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I have a stock making question and thought others might be interested to hear the answer.

I've read a couple of references in the past of you making up a pretty light Mauser that your wife took over, and was wondering the specifics? I have a 96 mauser that currently sits in a very heavy Boyd's laminate with full bottom metal.

I was wondering how you would recommend getting from full bottom metal to blind magazine? What did you use for a trigger guard? Do you just dig out a proper channel and then just stick the spring and follower in or is their a better way? There may be too many questions wrapped up in that little paragraph, but I think you will get what I mean.

I can't thank you enough for all the help you have given so far!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Actually the mauser was to be my revenge as it was pretty much scavenged parts and I was hoping for pity. The rifle she decided was hers is a 7 in 7-08 in what pak has called a "sexy" piece of burl maple.



I was looking for ultra-light and inexpensive and cut no corners on keeping it cheap <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> The trigger guard I love is the ADL and I use it for everything, rifle-wise. I got a little stash when a certain manufacturer/poster here gave us a shot at a great deal!



The front screw into the action on them is always best not used. I use a wood screw bedded in the stock. To keep the weight down I slimmed the depth of the stock through the magazine area about 3/16" and rather than using a full depth magazine I made it a two-shooter (repeat after me, "cheap!") with a single cartridge sitting on a bed of velcro, loop-side. The fact Velcro has a function in the sporting world amazes me to this day <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.



Weaver bases bedded in epoxy and compact Leupie is what it usually wears, though it currently has a better 6X B&L for range "work." The original trigger failed and I put in a Timney I had on hand. I had to shorten the trigger to keep it inside the guard...



The action was one of 5 '98 7x57s I got a screaming deal on by taking the lot. This was the last and I was looking for sympathy and thinking a replacement barrel might be the goal as this was by far the worst of the barrels I got. STill has the military steps and crown, a real sympathy magnet!



Then I started making mistakes...



The other 4 had not shot and had been traded off. This last was bait for a new barrel as I figured once I built a stock it would make sense to rebarrel it when performance was found lacking...



I had a piece of myrtle on hand that did not look all that special in the rough. A little bit into the project it started looking better and by the time I had all the scales off that fish it was/is gorgeous!!! At a bit under 6 1/2# all-up, loaded and slung. Then the real heartbreak... the sucker shoots in incredible fashion and just won't stop!



I bumped into a yard sale where a guy was selling a case of Federal 7mm that he had thought would be 7Mag... the whole case came home with me for less than .10 on the dollar and the rifle loves it.



It has become a favorite rifle...



For your purposes I would suppose you want a full magazine and that means you need to locate a magazine box, easily done at the surplpus rifle pimps' places. The follower made need to be played with to change cartridges, but is a long way from rocket science!

hope this helps

art



edited because some goofball (me) typed '96 instead of '98 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Actually the two shot modification with the velcro sounds very interesting. How does that set up work? I'll keep my nose to the wind and see if I can't find an ADL triggerguard.



My rifle is a 96 mauser in 6.5x55, bolt turned, drilled and tapped, Timney installed and the barrel is original cut and crowned at 20". The barrel looks like a gutter pipe, but shoots everything into 1.25 and I have shot groups under 1/2" with 120gr. Sierra Match bullets. I have very little $ in it right now and thought it would be fun to practice stock making on.



I was thinking a light stock and scope could also get me down into the 6.5 lbs range without a lot of $ invested.



In a moment of weekness I almost bought a Remington Action and put a plastic stock on it last week. Big Stick and the others have been wearing on me, but I'm fighting it hard and want to also make a light rifle that I can use to poke some more fun at the boys around the fire <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Biathalonman
It can be done, but starting with a heavy mauser barreled action means the stock must be very trim and the butt hollowed.

The weight is easier to reach with the SUCKS action and the stock need not be plastic to be light...

The two-shooter is basically a single-shot the way I use it, but one in the tube and one in the magazine is maximum. In place of a box and follower the cartridge rides on Velcro and has just enough lift to get the cartridge up there in feeding range. The Velcro needs to be replaced every once in a while, though not even annually.

Good luck with the ADL guard... there are a lot of folks out there looking for them. Williams makes a very nice one, but it is steel and heavy. If the application allows I use them. I think you would prefer a potmetal factory version <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
art