Re: interarms mark x actions

[Hotrod7]

I own a 1973  Mark X  7mm Rem Mag and like it better than any other rifle I have owned.  It is beautiful, smooth, and accurate.  I never come home without venison if anything is visible at any distance.  Everyone I have ever hunted with greatly admires this rifle.  I do not sit in a stand to hunt much but run around with this and do not find it too heavy, but then, I am an outdoorsman all my life here in Montana, as well as Wyoming and I still work hard most days in the great out of doors. 

[c45acper]

Hi all,  I know I'm late to the party but like some others this came up on a Google search.  I have a Interarms Mark X (yes, it's X not 10) in .300 Win Mag.  I bought it new back in the '70s.  It's been shot a little but as somebody said, "It kills on one end and maims on the other".  It is NOT fun to shoot from the bench.  I've always felt that the rifle is more accurate than it seemed.  It's probably the nut behind the recoil pad.  I am also looking for a synthetic stock for it and a muzzle brake as well.  Any ideas?

[us920669]

I've got a Mark X dated 0773 in 30-06 and I love it.  Bought it around 2000, practically unfired.  Barrel is marked P O Ackley, I added a Timmney trigger.  It wasn't bedded very well - floating tang - but I fixed that now it is very accurate.  You probably know, they have slightly different lock work for faster lock time.  Some people don't like them because of the extra cut under the receiver, but I'll take one over an old 98 anytime.

[parkergunshop]

My Mark X is a solid bottom single shot action with a Hart barrel in 6 M/M Remington with a Leupold 24X scope, with the right loads it is a 1/4 inch shooter.
 
Nothing is wrong with the Mark X action except that it is not as smooth as some of the other 98 based actions, but is stronger due to the modern steel used vs the 1035 low carbon steel in the military 98's and many other commercial actions based on the 98 design.
 
I also have a Santa Barbara Action based on the 98 in .257 Ackley Improved Roberts, the Santa Barbara action was used in the Parker Hale rifles, it too is a modern steel action and stronger than the old 98's.
 
Nothing is wrong with the Mark X that matters any how.
 
 

[mannyrock]

 
  The Mark X is a great action, but there is one thing that I absolutely hate about them.  Everyone of them I have ever handled has a light, mushy, non-positive safety switch, that does not distinctively "click" in place in either the safe or fire position.  I think it is downright dangerous.  I am surprised that people don't complain about this all of the time.
 
   I am not sure what the cure for this is, but there must be one since these actions are often used for building expensive custom rifles.  Maybe a Timney replacement trigger system has a better, more positive safety?
 
   A three position wing safety (like the Winchester Model 70) is certainly a clear solution, but having one of these installed on a mauser action is pretty darned expensive.  These safeties cost alot, and require a gunsmith to fit them.  (I'm guessin $250 for the entire thing.)   
 
Regards, Mannyrock

[us920669]

I ditched my trigger right away because I didn't like the let-off.  The Timney does go on and off with a positive click, but when you push it forward there is nothing - it just stops, but that seems fine to me.  The M70 type is great, but if I recall the improved lock on the Zastava makes them even harder to install, and it would leave you with an empty slot in your stock.


The Bold trigger has a detente at both ends of the safety travel, but it's just a bump, not a real click.  I think the Timney trigger feels better too.

[jhm]

Manyrocks try a little larger detent ball in the safety it may just give you the extra snap when putting on and off, and BTW check as you may have lost the original ball HTH   Jim

[mauser98us]

Two things that I am not fond of in the mark X action. One is the extra slot cut in the breach,which was done to simplfy production. The other thing I do not like is that I don't have enough of them.

[rbursek]

i have had 2, 300 win mag 1970,s and a 270win,loved them both made great actions for custom rifles
bob

[streak]

I have one in the .458 win mag. great rifle and accurate!

[anweis]

I have owned a Mark X in 30-06 for exactly one week. I purchased the rifle for $200 and i sold it for $200.
The entire affair was big and heavy, but it did point and balance well for off hand shots. The Monte Carlo stock with the slanted cheek piece offered me a full dose of cheek slap. The stock was cracked at the wrist and was very poorly fitted and bedded to begin with.
The action was rough. It required quite a bit of effort to open, cycle, and close the bolt. Compared to my other bolt actions, this felt like total junk. However, the bottom metal, with release inside the trigger guard, solid spring and follower, were precise and excellent. Heavy, but very good.   
The trigger was heavy and had long creep. The side safety was a two position affair and it was not a smooth and quiet "click" to engage and disengage. It felt to be in the wrong place and it took too much effort to operate. 
The bore was roughly cut (or hammered) and fouled with copper like none i have ever seen. Needless to say, the thing did not shoot worth a hoot.
I could have spent $1,000 to turn it into a nice rifle, but i am wise enough to know that for $1,300 i can get a Kimber 84L Super Grade, a muuuuuch better rifle than Mark X ever was or could ever be (even after customizing).

[Brithunter]

Now I don't own any Zastava or Mark X rifles butt he last post well fancy buying a messed up rifle then blaming the make. A hammer forged barrel cannot be rough when new as that means the from that the barrel is hammered onto is rough which of course means the barrel and form are not locked together as the raised rough bits from pits in the barrel. So good luck pressing the former out.


It also sounds like a home made stock, remember that you could buy a Mark X barrelled action. The reason it was cheap was because it had many faults and those were probably put there by the previous owner.


As for the Kimber    well the gunshop 35 miles from here is now a stockist and he proudly showed me a new stainless 84 and well I would not give it house room. The action was very rough when you cycled the bolt and the finish on it was like  a beginner had done it. Cheap bead or vapour blasting ( hide the machining marks without the need for proepr polishing and finishing). The wood had a little bit of grain but honestly I have an 84 vintage Parker-Hale with much better wood on it and the Kimber here in the UK costs way over $2000US ............................. forget it.


I also fail to see why the fad for lightweight rifles   are modern shooters so weak that an 8lb rifle is too heavy?

[mauser98us]

I mis Parker-Hale rifles. Hell,I miss the whole British firearms industry. Ihad a Whitworth marked Z-98. Beautifl rifle,well made. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I had to sell.It was in calibre 375 H&H. I liked it much better than the C-Z I replaced it with. The C-Z is just too big for the 375 round it houses.Nothing wrong with the C-Z mind you,it's just way over built.

[mannyrock]

 
Anweis,
 
    Let me see if I have this right.  You examined a beat up, abused rifle, with a cracked stock, that was probably left in the rain, you bought it at a low price, and then you complain that it won't shoot because it is a beat up, abused rifle, with a cracked stock that was probably left in the rain?   C'mon now.   It didn't come from the factory that way.  :-)
 
   You knowingly bought a project rifle.
 
Manny

[us920669]

Barrels stocks and triggers come and go but in my opinion the Mark X action is "the better Mauser".  It is not the same beast as was being made in Europe during the early and mid 20th Century, but that's the whole point.

[anweis]

 
   You knowingly bought a project rifle.
 
Manny

Manny, yes, i knowingly bought a project rifle. But, it had a rough action, nothing like the Winchesters, Mauser, or Sako that i own. It would have been a very extensive project. The magazine was the only good thing in it. The bolt raceways and feed ramp were roughly forged (or machined) and needed polishing, the trigger/safety needed replacement, the barrel needed lapping, or most likely replacement, and while at it, the action/bolt fitted for lug contact, etc...
Too much project for my taste. The action itself was not smooth and precise. It was rough.