Thoughts on Building A Tactical/Target Rifle

The so-called "black rifle" seems to be getting all the attention these days. From its somewhat controversial beginnings, the AR-15type has achieved a level of accuracy and reliability that many of us did not foresee. Nevertheless, for a tactical or target rifle, many shooters still prefer a bolt action for delivering the ultimate in long-range accuracy. Most target-rifle builders these days start with a very pricey custom action or they base their creation on the Remington Model 700. The U.

S. military and many law-enforcement agencies also depend on Remington actions for their long-range tactical needs. I wanted to try to build such a rifle, but just to be different, I decided to put together something from a turn-of-thecentury (the 19th century, that is) action’namely, the Mauser. Near the end of this article, I’ll share a list of items I used to make my own version (Figure 1), or you can grab a Brownells catalog and a copy of Shotgun News and make your own choices.

I won’t delve deeply into glass bedding, barrel fitting, and chambering, as these procedures have been reported on in other American Gunsmith articles. In my opinion, it’s the small details that separate an "ordinary rifle" from a tack driver, and it’s some of those small details that I’ll be covering here. Of course, many of these details and techniques are applicable to other rifles, whether they’re used for hunting or on the target range. For the rifle I built, the first consideration was the caliber.

As it has a reputation for excellence in this type of rifle, I chose the .308 Winchester (7.62×51 NATO) round, along with a barrel from a manufacturer known for producing accurate products. I’ve had the opportunity to work on a variety of Mausers using surplus actions, and am particularly fond of the Czech VZ- 24 (one of which is in several of these photos). It’s a high quality action on which I’ve based a number of rifles, and I believe it’s one of the finest on the surplus market.

In this instance, I decided to try something new to me by purchasing a Charles Daly commercial Mauser action. This is the same piece that has also been imported over the years as the Interarms Mark X. Both the Interarms and Daly receivers are made by Zastava in Yugoslavia, and this is the same action currently used by Remington for their new Model 798 rifles. This action offers several advantages over buying surplus.

The scope-mount holes are already drilled and tapped, for example, the bolt handle is turned down, and a pretty fine trigger with its own safety is included. My next purchase was a copy of Jerry Kuhnhausen’s shop manual, Mauser Bolt Actions. This book will aid greatly in blueprinting and optimizing any Mauser rifle. Most actions will need some TLC in order to produce a smooth, accurate rifle, and the Daly is no different.

The secondary torque shoulder (the front portion of the action) must be trued to allow the barrel to obtain 360degree contact. This squaring of the

This is one procedure that should not be overlooked when accurizing the Mauser action. shoulder allows for even tightening and eliminates stress points that could inhibit accuracy. For this task, a receiver-facing mandrel is a required item. This precision tool is screwed into the receiver, chucked in the lathe, and makes squaring the torque shoulder a simple process. Only a minimal amount of material needs to be removed.

Most receivers require only a few thousandths be removed for proper squaring, although some might need as much as .025 inch. The next task is called "lapping the lugs." This procedure allows the lugs on the forward portion of the bolt to bear evenly on the inner receiver. Just like squaring the shoulder, lapping the lugs equalizes the force placed on both the bolt and receiver when the gun is fired. This can help improve accuracy by reducing vertical stringing of the shots.

While the receiver is pretty stout, it can be damaged by too much pressure from the jaws of the vise, so it’s a good idea to wrap the action in apiece of leather to ensure the finish isn’t marred during the lapping process. Since I plan to do a lot of this kind of work in the near future (and having a tendency to really crank down on the vise), I ordered a receiver-holding fixture.

With the receiver clamped firmly in place, this device can then be secured in a drill press, a vise, or any number of other machine tools, thus minimizing the chance of any accidental damage. With the receiver secured, the boltlapping tool is screwed into the forward portion of the action. This springloaded tool places even pressure on both bolt lugs, which means that, after the lapping is done, the lugs will have uniform contact. This generally has a positive effect on accuracy.

To ensure that no abrasive compound gets trapped inside, the bolt should be completely disassembled. While most parts of this disassembly procedure are fairly straightforward and are covered very well in Kuhnhausen’s book, removal of the extractor can be a hassle. The easiest method (and the one least likely to gouge your hand) requires a pair of Mauser extractor pliers.

By squeezing the pliers (under the extractor behind the lug) and pushing forward on the rear of the extractor, it can move out of its groove and over the front edge of the bolt. With the bolt in pieces, Dykem or a magic marker can be used to color the rear portion of the lugs. Then a light coating of 600-grit abrasive is applied to the area previously marked. In order to get the proper amount of pressure to get the job done, the lapping tool can be adjusted by screwing the tool in or out.

The bolt is now inserted into the receiver (making sure the lapping tool is set up properly) and the handle is cycled up and down 40 to 50 times. The bolt is then removed and the lapped areas are inspected. The ideal is 90-percent contact (or more) and obtaining this normally involves numerous lapping and inspection cycles. After several tries, I was satisfied that the lugs had the required contact area. I cleaned off the 600-grit abrasive and completed the job by using 800 grit for an even smoother final finish. ¨

While accuracy is the primary goal in building a tactical/target rifle, smoothness of operation is also quite important. Mauser originally designed this action for military use and it was quite successful in that application. "Military use" means that a relatively loose fit is desirable for many of the rifle’s parts, since the battlefield is not a clean environment. On the battlefield, dirt, unburned powder, and any other contaminant can bind the action if a little additional clearance isn’t allowed for.

Much like John Browning’s classic .45 automatic, this rifle also requires nothing more than a few tweaks to turn a loose, rattling warhorse into a slick thoroughbred. While eliminating excess play in the Mauser is not as simple as with the .45, a general overall smoothing can make the bolt glide into place. The receiver ways (the slots where the bolt lugs travel back and forth) need some attention to remove any burrs or high spots.

There is a "receiver-way polishing tool" made for this purpose, but something almost as good can be fashioned from a bit of wood. Before I Far purchased this special tool, I used a rectangular piece of wood just slightly narrower than the receiver way. I wrapped some crocus cloth around it, added a little cutting oil, and then moved it back and forth slowly the length of the way.

It isn’t necessary to remove a lot of metal, just enough to take down the high spots and any burrs left from the original machining operations. A few minutes work will yield a surface that is quite smooth to the touch and will allow the bolt to slide the length of the action much more quickly and easily. Since the bolt is still in pieces at this point, it’s a good time to carefully inspect all the parts for any flaws.

After looking at it under a magnifying glass, I slowly ran my finger over every bit of metal to feel for imperfections. With my finest-grit cutting stone, any rough spots that had been found were gently removed. Again, it isn’t necessary to remove much metal, just enough to achieve a slick surface. The bolt pieces were then cleaned, wiped with a light coat of oil, and reassembled into the receiver. The difference was astounding.

Since a rapid second or third shot may be required with this type of rifle, an oversized bolt knob is a useful option. The instructions included with the new knob I purchased called for grinding off the original one and

threading the shaft. This sounds fairly simple, but I tried it and, not only is it a real hassle, but I never did get the new knob to fit properly. The solution was to fire up the welder. This rifle is slated to get a sprayed-on finish, so welding the bolt posed no additional problems. Of course, with a blued finish, a welded area could end up a different color. At the hardware store, I found a carbon-steel bolt that matched the internal threads on the knob.

I then took it to a friend who is a master machinist, and he welded it into place. He made sure to leave excess weld metal where the two pieces joined, so I could shape the bolt to its original contours. This is supposed to be a rugged, dependable rifle, but it was tapped for light-duty 6-48 scope-mount screws. These wimpy fasteners aren’t stout enough to keep a heavy tactical scope in place, so I decided to enlarge and thread the original scope-mount holes for 8-40 screws.

This job is simplicity itself, and all the necessary items are (continued on page 21) contained in Brownells’ tactical scopebase conversion kit. Simply bore out the holes with the provided drill bit, cut the new threads, and then counterbore the holes in the original mounts to fit the larger machine screws. I dripped a small quantity of mediumstrength threadlocker onto the screws so they wouldn’t come loose, and attached the mounts to the action.

Now that the bulk of the metalwork was done, it was time for woodwork. I chose a target-style stock for its relatively inexpensive price and adjustment capabilities. After glass bedding the action and making sure all the pieces fit, I made a couple of additions for my own comfort. While the .308 doesn’t kick a lot, an extended range session can still leave you sore. I chiseled out an area, glassed in a mercury recoil reducer, and drilled a series of 1/2-inch holes in the area covered by the cheek piece.

Into these holes, I poured a mixture of liquid epoxy and number 7-1/2 lead shot, which added some weight to the stock. While this is strictly a personal consideration, the extra weight does aid in blocking the kick. Now for the moment of truth; it was time to see what all my effort and money accomplished. Before heading to the range, I made what turned out to be a good decision’I checked to see if the cartridges fed from the magazine into the chamber. They didn’t.

Thus, it seemed that my decision to purchase anew action because of all the work it could save was somewhat flawed. When you purchase a used military action, there’s a pretty good chance it will feed properly. But since this particular action had never been mated to a barrel and stock, there was no way to predetermine if it would function well. Another item I bought for this project is something I no longer consider optional’s ome dummy cartridges.

There’s no safe way to test the function of an action with live ammo, other than having a bullet trap or going to the range. After determining that the feed-ramp angle was a bit too steep, I got out my Dremel tool and an assortment of Cratex abrasive wheels

and set to work. After several sessions of "take it apart, grind it, and put it back together," the feeding problem was solved. After mounting a scope, the new rifle and I headed for the shooting range, this time convinced it was ready to shoot. I brought a couple of types of ammunition. One was a box of generic .308 ammo and the other a box of Federal target cartridges.

First, I fired a few rounds of the cheap ammo to determine if the adjustments made to the stock fit me properly, and then I fired a few more to be sure the scope was centered on the bull’s eye. Then I broke out the target ammo. It was at this point that I learned a painful truth; namely, that my target rifle shot better than I could hold it. (And I had an expert shoot it, too). To make up for my deficiencies, I added one final piece, a bipod.

I began by placing the mount where I thought it should be, and scribed a line around its edges. The next step was to use a couple of chisels and a mallet to carve out the needed area. After several minutes of work, the hole was ready. Chisel work should usually be done slowly and precisely, but in this case, the hole and mount will be covered with epoxy, so a super-fine finish isn’t required.

Since I’m a great believer in overkill, I drilled two holes, one on either side of the threaded stud, so the epoxy would have some additional area to adhere to. The next shooting session saw my scores edge ever higher. I was happy. Figure 1.

Tools and Materials All items are from Brownells and are followed by the Brownells ite " Receiver Facing Mandrel (#080-098-001) " Receiver Holding Fixture (#080-919-000) " Bolt Extractor Pliers (#080-017-000) " Lug Lapping Tool (#080-097-198) " Receiver Way Polisher (#080-055-000) " .308 Dummy Rounds (#187-102-308) " Bolt Knob (#084-000-303) " Tactical Scope Base Conversion Kit (#080-912-000) " Lapping Compound (#083-041-600 & -800) " Mercury Recoil Reducer (#163-100-004) " Harris Bipod (#416-001-221) " Bipod Mount (#416-102-102) It all worked.

Back in the shop, I applied a spray-on coating to the metal and painted the stock. Conclusions When building a tactical/target rifle, a few things need to be kept in mind. The first is that the devil is in the details and this is the kind of project that’s all about the details. Regarding the cost: If money is a problem, the dollars should be spent where they’ll do the most good. Buying a high-quality barrel is a must, but you can hold off on the trick bolt knob and the bipod.

Even using the old stock instead of anew one is a great way to learn about glass bedding and will lower the project’s initial cost. The custom items can always be installed later. Initially, time and money are better spent on the accuracy work, such as lapping the lugs and squaring the receiver. I also consider the purchase of some dummy rounds to be essential; my cousin has a patched hole in his ceiling because he didn’t think they were necessary.

With this project finished, I now have a custom rifle to be proud of’ one that can be used at the range to outshoot all those ordinary factorybuilt guns. I