Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Karab 98B 458 WM?

Hello Gunsmiths

A 98 Mauser custom barreled action kinda fell in my lap last Friday, I've never heard of a Karab 98B action.

The action retains the standard Mauser safety on the left side, up and down, it has a nice custom bolt knob and a 24" Shilen cm barrel.

Would this action be safe for standard 458 Win Mag loads?

I have no info in the builder, but it looks very well made, I'm into it for 100 dollars, and am not going to drop a mint into finishing it.

Thinking black matte cerakote and a fully bedded syn stock.

Thanks for any help.

Gunner

I have one in 458 Lott built by Dennis Olsen.

That's great news Butch, the strength must be there!

Thanks.

This boomers off to the 'smith for black matte cerakoting on Thursday, stock will be here tomorrow, it will get a full bed too, went with a set of Leupold QD bases and rings with the small levers, a spare 1.5-5 Leupold will do the guiding for the 500 gr Woodleighs.

A couple photos of my Mauser 458 Lott

I am not 100% positive, but isn't a Kar 98b built on a small ring/large thread action like the Kar 98a? I thought the actions were the same but not the configuration?

If it is the small ring/large thread action it is not suitable for much more than a 257 Roberts although I have owned and fired many Kar 98a in 8x57 with full power loads and a 30-06 or 2

ETA: A Kar 98B is a standard Large Ring 98 action of WWI vintage. Most are just fine to build anything on. The really safe 98's with no worries are 1935-1943.

WOW, very nice Butch, mines only going to be an all weather all game basher just like my VZ-24 Mauser in 416 Taylor.

Thanks for the safety concern just the same sbrmike.

Mine is a VZ24.

Jim Kobe did the beautiful stock.

Nice! Bet it shoots well too.

Another of mine that hasn't been shot yet.

You gonna rectify that with a little load workup range time then bust a cape buffalo with it?

You know, I was in SE Okla. a month ago and saw a couple nice Elk just out of Clayton.
We have some big squirrels here at the house. They are very aggressive.

I've been living full time in SE Okla for 20 years and have never seen an elk, but see large squirrels regularly, namely the two legged variety ;]

I go to the Choctaw Indian Clinic in Talihina for my eye checkups. I pass through Clayton. Just east of town Wife and I saw them. The girl at the clinic said her brother has shot a couple through the years.
http://wildlifedepartment.com/outdoor-news/two-state-record-elk-recognized-single-day
I guess Okla. has an elk season now.

10-4, got a couple Buds in Bengal and Buffalo Valley down that way, they've seen em too, IIRC our Elk hunts are draw only.

Make sure you stick to solids with those squirrels, need to get good penetration...nothing mare dangerous than a wounded squirrel, you could lose your nuts if you're not careful.

CowboyTim, I almost learned it the hard way!

'Smiths got her refinished in midnight blue cerakote, I had him drill and tap the 6-48's to 8-40's, full length stock bedding job as well as bottom metal and rear tang turned out nice.

He drilled, tapped, and installed the barrel sights, and installed a nice barrel band sling swivel as well, getting together with him for a nice purple and black speckled paint job for the stock.

Switched scope ideas, gonna mount an old 3X Leupold I got from Dirtfarmer, it should be perfect on a 458 Mauser.