Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 1939 mexican mauser action

I have a chance to buy a custom rifle . the action is a Mexican mauser action (1939) it has a timny trigger, custom barrel . chestnut stock drilled and tapped with Redfield base and rings and Burris scope. in 257 Roberts the gun is 15 to 20 years old. has been shot . the in side of the barrel is very sharp and clean. A local guy said to stay away from this action.it was to weak for the 257 rob. and the barrel would loosen up if you shot it a lot .I have a FN a CZ and 6 Swedes. but I don't know any think about this type of action . the rifle looks to be well made. fit and finish is very professional. what do you think is this action strong enough.to hold up to the 257 ill shoot it a lot if I buy it.

I would worry more about your local guy's advice then I would the Mexican Mauser.
Buy it , shoot it and enjoy it.

It will outlast you.

Nicely said.

Since Mexican Mausers were chambered for the 7x57 Mauser cartridge, I fail to understand why they would be too weak for a .257 Roberts. I have had two rifles built on Mexican Mauser actions, a .257 AI and a 7mm-08. Both are a little over 20 years old, and both have been used hard and put up wet, so to speak. Neither has shown any sign of weakness. They just keep on ticking. If the rifle was built by a competent gunsmith, I would have no qualms about buying it and shooting it.

Mexican Mauser's have always been sought out because they are good. 257 Roberts ain't Thor's hammer. Buy it and enjoy it. I would.

The local guy is full of s hit.

I like the Springfieldish look of the last SR Mexican Mausers, so I'm a fan.

It sound like your friend doesn't know $hit about SR Mexican Mausers or he's trying to get you to look elsewhere so that he can buy it for himself.

I'm in Omaha and would be happy to look at it for you, let me know.

thanks for the info Ill try to post photos and a range report.

Get yourself a large set of Vise-Grip® pliers, large enough to grip the barrel over the chamber area, and apply them firmly to your local guy's lips when he tries to "help" you with his advice..

Pics at your earliest convenience please.

He may have actually meant that the rifle would develop excess headspace instead of the barrel literally "falling off". I doubt anyone could say for sure one way or another that any military action will or won't develop excess headspace after extended shooting. Nevertheless, if the rifle was put together properly then reasonable loads and reasonable use should give at least a lifetime of service.

I have built and worked on several Mexican actions...I won't build on one without heat treating...I have seen too many with growing headspace and scope screws striped..
Remember 257 Roberts is lower pressure but mos guys with a custom rifle hand load and warm it up...that is when you se problems....
You should buy it...and have it heat treated or at least do a hardness test...

I have had no issues with a Mex Mauser in 257AI and 260 AI. They are lightweight and small but have the features of the 98.

OMG it's going to blow up!!!
They're sought after actions, wish I had one. 257 Roberts seams to be the favorite cartridge people barrel them in too.

I bought a Mex in .284 Win that a gunsmith built for his kid but the kid had other ideas. It was heat treated and had a 24" Shilen barrel with 9.5 twist. I shot a bunch of West Texas whitetails with it when I lived there. It was an easy MOA shooter and I never had any issues with it. I hung on to it after moving to California but eventually sold it to a fella back in Texas who is still smacking whitetails with it.

Mex Mausers are 98 actions, right? If you really want to, you COULD have a good smith do a hardness test on the bottom of the receiver ring, but given it's already a custom, that was probably done anyway.

Well put Dave....
50 years ago there were a slue of smiths building custom rifles..no different than today.....we build rem 700 s mostly because of the availability of parts and endless options....50 years ago it was mausers...for the same reasons...Fajin and bishop was like McMillan or HS precision....also the same as now there was quality work done and some real hack jobs....the best builders had there own heat treat ovens.....some were just stock makers and did wonderful work and just bought pre threaded short chambered barrels and didn't do heat treat..
for the most part this is why mausers ,even nice ones only brig a few hundred dollars on the used market..the Mexican is my fav along with the HVA...

Rainierrifleco, what hardness do you look for prior to doing any work on a 98 Mauser, and what hardness do you take them to when you heat treat one prior to your build? What type of steel do you use for getting your heat treating specs and does this vary with the type or age of the 98?

On an un heat treated action I have never seen over R3. They are In the 30 range when heat treated....
Pacific metallurgy in Washington state does all mine.....they are an aerospace contractor and have the most sosificated equipment on earth...Jim the shop foreman is a gun nut and they do this as a sideline...

Good information. Thanks.

Did I believe is the operative word. I was told by a colleague that they no longer heat treat receivers. A real shame.

Hardness testing on the underside can be next to worthless depending on the action you are testing. For example, any 98 hardened using the "Pack" method. They are hard on the lugs, lug seats, and other wear or impact points but fairly soft elsewhere.