8MM Mauser

[tripper]

I was given a 98 mauser barreled action along with most of the rest of the gun. The steps have already been taken out of the barrel so restoring it is not an opstion. What I would like to do is have it drilled and taped for scope mounts so i can see if it will shoot strieght or if i should rebarrel it. My quistion is, are there base mounts that will fit the reciever without having it machined? If there is which ones?

[gunnut69]

Weaver 2 piece mounts can be made to fit the receiver without machining it.  This is not a good thing but as an expediant it can be done.  It your testing it for accuracy with a plan to rebarrel if the rifle won't shoot, why not just go ahead and have the receiver contured.  Go ahead and put on the mount you want to end up with.  If the 8mm tube shoots OK, you can easily build a really nice sporter, if it won't shoot simply rebarrel and you still have a nice mount..  Properly installed 2 piece bases are just fine.  I am sort of partial to Leupold as they seem a bit more refined to me(I like the conturing).  There are others I like more but they get very pricey, very quickly.

[RED]

Why would someone bother to remove the steps from a barrel with a questionalble bore?  Redfield 1 piece mounts are definitely easier  to work with and give excellent results.

[tripper]

Thanks for the info. guys.
Red, I realy don't know why the guy went through the work he did without shooting the gun first to check for accurcey. That would of been the first thing I would of done.
Gunnut69, Going ahead with the conturing has crossed my mind for the very reasons you mention but thought there might be some mounts out there that would fit. I have about  1 1/2 years to finish it up as I will be building it for my grandson and it will be that long before he can hunt.
 Another gustion, keep in mind my grandson is very small for his age and will most likely require a youth model type gun, is building such a weapon out of the 8 a good adventure or should i just be looking at a factory gun for him? If I do have to rebarrel is there anything other then the 308 that can be put on it?

[gunnut69]

If you rebarrel the 98 will handle almost any standard round.  The list is almost endless.  I am partial to the 260, 243, 250-3000, 257 Rob. or possibley the best choice of all the 7x57.  Loaded to moderate velocity with a 140 grain bullet that's a bit soft(I like the Nosler Ballistic tip) it is a really great shooting and deadly round, with minimal recoil.  The same can be said for the 280(Chose that one for my daughter).  She killed 3 or 4 in a row, one shot each with hers(before that she used a 243 for 3-4).  I use the same basic load concept, a soft 140 and moderate load.  She can't hunt much the last few years, college keeps her busy,,I miss that time, terribly.
The Roberts is also a great round for a kid just starting.  Kills good, accurate and light in the recoil department.   As to the best way to go...  I can't really lie to you.  If you have to farm out the work, building custom rifles is costly.  You can pick up a used commercially made rifle for less money and it'll work just fine.  If you can do most of the work yourself and have the time, it can mean a special rifle for a you boy(or girl).  Of course we'll be here to help anyway we can...  Take a kid to the woods, teach them to hunt, it teaches them about life..

[Mikey]

Red:  I have an old VZ-24 that came back to this country after WWII.  It has had some stock work done to it that is definately a post WWII 'cut down the military stock into a sporter version' application AND, the steps were taken off the barrel.  The steps were removed with a belt grinder, you can tell that much from the way the bbl is contoured.  You can also tell that the guy who took the steps out must have left the belt grinder on a bit too long while he was knockin' down that last beer because when you look at the bbl from the top of the rifle, the bbl looks bent.  It is funnier than the dickens to look at but the hole in the bbl goes straight, and so do the boolets.  I bedded the darn thing, replaced the front sight blade and it groups pretty darn well at 100 yds for an old warhorse, within 2" with open sights.  My buddy laughed so hard at this thing when he first saw it that the only way I could shut him up was to give it to him for a camp gun after I made it shoot good.

I guess what I am saying, in response to your question as to why someone would take the steps out of the bbl before finding out if it shot well is that it may have shot well enough for them, at that time, but maybe the tripper has higher accuracy expectations.  

I would ask tripper that if the bbl still ahs the military rear sight mount on it if he might consider one of those scout type mounts as an inexpensive alternative to determine the accuracy capabilities of this rifle and if it turns out to be as accurate as he wants then he could go for the usual sporter mounts on the action, a cut and rewelded bolt (or a new spoon handle bolt would be real nice), a bolt block to remove the old safety and a Bold Trigger group with internal safety.  Then he would have a real Mauser sporter.  But, this is just another example of my opinionated offering of two cents and any who wants to is free to disagree.  Mikey

[tripper]

gunnut69, wow, I didn't realize I would have so meny choices on caliber if I have to rebarrel. Out of the ones that you mentioned I have first hand experance with the 257, 7mmand have also used the 8mm. I have a 257 roberts in the safe that belonged to my dad. Never saw a deer shot more then once with it but because of the type country we hunt consider it something that belongs in the hands of somebody that has learned to pick the hole in the brush to shoot through for a clean kill. Think I would go with the 7mm just because I like the cal. and what i can do with it on the loading end.
Mikey, All the things you mention are in the plans but things have to be done a step at a time, right now my may concern is getting it to where he can hunt with it and then I can work on it between seasons. You are right about me expecting better then two inch groups out of my hunting rifles, if for no other reason then to give the person useing it more confidence in them self and the gun.
   Out of boredom I have already cut and rewleded the bolt and reshped the safety lever so it can be used with a scope. Have also added a set scres to the trigger to take out most of the free travel. I will have to farm out the scope base mounting and barrel change if it is needed. The rear sights are not on it but I have all the parts for them. I don't under stand what your point was on weather they were still on the gun or not.

[RED]

Boy, it may not be economical to turn military Mausers into sporters, and I have seen some real "Bubbaized" specimans out there but I can't help it I love 'em!!     Every rifle I own started life in some man's military.  I haunt pawn shops and Mom and Pop gun shops, looking for that German or FN made Mauser sporter in an odd caliber or, with a shot out barrel, or broken stock, or otherwise unwanted for whatever reason.  I want the action because in many cases the expensive bolt and machine work has been done.  Then again I don't mind buying a gun a piece at a time over several years.  A trigger here a safety there... By the way there is absolutely Nothing wrong with the 8MM Mauser.  It is a great all around caliber and good cases are easily formed from 30-06 and are also available from WW.  By my way of thinking, it is silly to throw away a perfectly good shooting 8MM barrel and replace it with a 30-06 or .308, etc.  I have a Turkish Mauser in 8MM that started life as a $39.95 gun show special.  It still has it's original barrel (5" shorter") and will shoot with any off the shelf Remington or Winchester that I have seen anyway... but this is susposed to be about gunsmithing isn't it.

[tripper]

Red, I agree the 8MM is a very good round and it won't be changed out unless I have to.If it dose not shoot to my satisfaction I will have the barrle checked by somebody more knowlegeable then me to see if I can get by with just cutting a few inches off. A carbine would be more suitable for the little guy it is being built for anyway. I also have a 7MM that I picked up some years ago for my son. It was all ready semi sporter, well differnt stock anyway, but would not shoot good enough to hunt with. I rebeded it then took it to a smith. He cut a couple inches off the barrel and recrowned. That made a shooter out of it and my oldest grandson will carry it next year. My personal rifle,when I carry one, is a 1917 enfield that I rebuilt.

[RED]

When you get around to restocking your Mauser, should you decide to stay with the 8MM,  be aware that some of the lighteight glass stocks out there can turn even the 8MM into a shoulder bruiser.  Not a problem with the .257 and such.  Good luck. :-)