Mauser Trigger Guard Question

[Char-Gar]

I am preping the metal on my Persian 98/29 for finishing. I have removed the sling swivel that fits in trigger guard, but that leave a hole which I don't like. I figure on D & T ing the hole/holes 1/4 X 28, installing a screw and polish this screw flush to fill the hole.

Does anybody have a better idea other than welding?

[nicholst55]

You can cut that portion of the TG off and recontour it to eliminate the 'hump' on the front of the TG bow. I would also recommend tapering the TG bow similar to haw many commercial sporters are. That is best done on a milling machine.

[C1PNR]

You can cut that portion of the TG off and recontour it to eliminate the 'hump' on the front of the TG bow. I would also recommend tapering the TG bow similar to haw many commercial sporters are. That is best done on a milling machine.
Back when he still had access to the machinery, this is exactly what my friendly, neighborhood gunsmith was planning for my 98/29 conversion. Plus adding a hinged floor plate and a release a'la Ruger.

The outfit he worked for went BK and there isn't anyone in the area I know/trust to do the work, so the project's on hold for now. This was to be my "30 Russki Shortski" lead slinger.

I guess I should have just bought a Daly or CZ when they were available, but I want mine to be .30/.308 diameter.

What type of stock are you planning to use? I bought a synthetic for starters with the thought of upgrading to wood at some future time.

[13Echo]

Silver solder in a very close fitting pin. If the pin is tight the tiny ring of solder won't be noticable and, I think, Silver solder will tolerate bluing but I might be wrong there.

Jerry Liles

[Char-Gar]

Thanks guys for the input...

1) I don't have access to a mill and I don't want to cut off the hump and do all of the other work by hand. It will look better if I leave it alone.

2) I don't see any advantge of soldering a plug, when I can drill and tap and install a screw. The screw will be polished down to fit the guard and will be all but invisable.

3) I am trying to do this job on the cheap and don't want to pay somebody for milling or welding.

4) My stock (a 1959 Fajen) was already inletted for a Mauser guard. If I were starting from scratch, I would use a milled Springfield 03 guard and be done with it. I am building another Persian 98/29 up for my son and will use an 03 guard.

I will try and attatch a pic of the rifle on it's first trip to the range. The metal is not finished and the wood has just been rough shaped. The wood is now fully finished and I will send the metal off to Accurate Plating this week for a brushed 400 blue job. It will be a very handsome rifle. I bought the wood in 1959 and it is about AA quality with good grain and wonderful color. Wood like this is hard to come by today.. Boy is it dry!!

The rifle has the original primo barrel in 8X57 and shoots like a house a fire with comdom and cast.

FYI... The barrel action is from a Persian 98/29. The rear sight is an old Redfield. The butt plate is from a Pre-WWII Savage 99 and the style of the stock if pure American classic.

When it is all done, I will post a finished pic to compare to this rought one. I am well pleased with how the project came out. The stock fits me like a glove and I can shoot 60 rounds of full snort J bullet loads off the bench, wearing nothing but a T shirt with no discomfort. We well fitting stock really makes a difference.

[gzig5]

If you just put a screw in and file it flush, I think you are going to see a groove where the helix of the thread starts on the trigger guard. You could try peeing the the screw over to fill that void. The other option if you have the room is to counter-bore the threaded hole slightly and use a screw with a small head on it that is a close or interference fit to the counter-bore. Also pay attention to what you use as a filler screw as some steels don't take bluing as well as others.

[Char-Gar]

gzig... You are quite correct. I have filled a number of holes in metal with screws and I peen the stub of the screw before I file and polish it flush. It makes for a nice look. If you look close, you can see the screw, but there is no gap.

Ordinary carbon steel machine screws take blue well. Sometimes, but not often there is a slight color difference.

I will also fill the hole on top of the barrel where the original front sight was. I will drill and tap that 10-32. Again I will peen the stub and polish smooth with the metal.

[gzig5]

Well, It sounds like you know what you need to do. The only other thing I would suggest that you didn't mention is staking the screw on the inside so you don't need to use loctite, or use a screw that is not fully threaded and jam it in tight. Good luck.

[Char-Gar]

Well tis did! I drilled and taped the guard holes and rear sight hole on the barrel 10-32. I installed 10-32 machine screws, really tight. I cut them off with a cutoff wheel in the Dremel. I then peened the snot out of the stubs (work on a 160 lbs anvil). Then I filed and polished down to 320 grit. There is a faint line, but looks pretty good. Allot better than the holes!