Any love for the Mauser?
- Thread starter pyscodog
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AWS
Custom Accessory Maker & Retired PM Staff
Not any longer, subject to change if a Mini-Mauser comes along. I did hunt with a Mark-X Mannlicher in 270 Win for years and spent a lot of time behind my X-FinL's custom commercial Mauser in 250-3000 with a Buhmiller barrel on it. I had a few come through the shop that I test fired before selling and one of my buddies back in MN had a Siamese Mauser converted to 45-70.
It used to be you could buy a nice Mauser action($5-$10) and convert it to a sporter for less than a new commercial rifle cost, not any longer.
Now if you want a Mauser the best thing to do is find one that someone sporterized, or a JC Higgins 50 (FN Commercial action), Parker Hale, Santa Barber, Mark-X or Herters J9 Mauser action to build on.
It used to be you could buy a nice Mauser action($5-$10) and convert it to a sporter for less than a new commercial rifle cost, not any longer.
Now if you want a Mauser the best thing to do is find one that someone sporterized, or a JC Higgins 50 (FN Commercial action), Parker Hale, Santa Barber, Mark-X or Herters J9 Mauser action to build on.
Rustydust
Active member
Originally Posted By: AWS
It used to be you could buy a nice Mauser action($5-$10) and convert it to a sporter for less than a new commercial rifle cost, not any longer.
You must be old too, eh?
I remember a gun shop in Houston that had a huge number of 98 Mauser actions back in the early 70's. They were $20 in the white. A friend bought one and made a nice .25/06 out of it. I wish that I had picked me up 2-3 of them just to have. Ah me. The things I coulda bought and shoulda bought but didn't buy haunt me to this day.
It used to be you could buy a nice Mauser action($5-$10) and convert it to a sporter for less than a new commercial rifle cost, not any longer.
You must be old too, eh?
I remember a gun shop in Houston that had a huge number of 98 Mauser actions back in the early 70's. They were $20 in the white. A friend bought one and made a nice .25/06 out of it. I wish that I had picked me up 2-3 of them just to have. Ah me. The things I coulda bought and shoulda bought but didn't buy haunt me to this day.
GC
Well-known member
A long long time ago I traded into a real gem. A M98 action, Bueler safety, Timney trigger, Douglas 22" sporter taper barrel, Fagen sporter stock, Conetrol scope mounts with a Redfield 2x7 chambered in .275 Rigby. Whoever put that rifle together knew what they were doing. It was a shooter too, clustering 150 gr. Nosler Partition handloads into tidy groups from my handloads. I killed several deer with it and loaned it to my dad and he killed a couple deer with it. I sold the rifle for a good price to help finance a set of wedding rings. Probably a good deal, I've managed to hang onto that little college cheerleader for forty years this June.
My gunsmith helped a lady sell off her late husbands rifles. Almost all of them were built on Mauser 98 actions. I ended up with a 7x57. Its in a Boyds walnut stock with a fore end cap and cap on the grip. It has a military type barrel but was new. Also has a Bold trigger with a 3x9 older Redfield scope in Leupold rings and bases.Its been bedded from the tip of the fore end to the tale end of the action. This little rifle is a tack driver too. I haven't hunted with it but maybe next season. My smith has one left. Its a 25-06 with a Douglas barrel. Its nice to and a shooter aswell. One day its for sale and the next day it isn't.
204 AR
Well-known member
There was a retired lineman and WWII fighter pilot in my home town who was our gunsmith. I spent a ton of time hanging out in his shop, watching him machine stuff, polish actions and barrels, reload, etc. Starting in the mid 80s he built tons of rifles off of 03 Springfields, and when those kind of dried up he started in on the Mausers of all types. Hard to say how many military actions he worked over and how many locals had his "custom" rifles. They could be had for a pretty good bargain, and he made sure they shot to his standards, which were pretty high. Actually his shooting range was 1/4 mile from our house, so I'd always walk down there when I heard him shooting. Learned a lot from that ol boy.
He's still kicking, he and his wife of 73 years are in the nursing home but doing well as far as I know. It amazes me, fly p38's shooting down zeroes, then spend 40 years climbing power poles and dealing with high voltage, been retired for over 30 years. I kind of wonder what's happened to his collection of firearms, none of his kids are big shooters. If they have an auction I want to be there.
So yeah, I have a fondness for the old Mausers, they sure were nicer to look at than the new generation of cheapo rifles (which I have some of because they shoot well).
He's still kicking, he and his wife of 73 years are in the nursing home but doing well as far as I know. It amazes me, fly p38's shooting down zeroes, then spend 40 years climbing power poles and dealing with high voltage, been retired for over 30 years. I kind of wonder what's happened to his collection of firearms, none of his kids are big shooters. If they have an auction I want to be there.
So yeah, I have a fondness for the old Mausers, they sure were nicer to look at than the new generation of cheapo rifles (which I have some of because they shoot well).
Originally Posted By: GCProbably a good deal, I've managed to hang onto that little college cheerleader for forty years this June.
Congratulations, Gary, ya done good! Mine has put up with me for 62 years this past November, so I speak from experience.
Originally Posted By: 204ARI spent a ton of time hanging out in his shop, watching him machine stuff, polish actions and barrels, reload, etc.
I, too, hung out in a gunsmith friend's shop from high school on. In 1951, I was admiring one of his projects; he had just screwed a brand new 1917A1 Browning water cooled MG barrel into a 98 German Mauser action (in the white) and inletted that into a beautiful Bishop burl walnut stock blank. I was working two jobs part time after school for $.45/hr on one and $.75/hr on the other, when he offered to sell me the rifle for what he had in it and supervise/help me complete the project. Nothing down and I could pay it off as I could afford to; only catch was that I was to keep the books, as he was not going to spend his time on office work! What a learning opportunity for a teenage kid!
He had $65 in it so far, and I began working on it that night;
and in the following weeks, finished the stock & blued the rifle under his watchful eye. We ordered scope mounts, Timney trigger and a Weaver K6 and added that to the tab as the job neared completion. This beautiful rifle was to be the first T65 (7.62X51)in town. We formed brass from GI 30-06 as the .308 had just been introduced and the Army had yet to adapt the 7.62 NATO. The barrel was beautiful but did not shoot all that well & there was not much loading data available back then. Had to back off on what loads were then listed to get it to shoot, but it served me a number of years until I replaced the barrel w/a Shillen 6mm Rem barrel which is a tack driver.
Regards,
hm
Congratulations, Gary, ya done good! Mine has put up with me for 62 years this past November, so I speak from experience.
Originally Posted By: 204ARI spent a ton of time hanging out in his shop, watching him machine stuff, polish actions and barrels, reload, etc.
I, too, hung out in a gunsmith friend's shop from high school on. In 1951, I was admiring one of his projects; he had just screwed a brand new 1917A1 Browning water cooled MG barrel into a 98 German Mauser action (in the white) and inletted that into a beautiful Bishop burl walnut stock blank. I was working two jobs part time after school for $.45/hr on one and $.75/hr on the other, when he offered to sell me the rifle for what he had in it and supervise/help me complete the project. Nothing down and I could pay it off as I could afford to; only catch was that I was to keep the books, as he was not going to spend his time on office work! What a learning opportunity for a teenage kid!
He had $65 in it so far, and I began working on it that night;
and in the following weeks, finished the stock & blued the rifle under his watchful eye. We ordered scope mounts, Timney trigger and a Weaver K6 and added that to the tab as the job neared completion. This beautiful rifle was to be the first T65 (7.62X51)in town. We formed brass from GI 30-06 as the .308 had just been introduced and the Army had yet to adapt the 7.62 NATO. The barrel was beautiful but did not shoot all that well & there was not much loading data available back then. Had to back off on what loads were then listed to get it to shoot, but it served me a number of years until I replaced the barrel w/a Shillen 6mm Rem barrel which is a tack driver.
Regards,
hm
Treerat-sniper
Member
20+ years ago I had a swastika marked action, like a fool I sold it to a former neighbor...He was going to make a 270 out of it as I recall. Ran into him last year, still has the action, hasn't done anything with it & no he doesn't want to sell it back to me.
Originally Posted By: Treerat-sniper20+ years ago I had a swastika marked action, like a fool I sold it to a former neighbor...He was going to make a 270 out of it as I recall. Ran into him last year, still has the action, hasn't done anything with it & no he doesn't want to sell it back to me.
Had it 20 years but plans on doing something with it one of these days.
Had it 20 years but plans on doing something with it one of these days.
Thanks, Bill.
Back in the 50's Springfield 03 & A3's and all sorts of Mauser rifles/actions were available everywhere and quite reasonable. I bought an original 98 Argentine Mauser in 30-06 in excellent condition for, IIRC, $45 and a small ring 98 action a few years later for $30 and built my son a 6mm Rem. (But hey, MSRP on a new Mod. 70 was only $120 in 1956.
)When he was big enough to handle the 06 gave it to him, too. He also wound up with my Interarms FN, originally 308 NM, shot out and re-barreled to 300 WM, as well. All served me well.
Regards,
hm
Back in the 50's Springfield 03 & A3's and all sorts of Mauser rifles/actions were available everywhere and quite reasonable. I bought an original 98 Argentine Mauser in 30-06 in excellent condition for, IIRC, $45 and a small ring 98 action a few years later for $30 and built my son a 6mm Rem. (But hey, MSRP on a new Mod. 70 was only $120 in 1956.
Regards,
hm
Its to bad the Mauser have lost interest to the majority. There are some mighty fine rifles built off the 98 actions. Some are bringing BIG MONEY!! One on GB was over $12,000. It was gorgeous piece of craftsmanship. Most shops and gunshows won't even consider Mauser built rifles here in Oklahoma. To bad as most are better rifles than the new rifles built today.
the guy what started me deer hunting used a sporterized surplus rifle in 7x57 mouser. it had iron sights & the rear sight folder flat.
the rear sight blade was held on by 2 small screws and when folded down, the screw heads were up. he usually hunted with it in that position & just lined up between the screw heads.
he typically got pretty close shots, I don't recall him ever missing a deer back then.
and that rifle was a very effective deer killer
he died a few years back. I need to ask his son if he has that rifle now.
the rear sight blade was held on by 2 small screws and when folded down, the screw heads were up. he usually hunted with it in that position & just lined up between the screw heads.
he typically got pretty close shots, I don't recall him ever missing a deer back then.
and that rifle was a very effective deer killer
he died a few years back. I need to ask his son if he has that rifle now.
Winny Fan
New member
A slim and trim 7x57 built on an '09 Argentine Mauser action (#27). Some ACGG rifles built on Mauser actions can run into multiples of $12K.
https://www.acgg.org/index.php/component/comprofiler/userprofile/Lhelgeland.html?tab=24#
https://www.acgg.org/index.php/component/comprofiler/userprofile/Lhelgeland.html?tab=24#
I have and have had a few different Mauser based rifles...and there simply isn't a compelling reason to bother with them as opposed to current offerings.
Even the cheapest, off the shelf Axis or Compass will outshoot all but the very best Mauser, and do it a lot lighter, cheaper, and easier. For a custom gun, any of a litany of 700 footprint action is an infinitely better choice.
They made sense when they were cheap, plentiful, and the only option. Now...not so much.
Even the cheapest, off the shelf Axis or Compass will outshoot all but the very best Mauser, and do it a lot lighter, cheaper, and easier. For a custom gun, any of a litany of 700 footprint action is an infinitely better choice.
They made sense when they were cheap, plentiful, and the only option. Now...not so much.
I have a number of them. Most are still in 8mm Mauser .....
One is a commercial Chech action from the 50’s. A gunsmith barreled it with a early Shillen in 7mm bore. It began as a 280 Rem but was soon rechambered to 7mm Magnum ........ before Remington officially released the 7mm Rem Mag. It is a Rem chamber however ..... figure that one out!
It has a 28” long varmint contour barrel and a Dayton Triaster trigger.
My friends call that rifle “Quiglly”. Little do they know ..... that my Stainless Rem 700 in 7 Rem Mag plain Jane spotter with original cheap plastic stock of 2004 vintage shoots the Mauser’s lights out!
Three44s
One is a commercial Chech action from the 50’s. A gunsmith barreled it with a early Shillen in 7mm bore. It began as a 280 Rem but was soon rechambered to 7mm Magnum ........ before Remington officially released the 7mm Rem Mag. It is a Rem chamber however ..... figure that one out!
It has a 28” long varmint contour barrel and a Dayton Triaster trigger.
My friends call that rifle “Quiglly”. Little do they know ..... that my Stainless Rem 700 in 7 Rem Mag plain Jane spotter with original cheap plastic stock of 2004 vintage shoots the Mauser’s lights out!
Three44s
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