Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing M1909 Argentine Mauser - Lug Set-Back (Again)

To determine if lug setback exists, you need to perform a test on the action. With the bolt stripped and inserted in the action and closed, fasten a dial indicator to the action and the indicator pointer touching the back of the bolt. With a free hand, try to move the bolt fore and aft in the action and look for movement of the indicator needle, Do this with the go gauge inserted. Next, with the bolt partially opened (hopefully over any unaltered action lug surface) and notice if there is any movement or note the difference in the two indicator readings. What this will do is show if there is a step in the action lug surface. Confusing? Sorry

Again, thanks for the replies.

Jim: Reparable? Any ballpark as to the cost? Just a ballpark.

Repairable? Yes.

Cost, whatever the smith's hourly rate is for the time it takes them to machine the seats/lugs, plus the expense of heat treating. Then of course, the receiver at least will need to be blued. The other consideration is that the headspace with the original barrel may or may not be "good" afterward. If excess, then you are looking at setting the barrel back or some other means of re-establishing proper headspace. To complicate things, often, the "pocket" where the lugs back will pop back out during the heat treatment process. So, there are two schools (at least) on how to resolve: 1) Machine the seats and lugs if required, then heat treat. 2) Heat treat, then machine and or lap in.

option 2 is usually only viable if the setback is small. Tom Burgess liked this method when applicable.

This receiver had a goodly amount of setback when I acquired it. It needed a new barrel as well. The seats were machined lugs mated, and then sent off for carburizing. Rebarreled to 9,3x62 upon its return and restocked.

Repairable is good to know. Let me ask the estimated cost a different way since hourly rates vary: how many maximum hours are we talking, worst case scenario?

I am sure that others may have a different view.
Mausers are wonderful. I like them a lot. But fixing them is not always economic.
I have purchased nice hunting rifles, Remingtons, Savages, Winchesters, Rugers, for much less than it will cost to remedy your situation correctly.
Remove barrel, inspect seats for set back, set up in lathe, correct set back, reheat treat, reset up in lathe, lap lugs, set up barrel in lathe, correct headspace, re blue action and barrel, install barrel, these all take time. If youre doing it yourself, not such a big deal. Paying for a gunsmith to do it...can be really daunting.
If it were me, I would just move on, even though I really like Mausers.
Find a nice factory rifle and just hunt it.
I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but it will be much cheaper in the long run. Sorry, but that is my honest opinion.
re

Since the OP stated "Ignoring cost/benefit entirely, assuming we're talking about lug set-back, can this issue be fixed? If so, who would do it and any ballpark as to cost?" I attempted to answer accordingly.

Often, there are intangible benefits that shape our decisions, not just a strict cost/benefit analysis. There's a benefit to some in hunting with a certain rifle, or a type of rifle, that can't be overcome by cost savings alone.

But, on the whole, you are correct, it is probably less expensive to find a cheap rifle that to fix said problem.

I apologize, I did not read that part, or did not acknowledge it.
Yes, the work can be done.
It will be expensive. Quite a bit involved.
Sentiment is something I did not consider.
re

No apologies needed.

I've resurrected more than a few rifles that meant a lot more to the owner than did the expense of bringing them back to life. Some folks are much less attached to inanimate objects then others.

Thanks again for all the comments.

There's no sentiment in this rifle at all. I picked it up a while back to use when the afternoon rains make our hunting lease look more like Cameroon than Florida. My mistake was not running it through a full regimen of load development before spending money on it to have the bolt handle adjusted to better clear the ocular, as well as having a new safety installed. The entire rifle had been reworked long before I got it, so I don't lay any of the current issues at the feet of the fellow who did the work for me. Too bad it turned out as it did, really, as it puts five shots into less than 1.25 inches with the traditional 175-grain hunting load, and that's before tweaking the recipe.

So I guess my options are these: keep it in the safe for no apparent reason, or at some point spend the extra money on it to bring it back to life. Whether it's me or someone else, if it is ever going to be used someone will have to spend something on it. I'm just trying to get an idea of how much time might be involved. Five hours? Ten? More?

Thanks again.

If it was mine I would probably have it repaired. I would send the bolt to Dan Armstrong to do a new bolt handle.
One of Dan's bolt jobs

Another

Another

Dan is very good, fast, and inexpensive. http://accu-tig.com/

Length of time involved really depends on who does the work and how they do it.

Probably best to first figure out exactly what is wrong, then you'll have a better idea of what work needs to be done. Much easier to get an idea of cost once you know what all needs doing.

Good points. I appreciate it.

That is a nice looking rifle, Butch. From the sounds of it it's going to take more than just a bolt handle to get things back in order. I'm gonna chew on it. Who knows - maybe I'll splurge for another sheep/goat rifle...which a pig hunter in Florida needs like an Eskimo needs a bikini.

Kinda like my 458 Lott for my Texas squirrels.