Mauser Conversion: Turk K Kale

[JeeperCreeper]

Thinking of converting an old Sporter Mauser to something different.

Suspect: K Kale Turkish 8mm Mauser Sporter

I already have a couple .30-06 rifles, a 7.62x54r, jap 7.7, etc. I feel like the 8mm Mauser is kinda redundant.

I'm thinking of an easy conversion, so possibly keeping the same bolt. With K Kale Mausers being small ring and shorter (I think that's how it's said), would it be possible to convert a Turk to a bigger caliber/thumper round? I know I can't go too long, but I was thinking 9x57 or 35 whelen, maybe 444 or 450. Nothing in the magnum family of pressure.

I know I could always go smaller in caliber but I was hoping to build a "brush thumper" type of rifle.

If not, what's the coolest/easiest/cheapest conversion that's different than from the 7-8mm range?

 

[HankC]

If you want a 7.62x39 bolt gun, small ring barrel diameter Turk K Kale (large ring) mauser is perfect to convert to a 7.62x39 bolt gun. Numerich has/had small ring 7.62x39 barrel. I did one and it shoots great!
Sometimes K Kale barrel is hard to remove though!

 

[Gordon]

I would have the existing barrel rebored to 9x57 - with a .358 or .359 bore specified. All though it would shoot available 9x57 which is very popular in Eastern Europe for big game hunting up to their big bears !!!!!!! You could reload with from pistol bullets to 300 grain spitzers ! Keeping the original barrel would save big bucks if you are using the existing sporter stock, which may be quite attractive- potentially.

 

[Gordon]

good vid !

 

[Gordon]

here is an original box of the brutes! The 250 grain bullet load is set at 2300 fps from Buffaloe Arms. Apparently it is so easy to reform 8x57 mm to 9x57 mm that only a set of reloading dies for 9x57 is needed. . I did a have an old Sauer Drlling with twin 9x57 top and a 16ga below that I inherited from an uncle that went moose hunting with it in New York State every year with great success. It was a WW2 bring back. I sold it a low $ point in my life in 1978 or so and never shot the rifle more than the 6 or so Kynocks in one box and the full box I sold it with, it was cased , for Around $3k THEN !

 

[boom boom]

The Turk Mauser K. Kale 38 is usually found as a large ring receiver that takes a small ring Mauser barrel. For whatever reason, these have a flange on the receiver that covers the receiver barrel junction. See http://www.hoosiergunworks.com/catalog/mauser_reference.html
Given the Turks reused everything, you might also find a small ring (1893) model marked as a T.38 or an intermediate action large ring 1903.

Some, when sportering, use a lathe to trim off the receiver flange to take a large ring Mauser barrel. Steve Wagner was nuts about the Turkish Mausers and has a pretty good step by step conversion to a sporter on his webpages. http://www272.pair.com/stevewag/turk/turkmain.html The picture below is of a Turkish T. 38 Mauser with the receiver retaining ring aka flange from his websight.