Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats rebarrel FN mauser .270 to .458 win mag

well is it possible? have acces to an old fn mauser action and want a .458. i know it ould be alot of work and probably cost more than a production rifle but hey it don't hurt to ask. thanks in advance.

jake

Bolt face, extractor, magazine box and feed work would also have to be done on it in order to get it working

Better to rebarrel to 9.3x62 and build a separate 458; I just went through this process of pricing out converting a standard action to the 458, I ended up buying a Ruger M77 458 and couldn't be happier.

is the 9.3x62 the best way to go? wha tabout .375 or .411 hawk? any ideas on these? 35 whelen?

I have a .270 Win and a .35 Whelen in FN actions that are the absolute smoothest functioning rifles I have ever owned. There were no mods required other than the re-barreling.

I also have a 9.3X62 on a Brazilian 1908 Oberndorf that is the third smoothest functioning rifle I own. Again, no mods required.

I'd contact Roger Ferrell, he advertises in RIFLE and HANDLOADER.

He'll make you a fine .458


Mike

Like has been said, it can be done. Even though the cost is high, PH's in Africa LOVE any kind of mauser in 458 Win or Lott. If you are going to spend the money to build a biggie, may as well go 458 Lott. A well done mauser in one of these calibers is a thing of beauty and a tool of excellent heritage and function. It IS easier to build a 35 Whelen or a 9.3x62 and if you are not going to take the rifle to africa you would probably use it a lot more in either of these two chamberings. Not a dimes worth of real world difference between the two in my view BTW. If it were me, I would probably go 9.3 x 62 as I use modified CZ's for my true big bore rifles.

Jake, yes, it can be done, but you will need a new magazine box and follower to achieve the correct stack-angle, plus bolt face, extractor, feed rail, loading port, and feed ramp work. All of this will cost a lot of money, and it can be an uphill battle in terms of dealing with qualified gunsmiths, etc..

From a cost and simplicity perspective, converting a 30-06 size action to a 9.3x62 is a lot more practical.

If you want to convert to a short belted-magnum like the 458 Win., most of the time the most practical and cost-effective "conversion" is to trade an existing rifle in on a factory-original belted-magnum rifle, then rebarreling to the short belt-magnum caliber of your choice from there.

AD

I went the 9.3X62 route and have been very pleased.

I love a nice Mauser as much as anyone, but a rough feeding one just sucks. "up hill battle" like Allen said, most people that do this kind of work (that are good at it) are backed up for years.

Terry

Is it a FN commercial or military masuer?

it's a comercial action. i'm not very familiar with the 9.3x62. can i get some info?

.366 cal. standard weight bullet is 285gr. case is about the same size as a .30-06.

google it. you'll get all the info you need.

Terry