Please don't hate me! Gunsmith advice?

[gcollins]

Here is the story!!
A lot of you guys know that I run on a shoe sting! Here a month ago or more
I went in to one of the local Gun Shops and they all know that I am a junker, the owner told me he had just what I needed he had a SM Mauser action allmost complete. I traded 5 boxes of Russian 5.56 tarcers for it! When I got home, I called a friend that has a Military stuff store ( It's Cool) anyway i ask him if he had if he had the parts that I needed to complete the action, he said no! So i went looking and found some of my parts, and as bad as I hate it I went to ebay. There was a like new 28" SR Mauser barrel, in 22-6mm:D Long story I got it bought!!! My dies came in yesterday and I had picked up some 6mm rem. cases (NICE) so i go out and run a case threw it and then I put it in the chamber, the case goes all the way in with just the rim part of the case, i would say the mouth of the case is all most tough the end. Screw the barrel on drop a case in the bolt closes the same case or no case. I don't have go no go gauges for the 22-6mm, I can order them if you guys think I need to?
I would be great full for any thoughts! If anyone has advice for me, I read the advice with free will and know that if I was to use any of the advice, I do it on my own and cannot and will not try in anyway to hold anyone responsable for anything that might happens!.
Greg
Sorry about the spelling

[Casting Timmy]

I really don't know anything about the Mausers, but I would save up my pennies and take it to someone to assemble it. It's kind of hard to follow your posting though, you could put it together yourself and then test it out against go/ no go gages or have someone test it out for you. If it fails take it apart so no one picks it up thinking it's complete and ready to go.

If it was me, I would want the barrel rechambered if possible so that I had a fresh chamber and throat on the barrel. You could also have a new crown cut on the end of it.

Good luck and sounds like you found a good deal there.

Tim

[MBTcustom]

OK here it goes (on the cheap).
I would first take the barrel off the action and make a chamber cast. If you dont have chamber casting alloy or flours of sulfur, you can lightly oil the chamber and press some quicksteel or plumbers epoxy-putty into the chamber with a screw set in the middle of it to aid extraction. once the stuff is dry and hard, pull it out. If you use quicksteel it will be .001 less than the chamber. At any rate, you want to observe that chamber casting to see if it realy is what it says it is (you just never realy know till you cast the chamber). If it looks good, go and screw it back on the action.
One way to check head-space that is highly looked down upon, is to put two layers of scotch tape over the base of a cartridge to see if the bolt gets stiff when closing. You can keep building up tape until you can feel it with the bolt to get a muddy idea of how bad it is. Not that thats a reliable measurement at all but it can tell you if you are close enough to just buy or rent the head-space gauges or if you need to take the whole kit and caboodle to a gunsmith for proper fitting.
If it were me, I would learn how to re-barrel a mauser first, and then make real good friends with a guy that owns a lathe. You are dipping into dangerous waters trying to do this on your kitchen table without the proper tools. Just be careful and try to understand the process no matter what it costs. Learn first and do later.
Sorry I dont have more advice for you but Its hard for me to see how you get this done right and safe without a lathe unless you get realy, realy, lucky.

[Mooseman]

Here we go again...
Barrels need to be fit to actions properly and with proper HARDENED STEEL Headspace gauges for safety sake.

Please take or ship your rifle to a Competent Gunsmith . If the Chamber was cut too deep or the barrel is not threaded far enough back, it must be done properly on a lathe with proper tools.

[waksupi]

If it feels the same with, or without a cartridge when closing the bolt, you very likely have a big head space problem.

[W.R.Buchanan]

+1 on the above advice. I have a full machine shop and without headspace gages I can't fit the barrel correctly no matter what I do.

If I can't do it, you probably can't either.

Sometimes you have to farm out certain parts of a job that you aren't equipped to do.

It's just part of doing business, and unfortunately hobbies come under the same rules.

Randy

[gcollins]

I do have a head space problem, there is .248 of the case not in the chamber with the bolt closed and that measurement is from the extractor to the face of the barrel. It needs some material taken off the barrel shank or the action face.Taking it off the action would true it up. If I built a jig fixture to hold the action true it won't go in my lathe, and I havn't check to see if the barrel will fit threw head stock. I do thank all of you guys for all the advice.
No doubt it will have to go to the Gun Doctor!
Greg

[Mooseman]

Sbowers is a Master Mauser Gunsmith in SE Oklahoma and a member here.
PM him and get an estimate since he isnt too far away from you.

Rich

[gcollins]

Mooseman,
I will try to get a hold of him, could you tell me how I do that? I have never done that?
Greg

[swheeler]

GC; sounds like you got one of those large ring-small thread- long shank turk actions, they have a .775" long thread shank as opposed to the standard SR of .625" nominal. Take it to a good smithy and have it fitted then go smoke some gophers.:)

[Tokarev]

Time for a chamber cast?

[scrapcan]

Just as a reference, if you are measuring head space with gauges (or without) it is wise to take the extractor off the bolt. Some times on the mauser you can feel tension due to the nose of the extractor and not from the bolt face to proper datum line.

[gcollins]

I stood the action with the barrel down and bolt open I placed the case in the chamber, it went all the way in, I closed the bolt and then open it and it pulled the case out.I was thinking it had a real bad headspace, I know it has problems, but not what I thought!
I measuered from the action face to inside where the shank ring is and it measered 1.179,
then i measred the barrel shank of the barrel and it is .565.
Greg

[MBTcustom]

You know, by the time you get done paying for the medical bills, you could have bought yourself a Blazer strait pull rifle off the shelf in any caliber you want.
Please, please, listen to the fellas!
If I had my FFL (I hope to soon) I would offer to fix it for you myself.
At least go and rent the headspace gauges and make a judgment based on that!
Just because your rifle extracts a cartridge properly doesn't mean its safe to shoot!
You are not dealing with black powder here, this is smokeless, and the difference between a fine rifle and a hand grenade is just a few thousandths of and inch.
I sympathize with your desire for a rifle on the cheap and put together yourself, but I never attempted it until I had a full size lathe and a solid working knowledge of what I was doing.
If you can't afford to send it to a gunsmith, sell the action on S&S. It wont take long to get some money out of it, and you can put that toward a complete rifle that is ready to go.
Be careful man.

[jdgabbard]

Sbowers is a Master Mauser Gunsmith in SE Oklahoma and a member here.
PM him and get an estimate since he isnt too far away from you.

Rich

Where about in SE Oklahoma??? I'm from the area. I know one gunsmith, but I don't think he's a member of this board. But he'd be willing to do it I bet.

[Wolfer]

I rent my reamers and headspace Gage's from 4 D products. You can find him on the web. Very reasonable price and great to work with.

[flounderman]

just what small thread mauser do you have. Is it a turk, with the large ring, small threads, or is it a small ring, cock on closing action? If it isn't a turk, it probably isn't strong enough for that cartridge. the throat could be shot out of that barrel also. If it is, it needs to be set back a couple of threads.

[para-frame]

I used the scotch tape trick once before (on a savage action) but I cheated and purposely ran the barrel in so the you you lightly feel the slightly short (.002-003) dummy round on closing. With a factory round or one of my reloads with a single layer of tape the action it just barely closes with normal pressure. I know it is not the recommended method, heck, even I would not recommend it, I am fine risking my face and hands but I wouldn't tell anyone else to.

[gcollins]

HI all,
I am gaining on my project, I have been getting some great advice from a member that has a lot of knowledge in this area. He hasn't told me if he was or wasnot a Gunsmith and that doesn't bother me any! The guy know his stuff. When I get done (everthing in speck) I will put it in my lead slead that will be attached to the bench and then I will put the rifle in and strap it so it can't move, with a 50 foot cord tied around the trigger, I then will do my testing. If it doesn't blow apart, I will check the shot case for pressure signs, ect and also inspect every inch of the reciever, up and down and all around! I will keep everyone up to date, and I am very greatfull for the advice.
Greg

[swheeler]

GC; keep us posted on your project, sounds fun.

[MBTcustom]

I'm glad you got help. You're going to learn a lot and have a blast doing it! I wish you lived in Arkansas.

[gcollins]

Swheeler and Goodsteel,
Thanks for the kind words.And I do also wish I lived in Central Arkansas,, GS what part if ARK. do you live? I live in S.E. Kansas. We arre not a very populated area anyway, the last Real Good Gunsmith died around 20 years ago, he had everything plus!!!He had several L.C. Smith Grade 4 (I know there is another name for them but) anyway he could build anything that could be made. I spent all the time I could at his shop and he didn't let to many people go in the shop, and also in his HOUSE!! WE got a long good! I am pretty sure the Gunsmith that helped me wants to stay behind the scene and I understand, he will read what i have said, I am sure you know how hard it is trying to tell some one how to do something and then over the internet????????????????? And we are not talking about how to hook up a garden hose! He was so good about telling me (do this, if you mess up you can rent a reamer and fix it and also have a link for me.) When I had to take .059 thousands off, I thought Holy ****, and then I had to take off .016 thousands ( and not having any training of any kind, I didn't even know how to corectly put in a cutting bit!!! So I think you all will agree, he is great!
Thanks Again
Greg