Author Topic: Mauser 98-Win.70 varmint barrel (Read 647 times)

thirty06 · « **on:** February 10, 2006, 01:17:08 PM »

I have a FN 98 action with a Win. 70 243 varmint barrel on it.
It shot real good for a year .7-.8 at 100yds. All at once accuracy gone
2 in. at 100 and cases splitting at the web.
There's also a set screw in the bottom of the receiver ring.
What happened &what should I do?

gwindrider1 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2006, 01:31:59 PM »

If you know the "smith" who rebarreled your mauser, I would confront him. I don't think you have any choice but to have that barrel removed.

I fear that whoever put that barrel on your action didn't know what they were doing. I am relatively certain that the threads on that Win. barrel do not match the FN receiver, hence the need to fit a setscrew into the receiver ring. Sounds pretty fishy to me! :eek: I could certainly be wrong about this, and for your sake, I hope that I am.

I'm sure that I would not have the same person try to correct the problem. Find a qualified gunsmith! This could be a safety issue!

thirty06 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2006, 02:08:43 PM »

I do know the so called smith that built the rifle. His reputation is not real good. thanks for your reply that is what I was afraid of.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2006, 07:29:07 PM »

Case head seperations are a symptom of excess headspace or more properly a difference in the match of the reloading dies and the chamber dimenions. I don't know what the set screw is about. I certainly hope it wasn't installed to keep the barrel from turning.......... I don't remember the major diameter of the M70(old age?) but some commercial barrels can be rethreaded and used on the mausers.. I thought the M70 was too small but you didn't specify the type of 98 and some of the turkish mausers used small diameter barrel shanks ala the small ring mausers. The M70 would certainly be large enough for such a rework. I don't like the set screw... If the barrel shank was threaded a bit small and a set screw used to retain the barrel,, that is NOT a safe practice.. Have the rifle checked.. by a competant smith.

thirty06 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 13, 2006, 02:22:14 AM »

Sorry about that. I'ts a lg. ring FN 98 action. I do reload and the dies are the same RCBS 243 win. I've been using for years. Same load in gun and tried old and new brass. I agree about the herdspace and saftey so this rifle gets set back till I can afford a new barrel, probaly 22-250.
Thanks for your input.

gunnut69 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 13, 2006, 02:20:14 PM »

Checked the thread diameters today and the M70's barrel major diameter would be a bit small resulting in a loose barrel??? and maybe a set screw?? Better get that one checked out!!