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Originally Posted by SuperCub
Originally Posted by Craigster
Look for a nice J C Higgins Model 50.

A fine rifle as is or a fine action for the basis for a custom rifle down the road if that bug bites.

They do make good donors. But, don't shoot the donor... May shoot too good to part out... blush

Here's a link to my HVA project. Sort of a special type Mauser but a good one.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8948791/1

This 338-06 started life as a J.C. Higgins FN Mauser.

DF

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


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Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
This 338-06 started life as a J.C. Higgins FN Mauser.

DF

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]


Nice rifle, that one.

This is my JC Higgins enroute to being a 275 Rigby.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

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Looking good. I like what you're doing, look forward to seeing the finished product.

Unique bases and great metal work.

DF

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Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
Looking good. I like what you're doing, look forward to seeing the finished product.

Unique bases and great metal work.

DF


^^^^^^^^^^^
+1


Figures don't lie, But Liars figure
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Originally Posted by ready_on_the_right
My advice,

Don't do it! Turn off your computer for 3 weeks, take medicine. run away, it's a sickness!!

You'll be bitten by the disease when you hear, see and feel that beautiful action at work.

You can do it easier and cheaper with other actions

Mike

This is the absolute truth!!!!! Death of a thousand cuts is just around the corner.

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned a 1909 Argentine (marked "Berlin") Mauser. Many wonderful custom guns have been built up on this action, and many have been rebarreled to 30-06. You can get into one for ~$400 in good condition with basic wood... use the budget balance to upgrade the stock.

Here is an example of one. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/838073328
If the bore is good (ask the seller), probably the first two things I would do is shorten and recrown the barrel and install some medium height base-and-rings with a decent scope. If it shoots to your liking, put the next dollar into a blue job and start shopping for a stock.

Last edited by GrouseChaser; 12/04/19.
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I'd go for an interarms Mark X as the least expensive starter mauser. Solid, accurate, require zero modification, and can be found for $300-$400 ready to go.

Especially since the word has gotten out about the "sleeper" FNs, I think interarms are the best value on the market

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Originally Posted by MTDan
I'd go for an interarms Mark X as the least expensive starter mauser. Solid, accurate, require zero modification, and can be found for $300-$400 ready to go.

Especially since the word has gotten out about the "sleeper" FNs, I think interarms are the best value on the market

They can be a bit rough, but with some work with abrasives, they can be slicked up pretty smooth. Of course, keep the abrasive off the lugs...

Cheaper than tackling a military action. Those are nice, but be ready to spend a good bit of money, more than the the cost of a Mark X.

And sleeper J.C. Higgins FN's are still out there... Those FN's are gonna be slicker than a Mark X.

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When you say sleeper FN’s or hard to get FN’s are you talking about the Browning made FNs
Or commercial FN Mausers?

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I was referring to the store brand guns (JC Higgins, Wards Western Field, etc) as these used to often sell for less given the perception of a "Sears rifle" as a lower quality piece.

I guess I've never experienced any excessive roughness in the MK X. I think it's because they don't have 50 plus years of break-in like most FNs do

IC B3

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Originally Posted by MTDan
I'd go for an interarms Mark X as the least expensive starter mauser. Solid, accurate, require zero modification, and can be found for $300-$400 ready to go.

Especially since the word has gotten out about the "sleeper" FNs, I think interarms are the best value on the market


I fully agree.

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Originally Posted by DrDeath
When you say sleeper FN’s or hard to get FN’s are you talking about the Browning made FNs
Or commercial FN Mausers?

FN's and their Browning equivalents are more expensive than the J.C.Penny FN's but you generally get much better fit and finish. I think those guns are a good buy even at a grand or so.

A J.C.Penny FN is still an FN. Those guns have in the past sold for less than the value of the action. Maybe they've been "discovered", but I don't think by everyone. Deals are still out here, just gotta find them. I agree that generally they cost more today than a few years back. I've read that the barrels were fitted by Hi Standard, some were chrome line and they are generally pretty accurate, sometimes too accurate to part them out for a build.

So, if you get one for a donor, DON'T shoot it... blush

grin

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Originally Posted by MTDan
I was referring to the store brand guns (JC Higgins, Wards Western Field, etc) as these used to often sell for less given the perception of a "Sears rifle" as a lower quality piece.

I guess I've never experienced any excessive roughness in the MK X. I think it's because they don't have 50 plus years of break-in like most FNs do


Every action should be judged on its own merit. Yes, the sleeper FN's can be a great deal, but then so can the Mk X actions. Each have their pluses and minuses.

I had a brand new, in the box, FN Commercial in 7mm Rem that wouldn't feed at all. Beautiful rifle but if it won't feed it's [bleep].

I agree that the Commercial actions are the ones to look for, at least for those wanting to build a Mauser but not committed to a full blown custom on a milsurp style action. For the average consumer, the Commercial is already scope friendly, already has a 3.400" mag box and is set up to feed '06 length cartridges. These days the number of GOOD milsurp 98's has dwindled and the costs to recontour the rear bridge, drill and tap, and weld on a scope friendly bolt handle can add up to more than a rifle based on a commercial action can be acquired for.

Be advised that unlike the Sears JC Higgins, a good many of the Westernfield rifles were built on Zastava 98 actions (Mk X) or the Zastava supplied commercial intermediate actions (often sold as Heym) . So, inspect before you buy, don't assume automatically that a Westernfield Mauser rifle is built on an FN action.

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Originally Posted by GrouseChaser
I'm surprised no one has mentioned a 1909 Argentine (marked "Berlin") Mauser. Many wonderful custom guns have been built up on this action, and many have been rebarreled to 30-06. You can get into one for ~$400 in good condition with basic wood... use the budget balance to upgrade the stock.

Here is an example of one. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/838073328
If the bore is good (ask the seller), probably the first two things I would do is shorten and recrown the barrel and install some medium height base-and-rings with a decent scope. If it shoots to your liking, put the next dollar into a blue job and start shopping for a stock.


I have one of those that is now a .280 Remington. work by Lawson in Tucson and stock by Sterling Davenport. a 24" barrel and will push 160 gr. Speer Grand Slams (old 2 core style) into .75" all day long at 2910 FPS. I've been told it's too pretty to take hunting. It wasn't built for just lookin' at.
Paul B.


Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them.
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Originally Posted by GrouseChaser
I'm surprised no one has mentioned a 1909 Argentine (marked "Berlin") Mauser. Many wonderful custom guns have been built up on this action, and many have been rebarreled to 30-06. You can get into one for ~$400 in good condition with basic wood... use the budget balance to upgrade the stock.

Here is an example of one. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/838073328
If the bore is good (ask the seller), probably the first two things I would do is shorten and recrown the barrel and install some medium height base-and-rings with a decent scope. If it shoots to your liking, put the next dollar into a blue job and start shopping for a stock.


One reason that no one may have suggested the 1909 is that the OP's post made it sound like he wanted a turn key .30-06 Mauser. Responses were geared toward that assumption.

If the OP would have indicated that he wanted to BUILD a custom Mauser, I might have suggested a 1909 depending on his budget.

I would never recommend an inexperienced Mauser aficionado buy a sporterized Mauser to start their custom build on. Why? because all too often, they are not correctly drilled and tapped. Hole placement can be off, they can be off center or canted. A novice would not typically know how to correctly identify if these modifications were performed correctly and can trip up even more experienced owners if they are not diligent. In fact, this example you provide does a wonderful job of illustrating this danger. The scope base holes on the front ring are located too far back. The rear hole is drilled through the lug web or worse, through the face of the lug seat. A buyer would be pissing away $329 on this one and others similarly modified. Buyer beware!

Generally, much better for a prospective first time Mauser owner to buy an unmolested Commercial Mauser or an unmolested Milsurp action if they plan on commissioning a custom rifle. Too easy to get misled by the promise of savings "because most of the work has already been done" when all too often that work was done incorrectly.

A nice custom rifle built by a reputable builder can be a good alternative and often a bargain if the styling suits your tastes.

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Originally Posted by PJGunner
Originally Posted by GrouseChaser
I'm surprised no one has mentioned a 1909 Argentine (marked "Berlin") Mauser. Many wonderful custom guns have been built up on this action, and many have been rebarreled to 30-06. You can get into one for ~$400 in good condition with basic wood... use the budget balance to upgrade the stock.

Here is an example of one. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/838073328
If the bore is good (ask the seller), probably the first two things I would do is shorten and recrown the barrel and install some medium height base-and-rings with a decent scope. If it shoots to your liking, put the next dollar into a blue job and start shopping for a stock.


I have one of those that is now a .280 Remington. work by Lawson in Tucson and stock by Sterling Davenport. a 24" barrel and will push 160 gr. Speer Grand Slams (old 2 core style) into .75" all day long at 2910 FPS. I've been told it's too pretty to take hunting. It wasn't built for just lookin' at.
Paul B.


There's a world of difference between your Sterling Davenport rifle and the one offered on Gunbroker. I doubt yours has the scope base holes drilled in the wrong place as that rifle does.

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Originally Posted by z1r
Originally Posted by MTDan
I was referring to the store brand guns (JC Higgins, Wards Western Field, etc) as these used to often sell for less given the perception of a "Sears rifle" as a lower quality piece.

I guess I've never experienced any excessive roughness in the MK X. I think it's because they don't have 50 plus years of break-in like most FNs do


Every action should be judged on its own merit. Yes, the sleeper FN's can be a great deal, but then so can the Mk X actions. Each have their pluses and minuses.

I had a brand new, in the box, FN Commercial in 7mm Rem that wouldn't feed at all. Beautiful rifle but if it won't feed it's [bleep].

I agree that the Commercial actions are the ones to look for, at least for those wanting to build a Mauser but not committed to a full blown custom on a milsurp style action. For the average consumer, the Commercial is already scope friendly, already has a 3.400" mag box and is set up to feed '06 length cartridges. These days the number of GOOD milsurp 98's has dwindled and the costs to recontour the rear bridge, drill and tap, and weld on a scope friendly bolt handle can add up to more than a rifle based on a commercial action can be acquired for.

Be advised that unlike the Sears JC Higgins, a good many of the Westernfield rifles were built on Zastava 98 actions (Mk X) or the Zastava supplied commercial intermediate actions (often sold as Heym) . So, inspect before you buy, don't assume automatically that a Westernfield Mauser rifle is built on an FN action.



Seems to be pretty common on GB these days for almost any commercial Mauser to be tagged as an FN, whether by ignorance or design- who knows?


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Originally Posted by Dirtfarmer
Originally Posted by DrDeath
When you say sleeper FN’s or hard to get FN’s are you talking about the Browning made FNs
Or commercial FN Mausers?

FN's and their Browning equivalents are more expensive than the J.C.Penny FN's but you generally get much better fit and finish. I think those guns are a good buy even at a grand or so.

A J.C.Penny FN is still an FN. Those guns have in the past sold for less than the value of the action. Maybe they've been "discovered", but I don't think by everyone. Deals are still out here, just gotta find them. I agree that generally they cost more today than a few years back. I've read that the barrels were fitted by Hi Standard, some were chrome line and they are generally pretty accurate, sometimes too accurate to part them out for a build.

So, if you get one for a donor, DON'T shoot it... blush

grin

DF


Prices are all over the place. A year ago I bought an FN Husky with a good Lyman 4x for $375. Was looking today and you could find about any price imaginable. Still think an FN Deluxe is a great buy in a ready to go.


What fresh Hell is this?
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In the past this place has had some good deals but not much selection right now:

https://simpsonltd.com/new-long-guns/

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Originally Posted by z1r
Originally Posted by GrouseChaser
I'm surprised no one has mentioned a 1909 Argentine (marked "Berlin") Mauser. Many wonderful custom guns have been built up on this action, and many have been rebarreled to 30-06. You can get into one for ~$400 in good condition with basic wood... use the budget balance to upgrade the stock.

Here is an example of one. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/838073328
If the bore is good (ask the seller), probably the first two things I would do is shorten and recrown the barrel and install some medium height base-and-rings with a decent scope. If it shoots to your liking, put the next dollar into a blue job and start shopping for a stock.


One reason that no one may have suggested the 1909 is that the OP's post made it sound like he wanted a turn key .30-06 Mauser. Responses were geared toward that assumption.

If the OP would have indicated that he wanted to BUILD a custom Mauser, I might have suggested a 1909 depending on his budget.

I would never recommend an inexperienced Mauser aficionado buy a sporterized Mauser to start their custom build on. Why? because all too often, they are not correctly drilled and tapped. Hole placement can be off, they can be off center or canted. A novice would not typically know how to correctly identify if these modifications were performed correctly and can trip up even more experienced owners if they are not diligent. In fact, this example you provide does a wonderful job of illustrating this danger. The scope base holes on the front ring are located too far back. The rear hole is drilled through the lug web or worse, through the face of the lug seat. A buyer would be pissing away $329 on this one and others similarly modified. Buyer beware!

Generally, much better for a prospective first time Mauser owner to buy an unmolested Commercial Mauser or an unmolested Milsurp action if they plan on commissioning a custom rifle. Too easy to get misled by the promise of savings "because most of the work has already been done" when all too often that work was done incorrectly.

A nice custom rifle built by a reputable builder can be a good alternative and often a bargain if the styling suits your tastes.

Your observation of the mal-location of the base holes might be correct, or not. Hard to say without more photos, or maybe you have X-ray laptop? Also the OP said he preferred iron sights anyway. Based on that preference likely resulting in an undrilled receiver, you'd still opine against a '09?

Last edited by GrouseChaser; 12/04/19.
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