Finish machining cast mauser

Hello123 · March 4, 2012, 09:08 PM

Hello. I am wondering how much finish machining would be required on a commercial Mauser cast. I know a raw cast would need to be heat treated. My question is how close to spec is the average cast?

Also, would you cut the threads, true the inner receiver lugs and face, before or after the heat treatment.

Ultimately, I am wondering is a cast usuable or is it just a paperweight?
Thanks.

James K · March 4, 2012, 09:45 PM

I don't know of any Mausers that were cast. Could it be a rough forging? Either way, there would be a lot of machining required and I can almost guarantee you don't have the millions of dollars worth of machines and tooling required to do the job the way the factory would do it. It might be done in a small shop, but it would take forever and a lot of special tools and I don't know anyone who would take on the job. And then what? You would still need a barrel, a bolt, a trigger guard and magazine assembly, a stock, etc. And everything would have to fit the cuts you did on the receiver.

You can buy a complete Mauser 98 barrelled action for a couple of hundred bucks, or a complete rifle for a couple of hundred more. IMHO, you have an interesting paperweight.

Jim

Hello123 · March 4, 2012, 10:11 PM

Hello James, I appreciate the reply. It sounds like you are right regarding an expensive but interesting paperweight. Yeovil Precision Casting did these castings in England.

http://www.yeovil-precision.co.uk/

James K · March 4, 2012, 10:19 PM

Those kinds of things turn up from time to time, usually the result of a project that went awry for one reason or another, like money. They are sold as novelties and some folks have the idea of finishing them up, something that rarely proves feasible.

A further problem is that even if it were possible or feasible to finish it, you might not know why the part was not finished. It could have been, as I said, a project failure or it could have been that that part showed a casting flaw that would have made it dangerous if it were finished up and used to build a rifle.

So, back to the paperweight.

Jim

March 4, 2012, 09:08 PM	#1
Hello123 Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2005 Posts: 571	Finish machining cast mauser Hello. I am wondering how much finish machining would be required on a commercial Mauser cast. I know a raw cast would need to be heat treated. My question is how close to spec is the average cast? Also, would you cut the threads, true the inner receiver lugs and face, before or after the heat treatment. Ultimately, I am wondering is a cast usuable or is it just a paperweight? Thanks.

March 4, 2012, 09:45 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I don't know of any Mausers that were cast. Could it be a rough forging? Either way, there would be a lot of machining required and I can almost guarantee you don't have the millions of dollars worth of machines and tooling required to do the job the way the factory would do it. It might be done in a small shop, but it would take forever and a lot of special tools and I don't know anyone who would take on the job. And then what? You would still need a barrel, a bolt, a trigger guard and magazine assembly, a stock, etc. And everything would have to fit the cuts you did on the receiver. You can buy a complete Mauser 98 barrelled action for a couple of hundred bucks, or a complete rifle for a couple of hundred more. IMHO, you have an interesting paperweight. Jim

March 4, 2012, 10:11 PM	#3
Hello123 Senior Member Join Date: February 21, 2005 Posts: 571	Hello James, I appreciate the reply. It sounds like you are right regarding an expensive but interesting paperweight. Yeovil Precision Casting did these castings in England. http://www.yeovil-precision.co.uk/

March 4, 2012, 10:19 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	Those kinds of things turn up from time to time, usually the result of a project that went awry for one reason or another, like money. They are sold as novelties and some folks have the idea of finishing them up, something that rarely proves feasible. A further problem is that even if it were possible or feasible to finish it, you might not know why the part was not finished. It could have been, as I said, a project failure or it could have been that that part showed a casting flaw that would have made it dangerous if it were finished up and used to build a rifle. So, back to the paperweight. Jim