Where does one go for a Mauser Action?

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Parts, stocks, screws, slings, bayonets I have a general idea of where to get them. I've got bookmarks and am a pretty good web sleuth however trying to find a place to buy a Mauser Action seems to elude me for some reason.

Long story short I always had this idea of building a new Mauser Kar98 with scope but only look WWII on the outside. New Barrel and action, upgraded trigger etc on the inside. It'd look nice next to my Mosin with PU scope and 1903a3. The desire kicked into higher gear as of late due to a buddy having me put his K98 in a Boyds stock and giving me the old wood and metal as payment.

I have seen barreled actions for sale on my searches but they're mainly pre-WWII. Want to try to keep it large ring and long action. 8mm or maybe .308 (I reload for it and have quite a bit of it) ... I would try to steer away from an original Kar98 action, can never bring myself to alter originals. (A Project SKS that turned into an all matching Sino-Soviet that sits untouched proved that to me. I don't even really like the SKS but it all matches so won't touch it lol)

Granted doing something like this is outside my realm of expertise, minor stuff I can do sure, but something like this I want to use as a learning tool and for the experience. Bedding, free floating, I'm debating on Cerrakote too after seeing a K31 at the range not long ago with a Cerrakote job. Generally I'm looking for something I can build, make look like an original, but not mar up or destroy an ACTUAL original

So am I nuts? Unreasonable pipe dream? This is what happens when I think for too long :eek:
 
SARCO sells the Dumoulin Mauser Action. While not sure it is what you want it is an example. Others I know have simply went out and bought a Mauser and done the work or had it done. I would not lose much sleep over altering one.

I would also suggest you get a copy of The Mauser M91 through M98 Bolt Actions by Kuhnhausen. Unless you have the necessary tooling you will need a good smith to do the work.

My brother-in-law built a sweet Mauser he used in matches. It was a project gun for a NRA Gunsmithing course we took years ago at Montgomery Community College, Troy NC. All the tooling and instruction were included. The problem with building a single rifle is the tooling cost. Things like action wrench and barrel vise for openers. You may want to look into a similar course at a community college.

Ron
 
Those Sarco actions were being discussed elsewhere this week and it was pointed out that they only use a specific very hard to find scope mount. I wish I could locate the thread to get the brand.

There are usually about 10 Mauser actions for sale at my local gun show every time I go. Once it's been torn down its collectability is gone too. Sure there will always be small components that collectors are searching for to replace mis matched or missing components on their original rifles but generally speaking it's ready to be made into something special.
 
Buy a commercial Zastava M70 Mauser and call it done. Still available around $450 and may find one at $400. I built a few mausers in the past and still have a receiver action, but I don't think I can build one cheaper than Zastava anymore!
 
When I was looking for an action to use for my 54r build I figured I'd just buy one that had already been sporterized and tear it down for the parts. I saw a guy wandering around at a gun show with one in 30-06 and picked it up for $240.

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Once I got it home and gave it a good look I decided it was just too pretty to break up. :banghead:
 
Careful not to shoot a project Mauser before taking it apart, the last two I brought home shot so well I never modified either of them....
 
If you want a fantastic action to start with look for one of the old Sears JC Higgins guns. I can never remember which model it was (51 or maybe 52?) but one of them was an FN Mauser action with a barrel made by High Standard. They should be $800 guns but I have seen them at gun shows for as little as $250 recently.
 
Look for a K98k Yugoslavian rebuild. They retain most/all the Nazi markings, and usually have only be re-barreled and have the Yugo crest.
 
I picked up one of the Yugo rebuilds at a Gander Mountain for $275. All milled parts, with cleaning rod and front sight hood present. Bore looked to be new. You guessed it, I was gonna tear it down..... then I shot it. one hole at 50 yrds, quarter size at 100. So it will stay as is.

But one of the Yugo rebuilds IS a good way to get a Mauser action, fairly cheap and you are left with a pile of parts to sell. Here is a bad pic of mine
 

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Thanks for all the info and ideas everyone. I've ordered some books and a few little parts and some serious research and planning to do.

First thing I need to do is hide the stock I have away. Seeing it everyday is making me want to rush the whole thing :eek:
 
Careful not to shoot a project Mauser before taking it apart, the last two I brought home shot so well I never modified either of them....
Yep. Been there, done that.

The last one that I picked up was a Dominican Republic carbine in a really nice stock, already D&T'd, Dayton-Traister trigger and safety, and glass-bedded. It wasn't the greatest glass-bedding job, but it worked. It had the original 20" barrel in 7x57. That's shorter than I like in a 7x57 so I was going to rebarrel it with a 24" barrel.

Then I shot it. I got 1.5" 3-shot groups @ 100 yards with a cheap Center Point scope and factory PPU loads. (It's a hunting rifle, so 3-shot groups are good enough for me.) It does even better with handloads.

I've got a 1909 Argentine and a Oberndorf Gew98 that have both been pre-butchered that are going to become a 6mm Remington and a 6.5x55 Swede respectively. Neither one of the shoots particularly well as they are.

I tend to find them at pawn shops and online ads more often than gun stores. I don't really go to gun shows so I don't know about those.

Matt
 
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