Mauser Project

J

jlehm005

Inactive
All, I am looking for information on a project I was given.
Known:
- 1942 Oberndorf-am-Neckar Mauser Mod 98
- pretty sure the stock either has been modified (a lot) or replaced with after market
- numbers match every where except stock (do not remember if they had a SN)
- receiver has been modified (JB Welded) to accept a side peep sight, at least that is what it appears to be

Looking for any and all information on it before I go on with the project because it will determine the direction I go.
 

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Hard to tell from the tiny photos, but the lines of the stock look like a modified original military stock.

If it is a military stock, the S/N would be in the barrel channel.
 
* Military Mauser 98.
* Military stock "sporterized" (I hate that term)
* JB Weld is the stuff dreams are made of. Some really bad dreams.

Since it has already been hacked, no harm using it as a project gun. Just realize that by the time you are done drilling/tapping, replacing the bolt handle, rebarreling, buying/fitting/installing a new stock, polishing/bluing, etc, you could have easily bought a brand new Model 70 or 700, or even a Kimber 84.
 
Thank you all for the answers. I am an amateur gunsmith or should say beginning gunsmith and was asked if I wanted to take this on as a project gun. All my friend wants is a shooter. When he handed it to me he didn't even know what it was as it was passed on to him from a neighbor.
I took it on because there is a lot of unknowns and a lot that I have not done in the way of gunsmithing. Before I started I wanted to make sure I knew a bit about it knowing that if I had a vintage the last thing I wanted to do was do anything to it. With further inspection I realized that it probably had been 'sporterized' some but with all the matching numbers I wanted to make sure. To start I am going to do a chamber cast this weekend to see if it is still 8mm or if someone rechambered it. I do not think they did but before I or him put a round through it I have to make sure what round to put in it. Then I plan on seeing if I can fix the butcher job with the side mount sight.
I am seriously thinking of just getting an original stock and going somewhat original with it. They were pretty good shooters back.
 

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Well maybe not the best option for a beginner Gunsmith, (because it's not a good donor, more value as a military config..) there are a lot of valuable projects and lessons to be learned on that project.
Scorch is soooooooooo right about the money being easier spent on a ready rolled rifle. The only thing I can tell you being a tinkering type person is if you make a list of all the options and projects to do on this rifle and work through them it's rewarding.
If it was me, I'd leave that particular rifle and hunt down a better donor, ie: better commercial mauser action like a MarkX, Dumoulin, but don't limit the search to those either, there's a company in Oregon called Bridger Forge that work over Turk 1903's but that's an intermediate length action and certain cartridges only are ideal in them, but the fella there has some actions ready for a beginning Gunsmith to get some rewarding experience from them....anyway good luck whatever you choose...
Honestly I love Mauser customs, but I've sank more damn money in them than they will ever bring, but I still love them..
 
It has a Nazi proof on the barrel shank, so it is pretty unlikely it is anything other than the original 8X57 Mauser. If you have a spent .30-06 case it wouldn't hurt to see if it will chamber, converting to 8mm-06 was not unheard of back in the day.

Unfortunately it looks like that rear sight is screwed in, in addition to the JB Weld, that is too bad. Otherwise it would have been a good candidate for restoration to the original configuration, and worth a decent amount, certainly as much or more than a Soviet rework.
 
Jerry Kuhnhausen's book- "The Mauser Bolt Actions / A Shop Manual" is mandatory for evaluating and considering whether any given receiver is suitable for shop/custom work.

As you're considering doing this for someone else, their safety becomes YOUR responsibility.
It is a wartime K98k receiver, which generally are not regarded as well suited for project rifles due to uncertainty of alloys and heat treatment.
 
'42 is "iffy" , depends on when...
"If an M98k action is to be used, select only those made before mid-1942 to be safe".

To each their own, just trying to let the OP know there are considerations as to evaluation suitability for shop work. Lug wear and particularly setback of the lug bearing surfaces to the point where the case hardening is compromised is one of the critical things to look at. This ain't like screwing a barrel onto a Savage ;)
 
Honestly I love Mauser customs, but I've sank more damn money in them than they will ever bring, but I still love them..
Click to expand...

Me too. They are pricey to do up right but if you do they will put any off the rack rifle to shame.
 
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