changed my mind?

[izzyjoe]

i bought a '93 mauser action few week back, and i had planned on getting a Rhineland 45 auto kit for it. after thinking on it some, i think i'd rather have a .257 Rob or 6.5 swede. i've always like the 257, just never had one. but it seems like hear lately i've been reading alot about 6.5's and their better bullet coff. but i'd think 6.5 swede brass would be more difficult to find, or make like reforming 257 from 7mm brass if one has too. i'm not sure if you can reform 6.5 brass from 7mm, i think the rim is larger, but i'm not sure. anyway i was just wondering what thoughts you feller's might have, or any suggestions. another thing that i'm not to crazy about is the cock on closing, but i may learn to like it.

[largom]

The 257 Rob. and the 6.5 Swede are both great cartridges. Commercial brass is available for both made by Remington and others, no need to form your own. I use both of these calibers for deer hunting and they are both excellent performers. Midsouth Shooters Supply is a good source for Remington brass. You did not state your use for this gun or what bullet you will shoot, cast or jacketed. Need a little more info.

Larry

[MtGun44]

6.5 Swede head is different than all the other Mauser cartridges. IIRC, .480 diam compared
to .473 for 7x57, 8x57, .30-06, .45 ACP, etc, etc.

Bill

[Bret4207]

Don't sweat the cock on closing. I don't know who decided COC was "bad", but they were anal nit pickers with no real leg to stand on.

These days you're a little more likely to find 6.5 ammo than 257. Both are great cartridges with the edge going to the 257 for varminting and the 6.5 for deer and larger. Your call.

[waksupi]

I have come to appreciate cock on closing. It encourages the proper use of a Mauser, giving good ejection, and encouraging the proper quick forward stroke. Which is how a controlled round feed rifle is designed to work.

[swheeler]

IJ; I think you are passing up the best of the best, think 7x57:)

[Junior1942]

IJ; I think you are passing up the best of the best, think 7x57:)

+1 on the 7x57.

[Bren R.]

IzzyJoe,

Is there any reason you overlooked the 7x57?

Bren R.

[izzyjoe]

IzzyJoe,

Is there any reason you overlooked the 7x57?

Bren R.

yep, i have one, and dearly love it. it's very accurate with cast and j- bullets. i just want to build one that i can say it's my own. i've sportered a few, and bought some bubba rifles and worked them up, but never a complete build like this. i don't expect to build a target rifle, but i do want to true the receiver, lap the lug's, and just make sure everything is right before install the barrel. but all i'm gona do with it is target shoot and deer hunt with it somtimes. i'm really leaning towards the 6.5 swede, just because it look better as far as ballistics go, and it seems there is more bullets offered for it. i want something that has very little recoil, cause i may pass this on to my daughter some day. so it don't need to be a fire breathing dragon, the 257 is another very good option. so there's my thought's on that. i've heard good things about the 250 savage as well. so many options, so little time!

[Bren R.]

i want something that has very little recoil, cause i may pass this on to my daughter some day. so it don't need to be a fire breathing dragon

That's the best reason of all.


i just want to build one that i can say it's my own.

And this one's not so shabby, either.

Good luck with the project!

Bren R.

[Mk42gunner]

I think the cock on closing feature started getting bad mouthed when Springfields were a dime a dozen, and Mausers were looked down upon as being "foreign junk" wether they were or not. Same thing with the gas handling ability of the 93-96 Mauser, the 98 is supposed to handle a pierced primer better, but how often does that happen nowdays?

Call me strange, but I happen to like a two stage trigger, too. With a little smoothing they can be a very shootable trigger.

If think for the stated use a .257 Roberts would be perfect. A 100 grain J word will handle any whitetail in your area, and recoil will be a little bit lower thatn the already light recoil of a 6.5x55.

Robert

[pietro]

Speaking as a 6.5x55 owner (Win M-70FW), the .250 Savage suggestion lights my fire, for sure !

[smilie=w:

.

[izzyjoe]

i've shot alot of enfield's so cock on closing is not that big a deal, but i'm just not crazy about it, but it may grow on me in time. i have chosen to go with the 6.5, i'm going to order my barrel from Midway next week. i'm gona use a A&B barrel, it's 21'' with a 1-9 twist. i'd rather it be longer, but that's all they offer in that price range. sure whish i had the coin to spring for a Stainless barrel.

[izzyjoe]

well, i just got a little down time, and thought that i would work on my project. i wanted to remove the old barrle before i ordered the new one, and now i think i have a problem. i turned to a friend for some help, cause he has the barrel vice and action wrench, but he said that because the barrel was so oily that the vice would just slip. i've bathed the action and barrel in G96, hoping it would help it break loose. but anyway he asked if i was gona save the old barrel, and if not just use a big pipe wrench to hold the barrel, and the action wrench to hold the action, no problem the barrel popped loose with ease. and i put everything in the truck and did'nt notice till i got back home, but the bolt won't go all the way in the action. it get's about to where the lug's should lock up, and it get's tight. i hope the action is not damaged in some way. i can't see anything that look's out of place, exept when the bolt goes into the front of the reciever it binds up. it's a good thing i've not orded the barrel yet. i hope it can be saved, and i hope i did'nt crush the reciever. seem like everytime i start a project it turns south. i hope somebody has some advice for me, cause i'm sick over this!!! :cry:

[sbowers]

If you used the proper action wrench there is not way you could have twisted that reciever. But if you used one that fit across the reciever rails then you prolly did twist the reciever and it is ruined, IMHO. pm me
Steve

[izzyjoe]

i don't think it's twisted, i think it crushed it. the wrench was homemade, but it looks just like the one's that Wheeler sell for flat bottom receivers.

[Bambeno]

Will the barrel screw back in by hand? If so I doubt it's crushed, is there any gunk from the rear shoulder that came loose and is causing the interferance problem? Is your extractor binding up?

[izzyjoe]

the barrel will thread back in, and i cleaned the action with varsol,and brake parts clnr. and it still won't close, so by this time i'm kinda mad, and i put it the vice, oiled it up, installed the bolt and used a rubber mallet to close the bolt. it's darned hard to close and open. so i put some dychem blue on the lug's and close it a few times. it's bearin' down hard on the bolt, right behind the left lug, if you'r lookin' from the rear. and it does'nt apear to be engauging both lug's, not making contact on the right lug. :(

[izzyjoe]

i used some lapping compound and forced it to close a few times, funny thing it free'd up pretty quick. there must have been a bur that i did'nt see. now i will order my barrel. where's the best place to rent reamers, and headspace gauges? i don't wan't to buy them and only use them once. i've read about solid pilot reamers, interchangeable pilot reamer, which one do i need to use?

[nanuk]

a couple thoughts on COC, that I'd like to hear opinions on

1) a COC is easier to "Feel" the force required to open the bolt

2) I read where you can take the shroud/sear/firing pin assembly from a 98, and screw it into a 96, and it will miraculously turn a 96 into a COO. Has anyone tried that? and does the 96 assembly fit the 98 to turn it into a COC?


also, does anyone drill a gas vent in the receiver of the older mausers?

[izzyjoe]

i've looked at that, and the bolt is differnent on the 98. it has a angled notch cut in the bolt to move the cocking piece to the rear on opening. but the bolt shroud will thread on both, because they share the same thread, but it will not work either way. my action has a vent hole in the side of the reciever. i guess that's incase of a case rupsure.

[W.R.Buchanan]

The M96 uses a partial Cock on opening (25%) as opposed to the M98's full COO system. The difference is the cocking cam on the bolt body and the M98 is much larger. easy to see the difference when side by side.

Dayton-Traister (brownells) has a kit to convert your M93-96 to COO. I have a Swedish Mauser I am converting to a Target rifle. I am not converting the action to COO as I don't see any real advantage.

Izzy: If you are going to 6.5x55 why don't you just find a Swedish Mauser and sporterize it. It would be much easier, and probably make a lot nicer rifle as the Swedes are really alot better gun than most of the non Oberndorf Mausers. Mine was made in 1899 and it shot inside of 1.5" at 100 with battle sights. That's hard to beat.

You could convert the M93 to some other caliber like .250 Savage or even .300 Savage. IN any event you need to keep the cartridge's pressure below 50K psi to be safe.

Building a Carbine similar to an M94 Swede is another way to go, and would make a really nice hunting rifle. This is where you could make your action into a .250 or .300 Savage Carbine which would be a really a neat gun.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Randy

[izzyjoe]

i ordered my barrel Mon. i bought this action cause half the work was already done. it's been drilled and tapped, and someone did a real nice job on the bolt, they added a differnt handle, because it's not the milsurp handle. it should make a nice lightweight rifle.