Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Response to Barsness' Challenge: "Still The One"

Bailey hand plane, as made by Stanley and many others- and still in production. I use one of my No.s 1 through 8 hand planes at least a couple times a week in my shop/job, as do pretty much all serious woodworkers I know. As with the Mauser 98, parts from current production planes generally fit early pre-1900 ones. In fact, the No. 2 I use probably more than all the rest combined, was made pre-1899.

Unchanged since 1882, and still the best way to open a bottle of wine.

It is the best way to open a bottle of wine. Though I once did it with a Dewalt drill when we were sleeping on the floor in the new house.

There you go, wine bibbing. Wine openers helped France stay on the "most occupied" status for two consecutive World Wars...

No modern bolt action rifle design has improved on the basic Mauser 98. Some are cheaper to make, some are fancier, some may be stronger (questionable), but the M98 sets the standard in style, functionality and ......

Note that it was invented by a German...

The sneaky bastids...

not quite the best .... flushing toilet .... beats a squat by a tree

It was also Germans that planted the trees along the boulevard to the Arch de Triumphe so that whenever the Germans invaded France, they could do it in the shade...

You may invade our country but leave us be free to make our creamy sauces.

It's better heard in a French accent.

UFO's - Flying saucers

John, in your opinion what would be the best genuine Mauser 98 action to build a working rifle on? Probably not interested in mark -x, or non C ring FN's.

For me a better question would be who makes a modern one that doesn't weight too much

I like Mark X's and FN's (and don't really care whether they're C-ring or not), partly because all the major "sporterizing" stuff has already been done. Plus, the bolt handle shape hardly ever interferes with scopes, and the knob is swept back far enough that you don't have to reach forward for it.

But if you just don't like either action, there are several good military actions--and for a working rifle the conversions required wouldn't be all that expensive. I'd even just rework the military trigger.

1909 Argentines are normally very well made, and they already have a hinged floorplate if that's what you want, but they're usually pretty expensive these days. (The real 98 super-custom loonies often replace the floorplate with custom bottom metal anyway, even though it's really all that distinguishes 1909's from other good military actions.)

Usually you can get a decent pre-WWII VZ-24 action for a lot less money than the 1909's, but the actions made during German occupation can be iffy. I'd probably look for a good VZ-24, and the non-hinged military floorplates won't EVER open accidentally. The German- or FN-made military 98's for South American countries are also usually good.

Some FN commercial actions came with the military style floorplate, though more streamlined and without the extra-locking screws. It's what's on my FN-actioned .338, for instance.

John, I hear you on the C - ring issue. However not having the feature might set my rifle loony old into a tail spin.

Yeah, I know all about that in other ways! It's kind of the Martha Stewart Syndrome for Rifle Loonies: Everything must be just so....

Kimber

A Kimber isn't even close to a Mauser 98.

Got a chuckle out of this caption on page 70 Nov/Dec 2014 issue of Sports Afield. "Few mechanical devices developed in the eighteenth century are still considered the very best. This K98 was made in Erfurt factory in 1915."

Didn't know that the 98 Mauser really meant 1798.

It really was ahead of its time!