Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Light weight stock for a Mauser 98

I've got a nice commercial Mauser action that I'm thinking of using for a custom rifle. I'm not planning on making a feather light mountain rifle out of it - if I were, I wouldn't start with a Mauser action - but I'd like to drop a pound or so over my wood stocked 30-06.

Any suggestions?

natman;
Good afternoon, I hope this finds you well.

I've done a couple builds with Wildcat Composites stocks and Stuart makes an honest 20oz, extremely stiff synthetic stock.

The downside is they'll need to be bedded and finished, it's not a drop in fit, but as I do that it wasn't an issue in those builds.

Somewhere in here from back in the day I had a thread titled "98 on a diet" where I showed the various parts and how I ended up with a scoped .270 that went 7lb on the nose loaded and with a sling.

I'd find it for you and give you a link, but my computer appears to have shuffled off this mortal coil in a power surge this morning and I'm struggling to post this in a Chromebook.....

Hopefully that was useful, good luck whichever way you decide on the build and good luck on your hunts.

Dwayne

Edit - It's from 01/09/10 and most of the photos have gone now as my Photobucket account is no longer. There were photos on the computer that died this morning...

I can't even figure out how to copy and paste with this infernal contraption, which I realize is my own shortcoming and not it's issue. Sorry

I have tried several over the decades, and these days go with Mark Bansner's Hi-Tech stocks. They're pretty light and VERY strong, and recently Mark redesigned them so the inletting requires far less work than it did in earlier versions.

But even the older ones were very tough. My oldest is on my FN-action .338 Winchester Magnum, which I've traveled a LOT with to hunt in different places from Alaska to Africa, and even Europe, where a hunt in Norway's fjord country in some of the roughest country I've encountered. There was also considerable horseback hunting, which can be very hard on any kind of stock. Have seen other synthetics break at the "wrist" when used on horses.

Ditto this.

Have built on several, The Bansner is excellent. If you can find an older Cloward Pacific Research or Borden it's equal or better.

I found a Banser & Company: https://www.bansnerandcompany.com/
and
Hi Tec Composites: https://www.greatnorthprecision.com/Brands/HI-TEC-COMPOSITES/custitem1/HI~TEC-COMPOSITES

but neither seems to offer stocks for Mausers.

Hmm. That's news to me, and I contact with Mark pretty frequently. Will ask what's going on.

My guess, however, is that like many shooting-product companies they're being swamped by demand lately, and may not have time to produce 98 stocks, which probably are in less demand than the ones listed for Remington 700s and Winchester Model 70s.

Mauser actions aren't that light to begin with. This FN with 24", 6.5x55 Shilen, is in a McWoody Classic, Edge fill. It's pretty light and handles well.

Edge fill is now only offered with molded finishes with black backgrounds, as sometimes the black carbon shell would show thru the finish. This brown finish did fine, but it is my understanding that you can't get a McWoody Edge any longer.

DF

I bought a Bansner-Hi-Tech Specialties stock from Brownells, great stock, nice light and stiff for the 6.5 Swede build.

I am considering either Wildcat or Bansers/High Tec/ LAW stock..

Highest cheek weld and longest grip is highest priority..


Anybody tried both?

This is my Brown Precision 98 Mauser in 30-06. Chet Brown rebarreled my father in-laws FN back in the late 70's.

When it came into my possession the wood stock didn't fit me at all so I took it to Browns to have Mark Brown make a Classic Pounder with kevlar and have them coat the action and bed to the stock. The stock ended up a pound and a half with paint, bedding and a Decelerator.

All up it's seven pounds ten ounces which isn't super light but good enough for a Mauser.

That's a 14 ounce reduction from my current Mauser, which is what I'm shooting for. I've had Brown Precision stocks before and would happily get another. Does yours have a floor plate or a blind magazine and trigger guard?

I'm running the FN floor plate and trigger guard.

Call Alex Sitman at Master Class Stocks -- https://www.masterclassstocks.com/

He put my G33/40 into an older Banser Stock. His work is amazing. He would know what is currently available and what would work. Great guy

As of February Wildcat Composites can’t ship to the USA—his insurance company won’t let him. Had a half hour conversation with Stuart trying to figure out how to get a stock across the Medicine Line…….

Bought a Bansner instead. During the conversation with Mark I swore he mentioned his new design stock was available for Mauser actions, but I just checked and the website doesn’t mention it.

The Bansner is in the raw, and a L/A M700 ADL stock came to me slightly under 22 oz.

Damn nice rifles DF and JLimbo, nothing like a custom Mauser build a man has dressed the way he wants.

The action is a good place to start at losing weight. Find a HVA small ring that is FN style they have alloy bottom metal. The rifles these were in were stamped High Standard and JC Higgins both have a fairly light contour 22" barrel. mine are 270's but I have seen them in 30-06 also. I haven't seen the need to replace the wood stocks yet with synthetics because they are fairly light as is. Mb

Plenty of old Mauser sporters around at 7lbs and a little with a regular 98 and all. How'd they do it?

How long did it take to get the Bansner?

I went with a Brown Precision. Mine looks a lot like Jlimbo's, but a little heavier and it's a 280AI. If there is such a thing as the perfect rifle for western hunting, this rifle would be a candidate.