I'm laying the ground work for a Mauser project. I have the donor rifle in hand, an FN Model 1950 Moroccan contract that has already been Bubba'd. My goal is to build a 9.3x62 "working rifle" that's classically styled, but not fancy.

I'm leaning two different directions for sights:

1. Original sliding Mauser type. I have a sight from a carbine graduated to 600m that closely matches those on the Mauser model A spotters

2. Drill receiver for a Lyman 48 or 57. I have a Redfield peep on a .270 and love it.

I'm not going to drill for a scope, and it's important to me (mostly for novelty sake) to be able to use stripper clips, so I can't block the charger guide.

What say you? Traditional Mauser, or with an American twist?

I vote for the Lyman 48 or 57.

Lyman....
Redfield....
As long as it's steel.

American look!!!
We basically put the germans in their place twice.
We got more mausers in our country probably than what they have in Europe
Even if it is a FN action, still a mauser platform.
Make the statement my rifle is a naturalized American citizen now.

Hahaha!!!

LOL!!!!!

Haha! I suppose you have a point! Plus, the peeps are so much easier to shoot. I think I'll go that route

Though I'm I'm "Americanizing" it, I should probably go with a .35 whelen, but I'm going to stick with the 9.3

Here are some pics of the rifle now







Obviously I have some work to do.

LOL ..... That's some funny stuff right there.

WWI - 1914 to 1918. The Americans were a great asset to the effort in WWI but didn't even enter the war till 1917.
WWII - You might want to recheck your figures and consider how many Germans were killed by the Russians. That's were they lost the war.

My '44 BCD has a Redfield peep, stock front sight with hood and barrel. Works quite well.

...... x2!

Find you one of them Rigby bolt cocking piece peeps. I put one on a customers Oberndorf model "S" ( is that the mannlicher stocked one???) one time. Very sexy!!! But a bit pricey. There was a guy making real nice copies of them about 6-7 years ago. Ah! Robert Zimmerman was the guy I was thinking of.

Here’s one!

https://mclaughlincustomfirearms.com/rigby-peep-sights/

Ya I agree......
The germans had like 7 or 8 out 10 of their KIA numbers at the hands of the Russians during ww2
But.....
It is also pretty funny to me how my statement can be a chance for a "factual gotcha" type of partial quote in someones opinon of it just waiting for a chance to "prove big ole meanie ren50" wrong to feel good.
You had your opinon.

Here is my opinon...


The american forces had nothing to do with countering the Germans last shot summer and fall offensives in 1918 after they was able to transfer millions of troops to the western front after Russia dropped out of the war.
General Pershing refusing to allow the AEF to become absorbed in to British and French forces (except for 4 divisions) and insisting on his forces having their own sector of the front had nothing to do with blunting Germany's offensive or surrender at all.

Nothing whatsoever...

Lend lease in ww2 also had nothing to do with supplying the Russians with materials of war ( fuel, munitions and armaments) early on when their factories were sent east of the urals to get set up to run again.

Nothing whatsoever.....




We (as in the USA)kicked the germans collective azz,s twice....
That's my opinon......

They didn't call it "the Allies" for nothing. It was a collective victory over Germany.

That's the opinion of many. You're entitled to your own. Have a great day.

Well, since my action is [/i]Belgian[i] and made post war, the role each nation played doesn't concern me for this project.

Ok, other questions:

1. Rebarrel vs rebore? I think I'm starting to like the step profile, and the muzzle has plenty of meat for a .366 bore at .605. I've heard great things about JES reboring, and my barrel should be good modern steel.

2. Bolt handle. My original plan was to replace the handle with the FN swept back commercial style. I have a donor for just that purpose, but I'm second guessing if it's worth the expense to reweld it (or rather "have it rewelded" as that is beyond my ability).

3. Finish- I love the look of blued metal, but I'm leaning something more weatherproof. Maybe ceracoat satin black.

What are you thinking of doing for a stock?
Heat bending the bolt might be an option if the temper of the steel ain't screwed up.
Bunch of instructional vids on the web.
I have looked at em , but never had a need to try it.

What the heck are all those punched in holes in that one picture???
Any idea what a previous person was thinking???
Amazing what people do to firearms sometimes and not in a good amazing.

I have had graphite black on 3 rifles.

Had midnight black and a gloss blue combo on another.

All turned out good.
As long as the person doing the cerracoating is professional and dont substitute steps or materials.
It comes out good.

When people start substituting or reusing media for blasting
Or using gasoline insted of acetone to clean before spraying.
Is what cause adhesion issues.
That is the reason you hear about bad cerracoat jobs alot of times.

One guy here in clarksville that gets alot of work and has a very good rep is the go to guy.
Some others leave alot and I mean alot to be desired.
Fly by night shade tree outfits, customers get ticked off and wish they had paid 30 or 40 dollars more to get it done by a person with a excellent rep insted of Billy bob and saved a few bucks.
Questions to ask are what do you use for media.
Silica based or glass based
Stay away from glass espically bead type
All it does is dimple the surface and not rough it up
Do you use fresh media for each job.
Yes is gtg.
Do you clean with acetone.
Yes is gtg.
People that clean with gasoline leave a deposit of petroleum film on it .
Cause,s the cerracoat to peel off eventually.
But they save money and snooker the client.

I've never really liked the look of forged over bolts. They always seem short and flat-stemmed in my, admittedly limited, experience. It's bent like a 98k bolt now (honestly might be a 98k bolt...) so I'll leave it alone for now.

The holes are a good question. My best guess is that someone previously pressed the tip of the firing pin into the stock to disassemble the bolt

I'm defiantly going with a reputable smith when it comes time for coating. I like the look of that graphite black.

As for the stock, plan right now is a Richards Microfit safari classic. I want a comb low enough to put me in line with iron sights. I've heard their "semi inletted" stocks require a lot of final in letting work, but I'm moving to Alaska and need a winter project.

Some of the matte cerracoat finishes have a chalk like feel to em.
The armour coat rated ones are the ones to roll with.


Project that rifle up!!!
If that bolt is bent already you should be gtg with a peep sight.

I put a project together similar to yours and what you have in mind. My was inspired by a bunch of parts I had around the shop.. figured might as well put the junk together and make a rifle...
Turk action, Shaw barrel 338-06. Richards stock. I went with an XS rear peep sight and a Williams ramped front. I had a new bolt welded on. I Cerakoted the barrel graphite black and had some stainless color Cerakote left over so decided to go fancy and do the action silver.

I like the look of that, irfubar. I'm going walnut instead of laminate, but otherwise similar concept

Another vote for either a Lyman 48 or Redfield 70

Oh, indeed a Lyman 57 or 48 if going the receiver sight route.. (Huge props if you choose the 48 too.)

Bolt handle? I agree that forging the military handle always leaves it kind of short. If you go to the trouble of welding on a new handle, why not go whole hog and do a classic Oberndorf-style handle since your cutting and welding anyway?

Cocking knob sight? OMG yes! Absolutely the coolest sight of all for a classic iron-sighted bolt gun.

Stepped barrel? The Germans had no problem with using stepped barrels on sporters all along. For some reason we Americans have an aversion to them and I don't understand why. I have a brand new unchambered Lothar Walther barrel in 7mm that is stepped, waiting for just the right gun to come along to use it on.

If Stalin wasn't busy breaking the back of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front thus tying up like four or five times the number of divisions arrayed against us in western Europe, we would still be waiting for a chance to invade France.

We got in a box of junk one day a customer brought it. Gun parts, cleaning stuff, junk. Appeared to be the leftovers of some poor old geezer that bought the farm and widow was cleaning out the shop. Employee from downstairs bring it up and says the boss told me to tell you to go thru all this old crap and run any of the gun parts into stock and use the cleaning gear in gunsmithing.

I start going thru box an low and behold there’s a Lyman # 48 for a Mauser in it! Like new! I snatch it up. At closing I go downstairs and ask boss how much. He says $25. Its the one on that photo of the Oberndorf "B" I posted in the custom thread.

Armstrong sights would be another option. They come up frequently on the bay.

To answer a couple things so far

1.bold handle- I think I'll leave it be for now. If I reweld one, it will be the swept back FN style. It just seems fitting on an FN rifle, and honestly I like it better than the oberndorf. I think Husqvarna 640s with the swept back full round knob (not flattened on the bottom) are the perfect bolt handle.

2. Finish- leaning towards satin ceracoat still. Open to ideas though

3. Barrel- looking hard at a rebore. I don't mind the steps, and then the barrel will remain serialized to the receiver

4. Sights- really liking the Redfield 70 like on my .270. I prefer it to the Lyman 57. No experience with the Lyman 48, but they seem a lot more expensive and not much better for my purposes.

I could use advice on a few more things. Does anyone have a suggestion to restore the factory markings? They're worn pretty shallow now.

I'm thinking of having the front receiver ring flatteded/grooved and textured. I'll try to post a pic of what I mean, but just to matte the sighting plane. Any ideas or suggestions how to do that?

I'm wrestling with the trigger. I like the idea of a super solid original Mauser trigger. BUT.... my Timney breaks so nicely. It's the devil on my shoulder.

Slow rust blue...
The only way to fly and you can do it yourself at home......

Yep, if ya want a classic build, go with a classic finish......at home

http://www.rustblue.com/

Thanks for link!