K 98 project

[pupsdad]

Well I sold the synthetic stock I had and purchased a walnut one from Numrich for half what I got for the synthetic one. Now that I've got the barrel on I need dies and a mold. I am looking forward to having an 8x57 to play with. I've got the steel to weld up a tank to blue it, I'm gonna want a matte finish so I was thinking of wire wheeling the snot out of it maybe a mild acid etch then blue. This is going to come in around $200 the action was given to me barrel $40 Lyman 57 $37 stock $49. Chemical to blue it might be the most expensive items I'd just DuraCoat it but I kind of want the tank for other part bluing.

[pietro]

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It sounds like a plan - pics ? ?


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[Buckshot]

................ More sporters built on that action then any other I'd bet. And I'd win too if anyone was crazy enough to bet against me! I've got a sporter I put together several years ago. It's as ugly as a mud wall, but it does have some character to it:

http://www.fototime.com/020E64F1CEA0D13/standard.jpg

A friend of mine at work bought a piece of property east of us in the Mojave Desert. Like lots of desert property where "Desert People" live, there was quite an accumulation of junk :-) He'd found this poking out from under some stuff and brought it to work. I was the resident 'Gun Guy'. It was obviously a 1903 springfield action. The rusty portion is what had been exposed outside it's otherwise cosmoline soaked mummy wrappings.

http://www.fototime.com/47BAB9213B49993/standard.jpg

Exploring further, after getting it home.

http://www.fototime.com/D3B1BA0FE7D98E5/standard.jpg

S-A marked 1-44.

http://www.fototime.com/7F69B0C9B985C04/standard.jpg

Drove a cleaning rod and patch covered jag through the barrel, and I mean DROVE! It produced a long snake of cosmoline. A couple patches with Hoppe's and the bore shined like a mirror.

http://www.fototime.com/8EAE60F542F4147/standard.jpg

The rust on the action was only a dust and it cleaned up leaving NO pitting, and took an unbelievable cold blue. So now I had this barreled action. Luckily I shot every Tuesday with a bunch of other guys. We all cast, reloaded, and were fairly interested in most ANY firearm. So one of these guys sold me a steel Lyman 57 for a Springfield for $25. One of the other guys had some Springfield stuff. The next Tuesday he showed up with this ratty old 'Scant Grip' stock, fully equipped with a loose plastic forend tip, and a dead rubber ventilated buttpad as hard as a rock. Best of all he had an engine turned bolt complete. For $25 I got both. The stock in it's entirety is an amazement to behold, but it IS walnut. Previously at home I had some Springfield parts that came in handy like a mag housing, trigger assembly, bolt cutoff, etc.

http://www.fototime.com/8B5991EA4FDA0A9/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/8D6431C4F7EECD5/standard.jpg

Not a very good picture, but here it is in all it's raging glory. However, this freaking thing shoots like a lazer beam :-) I call it my 'Garage Sporter' as it looks like a hurry up sporter some poor old broke guy would cobble together in the 1950's. And it WAS cobbled together, but it's pure ugliness, coupled with how well it shoots is an endearing quality all it's own.

................Buckshot

[Scorpion8]

Parkerize it. The dull grey-green matte finish is perfect for a rifle like that, and it's perfect for a beater truck gun. I've had two blued rifles parkerized for the climate up here and can't recommend it highly enough.

[roverboy]

Nice. I think it actually turned out pretty good. I've got what I call a 1903/03A3 rifle. Its a Rem. 1903 complete action on a 03A3 stock with 03A3 barrel. I bought it like this with no rear sight at all. I put a Williams 5D sight on it and like yours it shoots great.

[pupsdad]

I really do need to put up some photos maybe tomorrow after church this one has a story.

[pupsdad]

179307179308179309179310
Here it is in all its glory I've had the action for I don't know how long just decided it needed a barrel and stock. You can see I've bumped the barrel to see how it contacts on the inner seat. It's kind of rough I think I'll lap that a little. I got the action for free from a guy who got it from who knows.

[pupsdad]

Stock came toddy179531179532

[Scharfschuetze]

What a great project. I did the same thing roughly 15 years ago to a WWI Gewehr 98 that had no collector value. I chambered it for 35 Whelen.

Here it is:

[Texas by God]

I love this kind of stuff. Keep us posted as the project progresses. Best, Thomas.

[Hickory]

Most all of the 98's are in private hands and are out of circulation.
Like a guy I know once said, "If the German's had won Europe, there'd be more Mauser's around."

[725]

In re; Your K-98, How about a sand blasted finish? Just a thought. Would give you that matt finish you're looking for. Irons out so many imperfections and makes for a super finish. YMMV. good luck.

[pupsdad]

OK got the sight on drilling was slow going took a new center drill to get it done. Tapping was a no go until I annealed the holes. I turned a pin and inserted it in each hole heated pin till I started to get color then let it cool. Still tough but doable.179738179739179740

[pupsdad]

It's going to to be slow going for a while as I finish inleting the action into the stock. The tang is close but it is tight scraping. The other end will go faster as its just opening it up. I've thought about gouge it out and bed it but I'm gonna try and scrape it it and see how it goes then if I goof it up then I can gouge it a little and bed it.

[pupsdad]

About 0.1 to go I am able to snug screws to mark as I scrape now.180234180235

[pupsdad]

Real close to having the action and bottom metal in. I did not have any purssian blue and I kind of always make a mess with it, I always try different methods pencil lead, grease pencils to name a couple I've tried, but I started using dry erase markers and just think it works great. 180415
180417

[pupsdad]

181573181574action and bottom metal in
181575maple spacer and ebony grip cap
181572
Sight fits working on bolt release & bolt

[Yodogsandman]

Slow going but, the fit will be so nice looking!

[adcoch1]

This makes me want to do a Mauser for my next project... Nice stock work!

[Hardcast416taylor]

Nice looking Mauser are you leaving the bolt handle as original or doing a swept down and back angle for scope use?Robert

[pupsdad]

I'm leaving the bolt handle like it is for now. I might change it later if I don't like how it handles.

[pupsdad]

182025182026182027182028
I have never tried pouring epoxy into an inlet like this I'll be filing it tomorrow updates to follow soon. Big thing I'm worried about is if it filled well.

[Fernando]

I'm leaving the bolt handle like it is for now. I might change it later if I don't like how it handles.
Screams butterknife to me:drinks:

[pupsdad]

182060
After filing. Shaping forearm end next not sure how I'm doing it so I'll start by just rounding it off.

[pupsdad]

182108
First I rounded the forearm then gave it some shape.
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Now I'm laying out a pattern to inlet some black. I hope to pour the epoxy Tomorrow.

[pupsdad]

182510
Stock work done for now. I'll install the butt pad and fire some test rounds after I finish putting the barreled action together. Then I'm going to start cutting the steel for a bluing tank. I need to slow down it's a long winter and my project is moving along at a faster pace then a thought it would.

[hc18flyer]

Love the fore End! flyer

[pupsdad]

183337183338183339
Done with all I'm doing before bluing. I'm going to put the metal all together do some test firing. This is a cast boolit only rifle for me and if it shoots decent I'll clean up the metal blue and be done. If it shoots poorly I'll post and hopefully get it worked out. So until I get it assembled and some shells loaded I'll be putting my bluing tank together.

[Texas by God]

It's unique. I like it. Keep it up. Best, Thomas.

[TNsailorman]

This is a great series. I can't wait for the next episode. I like the work you have done so far and compliment you on you workmanship. james

[Multigunner]

I have an already cut back Argentine 98 Mauser stock here that a friend gave to me to experiment on my chemical oil drawing methods using TSP and hydrogen peroxide.

I don't have a 98 action at this time but I might go ahead and finish up the stock as a sporter just to see if I still have the old skill.

The stock was completely oil soaked when I got it. So much oil that the surface was actually mushy and you could squeeze oil out with your fingers.
It cleaned up remarkably well and has the cleanest and most nicely cut inletting I've seen on a military rifle or a production sporting rifle for that matter.
The wood is a very straight grained walnut. No telling if it will show any fiddleback when finished. This sort of wood can surprise you.
I got all the oil out of that wood. it took awhile but I had nothing to do that winter.

If the stock turns out nice I'll start looking for a barreled action to drop in it.

[flint45]

Good lookin project keep up the good work brother.

[Artful]

Looking good

[6.5 mike]

Easy way to get a matte finish is fine bead blast it, then card it off to taste. Works good to take the glare of the tops of trap gun receivers, blast top, polish sides, clean & blue.

[pupsdad]

185345185346185347
Finally warm enough to work in the garage.
I set the barrel in the lathe and set the chamber back half about half a thread I'll set set head space next. I cleaned the work bench and made some metal fillers to go under the sling studs. I thought about making some custom sling studs but this will look OK and if I get bored I can do it later.

[izzyjoe]

Looking very nice! Can't wait to see the finished project.

[pupsdad]

186032
Loaded up 5 rounds for test firing and that went well, they all went bang and hit close to my aiming point last shot was a bit to the left. The front sight is just cobbled together and held by a set screw. I'm looking at sights and drawing up a few ideas to maybe make one. I'm going to load up 20 and test for accuracy next week if weather holds out. I'd like to lap the inner c ring it's a little rough. I smoothed it a little but I don't have a guide for lapping it so kept it light. The barrel rubs the right side of the stock and I would like to true the action some and see if it gets better before I scrape the barrel channel. Get a decent accuracy build or buy a front sight blue it and it's done been a nice winter project. I'll post the accuracy test next.

[pupsdad]

Accuracy has been a problem so far. The barrel is pushing against the left side of the barrel channel . I did notice that the barrel contacts the right side of the c-ring first so I'm hopeful that I can set the action on a mandrel in the lathe to check it for run out and square it up then try again. I have two muzzle loaders I'm working on now also. More to come.

[Hang Fire]

This Israeli rebarreled 7.62x51 I made into a scout little over 25 years ago. Scary accurate with cast around 2,000 fps.

At link scroll down to Mauser: http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/early.html#

[pupsdad]

OK I checked every thing out the barrel and action are straight enough for this project. The action is just has a rough finish on the c-ring were the barrel seats. I scraped the barrel channel and put in a pressure lug. This is the out come.189248 I did click the sight around causing some of the left right movement. I was about 5 inch low and left of point of aim.