German Made Weatherby .257 Magnum Mark V

[LineStretcher]

My rifle serial number is 28779 with no prefix. According to what I can find that would make it a FN Mauser made in 1960 and not a J.P. Sauer. Anybody got any different info. Still have not heard back from Weatherby so I'm trying to figure it out on my own.

[LineStretcher]

Finished the stock today and put it back together. Weatherby's are supposed to be free floating I think and this stock fits really tight on the fore end. Rather than make it free float and adding pillar posts and bedding, I ordered a Boyd's XX Claro Walnut Platinum stock with all the trimmings. I'll still have to bed it but I won't have to mess with the original stock.

[eastbank]

if weatherby would refinish the rifle I think I would have tried that first. my weatherby looks a lot like yours, but I have decided to leave it as is.

[Art Eatman]

My Mark V needed the forearm free-floated before it would really allow tight groups. I installed a Canjar trigger, which was a dramatic improvement. The proverbial "breaking a glass rod".

[zeke]

Fairly certain the older Wby's were set up with fore end pressure for the long light barrels. Mine (Japanese) did significantly better after free floating it. However the accuracy only held for about 20 rounds, until the copper was cleaned out. Course it is not a target rifle.

The early German made were held in high regard, unless it had a slower twist used with the heavier bullets.

[LineStretcher]

Thanks for the responses. I think I'll leave this stock alone since it is basically original and whatever value the rifle has would be better with the original stock. The Boyd's stock I ordered is designed for free floating and will have the pillar posts installed. I'll just have to bed the action with Acraglass and I should have a good shooter.

As for the refinishing, I'm not sure what prompted the previous owner to apply urethane with a brush in their attempt to refinish the stock. Had they used a quality black china bristle brush it might have flowed out but I think they used a cheap throw away brush that left big brush marks and a few hairs behind. They even painted over the recoil pad! Yeah, not pretty at all. Before I refinished it, I searched for as many examples of my rifle as I could find and determined that this was a good compromise overall tone. The thing I found out about most pre-Mark V (Still a Mark V but before the patent was granted) is that no two are exactly alike, they were all pretty much what we would call custom today.

I'm hoping that when I'm done I'll have a good shooter but I seriously doubt it will compete with my McMillan G30 Dynasty 270 WSM.

[LineStretcher]

I've got a lot of input from Weatherby websites and my rifle is a 1960, Pre-Mark V. That means it was a Mark V with the patent still pending. The serial number without a letter prefix and the "Made in Germany" marking on the Barrel make it a FN Mauser Action.

It's definitely one of the originals and like many of those it could be a one off but with the serial number on the upper end I think they were pretty well standardized at that point.

As for value, the asking price even with the scope was way out of line but I ended up getting it at a fair price. The others I was looking at were way overpriced. I will look for the same guy next time the Show is in town.

I put a Leupold Vx3 4.5x14-40 on it that I had but it needs lower rings since it's almost 2" to center of bore from center of scope. It will work for now. The Talley rings are on order.

[std7mag]

I've gotten away from Accraglass. Found it to be too soft. Even tried the gel stuff.
I've since switched to Devcon.

[LineStretcher]

Originally Posted by std7mag

I've gotten away from Accraglass. Found it to be too soft. Even tried the gel stuff.
I've since switched to Devcon.

Acraglass is ok if it's also pillar posted. It's just there to take up the shock and ward off the potential cracked stock with the magnums. Devcon, MarineTex or JB Weld do a better job when it's not pillar posted.

I use JB Weld to bed my scope bases on my magnum rifles if they use #6 screws. Haven't broken a screw since.

[std7mag]

I've gone and drilled/tapped all my base screws to 8-40. I got a great deal on a Delta drill press, and bought a machinist vice for it.
Then bed with Devcon, putting release/shoe polish on the rifle, so the bedding sticks to the base. Just in case i ever want to sell one.

[LineStretcher]

Originally Posted by std7mag

I've gone and drilled/tapped all my base screws to 8-40. I got a great deal on a Delta drill press, and bought a machinist vice for it.
Then bed with Devcon, putting release/shoe polish on the rifle, so the bedding sticks to the base. Just in case i ever want to sell one.

Many of the mounts that I buy dont have enough material at the screws to drill them out for #8 screws. My Mcmillian uses #8 screws but I still bed it. I only use release on the screws. I use resizing lube. I have a Smithy Mill, Drill and Lathe that works great for gunsmithing tasks. I can even ream a barrel but I haven't done it yet. I have put a target crown on my Model 70 30-06 that helped it a lot.

I'm considering getting a Vanguard/Howa 1500 and totally accurizing it. That would be a fun project.

[std7mag]

What are you trying to say?? :

[LineStretcher]

Originally Posted by std7mag

What are you trying to say?? :

About what? The Vanguard? Or your bedding process?

[LineStretcher]

Got an email from Weatherby. My rifle is a pre patent Mark V. The action is by Sauer & Sohns of Germany. Current average value is about 1200.00 and I got it for 1100.00 so it's nice to know I didn't overpay. Now that I know that it's nothing special and not a collector, I'm going to pillar bed and free float it. Might as well have a gun that I can shoot decent groups with.

[std7mag]

I meant the Howa action.

Speaking of which, does anyone know who is making the 2nd gen Vangard?
Had a first gen. Worst rifle i ever shot! Was happy to see it go. Buuuttttt...

I've been really wanting the 257 WM. Unfortunately the Vangard series would be all i could reallistically afford.

[LineStretcher]

Howa is making them all as far as I know. The Vanguard is similar to the Remington 700 from what I understand. The Mark V is also made in Japan by Howa. I believe they both have screw on barrels which makes for some interesting upgrade options. The Mark V has several Krieger barrel options now. The Vanguard, if it's is the same barrel as a 700 has a ton of after market barrels available for it. The 700 action is not the best but it can be accurized and a lot of shops are out there doing just that. I'm thinking about a Vanguard but I'm also thinking that a plain Jane 700 might be a less expensive starting point with the same end point.

[std7mag]

So in other words i may as well buy a used Savage in 7mm Rem Mag and call E.R. Shaw for a barrel.
It's going to be a hunting rifle anyways, not like i'm going to be shooting strings at an F Class competition with it.

Can get away with donor gun and new barrel for about $600.

[LineStretcher]

Originally Posted by std7mag

So in other words i may as well buy a used Savage in 7mm Rem Mag and call E.R. Shaw for a barrel.
It's going to be a hunting rifle anyways, not like i'm going to be shooting strings at an F Class competition with it.

Can get away with donor gun and new barrel for about $600.

That sounds like a plan. I have a Thompson/Center Encore Hunter with a 7mm Rem Mag barrel. It also has a .500 and a .308 barrel. I've never shot it. Got from a friend that needed some cash. Its supposed to shoot very well.

[LineStretcher]

My .257 Weatherby Magnum Mark V is now a super custom deluxe.. (my own designation not Weatherby's).

Since my last post, the rifle barrel inlet was opened up .030 to allow for free floating. I installed aluminum pillar posts front and rear and then bedded the action and posts in JB Weld. Following that I filled the floor plate inlet with JB weld and then milled it and the proud set posts perfectly flat.

Once all the milling and trimming up was done, I checked everything for fit and then changed out the 1960 trigger for a new Timney that I set to 2.5lbs. Finally I fixed a couple of blemishes on the stock that I did, (darn Dremel slipped), and sanded it with 2000 wet/dry to level the finish and then re sprayed it with three final coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane.

I revisited the barrel cleaning scenario and found it was still puking out copper so I soaked it in 10% ammonia then cleaned it with Hope's #9. I just kept doing that until I think I have it all out. It was cleaned like a regular rifle for so many years that it was several layers deep in copper and carbon.

Getting the right scope bases did prove to be challenging because two out of three orders and numerous visits to local sources resulted in them all but one trying to sell me Remington 700 bases. Finally, I found out about Warne bases and rings and they fit perfectly. I went with Weaver style rather than Picatinny because they were thinner. The rings are also Warne permanent low height. Still, I just barely got it to the ideal 1.5" off center of bore. The Scope is a Leupold VX3i 4.5x14-40mm that I've had in my safe for a while now.

Worthy of mentioning is that the bolt is now smooth as glass and all the slop, (wasn't much to begin with), is completely gone. I suspect that over time (50+ years), the repeated tightening of the floorplate screw and humidity changes caused the wood fibers to crush. That might have been putting stress on the action. With the pillar posts, that can never happen again.

Next week I'll take it out to the range and see how it shoots. That will determine whether it becomes a mantle piece or a tool.

Before, Just after I bought it at the gun show


After

[zeke]

Beautiful rifle! A lot of Wby's are sold off because owner thinks barrel is "shot out". Bought one such 257 wby, and the barrel had so much copper in it, it shot for crap. Took specific copper cleaner to it repeatedly, if memory holds from 25 years ago, used Barnes cr-10. Shot pretty good then, but walked. Free floated the barrel and started getting outstanding 3 shot groups with flatter based bullets. Needed to completely clean bore after 20 rds to maintain the accuracy. If you try the heavier bullets and don't get the accuracy you want, might consider checking twist rate of barrel. It might be 1::12.

While I have no definitive proof, speculated mine shot much better with flat based bullets due to the jump to rifling. Nosler 100 gn Partitions shot particualry well.

[LineStretcher]

Originally Posted by zeke

Beautiful rifle! A lot of Wby's are sold off because owner thinks barrel is "shot out". Bought one such 257 wby, and the barrel had so much copper in it, it shot for crap. Took specific copper cleaner to it repeatedly, if memory holds from 25 years ago, used Barnes cr-10. Shot pretty good then, but walked. Free floated the barrel and started getting outstanding 3 shot groups with flatter based bullets. Needed to completely clean bore after 20 rds to maintain the accuracy. If you try the heavier bullets and don't get the accuracy you want, might consider checking twist rate of barrel. It might be 1::12.

While I have no definitive proof, speculated mine shot much better with flat based bullets due to the jump to rifling. Nosler 100 gn Partitions shot particualry well.

Funny thing about copper fouling, it's what keeps the barrel from becomming shot out. Fast rounds will burn up a barrel quickly compared to slower rounds. Look at a .308 compared to a 6.5 Creedmore. The excessive freebore of the Weatherby's promotes the necessary copper fouling that in the end preserves the barrel. It's a pain but it's a good pain. 10% Janitorial Ammonia is your friend if you own a Weatherby.

[HiBC]

You probably already know this,but I want to make sure.

I agree,if you do the math 6.5 mm converts to about .2559.

What gets confusing is bore diameter is not groove diameter,and both get used for naming cartridges.

The right bullet diameter for a 6.5 mm is .264

The right bullet diameter for a .257 is .257

You do not use .264 bullets(,the proper size for 6.5 mm rifles),in a .257 WBY

And .257 bullets are wrong for rifles designated 6.5mm,such as 6.5 Creedmoor,6.5x55,etc

Nice rifle.

If you still aren't sure,thats not an FN. Its the WBY action.

I have never owned one,but,IIRC,you have a fat bolt body,the diameter of the locking lugs. IIRC,6 (?) locking lugs in two rows,60 deg bolt lift,instead of the two lugs of a Mauser.

[LineStretcher]

The action is Weatherby built by J.P Sauer and Sohns in West Germany. The barrel is also a cold forged Sauer barrel. The rifle was assembled in Southgate, California. It was built in 1960 but I'm not sure when it was first sold. The bolt is Roy Weatherby's 200,000 psi, 9 lug Magnum Bolt that he tried to get FN Mauser to build but they would not so he switched to Sauer who said they would build it. Roy found that guy's were loading really hot loads and he didn't want anyone to get hurt so he designed the 200,000 psi bolt and added the three ports to it so if a case did separate the gasses would blow out the side rather than back into the shooters face. I just got the Weatherby history book yesterday. Good read.

As to the rest of the info you provided, thank you, I did already know that but maybe someone else can benefit from it. Good info.

[LineStretcher]

Uh oh, apparently my .257 was pregnant and gave birth to 3 Walmart Vanguard Deluxe's today. The top is a .308 Win, next is the 270 Win, next the 257 Mark V and last the .243 Win. 249.99 each. The .243 has a cracked stock and was 349.99 but we didn't see it until after I had bought it and there are no returns even if you haven't left the store yet. They threw me a 100.00 Gift Card and I called Weatherby but they're closed on Fridays. No big deal really, it's going to get a bench rest stock anyway.

[old roper]

LineStretcher, If you action was build by Sauer it would have prefix p. If your action doesn't have prefix it was build USA.

http://www.weatherby.com/support/aut...e-history.html