Mausers

First up we have a project nearing completion. The 9.3x62.

It started life as a K. Kale m38. These are "Large Ring Small Shank" actions which means they have all the inherent strength of the m98 action, but can only accept small shank threaded barrels.

A gunsmith I've known online for years now recommends that if you "sport" a Turk m98 action that you stay on the safe side and stick with standard calibers instead of a magnum. This has to do with how much steel the chamber will have surrounding it, and a magnum chamber just has less steel because it is larger.

So for this project I chose the 9.3x62 cartridge, which is the minimum legal caliber for "Class A" game in Zimbabwe. In theory I could shoot an elephant with this thing, but since I have no desire to do so it will probably just be another rifle in the hunting rifle rotation for deer and elk unless I go to Alaska or Africa.

The stock is an old piece of Fajen walnut taken from a different rifle. I need to refinish the wood, and see about getting some checkering cut into the forend and pistol grip. All in all if you want some custom work done on a Mauser action contact Mike McCabe. http://www.mccabeguns.com/

The scope was a gun show find, it's a 2.5x20 "Mauser" scope (made in Japan). I wish it had a post reticle but crosshairs work for now. The safety is a Daiton Traister MkII. Easy install on this one.

This rifle is another Turk, but I thought it would be fun to make an "Sniper" style rifle. So the bolt was bent by someone with much more experience than I (I've ruined a bolt trying to do the job myself, so it is a small price to pay to have someone with the skills to do a good job on the first try complete the task).

I made an index mark on the barrel and receiver ring then removed the barrel, drilled and tapped the receiver for a BSquare weaver rail. I got a lesson in lathe operation from my father when we chucked the barrel into the lathe and re-cut the muzzle crown a simple 90 degrees. I reinstalled the barrel, torqued it back to true with the index marks, and checked headspace.

The scope is an IOR 6x42 with a 30mm body and an MP8 mil-line reticle. The trigger is a Bold. Safety is a Dayton Traister MkII. If you've never seen a 400 dollar scope on an 80 dollar rifle, here it is.

This rifle isn't particularly accurate with either surplus Turk or Yugo (now Serbia) ammunition. It will easily do "minute of deer" and hovers around 4 minutes of accuracy with the delinked PPU surplus. Handloads group better, but I'm not going to waste even cheap 185 gr Rem Corelokts on loading "plinking" ammo until I've depleted my store of surplus. I will however waste my time pulling Turk bullets and powder to put them in Rem brass with a CCI primer so I don't have to worry so much about corrosive primers. I'm funny that way.

Both of these Mausers have been stripped of their "historical value" to someone who collects for historical purposes. These are my rifles, and they have been modified to suit me. I shoot them and enjoy them. Although with the way surplus rifle prices have been going, it might soon be cheaper to buy Savages brand new.