Mauser project

E

ebell46

New member
I'm thinking of rebarreling a Mauser action to shoot 257 Roberts. I want this to be a match grade firearm when I am done with it. From what i have read i will need to ream the chamber, gauge head space, blue, do stock work, trigger work...etc, etc...
big question: Will i be getting myself in over my head with such an undertaking?
I have access to most tools it looks like will be needed for the job.
Any input will be a big help especially from anyone who has done a similar project.
 
Do you have or have access to a lathe?
If not, you can still do such work, but it must be approached from a different angle.
If you have a lathe you can thread and chamber your own barrel, but if you don't you'll need to get the shank done for you by someone that can do the threading.
True up the front ring of the receiver first on a mandrel, turning it on a lathe. Again, this will need to be done for you if you can't do it. Lap in the bolt lugs from applying pressure on the bolt face from the front to get 100% lug to abutment contact. If the action is in need of heat treatment, have that done before you lap the lugs in.
When the receiver is perfectly true, and the lugs are lapped in, make the measurements you'll need for shank length (go .003" short for thread crush) and also get your measurement for headspace. I recommend you give the chamber .002" headspace.

If you start with a good barrel and set it all up square and true, and cut a chamber with only .002” headspace you’ll have the basis for a real tack driver.

I hope that information will help you
 
From an economics and practical sense,it may not be a rational choice,but I am sure happy with my Mex mauser .257!!As the .257 is a necked 7x57,it will feed like it was made for it.(not necessarily so with .308 based cartridges).
In my opinion,if you have the tools,skills,or a good mentor with tools and skills,you can end up with a fine rifle,and an education/experience.If you are intending to make a light rifle,check into a HiTech specialties stock.I like them.I recently got a very nice #2 contour pre-threaded bbl from Lothar Walther at a reasonable price.Check their website.I am very happy with it.
Have fun,learn all you can!!
 
Go for stiffness.The barrel should butt up against both inner and outer shoulders of the receiver. Both lugs should be making contact.Glass bed receiver fully plus 2" of barrel if you like. Go for minimum headspace .Throat diameter is important as much a throat length.
 
You got one hidden problem in your list, "blue". With all the work you're planing to do, unless you happen to own or have access to a hot bluing tank, have that done professionally. My local smith only charges $75 for a professional job, and that includes bead blasting if you don't want to spend the time polishing everything. I'm sure you can find something similar in your area.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I do have access to a lathe.
Maps: As far as blueing goes i plan on rust blueing.
Wyosmith: you mentioned threading? I was looking at barrels by shillen and duglass, do they not come threaded?
Thanks again
 
I don't think Douglas or Shilene offer them threaded.
I use both, but I always do my own shanks and chambers
ER Shaw does offer some very good barrels with either short or deep chambering. If you get a deep one you only need to set it back with your lathe until you have the .002 headspace you need.
 
Back to my post about 'stiffness' this is for accuracy .For threads it means fitting the barrel threads to the receiver -a snug fit .Remember the thread length is short so you need a snug fit ! You can't buy that .
 
Thanks for all the imput guys.
Wyo: I just checked out the Duglass website and it looks like for an additional cost you can purchase the barrel chambered, turrned, cut to length, threaded, crowned and polished. I know that is a lot of the work many people would do themselves however, this being my first build I feel like baby steps are in order. It also looks like I can select what I want done, for instance I can order the barrel threaded but leave the chambering for me to do, also the polishing might be something I can handle at my smithing experience level. If I order the barrel prepared I feel I will still have a lot of work in the stock, triger, fitting and sights departments.
And I am located in CT, if thats what u meant by where am I :)
 
Last edited:
Yes that's what I was asking. I was going to say if you were close by to drop in, and I'll coach you through the process.

But 1600 miles is a bit too far I bet.
:)
 
I have been sporterizing Mausers for 46 years, but mostly the last 12 years.

Mausers are not a wise investment of time and money.

Neither is going fishing.

But I am going to keep on sporterizing Mausers and keep on going fishing.
 
Mauser

Sir;
Many, many times in getting both barrel shoulders fit is the fact that Mauser recievers are made of a quality low carbon steel; a steel with not enough points of carbon in it to harden! So, Mausers are carburized (case hardened) either just at the reciever locking lug area or, in some cases all over! This tends to lead to minor dimensional changes that were not there at machining time! So, the first thing I do with all actions (especially Mauser) is to nount the reciever on a mandrel in my lathe and just clean up the face of the action (which you will find seldom uniform.) Then, to get my headspace and tennon length I will measure from the front trued surface down to the inner shouder METE is speaking of and very few will be uniform.
Then you can made a cutter and mandrel which will true up that inner shoulder too to match the front shoulder. If there is too much difference I simply fit to the front shoulder as close to the inner as possible which is permissable.
VZ24s are perhaps the most uniform.
Everything must be lined up with the boltway through which the mandrel passes! EVERYTHING!
Mr. Kuhnhausen has made a tool to do just that - true both inner and front shoulder.
Douglas used to only fit to that inner shoulder and simply not touch the front shoulder. I no longer think they do! This can lead to a barrel not being on the center line of the boltway!
Harry B.
 
Last edited:
"I'm thinking of rebarreling a Mauser action to shoot 257 Roberts. I want this to be a match grade firearm when I am done with it"

I would suggest building the 257 Roberts, purchase the action wrench and barrel vise, purchase the reamer (or rent), and gages, lots of gages, I make gages but for me when the bolt closes the light does not go out, point you can have this work done or purchase the tools, advantage? When the rifle is completed, you have the tools and experience when you are ready to build the benchrester...after a couple of builds.

Benchresters, I have rifles that shoots patterns, I have rifles that shoot 'one hole groups' then there are the rifles I purchases for parts, for an investment of $150.00 or less each I have 4 rifles that shoot groups smaller than a quarter at 100 yards, that is with 60 rounds, 12 different loads, bullets, cases and powder in groups of 5, the groups move but do not scatter.

Back to bench resters, never had any ambition, but, I got a real good deal on 4 very large barrels at a bargain, then found a set of RCBS limited run dies, and that was all it took. I have the Mauser actions but am going to use M1917 Enfield actions.

Mauser actions? If I thought they were limber I would glass the action to the stock, instead I stiffen the stock, as to seating the lugs, the Mauser has a third lug that is not visible, I check to see if the third safety lug is is making contact, if it is making contact the front lugs may not be (making contact), and it was not designed for 3 point contact.

Gages? the lugs on the Mauser bolt can be measured from the bolt face, matching numbers are cute but matching surfaces is important, I am never without 40 plus bolts.

F. Guffey
 
Just go ahead and do it. A lot of the stuff mentioned here is "Feel good" stuff. In other words it is usually meaningless but if it makes you feel good, go ahead and do it. You can see there is no end to the "Right way " to barrel a Mauser. Just do it and learn what works for you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top