Actually the mauser was to be my revenge as it was pretty much scavenged parts and I was hoping for pity. The rifle she decided was hers is a 7 in 7-08 in what pak has called a "sexy" piece of burl maple.
I was looking for ultra-light and inexpensive and cut no corners on keeping it cheap <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> The trigger guard I love is the ADL and I use it for everything, rifle-wise. I got a little stash when a certain manufacturer/poster here gave us a shot at a great deal!
The front screw into the action on them is always best not used. I use a wood screw bedded in the stock. To keep the weight down I slimmed the depth of the stock through the magazine area about 3/16" and rather than using a full depth magazine I made it a two-shooter (repeat after me, "cheap!") with a single cartridge sitting on a bed of velcro, loop-side. The fact Velcro has a function in the sporting world amazes me to this day <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.
Weaver bases bedded in epoxy and compact Leupie is what it usually wears, though it currently has a better 6X B&L for range "work." The original trigger failed and I put in a Timney I had on hand. I had to shorten the trigger to keep it inside the guard...
The action was one of 5 '98 7x57s I got a screaming deal on by taking the lot. This was the last and I was looking for sympathy and thinking a replacement barrel might be the goal as this was by far the worst of the barrels I got. STill has the military steps and crown, a real sympathy magnet!
Then I started making mistakes...
The other 4 had not shot and had been traded off. This last was bait for a new barrel as I figured once I built a stock it would make sense to rebarrel it when performance was found lacking...
I had a piece of myrtle on hand that did not look all that special in the rough. A little bit into the project it started looking better and by the time I had all the scales off that fish it was/is gorgeous!!! At a bit under 6 1/2# all-up, loaded and slung. Then the real heartbreak... the sucker shoots in incredible fashion and just won't stop!
I bumped into a yard sale where a guy was selling a case of Federal 7mm that he had thought would be 7Mag... the whole case came home with me for less than .10 on the dollar and the rifle loves it.
It has become a favorite rifle...
For your purposes I would suppose you want a full magazine and that means you need to locate a magazine box, easily done at the surplpus rifle pimps' places. The follower made need to be played with to change cartridges, but is a long way from rocket science!
hope this helps
art
edited because some goofball (me) typed '96 instead of '98 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
