Mauser 98 Builds

[CraigV]

So,

Because of Africa Hunting, yes, you all of of fault, I decided to build a couple of Mauser 98's.

I bought a 1909 Amberg, and a 1917 Erfurt. Both were complete rifles, both had some level of "sporterizing" done to them. The Amberg appeared to have been arsenal re-finished, and the Erfurt not. No importer marks on either, so possibly "duffle bag" rifles? Either way, both appear solid, with good markings.

Got the barrels off today, after soaking in Sea Foam Deep Creep. Chucked them up in the lathe, put the action wrench on them, and they spun off easy and clean. Was very happy about that.

Now they are off to the "smith" to have the 2 position safeties installed, and the bolts re-shaped. Plus general truing and barrel installs. No, I'm not going to spoil with the calibers selected just yet. That will be an update.

Barrels are going to be 20", with banded front sights, and ramp rears. I can't bring myself to having these beautiful receivers drilled and tapped for scopes. Also going to go with Timney 3lbs triggers.

I did find a local stock maker, and selected lumber for each. Not AAA Fancy, but nice. He does really slim sporter stocks, hand checkering, and some of the best tolerances I've ever seen.

Updates to follow as it all progresses.

 

[rdog]

I also have been influenced by this forum & have built 3 M98 rifles on Parker Hale 30/06 commercial actions a 8x57 , 9.3x62 & 318 WR i am now addicted to African style rifles & M98 actions. My wife thinks i must be having an affair in my workshop as i spend all of most days in there. I am intrigued as to what calibers you are planning.

 

[nztimb]

Will be following with interest. Two small ring actions will make up into very svelte rifles if your stockmaker is into the slim and trim stocks so I guess they will not be DG rifles. Maybe a 7x57 and a 9.3x62 as a nice matched pair.

 

[CraigV]

I also have been influenced by this forum & have built 3 M98 rifles on Parker Hale 30/06 commercial actions a 8x57 , 9.3x62 & 318 WR i am now addicted to African style rifles & M98 actions. My wife thinks i must be having an affair in my workshop as i spend all of most days in there. I am intrigued as to what calibers you are planning.

rdog,

I'm dying to get my gun room/workshop built. It's in the process, but itching every day.

I went with former Military actions, due to price and availability. My stockmaker showed me 2 Dumolin receivers he had hidden away the other day. I was speechless. New, in the box! He probably had another 1/2 dozen mixed Mauser actions, if not more stuffed in the cabinet. I feel I made a good choice with him!

I'll post the caliber choices when closer. I think one will be received happily, the other not so much.
Since these will be iron sight guns, and I don't yet handload I decide to go with calibers I already own/shoot. I didn't need/want to add another mouth to feed. To make it more interesting, I'll tell you some of the calibers I already own are; 35 Remington, 300 Savage, 280 Remington, 284 Win, 308 Win and 243 Win (others too). They may or may not be in one or more of these. Ohh, don't anyone tell Bob35whelen I own a 243!

 

[rdog]

rdog,

I'm dying to get my gun room/workshop built. It's in the process, but itching every day.

I went with former Military actions, due to price and availability. My stockmaker showed me 2 Dumolin receivers he had hidden away the other day. I was speechless. New, in the box! He probably had another 1/2 dozen mixed Mauser actions, if not more stuffed in the cabinet. I feel I made a good choice with him!

I'll post the caliber choices when closer. I think one will be received happily, the other not so much.
Since these will be iron sight guns, and I don't yet handload I decide to go with calibers I already own/shoot. I didn't need/want to add another mouth to feed. To make it more interesting, I'll tell you some of the calibers I already own are; 35 Remington, 300 Savage, 280 Remington, 284 Win, 308 Win and 243 Win (others too). They may or may not be in one or more of these. Ohh, don't anyone tell Bob35whelen I own a 243!

Bob may forgive you as you have a 35 Rem.

 

[CraigV]

Will be following with interest. Two small ring actions will make up into very svelte rifles if your stockmaker is into the slim and trim stocks so I guess they will not be DG rifles. Maybe a 7x57 and a 9.3x62 as a nice matched pair.

Thanks Von!

I'm pleased with his examples, and yes, small ring will make some nice light weight shooters.

I've got several friends down in Kiwi land, and hopefully in the next 2 years we will make it down there. Planning on spending a couple of weeks there if possible. Since it's the better part of a couple of day's travel, and it will likely be only 1 trip, we want to make the most of it. Some of the best lads I have had the opportunity to work with, and only heard great things about the country.

Cheers!

 

[VertigoBE]

I’m not nearly handy enough to attempt to build a rifle myself, but find this extremely interesting! Looking forward to the next update!

 

[CraigV]

I’m not nearly handy enough to attempt to build a rifle myself, but find this extremely interesting! Looking forward to the next update!

Wait till I start the post about the howitzer... (Only for ceremonial purposes).

 

[rdog]

Wait till I start the post about the howitzer... (Only for ceremonial purposes).

I have always wanted a M2A2 105 except i could not afford the ammo.

 

[CraigV]

I’m not nearly handy enough to attempt to build a rifle myself, but find this extremely interesting! Looking forward to the next update!

Vertigo,

Everything within one's capabilities and aspirations!

Besides, Belgium is full of old weaponry! I don't know the rules/regulations, but I do know there are 2 war's worth of "surplus" littering your country. Got to spend a bit of time in the Ypres and Poperienge areas. Total reshaping of the landscape. The recoveries of munitions and armarments continue today. Some of it boggles the mind.

 

[VertigoBE]

Vertigo,

Everything within one's capabilities and aspirations!

Besides, Belgium is full of old weaponry! I don't know the rules/regulations, but I do know there are 2 war's worth of "surplus" littering your country. Got to spend a bit of time in the Ypres and Poperienge areas. Total reshaping of the landscape. The recoveries of munitions and armarments continue today. Some of it boggles the mind.

My mother is from a village next to Ypres. And I have quite a few family members living there. My grand mother and older brothers used to go out during ww2 to go steal radios and rubber wheels from German trucks.

And it is true, each year still farmers there dig up tens of tons of shells that need to be picked up by demolition teams.

I once found an unexploded hand grenade there. Saw no other choice but to pick it up and throw it far away, as my father was going to pass by with heavy machinery and I did not want to see him drive over it. Perhaps not my smartest moment…

Anyway, back to the topic at hand! Building fine rifles

 

[CraigV]

My mother is from a village next to Ypres. And I have quite a few family members living there. My grand mother and older brothers used to go out during ww2 to go steal radios and rubber wheels from German trucks.

And it is true, each year still farmers there dig up tens of tons of shells that need to be picked up by demolition teams.

I once found an unexploded hand grenade there. Saw no other choice but to pick it up and throw it far away, as my father was going to pass by with heavy machinery and I did not want to see him drive over it. Perhaps not my smartest moment…

Anyway, back to the topic at hand! Building fine rifles

Ahh, I think this is a fine deviation, as the rifles have time to finish maturity,

I worked with the EOD there. An estimate is 10% of all shells fired were duds. This number carries forward to current munitions as well. I was amazed we had pints of local beer - usually trappist with lunch!

The beet farmers in that region had magnets attached in their harvesters to collect the shrapnel and UXO. The older farmers were smart enough to collect and put in a pile the UXO, whereas I've heard the younger ones tend to "mess with", or try to remove the brass fuzes to sell, Sometimes this didn't end well for them.

I "visited" the old German bunkers in Belgium and Holland - not the one's on any tours. Still amazing. In Reims France I was fortunate to see some of the private collections as well.

As a non native to the area, I encourage you to explore those areas. What I was able to see and touch was remarkable. True history.

We drank at Le Crecueill in Belgium. Interesting, but a tourist trap. If you visit Poperienge again, see if Wally's is still open.

 

[VertigoBE]

@CraigV I hope you tried to visit the abbey of West Vleteren for their world famous beer that is only sold there it was voted multiple times best beer in the world.

I will actually be at my grand mothers in Lo this Sunday to present her latest great grand child, our daughter Louise. She is 90 this year and will become great grand mother 7 times this year!

You mention that current munitions also have a rate of 10% being duds. This is for actual current 2022 munitions also the case? Seems like a very high rate of failure for today?

And thank you for your service helping out the EOD teams there!

 

[CraigV]

@CraigV I hope you tried to visit the abbey of West Vleteren for their world famous beer that is only sold there it was voted multiple times best beer in the world.

I will actually be at my grand mothers in Lo this Sunday to present her latest great grand child, our daughter Louise. She is 90 this year and will become great grand mother 7 times this year!

You mention that current munitions also have a rate of 10% being duds. This is for actual current 2022 munitions also the case? Seems like a very high rate of failure for today?

And thank you for your service helping out the EOD teams there!

Vertigo,

Not sure if it was the West Vieteren Abbey, but it was trappist, and I recall they made beer until the well ran dry in the summer months, and it was limited to"locals" only. I did find that the Belgiums would literally makle a beer out of anything that grows, even thistles!!!!

All the EOD members had their own mug at the bar, and we were luckily enough to be invited to join them. A true privilege to us. I still have a shirt from them I wear today.

Fantastic on your grand mother and grand child!!! A testament to life! Beautiful!!

I can't speak to 2022 munitions, as I've been away for a bit, but as a rule of thumb ( through 2015) all munitions have an~10% dud rate. While in Belgium we recovered many fuzed, fired but failed to function munitions. I recall a few battles where there were over 1 million artillery rounds fired. I'm not good at math, but that's a lot of recovered UXO. And this wasn't just German, it was every country, so lots of stuff. I think the estimate as of 2015 was anothern25 years of recovery. And not just that area, but across the country, to include sea recovered munitions.

I remember seeing several ship/floating mines, that had been recovered from the sea floor still.

When I was there, we found several chlorine gas canisters from the 1st use of chemical weapons still, as well as phosgene and mustard.

It was all my pleasure, and the hospitality we received is still a fond memory.

 

[CraigV]

@CraigV I hope you tried to visit the abbey of West Vleteren for their world famous beer that is only sold there it was voted multiple times best beer in the world.

I will actually be at my grand mothers in Lo this Sunday to present her latest great grand child, our daughter Louise. She is 90 this year and will become great grand mother 7 times this year!

You mention that current munitions also have a rate of 10% being duds. This is for actual current 2022 munitions also the case? Seems like a very high rate of failure for today?

And thank you for your service helping out the EOD teams there!

If you are in the area, visit the Menin Gate (Ypres) at 2000 hrs. They do a last post (Taps) at that time. Get there earlier. It's only a short ceremony, and I believe it's been conducted every night since WWI, except during German occupation. But it's tasteful and proper. The history that you'll feel and pass down is truly moving.

 

[CBH Australia]

@CraigV building a .280ai is a good choice but you may be handicapping it with a 20" barrel.
What's the other one?

 

[saswart]

I'll post the caliber choices when closer. I think one will be received happily, the other not so much.
Since these will be iron sight guns, and I don't yet handload I decide to go with calibers I already own/shoot. I didn't need/want to add another mouth to feed. To make it more interesting, I'll tell you some of the calibers I already own are; 35 Remington, 300 Savage, 280 Remington, 284 Win, 308 Win and 243 Win (others too).

Love the project, look forward to seeing the end results! Hoping it would something like a 9.3, 8x, 7x...something

 

[mdwest]

Be careful! Addictions are expensive!

It all starts with just one or two builds...

Then... before you know it.. you have a safe full of them lol...

I first built my wife a 35 Whelen on a VZ24 action... and found out how much fun it was...

Then came the 7x57... then the 30-06.. then the 416 Taylor... then the 270..

And now.. Im sitting on 2x more mauser actions and sending time trying to figure out "whats next????"

Its not like a NEED another bolt action deer caliber rifle in the safe..

But.. I sure do WANT one lol...

Like jonesing for another hit on the pipe...

 

[uplander01]

Hi, Ho, down the rabbit hole you go>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[rdog]

@CraigV building a .280ai is a good choice but you may be handicapping it with a 20" barrel.
What's the other one?

24 inch or you are wasting your time. 308, 358, 338 FED ok with 20 inch.