Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Mausers worth the headache?

Here is my VZ-24 in .358 Norma mag. I like it.





donsm70

Jeff,

Good to hear you still have that Mexican .257! That was one of the last walnut stocks I did. Just didn't have time for much stock-work after that.

The most cost-effective way to get a 98 Mauser actioned hunting rifle is definitely NOT starting from the beginning with a military action. There are too many good commercial-actioned 98's around, or used custom rifles built on military 98's with some or all of the work already done.

But there is also a certain something about a rifle put together the way YOU want on a good military 98, whether you do some of the work yourself or hire it done.

These days, however, the lengths to which some people go are incredible. 50-75 years ago a lot of custom 98's were built with the military magazine assembly, but today many people replace the perfectly good hinged floorplate of the 1909 Argentine (perhaps the major reason 1909's were always desirable) with custom "bottom metal" costing $600. Then there's the money spent turning a military 98 into a "double square bridge" with a lot of welding, machinging and filing, when you can buy a CZ 550 or Ruger Hawkeye with the same basic feature.

However, rifle loonyism knows no bounds. It's never been about need or practicality. Instead it's about WANT....

I like it also, I love the wood on that, very unusual, do you know what kind of wood that is?

Here is a 1909 I threw together in 240wby.
The cool thing about building a custom is you can pick barrel contour, twist.... two position or three position firing pin blocking safety or a trigger blocking safety...
You can satin blue, rust blue or cerakote...
This Mauser is an 8 twist #1 contour, 3 position safety, finished in graphite black cerakote.
An earlier poster said they are a waste of money and you should just buy a factory rifle? really?
It cost just as much for these options whether its a Remington or a Mauser. I do most of my own work so my customs Mauser's don't cost a fortune and it's very rewarding.

I could hunt that one, quite happily. Very nice work, nicely balanced build. One question, did you do the stock from a blank or a semi-inletted stock (and if so, which pattern).
All these pics make me think about trying a project next winter, to keep the winter blues away and get another one in the house! Quite sure I'd do it on either a commercial mauser (FN or Husqvarna) or one already sporterized (at least drilled/tapped and the bolt handle done).

You most certainly can, in just about every meaningful way. It's a mindf�ck to 'engineer' something so revolutionary every major manufacturer missed it. Not to mention the privilege of paying triple for equal performance, and the divine right of recouping less than half of your 'investment'.

The OP should do himself, his kids, and everyone else a favor, buy a nice production rifle that fills a need, and invest the remaining fortune in Little Johnny's retirement fund.

GFY

You most certainly can, in just about every meaningful way. It's a mindf�ck to 'engineer' something so revolutionary every major manufacturer missed it. Not to mention the privilege of paying triple for equal performance, and the divine right of recouping less than half of your 'investment'.

The OP should do himself, his kids, and everyone else a favor, buy a nice production rifle that fills a need, and invest the remaining fortune in Little Johnny's retirement fund.

GFY

Yeah, there are those that are completely satisfied buying Harbor Freight tools, using them a little while until they break or wear out, and replacing them. Then there are those that prefer to get the best tool they can afford and enjoy many years of trouble free service. I guess we know which you are.

Here is my latest Mauser.

A Higgins (F.N. Belgian) .30-06. It wears a McMillan Classic stock, Zeiss Conquest 3-9X40 #4 scope, Talley mounts, Cerakote Tarjec green paint and a Bold trigger. Just a rock solid no nonsence hunting rifle. I like it.




Terry