rifle, but for the cost I could have bought several commercial firearms.  No regrets, though.

[Curt Dawson]

Enfielditis can be just as bad. Built a 375 H&H on a 1917 Enfield a number of years ago and now my eldest son has it. Did it make monetary sense? No.Was it worth the time and the pleasure it has brought my son and I? Yes. And some day it will be passed onto my grandkids. Along with the stories that go with it.