Re barreling a m98 with a take off

[Jimmynostars]

I feel I have read somewhere recently an m98 can be rebarreled with a take off, possibly with a spacer ring.

I can't for the life of me find the info but was hoping someone might be able to help me out

[RustyReel]

I know that the large ring, small thread M98's can be rebarreled using Remington barrels. It is not a direct screw in deal as the barrel needs to be rethreaded and of course rechambered. I have one I had rebarreled using a 722 barrel in 244 Remington.

I have also used take offs from other 98's, that's a crap shoot as to if it will headspace properly by just screwing it in.

[M-Tecs]

Rhineland Arms does Savage style barrel nuts for Mauser.

https://www.troupsystems.com/product/mauser-308-bull-barrel/

[PTCSmith]

Brownells offers short-chambered barrels in 6.5, .308, 25-06, and 30-06 for $125. If money is short, this is the way to go. They usually shoot fine for hunting.
A take-off barrel was removed for a reason. I have a tub of them in my shop, and they are rarely anything but a tomato stake.

[TNsailorman]

A gunsmith I knew some years ago used take off mauser barrels to re-enforce the concrete slab he pored to make the floor for his new garage. james

[DCB]

The Mauser receiver has a 55* Whitworth thread either the barrel or the receiver will have to be recut. If you force the takeoff barrel into the receiver of the Mauser. you take a chance of weaking the receiver.

[nicholst55]

Rhineland Arms does Savage style barrel nuts for Mauser.

https://www.troupsystems.com/product/mauser-308-bull-barrel/

And Rhineland is only about 50 miles from me...

[turtlezx]

dcb whitworth thread is british wouldnt german be mm ? ????

[Hannibal]

I rebarreled an M98 with a Zastava take-off in .308. Checked with GO and NO-GO gauges and the headspace was fine. I was astonished as the manufacturer dates had to be nearly 100 years apart. To top it off, it's the most accurate 'factory' rifle I own.

What EXACTLY is it you're trying to do? That'll help cut down on speculation.

[TurnipEaterDown]

The M98 Mauser receiver has an abutment ring nominally 0.625" (IF I remember correctly) in from the face of the receiver. It is not simply bored and threaded through on the receiver ring like some others.
The distance from the breech face to the step on the barrel at the point that butts the receiver face should match this -0.000 / +0.001 (again, IF I remember correctly).
This fit interference should be met for proper barrel attachment. Sure, there are lots of M98s out there from military production that weren't fit properly, but it should be done this way.
Check the book by Jerry Kuhnhausen.

I do remember that Rem 700 barrels do have enough shank diameter to be turned, rethreaded and fit. The bug a boo here is that by the time you get a decent take off (troll auctions - used to be $75, but more like $175 now), have it recut, and you will have a relatively expensive cheap barrel.
Also, using a Rem 700 barrel like this doesn't leave much of a cylindrical section ahead of the receiver ring - makes it a pain to get good purchase w/ a barrel vise bushing. You might swear a lot.

I've sometimes had Rem 700 takes offs fit well and shoot well - sub 3/4" 5 shot @ 100 yd (I've used them on other Rem 700s), sometimes it's obvious in hindsight why it was a take off. You won't know until you've done the work, and then you might be back to swearing (again).

[Jimmynostars]

Thanks for the input lots of knowledge out there, I suppose the first step is to take the barrel off and find out the thread size then.

There are zero markings on the reciever

[Jimmynostars]

Quick question, with an action wrench on the flat is it supposed to pick up the bottom of the recoil lug or "other", is the bottom of the action flat? It's in the shed will retrieve later tonight for a look

[M-Tecs]

Quick question, with an action wrench on the flat is it supposed to pick up the bottom of the recoil lug or "other", is the bottom of the action flat? It's in the shed will retrieve later tonight for a look

Most that I have seen have been designed to clamp onto the flat behind the recoil lug while still being on the front receiver ring. I have seen others that don't clamp. They are made to the shape of the front receiver ring and recoil lug. They work just like a socket on a bolt. If the action wrench clamps on the recoil lug on a 98 Mauser it needs a relief cut for the boss on the front action screw.

[Larry Gibson]

"The M98 Mauser receiver has an abutment ring nominally 0.625" (IF I remember correctly) in from the face of the receiver. It is not simply bored and threaded through on the receiver ring like some others.
The distance from the breech face to the step on the barrel at the point that butts the receiver face should match this -0.000 / +0.001 (again, IF I remember correctly).
This fit interference should be met for proper barrel attachment. Sure, there are lots of M98s out there from military production that weren't fit properly, but it should be done this way."

On my M98 and two other M98s with Rhineland conversions I set the barrels back to properly fit the M98 action as above. This set the face of the barrel back into the action 1/6"+. After properly butting the barrel against the abutment ring the Savage style barrel nut was tightened against the front of the action. That did necessitate renting a finishing reamer to headspace the setback chamber correctly. Setting back the barrel even that small amount improved feeding quite a bit as the bullet of the unsupported cartridge entered the chamber earlier and does not fall out from under the extractor.

Many factory barrels, especially M700s, are taken off simply because the action is what was used for a "build". Many times the Barrels are still good and will shoot as well as intended if not better. Thus, if using a barrel not large enough in diameter to properly fit to a M98 action I suggest the use of the barrel nut only after the barrel is butted against the abutment ring as intended. Most take off barrels are large enough to fit SR actions [w/o the internal abutment ring] with the barrels tightening just against the front of the receiver. I suggest the threads be cut so the barrel screws in with a tight thread fit.

[Jimmynostars]

Thanks Larry will get my head around all of that once the barrels off, I had a rem700 in 25-06 in mind among other schemes.

I made an action wrench this morning unfortunately my work lathe is busted with a job in it being fixed tomorrow under warranty. I was going to use the 4 jaw to hold the barrel.

Will ask more questions at the next stage

[john.k]

A relation was given a 30-06 Belgian short rifle that had been stripped for the action.....he bought a surplus Romanian 98 action and bolt ,screwed it all together ,headspace was a little tight ,so he simply used a 005 shim between the barrel and seat .....melted the solder on the sights ,and realigned them,and while its not a collectors item,it shoots well with an as new barrel.

[Jimmynostars]

So my action wrench fits like a glove but my 4 jaw chuck cannot hold the barrel tight enough.

I have more blocks precut to hold the barrel, do I try to follow the barrel profile, bore it to take some hard wood, put a relife cut in the barrel or where to from here.

[john.k]

Some guns Ive unscrewed ,I had to put the barrel clamps in my 50 ton press to hold securely...........generally ,a 4 jaw chuck wont do it ,neither will clamps in a bench vise ........as a 98 Mauser seats inside the action,a relief cut wont 'cut it' ..........Ive done them that were attempted with the wrong equipment ,and the only way to get the barrel stub out was to bore it out in a lathe ...........which is not a major drama ,if you have a lathe.

[Texas by God]

If the old barrel is toast; I’ve been known to use a 24”pipe wrench along with my action wrench to get the old barrel off.
I have used a relief cut on 1914 Enfield, 38 Arisaka, and 93 Mauser to ease barrel removal.
I’ve never needed one on a 98 Mauser.
Difficult chamber outside tapers can be JB Welded into split oak blocks for a bench vise to hold. Let it cure 24 hours before using. The epoxy can be removed later.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LAGS]

I just make my barrel blocks out of wood and use sheet lead between the wood and the barrel.
It molds around the barrel and does not slip or scratch the metal.
I use the sheet lead in my Barrel Vise metal jaws for the same reason.
Funny thing is,
I use the hand made wood blocks wore than I use the metal vise jaws.

[Jimmynostars]

I will give sheet lead a go think I have some, thanks

[TurnipEaterDown]

No expert here, but have had a couple military barrels fairly well stuck on M98s.
I made the barrel vise out of aluminum plate - narrower than the Brownells barrel vise.

Drill center of approximate 5"x5" block (3/4" thick) for OD of barrel shank.
Drill block through for 3/8" bolts perpendicular to barrel hole drilling.
Cut block across dia of barrel bore perpendicular to 3/8 bolt holes. Common cut off saw.
Use GR 8.8 bolts, w/ nut and flat washer, torque to (I remember) 50 lb*ft coated w/ copper anti seize. (Anti seize Dramatically cuts friction, the bolt will be near tensile limit.) The bolts are Long, and will have a lot of stretch (a very good thing), though being used near limit they will fail occasionally.
A strip of 600 grit wet dry coated each side w/ rosin. One wrap around barrel before tightening clamp.

I have beat on the handle of a Brownells action wrench w/ full swings of a 3 pound hammer to loosen barrels on 98s, and not had this clamp slip.

[john.k]

When you put a lot of force on any Mauser action,either put the bolt back in ,or a piece of steel the same diameter as the bolt ........this will save you from a nasty surprise when you find the ring is crushed ........Some Mausers are made of very soft steel ,small ring actions are especially easy to damage.

[Texas by God]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230920/a952d17c1a995b7e45138647645ee253.jpg
Here’s a 1943 LaCorona 98 action joined to a take off H&R model 300 barrel.
It headspaced up correctly with the writing upside down and the front sight screw holes at 4oclock. You can zoom in and see them.
Yes, the proper way would be to set it back a shade and refresh the chamber. Lining up the sight holes.
However, from a safety standpoint-pointless.
And a 22-250 will be scoped from the get go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk