Ok..good...we're on the same page then.I am trying to make him understand the seriousness of the project and the potential dangers of it not being done right to himself and others in the area. Doing things "cheap" usually involves cutting corners that create dangerous conditions.Do it right regardless of the cost.
Guns have a bad habit of going boom and throwing shrapnel when not put together properly.
Also small ring Mausers do not have the gas venting features of the 98 in case of a ruptured primer or case failure.
Reading a book or two or renting a video to get some idea of what is involved would be a good start. A mentor would even better.
I screwed up a $300 Hart barrel on my first attempt because I didn't set the lathe for the right thread pitch! I recently figured out that the bedding block in the H-S Precision stock is crooked causing the action to only have 25% contact making the thing shoot 1 1/2'' group @ 100 yards! Bedding the action solved the problem.
That little mistake setting the levers on the lathe made me build another rifle on an Turkish Mauser action costing another couple hundred.
"Show off my gunsmithing prowness"? Hell no, I am trying to help him avoid the costly mistakes I have made! With the time and money I spent on machinery and tooling I could have a safe full of pretty rifles and a lot less grey hair!
I want this gentleman to learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others and take the time and spend the money to do it right so in the end he has a safe rifle that shoots good too.
I think that first rifle has only cost me about $10,000.
Joe