Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Most you spent on a "project " Mauser

Bought a beat up old Mauser at my LGS that had belonged to a deceased neighbor. I got a smoking deal on it but it shot 6-8" groups.
Timney trigger
Bedding job
New barrel
New bolt handle
Bluing
New mounts and rings
Scope
Reprofile and restored the stock myself(at least that was cheap)

My $165 initial investment went up by factors of ??


Anyone else ??

MM


Almost forgot to ad I bought all the reloading components and dies for a 7x57( original chambering) and then rebarreled it in 6.5x55( already set up for that). Sold the 7x57 set up and came out about Dead even.

Yep happens all the time, but you get exactly what you want doing it that way.

It was someone else’s project before it was mine, and I haven’t done anything to it (yet), but I spent $650 out the door on a small ring 98 in a mannlicher stock with double set triggers and a butterknife bolt. Was debating rebarreling it for 6.5 Mauser or 9x57, but I can’t quite bring myself to do it

I have three that I need to do something with. Have under $300 into the bunch with original 8x57 barrels, turned down bolts, and all drilled and tapped. One had a Bubba'd military stock while the others had a plastic Butler Creek and a "fancy" Herter's stock. The Herter's gun will the first that will get done as it is a terrible shooter. I just have to figure out what to do.

Had a friend who was buying cheap custom Mauser rifles and always telling me he was going to have a gun smith do this and that to them. I havent seen him for a few years, but I dont think he ever done anything with any of the Mausers he bought. He would let me look through his man cave while we drank beer, he had stuff leaned in corners, laying on the floor, etc. He had a couple of FN Mauser sporter actions that were brand new.

I'm sure I've totaled over a grand, while DIYing.

Can't really say how much i have spent over the years.

One rifle stands out,it is a Model 98 made in Spandu and it is now a 35 Whelen.

I waited for 8 years to gather all of the pieces and i bet i spent around 300.00.

This was done back in the early 80's.

It started a wave that has not stopped but as most know the prices have gone bonkers on everything.

Mauser action $400
Scope and mounts $300-$400
stock $200 -$400
cheap barrel $100
good barrel $500
It can add up in a hurry even if you do your own work. I was gonna throw together
a rifle for my daughter and wound up with about 1500 in a 6.5x55. the Douglas barrel was the
biggest hit. Its a great shooter but some might say buy a Ruger or Savage for $400. I would
rather do it myself. There is a lot of pride in a job well done. Its not always about the money for me.

I am in total agreement with the pride in the work you do on the rifle and then using that rifle in the field. I even get a little of that with the handloading I do.

Probably not the most but about average for a utility build. this one cost more because I actually had it checkered:




Started with a $50 Big 5 vz24
Had it heat treated,
26" Douglas CM barrel
$100 stock, heavily modified
Rust blued


Sold it to someone who REALLY wanted it many years later.

Very nice! 338-06 IIRC.

Thank you, yes. It was a tack driver. I'm SLOWLY building another.

I found a 1909 Argentine Mauser at a gun show as a barreled action. The guy selling it wanted $600. O offered $300. He declined. That was Saturday. On Sunday he was packing up as the show closed down and hadn't sold it so I told him my offer of $300 still stands. He said he hadn't sold anything both days so said OK. $300. He also had an unshaped piece of wood that was intended to be the stock which came along with the barreled action. After about a week of messing with it I decided it was worth putting some money into the package. The action had little dimples where the the gun had been Rockwell tests so off to my gunsmith to finish the job. I left him with a list of what I wanted done and chained him to his work bench. He tore the whole package down and checked everything before starting work. The he had an accident so had to farm the gun out. He sent it to Sterling Davenport who did the lion's share of the work. Counting the initial cost of the barreled action and 2x4, shaping the stock, checkering and final finish, Niedner trap door butt plate and pistol grip cap. and other things like a proper trigger job the tariff was right at #3,000 and change.
That 2x4 that hadn't really impressed me turned out to be a very pretty piece of wood. In bright light that wood just glows. The rifle is chambered for the .280 Remington and will put three 160 gr. Speer Hot Cores into .75" day in and day out. Five shot groups still stay under an inch as long as I do my part. Every time I look at that rifle, I smile.
Paul B.

A teen in the fifties with opportunity to discover where my talents... Weren't! Quality gunsmithing labor relatively cheap and yet myself then as first real job, grocery clerk. My income of course behind gunsmith services affordability curve. My few project guns, also learning experiences! "How not" & "KISS principle" re project selection & management! Well learned early, worthy experience!

1. All kinds of guns out there. Wide choices. Many of the milsurps, far easier/cheaper to just buy into the "half-vast" product of someone else's money pit than stumble through my own.

2. 'Quick draw', several basic headspace "Field gauges" as critical eye purchase eval, 911 backup! . Stock/sight/accessory swapping, cold blue... Such my realm. All for personal pleasure. Never for profit. In respect of my established talents track record... Thank God!

2. Wisdom from an old Clint Eastwood movie: "Man's got to know his limitations." Well learned both in my few talents discovered & numerous lack of as necessarily admitted.

3. For me, "projects" of whatever sorts, my blind spot seldom dollar costs. "Time drain", the bugger. Under estimation!

Life as a learning experience indeed. Keeping it 'mostly fun and not harmful of others', my personal key!

Perhaps mine not the war stories contemplated by the O/P. But...
Just my take!
Aside... Z1R, beautiful rifle!
Best!
John

As far as time spent maybe 80 hours on my 375 Whelen AI.

Here's my finished product, looks nothing like Z1r's but I'm glad it turned out like it did. I'm kicking myself for not taking a " before " shot.

Long, storied past. Originally Czech built (dot code) in post war 1945, sold to Israel then converted to 7.62 in the mid 50’s. Sold as surplus to Guatemala in the late 1970’s where it was left to the elements till imported here in the 1990’s and sold cheap and in poor condition. There’s a little pitting below the wood line. The barrel was bulged several inches behind the muzzle and the stock was disintegrating. There was dirt and sand and vegetation under the butt cap.
The barrel was cut to 16.5”, a Choate synthetic stock was added, the bolt was polished and a manlicher style bolt handle was welded on. A Redfield receiver sight and steel front sight ramp were added, a Timney trigger, and finally an XS scope mount was fitted with a 2x pistol scope.
The whole process took over 25 years to complete, it’s been sold and re-bought twice to two different friends along the way. Now that it’s done my son can look forward to inheriting it after I get a few hunting seasons out of it.

I bought a mint Husqvarna M38 1995 for $150 intending to install a receiver sight on it. I ended up spending GOD only knows how much $$ on it such that the only parts left from the original rifle are the action and bottom metal. New barrel, new stock, new trigger, new bolt handle, new bolt shround/gas shield, new firing pin spring, express sights, D-T cock-on-opening kit installed, etc. I refer to it as my "money pit" or my "stone soup rifle" 'cause I kept spending just a little more money so many times that just a little evolved into quite a lot in the end. But it did end up looking like a pre-WW2 British sporting rifle and it is chambered in 256 Newton.

Money pit movie was 1986.
Stone soup story I heard from our grade school teacher in 1957.

My first Mauser project was in 1965, my second in 2000, I am working today on a mauser number x.



My Mausers do not cost as much in money as in time.

What you going to make out of that welded short-short action - that looks like a cool project!!

PennDog

That was supposed to be two vz24s chopped and TIG welded for 6mmBR and 7mmSTW.
We are still waiting for me to finish that.

Did you do the welding? Cool projects - I was going to go that way for a .250-3000 until I found a Kurz action😊👍.

PennDog

I have been over a grand a couple times. But never got crazy with wanting one that looked nicer than a model 70 super grade or something.

No.
The work was done by the late gunsmith, Randy Ketchum. So far my TIG welding has just been one Mauser trigger.

I don't think I'll be answering this question publicly... my wife might see it!

Don't even want to guess at the amount of labor dollars invested in this M98 1909 Argentno. Chambered in 204 Ruger, sleeved in an aluminum tube, lots of hand made stuff to make it all work smooth. Took about two years on and off to finish.

I can’t even bring myself to quantify the amount of money I spent on what was a favorite project of mine but what has now become a put in my stomach. Probably $6-7k?

It’s a really nicely customized Mexican SR 98 I bought here in 2008 and on which I paid as I went.

The pit in my stomach is because I sent the barreled action and a chunk of walnut with a check to a highly-regarded gunsmith in December of 2019 and was told it’d take 6 weeks to get the stock completed.

I check in with the guy once every 6-8 mon and never have any assurance that it’ll ever get done.

I’m done with this game all the guys I was comfortable working with have retired or died and I need another rifle like I need another hole in my head.

I'm not going to say what I spent on this faux Rigby in 275 by the time the rifle was finished.

I was going to have another built in 9.3x57, but bailed on that project after this one was finished.

I can't imagine anyone even getting a good start on a complete job in just six weeks, I wouldn't even have the barrel on hand in that time!!

Note, this was only for stocking. No waiting on parts. Everything was supplied.

It is sad that there are so few real gunsmiths left in the game. Most all these days are simply parts swappers.

Eric, any chance he'll refund you and send your bbl'd action and blank back?

I am sure he would but I don’t have any idea who I’d send it to so I just hope for the best.

You offering bro?

Oh yeah I totally get that but as Mike said metal was all done this gentleman was just hired to do the stock.

I'll let ya know.............

I have a grand total of $275 in a synthetic-stocked Zastava Mauser rifle in .30-'06 that I bought years ago strictly as a donor action. IIRC, I sold the Swift scope that came on it for 50 bucks, so........there's where I start. I still have not decided what exactly I want to turn it into, so.............

i am about to go down this road. my neighbor, who is moving, gave me a bubba'd 98 that - except for the incredibly rusted bore - has good bones. action is an oberndorf dated 1916, no rust, not even below the stock line. mismatched bolt that appears sound. same for trigger guard, also mismatched with slight guard ding. i am blessed to have a young bushcrafting friend who is a fine gunsmith. i'll take it to him next week to get a professional opinion, and discuss which way to go a new barrel/chambering, if everything is, indeed, sufficiently sound to continue. i'm 71. it'll be my last build, and will go to a son or grandchild some day ...

I didn’t spend so much $’s as hours on a Mauser project. Probably 4 or more times as much as a professional would have.

It seems to me that creating nice rifles from Mausers might indicate you have too much money.

Edit:

Making nice rifles from Mausers is like doing cocaine…

It’s God’s way of saying you have too much money.

Or, perhaps you just appreciate the finer things in life.

That is a really sweet VZ24. I don't build mausers, but have refinished a few and hunted some. If I run across one in the shop that is already done to my satisfaction, I'll buy it. Don't see too many really nice ones like that in my area though.

The last mauser rifle I bought was a factory H&R 340, chambered in 30-06. I have $385 into the rifle now, after selling the scope that was on it. I also glass bedded it and freefloated the barrel. Also had to fit and bed the scope mounts and of course add a red Pachmayr recoil pad for looks and comfort. That is the extent of working on this one:






She's definitely a shooter, after performing the customary work, I perform on all of my rifles:


While not "built", it's a good one. I'll let you guys build them. I'll just buy them when I run across them at stellar prices..

That's a nice find BSA, even nicer job of "refreshing" it. Like the Red pad much more than the original.

I've spent more than I should've, and less than I should've, and the results on all occasions bore testimony of that in terms of quality. I swore off this folderol long ago, except in terms of single shots but we won't go there - sometimes I learn the hard way and sometimes not at all! Now, and if it don't beat all, I've embarked on another one which I swear will be my last, again. It's a Mauser, sort of, in that it's a Springfield '03: I couldn't resist a really late pre-war nickel steel receiver with matching bolt numbered to it (which letters with SRS as being a bonafide National Match rifle's receiver), a match grade Krieger blank which has been contoured/threaded to match the old NRA Sporter barrel profile, a beautiful pre-turned somewhat-inletted NRA Sporter stock, M70 butt plate and steel grip cap which came from Michael Petrov's estate, Lyman 48 (new in box) and Unertl scope blocks (which Springfield would attach for a couple bucks if the customer requested it). The kicker is it's a .224 barrel - to become which to me will be the ultimate .22 Hornet. Bolt face, extractor, and barrel breech modifications are tricky but coming along. Rather than pull out what little hair I have left in making it a repeater it shall remain a single shot - suits me as it'll strictly be used at the range and maybe some occasional groundhogs (none of which sit still for a second swipe if you miss with the first one).

Griffin&Howe in the early 30's, in order to keep their doors open during those lean early Depression years, had a service by which they would take a customer's NRA Sporter from the Armory and gussy it up for a modest fee - to include refining the stock shape a bit, adding a horn fore arm tip, M70 butt plate, checkering, etc. What I'm creating is as close an homage to those rifles that I can do. But, since I have more .30-06's than any sane man needs, I chose to make it a Hornet (even though I already have four Hornets too!). I theorize that if a well heeled sportsman would've approached G&H circa 1930-31 for them to convert his Springfield thusly they would've cheerfully done it, I suppose. Anyway, stay tuned......

The most I ever spent on a "project" surplus build was on this 1909 Argentine. It ended up being a 9.3X62. Z1R helped me with a lot of it. I'll be forever grateful. I've spent more on custom Mauser builds but they were pre-planed builds.

Fresh from the pawn shop $75


After the ordeal was over with.

Yes, it is sad, but true.

My 2nd Dad was a full time gunsmith.......had a rifle he built on the cover of American Rifleman at one time, so I was lucky to have him as a mentor, & have access to all the equipment & tools needed, though I'll never have his level of skill in either metal or wood work.

I've built a few rifles on Mauser actions & this has generally been my recipe

Douglas Barrels
Mark X bottom metal when available, with re-shaped, streamlined trigger guard
Dakota 3-position wing safety
Timney trigger
Jewell bolt, extractor & mag follower
Synthetic stock
Usually HT the action
Weld new M-70 or Ruger type (Brownell) bolt handle
D&T for Conetrol bases & rings

I haven't done any in a while & still have several 1909 & VZ-24 actions that likely won't ever be used as I can't justify either the time or money to do any more today.

This is a pic of the last 2 that I did from several years ago...........a 280 Rem & a 25-06 on a 1909 & a Spandau action.

MM

Very beautiful rifle.

MM

About $4500 with the work done by Mark Penrod (so 2019 dollars)

- M96 6.5x55
- Ed LaPour 3 position safety / change to cock on close
- Hopewell 1-8" 3 groove barrel
- NEGC iron sights,
- Lots of metal smoothing and small custom work like non-glare on sights
- Talley detachable rings
- Trigger work and bolt position adjustments
- New bottom metal and muzzle end cap
- Wenig's did the stock.

Could not be more pleased every time I pick it up.

Pugs;
Good evening to you sir, I hope the weekend has been going more than less your way and you're all well.

Thanks for sharing that beauty with us, it's a very fine representation on so many levels.

I'm always reluctant to pick one rifle on a thread like this, but I'll admit to a soft spot for 96 actions, Monte Carlo stocks combined with Stutzen fore ends and the 6.5x55...

To be perfectly honest, I've not added up all the costs on this Mauser project, much less began to add up my hours on it.

It started out as a rust pitted between the wars Mauser roll marked action that I paid $35 CDN for, put an FN .30-06 barrel onto it and plopped that into a reworked Model 70 stock.

Then it had a smith up the valley adjust the headspace on a Parker Hale .270 barrel with a Wildcat Composites stock..

Around then I started to see how light I could make a 98 and after a few years had the same smith install a near new Swede military barrel onto it, which isn't the most cost efficient or practical way perhaps, but I wanted the very fast twist and deep groove barrel that the Swedes made in the '40's...





It was a fun windmill to tilt at, but not a cheap one for sure.

All the best to you all Pugs and thanks for sharing that beauty with us.

All the best.

Dwayne

And I may add he's not kidding. That rifle just feels "alive" in your hands.

I have 2 a 1908 7x57 in a mannlicher full length stock and a VZ24 in 25-06. Both have way more into them than I ever could get out of them. But that’s usually the case with custom gun builds. You can’t put a price on fun.

Pugs, that is a beautiful rifle. I love the stock and everything else about it. My son likes Mausers as I do and he loves a nice wood stock so I may end up doing one that he will get in the end.

I keep looking at the Dumoulin actions and then doing a nice wood stock and in a classic but capable caliber for up to Elk. I will probably have someone checker it as my hands wont let me do a good job on that anymore but will do everything else.

I just finished my Dumoulin action, a decent piece of walnut
and two different scopes in Talleys. It took a lot of work to make that Dumoulin smooth and ready to go.
I'm taking this gun on a brown bear hunt in a couple of weeks. I should get it plenty rusty🤣
I also have a Browning Safari at the rebore shop and a nice stock blank ready to go...
This could end badly.

For my own guns I have not spent a lot simply because the last Mauser I made for myself had parts I got 30-40 years ago.
Also a large part of the cost of a custom rifle is labor. Because I am a full time gunsmith and when I work on my guns it's for fun, I never counted my labor costs.

But today a good well made custom Mauser is not a cheap rifle to make up

I'm doing the wood. I'm keeping track of my time.


Work I DID NOT do: total about $800

Buy Chilean Mauser
Wisner safety
Bolt handle
Drill and tap
contour barrel
install barrel - Brazilian 1922 - 7x57 - 19"

Things I WILL DO:

GAG Stock - ~$200
- shape, finish, glass bed, etc...
Contour trigger guard
Rust blue

Also have a plastic stock. $80

Does the HVA 1640 count as a Mauser
$400 for rifle $250 for scope
$125 for Limbsaver recoil Pad (cut 1" off the butt at the same angle as my Zastava)
$20 (for a box of springs) replaced the trigger spring for a lighter one.
The trigger is now a sweet 2.7 lbs.
The recoil is very managable.

the oberndorf i mentioned a couple of pages ago now sports a timney trigger, modified bolt, cut and crowned stepped 8x57 barrel to 20," XS peep and ramp front, sitting in its original bubbaed military stock that has been further slimmed and shortened. i have $300 in the original free rifle in parts and paid gunsmith work. it shoots very, very well. i do have a free, older boyd's walnut stock that i intend to shorten and significantly slim. i'll bed it when done. as is, it is a slick handling, 6 pound 9-ounce hunter ...

I think I spent $285 on a Spanish 1916 project several years ago. Say what you want about them, it's been a great little rifle. No problems at all.

back in the early '90s i helped my gunsmith (friend, RIP) built my first Mauser. i had a '98 FN Mauser action and i swapped the original trigger to a Timney and a Bueler safety. i put an 30lb striker spring. then i bent the bolt handle and finished it, thanks to my gunsmith's advice. i bought a 20" Douglas featherweight in 7x57 and my gunsmith put it on. somewhere along the line, he also blued it. then he did a D&T and put a Burris mount on the rifle. then i bought a wood like synthetic stock. then i put a 3-9x Swift scope. it took me about a year till it was done. all in all, i think i spent about $500 for it. i loaded up some 139gr Hornady FN and IMR4320 and it is still a 1/2" group at 100 yards (5 shots/bench). my oldest son now has it and he still shots deer with it.

7x57



i also gave my youngest son a 1916 Spanish Mauser in a Numrich sporter barrel in 6.5x55. Timney trigger, Dayton Traister striker spring and cocking piece, Beuhler safety, D&T for a Leopold mount and a 3-9x Burris scope. i didn't have time to really test it, but i have got 120gr Nosler BT and IMR4350 that goes around 2700fps and it is a 1 1/4 - 1 1/2" at 100 yards (5 shots/bench). i would like to test it for accuracy, but my son likes it and he has killed a couple of deer with the 6.5 Swede. i don't what it costs, but i paid $100 for the '16 Spanish Mauser sporterized in 7x57, 7 or 8 years ago. i did the Richards gun stock (i am disabled), while the metal work was done by my gunsmith.

6.5x55



i have a Husqvarna m46 in 9.3x57 that needed a scope put on it. my eyes ain't what they once were. i took it to my gunsmith and he D&T, bent the bolt handle, Dayton Traister trigger, striker spring, cocking piece and a safety. i put on a 2-7x Leopold and i got 3/4 - 1 1/4" at 100 yards (5 shots/bench) with 275gr WFN GC with IMR4895.

9.3x57



i've done a bunch of '91 - '98 Mausers, esp South American ones. i only do sporterized Mausers, i stay away from mint Mausers.