Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Guys that went the custom mauser route

i like mine, but if i was doing it again i would buy a savage or remington or winchester action and build that way.

Worth it. But I wanted a mauser. If you like that Husky, build it. You will just wish you had...

I consider the Ed LaPour 3pos safety, too, if he makes one for the Husky--don't know. I have a couple of Jim Kobe's (jkob) 2 position safetys and I like those as much and you save 200 bucks. I run a 2pos if I have hinged bottom metal and a 3pos with a blind mag.

Run Bansners and MPI.

Do you really want a new rifle...or a new project...:)

Do you have a weight target? It sounds like it is going to be hefty...

I sure can't find fault with your choice.

Here is mine

.280 Rem
VZ-24 action,trued and the lugs lapped
#3 Shilen CM @24" with a recessed crown.
1909 bottom metal
All highly polished bluing except the bolt assy.
Timney trigger set @ 2 lbs and Timney safety.
French walnut stock that I found at the Tulsa gunshow last April, Ebony fore end and grip cap, inletted swivel studs,bedded and a very comfortable palm swell done by our Claude Gatewood from the 'Fire. This is some stockwork.
It weighs in at a svelt 7lbs 15ozs as it sits.

Before finish



After finish

No weight targeted but Iam sure it will be lighter than my 11lb rifle I am using now.

Thanks you guys nice guns making the decision harder.

Good looking Mauser rifles you guys have posted.
Basically, I am a Mauser 98 guy, and have a number of rifles using that action.
There's just something about Mauser action rifles that exudes CLASS...

I have a 700 with a Hart and McM in 280. It is a nice accurate rifle wearing a 6X42 leup.

That said, I hunt mostly with a 7X57. It is a 98/22 fitted with a 24" pac nor, high tech stock, timney, and a 4X M8. It has an older Buehler safety, but I cut a shroud for a PME and someday will change it. It is black texture painted and hot blued. I think long sweeping bolt handles are nice to look at, but being skinny with no rib meat, the handle on this is short and tucked into the stock to save my ribs while slung.

The only thing I do not really like about the rifle is that I used a b square rail just to try one. It works well, but is fugly. It's twisted 1 in 10 with a short throat and loves 150 BT's. I picked up a bunch of 139 Horns cheap, and that is my usual hunting bullet in both rifles.

I mentioned the 280 only to show that I do not hunt with this rifle because it is the only 7mm choice I have. I hunt with it because it works well and is a pleasure to shoot and pack. All work was done by myself in my back yard shop.

I'd guess I have about 600 into it if I did not count the tooling, bluing salts etc.. It is worth it.

I have two customs built on Mauser actions and gave another two to a couple of my grandsons. The two that are pure customs with Krieger and Lilja barrels and fancy wood did not cost any more to make than my pure customs with similar wood that are built on pre-64 Model 70 actions.

Of the other two, one is a semi-custom on a JC Higgins action that retained the factory barrel (it shot too well to replace) with a nicely finished and checkered Fajen classic stock that was rough-shaped when I acquired it. The total cost of that one was less than $1K, scope included. The other, built on a Mexican Mauser action has a Krieger barrel in a Rimrock stock and finished up right around $1K for everything. These prices include two-position side-swing safeties.

I am partial to CRF actions with Mauser type extractors and would not have been as happy with the same rifles built on Remington, Savage, etc. You pays your money and takes your choices...that's what it all boils down to. I build rifles to suit my whims at the time. I don't regard my customs and semi-customs as investments--they are tools and I like fine tools.

Here's mine, chambered in '.430 Express', before heading off to be cerakoted. CZ24 action, Montana barrel, Bold trigger, el-cheapo [bleep] synthetic stock and Leupold 2X7. Shoots little bitty groups ( for a .430 diameter bullet) and suts my needs perfectly.

It is like the ol madam at the house said"your girlfriend just knows what you need, but I know what you want.........."

Or maybe it was Ruthie at the Honkie Tonk Saloon??????

Anyway, get what you WANT.

My hinged floorplate and trigger guard are Remington, probably for their 798 series CRF rifles. Don't really know what my gun makers did to adapt the 1942 Mauser action to take the '06 rd. I just told him what I wanted in the way of design feature, weight etc. and he did all of the work.
I'm sorry I can't post pictures. New laptop Dell computer. When I go to Photo Bucket, they want to know where in my computer my pics are. Haven't figured that out yet. E

Working on mine right now. Strictly a beater sporter.

VZ24 trued and lapped, bolt bent.
Hi-Power takeoff 30-06 barrel (SCORE!)
Chapman Safety
BOLD Trigger.
Blind Magazine.
Walnut California style stock painted olive and stone textured on the forearm and grip.
Glassed and floated.
Reshaping an old RedHead Shotgun recoil pad for it.

All told I'll have less than $300.00 into it.
I'll probably spend that much on the scope and rings.

It is a lot cheaper go M70 route like alot have said but there is something about a mauser.

Right now I have a VZ24 down at a guy in NM whos making me a 375H&H. I'm sure I could pick up a factory gun for alot cheaper but....

I just picked up a steyr 1912 yesterday. real clean and sometime this year it will probably get a new tube (gonna go basic on this one).

Financially its not worth it but it is addicting.

you are right there is something about a mauser I just love them but they do require a little more work to make them great guns to shoot and carry but then only a true mauser nut like myself would understand why I keep doing it . my last one is a mauser based clone a 6mm-06 built on a 03 springfield .

let me know what you think.
the one in the back is a ruger .220 swift The one in the front is the springfield 03

I built this 7mmRemMag in October and hunted with it in Oct:
Brazilian 7x57mm Mauser VZ24 action
Lothar Walther CM 1300 taper Barrel blank
High Tech Specialties [Bansner] stock
Limbsaver large recoil pad untrimmed
PAWS Aluminum bottom metal
Headspaced to .215", not SAAMI .220"

7mm on a 1895 Chilean Action


7mm on a Yugo M-48 Action


.257 Roberts on a VZ-24 Action


Alright, it's not a Mauser, but it's a 1903 and that's about as close as it gets. (.270)

They have been fun and I have built them just for that. You will never get your money back out of them.

Fast Ed

I measured some belted magnum cartridges from different batches:
7mmRemMag
.215" WW
.213" RP
.215" RP
.215" WW

264WinMag
.213" RP

300 WinMag
.217" SuperX Nickel plated
.215" SuperX
.210" RP
.215" RP
.213" Win Super
.216" FC 07
.212" RP
.211" DWM
.211" FC
.210" FC

338 Win Mag
.215" WW
.211" WW

Love the fullstock Chilean

Shoot the donor, THEN decide if you want custom.
I have a couple of Mausers that were intended as donors but are now shooters in their original chamberings, at least until they die.
And I have a couple others that were good lessons in handloading and gun tinkering, THEY are now customs.
You'll probably never get back what you plow into a kustum anything, but the enjoyment is pretty much priceless -- especially if you do it yourself.

I've built a couple. They work for me.

Terry