Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Flaigs Mauser rifle G33/40

Ran across a Flaigs 257 Roberts today built on a G33/40 action. It has a Ziess Terra 3x scope. It has a plain Jane walnut stock. It is a matt finish, looks hardly used at all. They want 1500.00 bucks for it. That seems like a good deal to me for a G33/40 rifle, plus scope and mounts. I should have taken some pics to post. I’ve never had a desire for a Roberts, but I have one G33, wouldn’t mind another. Should I buy it??

I’ve heard of Flaigs, are they a good rifle builder?

Thanks for your help!


Stock looks like this one, rather plain.

Generally Flaigs work was solid, they used Douglas barrels. I picked up a LW Swede 6.5x55 made by Flaigs last winter, it was a bargain. Yes, the stocks are rather plain but there was enough meat in mine that I could rework it into something nicer.

Ask iskra.

I have a Flaig's FN Mauser with a Ferlach Bohler semi oval barrel and a peep site.It is chambered in 458 Win Mag and looks nearly new. It was set in a hideous Stockys laminate stock that is tacky as a nylon suit from the 70s but the metal work is a beaut. I will find a decent stick of wood for it when I retire.

I’ll have it tomorrow, will post some pics, might have it rebarreled .

Sweet! Good snag!

Got dies coming, looking for some 100 grain TTSX to try, have 110 Accubonds and 115 ballistic tips to try. I know little about loading for a Bob

Their rifles i have been around have shot well.

The wife's cousin had one in 243 and it would make the shooter look good.

Well….. I bought the rifle, stock a little better than I thought, Timney trigger, ziess scope is really clear. I may leave it on, got a Leupold 4.5x14 I could put on it, could sell the Ziess. I wish it wasnt a Matt finish. It has a Douglas barrel, 22” long. I bought 257 Roberts dies for 25.00 bucks , need to find brass, gonna try some 100 TTSX and 110 accubombs, have 115 ballistic tips too.
I never thought I’d own a G33/40 rifle, got two now.

Could this rifle be reamed to 25-06 or 257 AI????

I never thought I’d own a rifle with a G33/40 action, but now I own two, both handle nice.

I'll bet there are a bunch that would be thrilled to find that rifle in 257 Roberts. If you have trouble finding brass, I may have some fired cases I could spare.

Thanks much for the offer on the brass, bought some earlier today.

A little checkering would spruce it up maybe? I have no idea the cost for that??

Welcome...that sweetheart may just grow on you!

Flaigs was a custom gunsmith/shop located inPittsburgh, PA. They specialized in Mauser actions but did use others. I had a friend that always had a gun being made by Flaigs and since we lived within an hour and half from the shop I would drive down with him at least every 4-6 months. The shop was located on a large wooded area and the shop was made from logs. Really a cool place and the gunsmiths were really kind and interesting and always welcoming. Their work was excellent and all of the rifles I shot were very accurate and functioned flawlessly. Around the Western PA area you can find great deals on Flaigs rifles from estates and trades at gun shops. They used many different barrels but since Douglas Barrels were close by in West Virginia they used the hand picked reserved barrels from them. You got a nice rifle, congrats. Your gun brought back good memories. Gary U

Thank you for taking the time to post that, good people on here!

I have 5 Mausers now, need to dig them out, take a pic of my basketball team.

I would contact parkwest firearms in SD. They are making lots of plastic customs and they have a lady in their who can really lace up a rifle nice. She could probably do it while she is waiting for work.

Nice lines on that stock, Hanco. Cool rifle.

Thank you, we will see how it shoots before long, got dies, bullets, and brass headed my way. Will load some soon.

that pretty rifle deserves some nice checkering

I used Ahlman's to checker my Zastava 6.6x55 after I reworked the stock. There is a lady there that does the work, I was impressed with the quality, the price and the turnaround. I can't remember who told me about them but I would use them again.

https://ahlmans.com/checkering.html

...and an ebony forearm tip.

.257 Roberts? I'd leave it the heck alone, dependent on how it shoots of course. No moss grows on the .257 Roberts. You might find 100 grain cup-n-cores shoot better than those long heavy weights you are keen on - that 50-60 year old barrel might be twisted a tad slow for "modern tastes".

A buddy snagged a drop dead beautiful original G33/40 at an auction we attended recently. Stole it for $900. We grinned the whole way out the door to the car and to the bar to celebrate.

I was wondering about the twist, better load ten of bullets I have, try them before I get too happy loading up a bunch. I guess I should get some 100 grainers to try, maybe partitions or GameKings

900.00 was Highway robbery!!!!

Haha! Yeah, we thought so. I had reason to cry at that same auction though - a pristine Winchester M52C Sporter went for $1500 and I was tapped out from having spent $4K just prior to that on a Pope barreled High Wall .32-40. So many guns, such little time....

Yes, I’d have more if I had more money, sold 3 Kleinguenthers last week, but bought the Bob, Oh well. I have some 100 grain Pro Hunters, will load them to try also.

Most 257s have a 10 twist, sufficient for bullets suitable for the velocities the 257 can generate. I can't see Flaigs using a 12" twist. But easy to verify for yourself. These days a good 100 or 110 grain bullet will make a fine load.

Funny, the 257 seems to have been the go-to chambering for 33/40's. The last one I bought had a 257 barrel on it, but the contour was just too heavy for the action. Spun the barrel off, put a new 7x57 barrel on it and restocked. Sold it for a goodly chunk of change. Still have the barrel. Not sure why.

When you stop and think about, there are no terrible cartridges for which these actions can be chambered in.

Oh, I can think of a few!


In all seriousness, these actions should be reserved for lightweight builds in medium or small bore cartridges. Drives me crazy when I see one built up in a heavy varmint rifle or the like. Plenty of other actions about that will fill that need.

I’m gonna see how it shoots, never had a 257 Roberts before. There was a time I would have a new barrel in the 30-06 family put on it, but I’ve seen grandkids slay many deer and pigs with a 243 with 80 TTSX bullets. They went down as fast as my cannons. I have a 6.5-06 Doumolin Mauser I really like, a Creed with more leg.

I hear what you're saying. Perhaps I should've said "cartridges that easily fit/feed in/out the magazine." .338 Win Mag could be chambered but would be a hair-puller to get to feed, and I wouldn't want to shoot it after it was done anyway! My buddy's "new" G33/40 is a real handful with hot-ish German WWII ball ammo, but is actually quite nice to shoot with American factory loads. (Yeah, we're old farts who no longer worship at the altar of "beat the snot out of your head" cartridge/rifle combos!!)

My two, both of which I love, are in 7x57 and 6.5x55. The 7x57 was a joint effort by Al and Roger Biesen. The 6.5x55 was done by Roger. Sadly, they have both passed.

Damn. I didn’t know Roger had passed away.

I only learned it recently. He died of heart failure in October 2020. The news left me with a very empty feeling. He was so very nice to deal with.

In addition to the rifles mentioned above, I have one that Al did himself. It is very close to a twin to Jack O’Connor’s favorite, being a .270 built on a Winchester Model 70. I am at least the fourth owner of it and it had not been treated the best before I got it. I would not have wanted just anyone to work on it, but I thought if Roger did it would be all in the family. So I approached Roger. He agreed to “touch it up,” and did a beautiful job. Then he shipped the rifle back to me before he even got my check! He said that, from the way things were done, he felt Al had built the rifle between late 1959 and 1961.

I had an Al Biesen built on a Commercial Mauser action, absolutely beautiful.

Two fine rifles by fine craftsmen, enjoy.

This G33/40 ended up as a beautifully lightweight, fast twist, .270 Win.


Sadly, no pics of the completed project but the reports it is VERY accurate and has put meat on the table.

Too bad they've become so crazy valuable as collector's items so as not to be candidates for sporterization anymore. I get the "collecting thing", but when it comes to milsurp Mausers I still rate them as to how well they'd take to sporterizing. I think the true value in these lies in what was done with the rifles pictured here today.

^^^^^ This, I'm not much of a collector but I don't seek out unaltered originals to customize. I tend to gravitate to altered but otherwise originals. But the market is full of badly sporterized rifles requiring a thorough inspection to determine if it is a suitable candidate for customization or sporterizing.

Yes. My 6.5x55 is an example. I paid more than many would say I should have for a G33/40 that had been converted. But I knew what I wanted, and that was a way to get the action. That rifle must have been built for a youngster or small woman. It was chambered in 6mm Remington, had a very heavy barrel, a stock with a serious rollover comb, and a 12.5” length of pull. I sent it to Roger Biesen and he said he could easily work with it. He produced a beautiful rifle.

Roger told me that the Biesen’s liked their rifles to be used. I’ve honored that. Both the 6.5x55 and 7x57 have accounted for a fair number of Scottish Stags and a few Mississippi Whitetails. A Scottish gamekeeper tried hard to buy the 7x57, saying he would handle all of the difficult paperwork. He was a nice guy, but the rifle is still mine.

I lucked into a pretty nice 33/40 a couple years ago, all original but the bolt and with the stock spray painted. Underneath was a really decent 33/40 that was too nice (and valuable) to sporterize so I sold it to a collector rather than tear it apart. Lately I have picked up a couple Brno small ring rifles to replace that 7x57 I wanted to build!

Hanco, Re19 with those Pro Hunters. I like my Bob so much I never pick up my 25-06.

Don’t have 19, got H and IMR 4350, Varget, H 4895, H380

I’ll look for some.

Nice rifle, Sir! I think you'll enjoy the Roberts with those 100 gr. Sierras.

I use them in the 308’s I have. They kill deer and pigs real well. I have some 100 grain TTSX to try for the heck of it too.

Smart move!

Got new scope on the new to me Bob.

My little group of mausers, ain’t enuff to call a collection.


6.5-06 Doumolin
7 mag 798 Remington
257 Roberts G33/40
30-06 G33/40
25-06. Husky 1640

Not sure who decides the number necessary to constitute a collection, but there is no doubt that is a nice bunch of Mausers!

That 4350 should work well too. Either flavor.

H or IMR 4350 with the 100 grain bullets would be my first and last choices.

That powder was always my go-to every time a .257 Roberts adopted me.

I’m gonna try that first, I got adopted, I’ve had that happen a lot in my life. I like that.

I use more IMR 4350 than any other powder, good thing I have 75 lbs of it, got 16 lbs H variety in case of emergency

For what it’s worth, Nosler indicates that IMR 4350 is the most accurate powder they tested with their 100 grain bullets. That works real well for me with 100 grain Ballistic Tips.

IMR 4350 was my first choice until I got an 8 lb of Ramshot Hunter which I’ve stuck with ever since.

I have Bob made from a 99 Arisaka. It's uglier than Nancy Pelosi but shoots well through a Lyman peep. My wife's uncle built it. He and my FIL used Arisakas bought out of barrels at Western Auto for $3 in the very late 40's or early 50. For some reason when a 117 hits a steel plate at 100 yards it seems to make a larger whack than my 30 cals.

I picked up a sporterized g33/40 2 years ago for $350

Gun was done mostly well, if not for a couple of poor attempts at tapping. Has a few extra holes in top, but with a Leupold base you can't tell. Stock is pretty basic m98 sporter, but the LOP is rather short, even with a very thick recoil pad. Not sure where I'll end up on the stock. I have a ridiculously light fiberglass of unknown make that would easy to bed in right. If I did that I was going to have it dipped in a woodgrain pattern. Best of both worlds!

257 is a strong contender, but I've been really leaning towards a 6mm Rem 8 twist with a very skinny barrel.

I’m curious to see how it shoots, it has a thin barrel, gonna get hot quick

Yielding after committing myself 'not to do it'. My "slightly Bubba'd" G 33/40 "four digit "b" series prefix "945 1940" dated carbine. In one of these, "slightly Bubba'd the equivalent of "slightly pregnant!" Metal appearing all matching, common original-wear finish, Only a small very neat marking on forward trigger guard "Germany". The wood it's Achilles Heel! "Tastefully bit resculptured, the term going with few rounds of good wine shared Here, going with a Leiter of Vodka, to self as "consoling"!

The fluted comb and not particularly visible trimming around the ejector box area as worthy of several shots of vodka straight in contemplating!

Bought this carbine in the about early eighties. What I naively perceived as "bargain priced all original" morphed to an era-overpriced specimen! Time only, healing such wounds. By now grown on me, a definite 'keeper'. Shooting an experience. Bergsteiger Folk conjuring, shots likely requiring some care & consideration if on skis! Dynamic boost backward, attendant! Myself 6'2" -injury prior- & ergonomically 'it' beating me up more noticeably than my usual .338 Win Mag pre 64 Model 70 w/pad.

Such Post offered for whatever worth!
Best!
John

8mm I’m guessing?

Referring to my "near virgin" 33/40 post above, yup, 8x57 production chambering retained.

Best!
John

I had a 98, all matching, made in 39, let a collector friend talk me out of it. It’s the only 8 mm I’ve owned. I’d like to have a 700 classic in 8mm. It would be good for the hunting I do.