Turk Mauser

[bull]

Just playing with options here and wanted to float this one by someone. My brother aquired a 1903/38 turkish mauser at a real good price. Initial intent was to keep it at 8mm and just shoot it. Come to find out the chamber is washed out bad. So he decides he wants to rebarrel and sporterize it. Now the possible problem. He is really determined to end up with a .338 Win. Mag. This would be possible for a normal large ring mauser. But, since this may have the small ring barrel, now what to do. I haven't been able to locate any VZ-24s or K98s at resonable prices around here, just Yugos. So, I was wondering about this idea:  1) obtain a short chambered pre-threaded large ring barrel in .338 WM;   2) chuck it up in a lathe and turn the shank down to small ring dimensions and threads to match the receiver.     Any thoughts on this?  Or should we just go to a small ring barrel and be happy?

bull

[gunnut69]

The Sarco add in the last 'Shotgun News' on page 63 lists several different M98 actions ranging in price from $49.95 to around $85. It would likely be better to use one of these for the larger diameter 338 mag.. You may consider the new 338 Federal round. It's based on the 308Win necked to .338 inches. Produces some interesting ballistics with the lighter 338 diameter bullets and would likely suffice for most north american animals..

[iiranger]

In Bolt Action Rifles, Mr. De H. makes a point. Nothing you do now adds anything to steel made in 1900 or Sure the gun was "re worked' in 1938 for use by a soldier considered expendable, but when was it made? I would pull the wood and study the metal for date of manufacture and/or date of proof. Mr. D mentions seeing bolt set back when pre WW I Mausers were rebarreled to more modern pressure cartridges, i.e. .243 W.C.F. --Made after 1930? Alot less worrysome.

Super quick/ super easy, find someone with an 8mm/'06 reamer and re-chamber. '06 is 63mm long and 8x57 is 57mm long. This should "clean up" the chamber, throat, etc. unless the bore is pitted, rough, NRA "moonscape..." And perform like a .35 Whelan or close. Dies are available from ch4d.com, huntingtons.com, and others.

I don't understand your comment on barrels. Give a barrel maker the outside diameter of the front ring (where the barrel screws in) and he can tell you what you need for a barrel. Add maker and he will tell you the exact threads. No need for cutting up a large ring barrel unless you really want to for your own experience. If they make "large ring" barrels, chances are they make "small ring" barrels too. 93's and Swedes were "small ring."

From there it is what you want and budget allows. Variations on wood or plastic are endless. I suppose you will drill and tap for scope. Hardly rocket science. Enjoy. and luck.

[bull]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I've been trying to talk him into a 338-06, a 338 Fed would be good too. The thought about turning down a large ring barrel was to use one of the cheaper variety from Midway. My brother can be pretty cheap at times. I think I put it to him like this; get a properly threaded barrel from a well known barrel maker, (Shilen, Douglas, etc.), or if still on the cheap use a small ring barrel from Midway. I'm not so crazy about going magnum.

Can't use the existing barrel without doing some major setting back as the chamber is cratered along the side from about .25 to .75 inches up from the base. It puts an elongated wrinkle in the brass upon firing. If it was just throat erosion I would tell him to just go to the 8mm-06, which  is what I may do with mine. One of the major points of this project is to do similar work to both of our rifles to minimize on the cost of tools and such.

Thanks for the input guys.

bull

[gunnut69]

Some of the turkish rifles have small diameter barrel shanks that are off sized. Not sure why but the normal small diameter barrels for the swedes and such won't tighten properly. I would avoid the magnum because of the added bolt thrust produced by the larger case head.. If the rifle has not been set back by a high pressure load now it will likely take any normal pressure.. Over loads will damage all mausers as they are case hardened and the case can be compromized creating a set back condition. I've seen this before, often on mausers that were over heated when bases were added..or other welding projects were applied.,. As a rule the magnum don't produce more pressure than other rounds but their larger case heads do apply more thrust load to the bolt lugs. I have seen many mauser so chambered but would go there with trepidation.. Combined with the loss of metal in the shank due to reduced demensions, I would go to the 338 Federal..

[sltexas]

gunnut wrote   As a rule the magnum don't produce more pressure than other rounds but their larger case heads do apply more thrust load to the bolt lugs.

I think that I am confused......  The rearward pressure on the locking lugs would be the same reguardless  of case head size,  I think.    However  the psi of the mag  case would be smaller than a standard brass becasue the area of the base  of the magnum  is larger than the standard brass....   right?  Of course this is nit picking.

[gunnut69]

The Answer is sort of in the PSI terminology. PSI/pounds per square inch,, Thus if the 30-06 and the 300 mag both operate at the same pressure levels and they are close, then the larger diameter of the case head on the magnum round will apply more thrust to the bolt that the 30-06. Even though the pressure levels were the same, because there is more area for the pressure to affect the bolt. Since lug area is NOT altered, the thrust effect of the magnum is harder on the action. It's not a lot but the numbers are there.. Thrust in this instance is a function of the pressure applied to the bolt face and the area of that bolt face..