WWI bringback 1917 Amberg Gewehr98
Somebody owed me money in the late 1980's, so he pulled a derelict old Mauser out of his closet and handed it to me. The military stock had been cut down, and the bolt didn't match the receiver. The bore looked rough, lots of pitting and dark spots, but the rifling was fairly strong all the way to the muzzle. My first centerfire bolt rifle, and a Mauser to boot!
I took pity on it. First it got Magnafluxed for safety's sake. Then lots of JB bore paste was worked through the barrel, and I located another bolt to have a new handle welded on. The project waited while I went off to Desert Storm. Coming back through England from the deployment, I found a very nice inletted stock for a large-ring 98 Mauser sitting in a shop near Cambridge. I snagged it and brought it stateside for the project.
The barrel got bobbed and received an 11-degree target crown, as well as Remington 700 front and rear sights. The receiver was drilled and tapped, then all the metalwork was parkerized for cold/humid weather use.
I installed a Dayton trigger, Acraglas-bedded the action and first inch of barrel, and free-floated the rest. The stock received a hand-rubbed linseed oil finish. At first, the rifle wore a Simmons 4-12x44 Whitetail Classic scope, but it was really too much scope for the gun. Now it wears a restored Weaver V8 2-8x variable with external adjustments, very classy.
I find that of all my rifles, this one comes up to my shoulder almost as if by magic, in the old English wing-shooting shotgun style. I've caught myself taking snap shots with it, flicking down the safety as I bring it to my eye. Even with the nasty barrel, this old girl will put my 8x57JS handloads into 3/4" at 100 yards:
