Turk Mausers

[Clark]

The short actions; M48, 24/47, 03 Turk, and 38 Turk are not good candidates for 30-06 or 8mm-06 conversion.

A better candidate is the VZ24, and still, there is steel to be filed out of the magazine to make it longer.

I am satisfied with 8x57, 7x57, 6.5x55, 6mm Rem, 6.5x57, and 257 Roberts length cartridges in surplus Mauser actions. I have also gone shorter, with 308, 243, and 45acp.

 

[Malone LaVeigh]

Explain please. I've been thinking of a M-38 or 39 to go with my 91-30. Other than the muzzle blast what problems have you had?

I was mostly talking about the recoil.

 

[.45&TKD]

"The short actions; M48, 24/47, 03 Turk, and 38 Turk are not good candidates for 30-06 or 8mm-06 conversion."

Could someone please define the terms short action/long action and small ring/large ring?

I thought that the 38 Turk was a "large ring" mauser, but I am surprised to hear that it is a "short action", different from a VZ-24.

 

[.45&TKD]

"The short actions; M48, 24/47, 03 Turk, and 38 Turk are not good candidates for 30-06 or 8mm-06 conversion."

Could someone please define the terms short action/long action and small ring/large ring?

I thought that the 38 Turk was a "large ring" mauser, but I am surprised to hear that it is a "short action", different from a VZ-24.

 

[BenW]

Malone -- I wouldn't worry too much about the recoil on the Mauser whether you convert to .308 or stick to 8mm. I shoot a Rem 788 carbine in .308, and even with hot loads, recoil is no big deal. If you go 8mm, keep in mind surplus ammo like Turk 8mm, can run pretty darn hot, but US commercial 8mm ammo is actually quite mild. As I recall, you have gotten into reloading, and 8mm is actually quite versatile if you reload it.

If it were me, I would concur with the recommendations for either VZ24, Yugo 24-47, or Yugo M48. I have some of each of those and really like them. The VZ-24 and the 24-47 come with straight bolt handles, which I actually like shooting left-handed as my hand is just that much closer to the bolt handle. I would (well I do actually) keep them in 8MM instead of convert. By the time you convert, the cost will be at least as much as a commerical .308 carbine (I think anyway - someone with experience can chime in here). Each of the above rifles can be found in either "unissued", "like new", or "re-arsenaled" condition. The M-48 in excellent condition may be harder to find nowadays as mentioned earlier.

Another rifle to consider, especially if you reload, is the Swiss K-31. I don't think there's a K-31 in existence that isn't a tack driver. I'm not sure what the options are for re-stocking to a slimmer stock or any other after-market stuff though. The K-31s are available for around $80 right now, which is actually cheaper than they what they were going for just a year ago.

I've written all this based on the premise that you are looking for a good rifle without throwing a bunch of money into a project.

 

[Swampy]

45&TKD wrote:

 I thought that the 38 Turk was a "large ring" mauser, but I am surprised to hear that it is a "short action", different from a VZ-24.

Technically the Turk 38 is a "large ring" action.... but for some silly reason the Turks threaded the receiver and barrels the same as a "small ring" mauser.

VZ24 Czech's are a true "Large ring" action with "large ring" threads.

You just have to be sure of what type action you have when trying to find a barrel to fit.

Best to all,
swampy

Garands forever

 

[Clark]

When I said long, I meant the bolt and magazine are ~ 1/4" longer.

The shorter 98s really stretch to fit an 8mm cartridge in the magazine.
Look at the cut out [for bullet tip clearance] on the front ring of an 03 Turk.

The VZ24, 98/22, and K98s comming into the country right now are longer, but not long enough for 30-06 class cartridges without cutting metal out of the front end of the magazine box.


At any rate, I believe that the 98 Mauser is superior to the Rem 700, Win 70, 91/30, K31, Arisaka, and any other rifles in my gun storage.
Stick with the medium length cartridges; 6mm Rem, 257 Roberts, 6.5x55, 7x57, and 8x57, or even the short cartridges; 22-250, 243, 250 Savage, 260 Rem, 7mm-08, 308, and 358.

Later on the next rifel you can mess with 300 Win mag, 30-06, etc and solve the space and feeding problems.

 

[monsternav]

Well my rifle got here today. Not quite the fright pig that I feared it would be. It is just soaked in cosmoline though, my first C&R to be this nasty. There were some pine needles mixed with the cosmo under the bolt when I pulled it back . The stock doesn't seem to be beat up at all. I'll take it apart tomorrow and post some pictures.

 

[Lochaber]

I have two of these fine rifles. One of them I spent some time restoring. It came out of the box looking like a stick which someone used to mix a barrel of nasty cooking grease, but last winter the weather kept me away from the range so I needed something to do:

The rifle was completely striped down and cleaned. The bluing was touched up with Oxopho Blue from Brownells. All the old brass screws were replaced with new ones, but that involved filling the old screw wholes and redrilling them and the bolt was polished.

The stock was cleaned and cleaned and cleaned with various chemicals then dried a lot to remove all trace of comosline (you would be amazed how much of it gets sucked into the wood grain.) Then it was sanded, the dents were pulled out, and it lightly stained (red mahagony). Finally, it was finished with about 12 light coats of hand applied linseed oil.

At 100 yards it shoots about as well as I can get the iron sights to align:

That group was shot with 196gr S&B ammo and it does almost as well with Turk surplus. I suspect it would do even better with both if the sights were not as terrible as they are.

Loch

 

[monsternav]

Pre-Cleaning Pics

Right Outta' the box

 

[monsternav]

Bonus Pine Needle

Notice my Bonus Pine Needle in the action. This is a K Kale from 1940. Anything interesting about these? I have no Mauser references at home. Oddly enough my Soviet M38 is serial # 9179. Yes that is my flight boot propping up the rifle.

 

[Clark]

monsternav,
That is in the best shape I have ever seen a 38 Turk.
Was that the hand pick from AIM?

 

[Lochaber]

Thats should cleanup very nicely. It looks like you got a keeper.

Loch

 

[Okiecruffler]

Good score

That one looks a ton better than the last one I bought. It looked like it had pine needles all over it but they were just splinters from the stock. Finally sold to a guy who needed a mauser action. The one I have now, the first I ever bought, is just cherry except for an arsenal repair at the wrist. My son plays with it most of the time now, his eyes are better, and can bust clays at 100yrds with it and turk ammo. Great old guns.

 

[monsternav]

Clarke: Yes, handpick from AIM.

I have it apart now. No pitting at all on the metal under the wood. The bolt had some rust/crud type stuff in some places, but it has come off with some oil, a bronze brush and some elbow grease. Bore seems to be darn near perfect. No debris, frost or pitting that I can see. It may not be the original. I suspect that the rifle has been re-arsenalled because there are some parts that are an iridescent blue color (bolt catch,rear sight), not the typical flat black-ish color from blueing.