Strictly speaking the "military mausers" were not heat treated. Rather, they were case hardened which consists of creating a very hard "skin" on the surface of the 8620 steel used. The skin is at least 5 thousandths thick and may be 10 or 15. This created a very slick surface which wears well but maintains a maleable core. Considering the ammo available and battle conditions, the receivers were designed to bulge rather than blow. Also the std pressures were 48,000 CUP and under, which did not require as deep a hard skin as more modern ctgs.
The comment that the pre WW2 actions were military junk displays a total lack of knowledge re mausers. Actually the pre war actions were some of the very best ever made if not the very best. They were produced on the same productions lines were the sporting rifles were made. They were all nearly perfect in fit and finish. The Germans had strict controls on the number of firearms which they could produce imposed as a result of the terms of the end of WW1. So they built new factories and trained a large number of gunmakers. The rifles produced prior to large scale increases in production were gone over by about 3 or 4 times the number of men actually needed.
Of course some of the actions seen today have been abused but there have never been better quality mausers made ever, even today. The FN's comml actions are harder but they do not compare to the best of the pre WW2 "military" rifles.
Last edited by RinB; 06/24/10.
