Mauser project: .260 Remington

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lpd843

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Hey guys need some input,

I aquired an 1895 Chilean Mauser about a year go and have been racking my brain on what to do with this gun. I have been wanting a custom rifle for some time and thought this gun would make a decent donor. I know it is a small ring mauser that cannot withstand alot of pressure, but I do not have a lot of money in it and would like to use it if I could. I've done research on the recievers and spoke with E.R. Shaw Barrels and they said that the caliber I want will be fine for the "soft" small ring reciever. I would like to convert it to .260 Remington and put a nice custom wood stock on it. What do you think? Anyone ever attempted this before? What do you think about the .260 Remington round?

Also, if anyone could point me in the directin of finding reloading books on the .260 Remington I would appreciate it greatly

I will be building this rifle for an all purpose rifle that will one day be passed down
 
in the long run it would pay you to buy a regular rifle over building one. or buy a already sporterized 98 mauser rifle with a bad barrel and have er shaw put a new 260 barrel on it. you can get 500-600 dollars in rebuilding a mauser and never get it out of it when you sell it. i bought a real nice 98 mauser already sporterized for 200.00 with a so-so barrel that i was going to rebarrel but it still shot pretty good so i didn,t rebarrel it and used it as is in 8mm untill i sold it. to give you a idea about cost, drill and tap-20.00 a hole,4 holes needed. stock any where from 100-200 dollars, bolt altered for scope 35-60 dollars, new safety 20-30 dollars, new trigger 69-200 dollars, sights if wanted 40-65 dollars, reblue 79-125 dollars, new barrel and installion 200-300 dollars. it adds up fast. i have seen used rem model 7,s in 260 rem on auction for 550-700 dollars and you may find one cheaper if you shop around. eastbank.
 
Thanks eastbank,

I know what you mean by never get out what you put in, I'm really not looking for a commercial rifle I have a couple store bought ones, I would like to own a true custom rifle to hang on to and not sell for my son to have one day. I have saved a couple $100 and figured this route would be cheaper than the $2500-$3000 "not so commercialized customs" like a HS Precision or Brown. I have seen some nice reborn mausers!
 
The 1895 Mauser is probably not the best for a high pressure cartridge like the .260 Rem. These were designed for the 7mm Mauser cartridge and about 45,000 psi. You might consider this cartridge or the ,257 Roberts, both of which supply factory ammo in that pressure range. Another advantage is these cartridges will feed properly from the magazine and the shorter .260 may not.
 
I hate to act like the voice of reason, but curator and eastbank are spot on. We've all seen and lusted after well done reworks of military guns, but the only time it makes sense is when you can't afford a newer design and you have the skills (or a friend with the skills) to do a first class job.

There are far more cobbled-up project guns in existence than there are sweet classics. It's a bit like buying a business--you want to buy after the first guy has paid for startup, taken the depreciation hit, run out of money and realized it isn't what he thought it would be. Don't be that guy.

Modern metallurgy, production capability and the experience of the last 100 years make for a better, much less expensive package that will get most of your investment back if it doesn't turn out as planned. You can get a competent rig for $600, one that shoots better than you can for $1200, and a kickass tackdriver at $1800. Why drag it down with bits of an old war horse whose history is lost once you grind it up?
 
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I have saved a couple $100...
Click to expand...

Oh good. So you have enough money for the scope mount and rings.

Seriously, a new Model 70 for $650 at a local retailer has a better action, a better trigger, nice accuracy, and a factory warranty. If you spend that much on this "custom" rifle, including the price you paid for the antique you want to butcher, you've spent too much. And if you want to spend more, at least start with a first-class action, not one that you know is metallurgically inferior from the start.
 
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Buy a 'production' rifle and simply 'customize' it to your liking!

Stock work, metal work, custom scope mounts, engraving, triggers, safeties, metal coatings, stock coatings....you name it.

You can get 'nice' little touches added to a production rifle that makes it 'your' rifle, for little cash.
 
BTW there's an intermediate-length Yugo in my closet, where it's been for a while. I used to think about having a 7x57mm rifle built on its action. The more I looked into it, the less I wanted to do it.

Best case scenario: soup from a stone.:)
 
Your 1895 Chilean Mauser should not be subjected to a higher pressure cartridge like the 260 Rem. As mentioned, it is designed for 45,000psi and may suffer from lug setback with continued use of high pressure loads.
If you insist on converting the 1895, then I suggest the 6.5x55 Swede, as it's designed to work in a small ring Mauser, and its performance is legendary.
Unless you can provide the machining and labor required to convert an old Mauser, you would be money and time ahead purchasing a Marlin or Stevens bolt rifle. They are good rifles at reasonable prices.



NCsmitty
 
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There are all kinds of threads on here about guys wanting to customize an old surplus rifle. You get the same responses every time. Most people will say it's a waste of time and/or money and you get recommendations on buying a commercial rifle and then customizing.

I have done what you're thinking about. I'll post some pictures of how mine turned out. If you want something that looks good, you'll be paying for it. It's not cheap. There are a lot of these "bubba'ed" projects mainly because people start out with big plans and then see that it gets expensive quickly and they start cutting corners and trying to save money. If you go that route, you'll have just another bubba project. If you want it done right, it's going to cost you roughly TWICE as much as a commercial rifle. But do it right and you'll have a gun that is guaranteed to be one of a kind. That was the biggest pull for me. I had the extra funds, so money wasn't a problem. I was willing to pay dearly for something totally unique.

If E.R. Shaw says the Chilean will hold up to a .260, I would believe it. They make a good product and I'd feel confident taking their opinion. .260 is a hot little round that a lot of the long range competition shooters are using. Very flat shooting cartridge. I would like to have one myself.

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I agree with Olympus(almost)100%. Built your Mauser as you like it but be prepared to PAY! I would also agree with the suggestions to use 6.5x55 or .257 Roberts over the .260 Rem. They will ALL work in the unmodified Mauser magazine but (E.R.Shaw not withstanding) the .260 is TOO hot for the Chilean 1895. You will definitely enjoy building YOUR own rifle.
 
I did what you are considering 20 years ago, but left the gun as a 7x57. I could not then (or now) see any practical advantage of changing to another low pressure cartridge.

I use the gun on occasion, when it suits me. It is light and short (20" barrel) and makes a fine woods to pasture deer rifle.

However, it was a beautiful all matching DWM Chilean long rifle made in 1897, and I do not think what I accomplished did justice to it, and I will not do such a project again.

I recommend a Zastava action, and go from there.

http://www.midwayusa.com/Search/#zastava____-_1-2-4_8-16-32
 
You can pick up a Yugo 24/47 for about $150 pretty easily. Then you'll have an action that will handle the .260 without a problem.
 
Be advised that Yugos are safety breeched. It was a design improvement that Mauser came up with around 1911, and very few countries adopted. In practical terms, it means the barrel will have to mounted, marked, and an extractor groove milled to allow the bolt to fully close. Check with your gunsmith in advance to see if that is going to be a problem.
 
As long as you use a knowledgeable and reputable gunsmith, it won't be any kind of problem and it won't be any kind of huge factor in price. It wasn't a big deal at all for my project. Most of the customized Mauser actions I've seen have all been some type of Yugo because they're cheap, solid, and they have very limited historical value.
 
I prefer Turks and Colombian actions for my builds but the Yugos are solid choices as well. The chilean 1895 would not be my choice for a .260 rem. but would be an acceptable choice for a lesser caliber.
 
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I'm going to use the Chilean simply because I already own it, it doesnt make sense to me for someone to say "save money, go buy another gun" I have about $100 in this one and is in really good shape.

My mauser will be converted by ER Shaw, action and all, so I trust that if it could be done they can do it!

I was considering the 6.5x 55 swede but have not done the research on this round and it is a caliber ER Shaw offers for this conversion. Basically with ER Shaw you tell them what action you have and they give you a list of calibers they can convert your action with and the .260 and the 6.5x55 swede, .243, 22-250, .257 ack and about 6-7 more was on there up to a .375 h&h, barrel thickness and contour has alot to do with it too.

try it for yourself go to ER Shaw website, under navigation go to custom build and pick mauser 95 standard bolt then pick #3 contour and then it will show you calibers

Olympus, thanks for sharing the pictures that is what I'm looking for
 
Being able to do the conversion wasn't the question,it most certainly CAN be done but as NCSmitty pointed out the Chilean '95 is a "soft" action and sustained firing of high pressure rounds(like the .260) can result in the bolt "backing up" that is, it sets back into the receiver causing excessive head space. It may take years for this to happen or it might happen rather quickly or it may not happen at all. That is why I and others recommend a lighter cartridge or a stronger action.
 
The .260 Rem. is a superb cartridge that has proven to be an outstanding performer in the game field as well as on the target range. But even so no cartridge is better than the rifle in which it is fired and the.260 deserves a better rifle than can be cobbled together by screwing a crappy barrel into a cheap action.
 
That is why I wanted to start this thread and get some input on what people thought of the "soft reciever". The reciever has stalled my thinking for over a year now, trying to find a suitable cartridge and one I would like for this reciever. Starting to lean towards the 6.5x55 but still thinking about er shaw's confidence in my receiver. 7x57 is not a cartridge option for me, never liked the round. Check out the caliber selections for this action at ER Shaw and tell me what you would convert it too and why
 
If you have your heart set on a semi-custom rifle go for it. Do as much of the work yourself ( prepareing for bluing, fitting and bedding the stock, ect), not necessarily to save money, but for personal satisfaction.
People that say you will not get you money back, will buy a $30,000 car and give it away in 5 years. I say go for it, and proudly pass it down when your done with it.
 
E. R. Shaw website, huh. Well, it seems that there is some kind of disconnect here. It seems that with heavier barrel contours, they are willing to put ever larger cases and pressures, all the while, the receiver and bolt are staying the same.
 
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