Building a Custom Mauser, Part One

The 1950s and ‘60s was the heyday of military rifle sporterizing. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of rifles were brought into this country after World War Two. Model 98-style Mausers manufactured in various factories in various countries flooded the American market. As I remember back then, in those pre-1968 Gun Control Act days, these rifles could be purchased for less than twenty five dollars and ordered through the US mail!

The guns ranged from pristine prewar examples to slave-labor built weapons that may have been safer to stand in front of than fi re. In addition, many other countries bought surplus rifles to be refurbished and stockpiled for their own troops’ use. South American countries ordered a vast amount of Mauser rifles in what we Americans might think of as odd calibers and configurations.

The different models, calibers, and specifications of these rifles are worth a book unto themselves and several have, in fact, been written. All this is an indication that prudence should be exercised when selecting a rifle to sporterize. Most of the tools, parts, and how-to information available today centers around the large ring 98 action. There are shorter and longer Mauser actions with large and small receiver rings and different length barrel shanks.

For our purposes we will use a standard 98k large-ring Mauser action as the basis of our project. Afi nished custom 98 Mauser (top) and an unaltered military model. One other thing worth mentioning is that since millions and millions of these rifles have been produced in one form or another (some estimates put the total at approximately one hundred million), collectors have a legitimate claim on good specimens.

I think if you have a Mauser rifle with matching numbers on the bolt, action, etc., you should not touch it without first checking its collector status. This goes for any Mauser model — 93,95,96 and 98. The action on the rifle used in these articles was purchased by the Yugoslavian government for their use. It was then imported into this country when they released a large number of them. The Yugoslavs ground off the German markings and stamped the Yugo Communist torch and star on top of the front receiver ring.

The Preduzece 44 armory number was stamped on the left side along with "Mod.98". The serial number is on the other side of the receiver ring. Bolt numbers and action numbers did not match. These guns have no collector value and area little rough but are good candidates for building a hunting rifle. Like all large ring Mauser actions, this one had a 1 3/8-inch (1.4") diameter front receiver ring. The actions screw holes are 7 5/8-inches (7.83") center-to-center.

If your action measures anything else the difficulty and expense involved in customizing it could far exceed the value of the finished rifle.

The PREDUCE 44 stamped on this model 98 Mauser action indicates that it was imported in a huge lot from Yugoslavia and has no collector value. It will is a good base for work and will make afine shooter. Everything needs to be degreased and a little polish here and there. Some can be modifi ed or replaced. All can be used as is depending on the gunsmith’s preference. A little filing and a little grinding, can make a big difference. What is the difference between sporterizing and customizing?

Afi ne line at times as one man’s sporter is another man’s custom. This process ranges from removing a little excess wood and declaring it good to go, to starting with a bare action and the sky is the limit. For our purposes sporterizing will be transforming a military rifle into a usable hunting tool using components that are available today.

This series of articles is for the gunsmith, amateur or professional, who wants to learn and understands that the costs involved, including tools and time, would be more economically spent hiring the services of a gunsmith rather than taking on this task if they are only interested in having one rifle. It is also for the shooter that really desires a hunting rifle built from a surplus Mauser they can be proud of. Also, and perhaps most importantly, any cats that I skin here are going to be done my way.

I hope all of you can pick up some tips and techniques that you can add to your own repertoire when working these wonderful rifles. We will instruct how to transform a full-stocked military rifle into aus- It comes with walnut blocks sized for different barrels and a blank that can be fitted to whatever barrel you are working on. It must be fastened to a dead-solid bench.. Unfortunately the barrel vise shown is no longer available, although another, again from Brownells, is stocked in their catalog.

No matter what you’ve been told a pipe wrench has no place in rifle disassembly. able hunting rifle the sportsman or woman can take afield knowing it is safe and functional. Building a rifle like this will be more expensive than buying a commercial rifle from a major manufacturer, but the gunsmith will be in charge as to how much or

None of them are toxic and all can be used in the shop. The gloves can help to ward away hot sparks and eye protection is mandatory. Do not get impatient and try to hurry this process or you will heat the action to the point where it may need heat treatment to repair its integrity. This step is only necessary when using Weaver-type scope mounts. how little custom features such as stock, good wood, checkering, bedding, barrel contour, finish, caliber, sights, etc. are used or modifi ed.

Let’s get started by assuming you have selected the proper type of rifle and are ready to begin taking it apart. There is no sense in spending time detailing how to take the stock off this rifle. It is very straight forward. A few barrel bands, a couple of screws, etc., and the wood is off leaving us with the barreled action and its components.

What we want to keep is the action, the bolt release lever and its pointed retainer screw, the magazine spring, follower and magazine box, as well as the floor plate and action screws along and the complete bolt. Keep the old main stock for now, but the rest of the parts may be relegated to the trash bin or another project. The first step is separating the action from the barrel.

I have actually read in another magazine that a good way to do this is clamp the bare barrel in a vise and use a large pipe wrench to twist off the action. I suppose the writer assumed that after chewing up and cracking a half-dozen actions one might be left with one that was still suitable. We will use barrel and action wrenches that are specifically made for this purpose. These tools are not cheap, nor should they be. They are sturdy and will last forever given proper care.

Brownells and Midway USA have several barrel vises available and all will work as advertised. The one we will use was manufactured by B-Square, but apparently it has been discontinued. That is a shame as it was inexpensive and worked well. It has an aluminum insert to fitour barrel that goes in a steel holder that tightens on the barrel just behind the rear sight.

Since the insert cannot be brought over the rear sight, the barrel is cut off with a hacksaw — 16 to 18 teeth per inch are fine — leaving several inches in front of the chamber intact. A large, heavy action wrench, also available from Brownells, which fits the contours of the action perfectly is clamped onto the action. Note these wrenches have a bottom piece specifi c for large and small-ring actions. The barrel will be held stationary as the action is turned off.

Now, guess what happens when one piece of steel is screwed into another and left to sit somewhere for sixty years? That’s right! They can become very tight, almost as if they were welded together. So who ya gonna call? I turn to my old, cheap friend Liquid Wrench and another product from Lawson Products Inc. called Non-Flammable Penetrating oil which is available in 15 ounce spray cans.

Using a homemade holder consisting of two-inch PVC pipe capped on one end and cut long enough, the action end with the barrel stub is dropped into a few inches of Liquid Wrench and left there, sometimes for as long as three weeks. Every day we pull it out and spray some Lawson’s on the joint. You can actually see the joint suck this stuff up as it foams.

When the time comes to break the action from the barrel stub you will hear a smart click as the first bond is broken then the action should turn out easily as sending a canoe downstream. The threads will be wet if the penetrating oils have done their job. The first barreled action I ever broke down was with the aid of a handy little barrel vise available from Midway USA. It consists of a wood insert to hold the barrel that fits inside a large clamping device that attaches to a solid bench.

Two large bolts allow the clamp to be very tight and once that beautiful "click" sound of the initial break is heard it works very well. Some serious elbow grease is needed to get this vise tight enough to hold the barrel securely and finding

Above and something solid enough to mount it on is another challenge. Another tool I have found that I now use exclusively in my shop for this purpose is a floor-standing twelve-ton hydraulic press. This press is still available from a company called Enco and I highly recommend acquiring one. I have two of them, one for my gun shop and one for the garage. They really are inexpensive for what you get.

Brownells has a small hydraulic press for the same use and I have seen homemade barrel holders that seem to work perfectly as well. Take your pick. The barrel stub is locked in the barrel vise. I usually sprinkle a little rosin — available inexpensively at any music store — on the inside of the insert and the vise. It may not be necessary but it helps my confidence. With this accomplished the vise is centered in the hydraulic press. Pressure is applied by pumping the handle until the vise is held good and tight.

Be careful not to apply too much pressure or you can actually damage the vise or the press. This thing is powerful! Keep tightening the bolts as the press gives more leeway until either they cannot be tightened anymore or the vise has bottomed out. The action wrench is attached to the action and a large cheater bar in the form of a thirty-inch length of 1 1/4-inch galvanized pipe is slipped over the wrench handle to give it more torque. You can’t beat a cheat!

The weight of the press is usually enough to hold everything securely as you break the action away from the barrel. Once this is done the rest is just easily turning the action off the barrel. After you have the action in your hand, inspect it thoroughly. Look for any hairline cracks, problems with the locking lug area, straightness, etc. Is this action worth the time and expense of converting it? If your answer is yes, let us proceed. There are several steps I use when starting with a bare action.

Which step to take first is not carved in stone, but I would recommend that you have afirm idea of exactly what you want to do with this action. Creating a list is not a bad idea. Here’s mine. First, decide what scope mounts you want to use, such as a one piece or Weaver type. I like both but usually use Weaver bases as they are strong, light, and inexpensive. I have used them on rifles chambered in .375 H&H Magnum with no problems.

One downside is that Weaver rings require grinding off the top of the back receiver ring to fit them and an extra hole must be drilled and tapped. Go slow here and do not heat up the action unnecessarily. Stop when you are almost to the point where the mounts will fit and then finish up by hand using fi les and abrasive paper. The first time you start whacking away on an action like this can be intimidating because if you screw up the action goes in the trash.

Just go slow, follow the original contours, and check your progress often. It’s not as difficult as it seems. Note that Number 46 Weavers are used as a front base and Number 45s are used for the rear. Next, after you decide on your mounts, the next step can be to polish the action and do what we can to improve the cosmetics. You will need some way to hold the action as you work it. My article in the May 2010 issue of American Gunsmith "Building a Mauser Holding Fixture" would be helpful reading in this regard.

A commercial holding fixture is available from Brownells. (Continued on page 22)

Remember, this rifle may have been dragged across half the battlefi elds of Europe, so it’s bound to have a few scratches and dings, not all of which we can get rid of. I suppose a few scars here and there give the piece some character. Usually these actions are cosmetically challenged as they came from the wartime manufacturing process. Speed not beauty was essential at that time and doing the best I can to transform these actions into something that will not break a mirror has become an art form with me.

Hours can be spent on one small nick. For me, this takes up more time than any other step, but there comes a point to just step away and stop when you are satisfi ed with the result. Polishing metal is the province of another article and I recommend various treatises on the subject by numerous authors. There is no substitute for experience in this area, so go to it. Just remember to try and keep all corners sharp.

One of the axioms of metal polishing is to maintain the original polishing lines as they came from the manufacturer on the finished piece. Sometimes these old actions are so rough I don’t believe it matters. Metal polishing is accomplished by going in one direction then changing 90 degrees and sanding out the lines of the previous polish. Plan your polishing by grit to achieve the directions in which you want to finish.

I usually finish around the tops of the receivers and lengthwise on the sides and it seems to work out OK using that rule of thumb. Use abrasive wet and dry paper available from any auto supply store. Start with 120 or 180 grit and finish up to around 220-320. Any fi ner than that and I find that the cold bluing we will use later won’t want to adhere as well as on a rougher surface.

Always use a sanding block, not to mention a little ingenuity using dowels, rubber erasers, or custom cut blocks to get into some of the crevices you will encounter. Backing the paper with duct tape before cutting it to shape will greatly increase its working life. Some really rough places, such as the bottom outside rails, may need the services of a sanding drum on a Dremel tool to start.

Like I said, this is probably the most time-intensive part of the whole operation so a little power won’t hurt as long as you do a good job, however I’ve found high-powered grinding wheels and polishing cards to be more power than I need. These "down and dirty" approaches will speed up the process but they can dish out serial numbers and generally won’t do the kind of job you can necessarily be proud of. Next time we will continue to work our Mauser 98 action until we’re ready to rebarrel. AG