Changing caliber and clip guide on a Mauser 98

[fistful]

I have a VZ 24 that's been converted from 8mm to .30-06. I expected to have the option of using chargers (stripper clips), but of course 8mm clips do not hold .30-06 rounds. Does anyone know how to make this work?

In any case, I wonder if this action would feed .308's better than thirty-oughts. The thirty-ought is longer than the 8 mil, right? Or am I just confused?

 

[critter]

I have 2 'stock' VZ24's as well as 2 others converted to 35 Whelen and 270 win. ALL those have the same case head size as the 8mm mauser and should use the exact same stripper clips with no modification whatsoever.

As to feeding, I have Mauser 98's in 35 whelen, .270 Win, 30-06 and 25-06 which, as you can see, are all based on the same 30-06 case. Each and every one of them function, feed, extract perfectly as they are NEAR the same case taper and case length of the original 8mm. Often, 8mm Mauser 98's feed ok with the 308 (same case head, near the same case taper but shorter) but sometimes they need tweaking. One thing that is often done is to block the front of the magazine to keep the 308 roungs from sliding too far forward in the magazine. I have 2 Steyr Mauser 98's converted by the govt of Chile to 308 (Model 12/61's) and they have the mag block and feed just fine.

Good luck with yours.

 

[critter]

Additional: As to the length of the 30-06 over the 8mm. That should not be a problem in the magazine nor in feeding IF OVER LONG (HEAVY) bullets are not used or bullets not seated too far out. The one I have in 30-06 is a Belgian and was made originally in '06. The only concession that was made is a small half moon cut from the back of the receiver bridge so that '06 rounds could be stripper-clipped into the action.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jim K]

Critter, I think you will find that that FN Model 1950 magazine well has been opened out a little for the .30 round and is longer than the standard Model 98 8mm magazine. That is why the little cutout is needed for .30-'06 rounds. Moreover, cartridge overall length is limited to the length of M2 ball, since that is what it was made for. The Model 1950 also uses the M1903 (Springfield) clip rather than the standard Mauser clip because that is the way the U.S. provided the ammunition.

The standard Model 98 magazine will take .30-'06 (and .35 Whelan, .270, etc.) as long as cartridge overall length is kept to about 3.30" or less; going to the max o/a length of 3.34" or more will either keep the round from entering the magazine or cause it to hang up in feeding.

Altering a standard 8mm 98 Mauser to .30-'06 is easy enough. FN only did the same thing as thousands of American gunsmiths (including yours truly) did on captured Mausers. And any round with the same base size as the 8mm (which includes 7x57, .30-'06, .270, .308, .35 Whelan, etc.) can use the standard Mauser 98 clip. As noted above, the FN 1950 is an exception since it was not made for the Mauser clip in the first place.

Jim

 

[mustanger98]

VZ 24 that's been converted from 8mm to .30-06. I expected to have the option of using chargers (stripper clips), but of course 8mm clips do not hold .30-06 rounds.

.30-06 is 7.62x63 while 8mmMauser is 7.92x57 and .308 is 7.62x51. Mauser clips do hold .30-06 rounds. I tried it to see. M2 ball can be clip-fed into an original-sized Mauser 98 magazine. I tried that too. You just don't want to try to chamber a round of 7.62x63 into the 7.92x57 chamber which I didn't do.

 

[critter]

Jim, Interesting about the FN Mausers. I did not know that. Good info-thanks.

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Critter,

Another rifle made to take the Springfield clip, and for the same reason, is the Colombian Madsen. ("Don't look gift horses...")

Hi, Mustanger 98,

Of course you are talking case length rather than overall length. There is a 6mm difference in case length, but only about 4.25mm in overall length, between M2 ball and 7,9 sS ammo. Some standard Mauser 98 mags will take M2 ball, but it is iffy, depending on the tolerances of the ammo and the magazine. When I converted the K98k or VZ-24 to .30-'06, I lengthened the inside of the magazine and worked over the feed ramp, just as FN did.

Jim

 

[mustanger98]

Hey Jim,

I'd heard it was case length the Euros measured by, but didn't know the difference in overall length till just now. Liable to pick up new (to me) info any time.

Some standard Mauser 98 mags will take M2 ball, but it is iffy, depending on the tolerances of the ammo and the magazine.

I'm thinking the Yugo M48/48A gets ruled out since the manual- all one sheet of it- says it's 1/8" shorter than a German K98k.

 

[infielders3]

I'm a decade late to this thread... but I have an FN98 originally made in 30-06. Am I to understand that it can take Springfield stripper clips?

 

[Float Pilot]

Yeap....
I have also used Swede Mauser stripper clips in a pinch...Not perfect, but what the heck...