Mauser 98 Receiver to Trigger Guard Fit and Bedding

[mrh477]

I'm in the middle of fixing up an old sporterized VZ.24 and currently getting ready to bed the action. The stock is a nice piece of wood but will require a bit of sanding and modification. What I noticed today is that when the action is put together in the stock, there is a small gap between the trigger guard magazine box and the receiver itself. It looks to me like those pieces should fit together tightly, or that the integral pillar (or whatever you want to call the shroud around the front screw on the trigger guard) should at least be snug against the receiver.

Is that correct?

Should I scrape out a little more wood to ensure that the trigger guard and receiver fit snugly against each other?

Then moving along to bedding the action, would it make sense to bed the trigger guard first to ensure that it fits consistently every time, and then bed the action afterwards?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[Liberty1776]

At the risk of getting hollered at, I'll start. I was taught/informed/led to believe that the magazine box should not fit tightly to the action full-length.

The stock spacers, which in the Mauser '98 function essentially as pillar bedding, should keep the spacing correct. I was also taught to bed the trigger guard first. As this was 40-some years ago, I'm sure it is all wrong, so go ahead, everyone who disagrees with me.... This method has worked for me for a few decades so far...