.30-30 in Small Ring Mauser

[wmitty]

Can the rails of a small ring Mauser be modified to feed the .30-30 case thru the action? I've a M 93 action which I'd like to use to build up a .30-30 if it can be made to feed from the magazine. I recently read that the Winchester M 54 was chambered for this cartridge and was made to feed the rimmed cartridge from the magazine. What is the method of performing this work?

[Blackwater]

A friend of mine once built a .45/70 on a M-98 action, so I'm sure the M-95's can be done in .30/30, but be advised, getting them to feed is a real deal buster for most of us. It would only be wise if you want to test your mettle, and test it DEFINITIVELY. Otherwise, the .30 Rem. is an option as is the .300 Savage. The Savage has a short neck, and isn't as desirable for shooting cast if that's what you want to do, though it surely is possible. You just have to pick your bullets for it. Another option would be a wildcat, say something like a 30/7x57 Mauser. If you're intending on shooting a lot of cast bullets, the .35 Rem. is a very neat alternative as well. Before I'd try to make one feed .30/30's, I'd go with any of these in preference to the problems of making those rimmed ctgs. feed in a bolt gun that was never designed for them. However, folks climb mountains "just because they're there," and it CAN be done. It just won't be easy, and it's likely to be VERY frustrating.

[Frank46]

I have a win 54 action made in 1928 that is setup from the factory as a 30-30 carbine. Barrel was toast with profuse pitting and corrosion. Has a flat face on the breech end of the barrel as I kept the barrel stub so if I ever decided to put a barrel on either me or the smith would know what it looked like. It does not use a standard mag assembly like that on your mauser. It has two angled plates on in the front of the mag and another at the back. In essence somewhat like the mag on a siamese mauser. You could try turning down a couple cases from the 30-30 to standard mauser diameter .473 and seat a bullet then try chambering it as it may work with no further work. Just make sure the rim of the cases are ahead of each other or all you'll get is a jam. Somewhat like loading a 303 british mag. Or give it a new barrel chambered for the 300 savage and be done with it. If short necks ain't your thing there were a couple cases based on the 300 savage but the body length is/was shortened but with a longer neck. 30x47 may be one of these. Frank

[nekshot]

I had a 95 mauser working a couple years ago. I did nothing to the rails. When going to a differant cartridge I spent alot of time working the action real slow and watch exactly what it is doing and why it is doing it. Spitzer type bullets are fairly easy to help overcome a cartridges problems, assuming they come up out of the rails correctly. With cast we like alot of meplat and that can put a chink in the works. Some times not making 1 complete stroke front with the bolt,but as soon as the cartridge is off the rail stop and back up ever so slightly then push it home will work with perfection. If only the mauser claw could be changed to a remington type extracter it would not be so fussy. You most likely will need to get a extra extracter to grind or file off the back of claw for the rim to slip up thru and open bolt face a tad. And when loading you must start at rear of mag and go front with next one so rims are not over lapping. It is fun to do but is a hassle if your not mechanically inclined or like me too stupid to know that it can't be done!

[elk hunter]

Although they are hard to find it might be easier to adapt a Remington 788 magazine for 30-30 to fit into your model 93 magazine well.

[wmitty]

I've got a 788 and a 340 Savage in this chambering, but I was curious about the M 54 and how Winchester got it to feed. So a single stack magazine adapted to the Mauser would probably be the easiest way to go?

[leadman]

I gave up trying to get a 7.62X39 to feed in a 93 Mauser. I did have the feed kit also but the rails would have to be welded up and ground the fit the smaller diameter case. The front of a 30-30 cartridge would probably give you the same problem, while the rim would have to have the rails opened up.

It would be fairly easy to open up a 7X57 to 30 caliber. I haven't tried it yet in my Mausers but the 7.7X58 Arisaka might be a good candidate. The 7.65X53 Arg. Mauser might also work. I think in the morning I will do some experimenting. I still have the 7.62X39 .310" barrel so could convert one of my 7X57s.
I have also heard of the 300 Savage chambered in the small ring Mausers with a longer neck. Probably use 308 or longer brass to form it.

[Frank46]

The win 54 action I posted about has the two sloping plates front and rear so at first glance it looks like a standard win mag box. However it isn't single stack. It's just like a regular rimless rifle. Except the feed ramp actually has two grooves with a separation between the two grooves. Feeds slicker than snot. Snot kidding. Frank

[John Taylor]

I've got a 788 and a 340 Savage in this chambering, but I was curious about the M 54 and how Winchester got it to feed. So a single stack magazine adapted to the Mauser would probably be the easiest way to go?
The Model 54 has the chamber on the barrel a little different than the rimless chambers but that should not affect the feeding. The mag box may need a slanted plate at the rear to insure the rims do not catch the other rounds. I don't think the feed rails need to be changed but the bolt face will need to be opened a little. The chamber end of the barrel will need a small lip to hold the cartridge against the bolt and the lip will need to be cut to clear the extractor.

[wmitty]

Well, thanks guys. Looks to me it's beyond my capabilities at the moment.... maybe a project for gunsmithing school. Mr Taylor, I need to send you a 788 bolt and bolt handle which I managed to disassemble. How do I contact you?

[Andrew Mason]

one of the guys in my gun smithing class built a small ring in 30-30.

first thing you have to is open the bolt face, and modify the extractor.
as far as the feed rails, he had to open them up a bit on the back half,
but i remember him not having to do all that much really.

[Clark]

I screwed 25/35 barrel into a 1908 Brazilian Mauser.
I have opened the face on a couple other 1908s for 7mmRM, but on the 25/35, I just modified some brass.

[nekshot]

I screwed 25/35 barrel into a 1908 Brazilian Mauser.
I have opened the face on a couple other 1908s for 7mmRM, but on the 25/35, I just modified some brass.

You did what had to be done and it worked. I am blown away how the the crowd that didn't always makes more noise than the folk who did it. The biggest hurdle I think must be overcome is the infatuation of how the original worked. When you move away from the original some hiccups will develope. I don't shoot work bolt rifles like a semiauto and I don't expect my rebuilt bolt actions to be flawless in their operation. You do what must be done to get them to work!

[lreed]

I did a 30-30 0n a 93 action,but as a single shot. If I was doing again I would go the route of turning the case heads to same diameter as the bolt face,cut a shallow extractor grove and go that direction. lreed