Turkish Mauser Receiver

[Corey]

Hello All in TFL Land. I was flipping through the Shotgun News this week and saw a Turkish Mauser Receiver (no barrel or stock) for between $40 and $50 in good to very good condition. A few things I was wondering are:

1) Is it worth the money?
2) Can I build a .243 out of it?
3) How hard is it to put a scope mount on it and how much would it cost?
4) With a good barrel, am I going to get good accuracy out of it?
5) What would I be expecting to get in good to very good condition?

I was wondering these things because I was looking for an inexpensive varmint rifle ($400-$500 Canadian) and all I wanted was a reciever. I appreciate any help I can get.

 

[Herodotus]

The answers to 1, 2 and 4 are definitly yes.
The answer to the scope question is that a Mauser can use just about any scope system ever made and the the cost of these can range from very cheap to very expensive, depending upon what type you choose.
As for the quality of a receiver rated by the seller as very good, if he is honest, it should be very nice for your purpose. But, of course, buying anythiung sight unseen is always a gamble. The price is good, so the decission is up too you.
Make sure it is a '98 type reciever, though, because the .243 is considered a high pressure cartridge. The Turks had a lot of '93 Mausers, which which are not as strong and which you don't want for this project.

 

[Gewehr98]

Corey, if it's a proper '98 Mauser action, checked out by a competent gunsmith for cracks, etc, you can thread in any of the barrels chambered in the .308 Win/.30-06 family and be quite safe. Will you get good accuracy in a .243-chambered Mauser? Yes! Don't expect a Nesika or BAT-actioned benchrest gun's performance, but you'll be very surprised at what you can do with that good old German steel. Have a look, I'm still astonished by how this one worked after all was said and done:
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Falls/7268/interdiction.html

Yup, I play with 98 Mausers, hence the nametag...