Receiver Opinions Please

[FrankenMauser]

Stock will be a Boyd's Prairie Hunter laminate. I'm going to have them fit a Pahmayr Decelerator and maybe do a laser checkering job on it too.

What action inlet did you select?
Standard inlets that I see in their list won't work with this commercial floor plate.

[CowTowner]

I haven't selected yet. I sent Slamfire a PM some time ago to ask him the same question but have yet to receive a response. This is from his post #18:

The action almost dropped into the Boyd’s stock. I could press the action in, but it would pop out. I think the receiver ring is a little wide and long for the Boyd’s. A little time with a dremel tool and wood scrappers, and everything will fit. The trigger guard did drop in, but it was pushed out if I opened the hinged floorplate. A recess needs to be cut into the stock to clear the tip of hinged floorplate.

[CowTowner]

Just finished speaking with Keith at ER Shaw. My action now has a barrel fitted and will be shipped back to me this week.
Since I haven't heard from Slamfire as to the stock he ordered from Boyd's, I guess I'll take the measurements and call them to get as close as possible. I have a friend that does fitting and bedding and he has kindly volunteered to handle my project once all the pieces are in the same place.

Clark, any chance you have received your backordered bases?

[CowTowner]

OK, I got the barreled action back from ER Shaw. Here's where I am at this point.



Hard to tell, but the barrel is a 24" long #3 contour. The barreled action weighs in at 6.8 lbs.
No, I haven't pulled it apart to clean it yet. But that's on the list.

According to Boyd's, as long as these 3 things match or are very, very close:
Center to Center of Action Screws: 7 7/8"
Front Receiver Ring: 1 3/8"
Overall Length of Floor Plate: 8 11/16"

Then the stock to order is their:
MAUSER
98
BOLT ACT-1 PC FLOOR PLATE-LARGE RING-#1 BARREL

And fit from there.
And, the stocks they sell do NOT have the bolt handle or safety openings pre-cut. Those have to be fit by the gunsmith/stock fitter/owner/builder.

[Scorch]

Cow Towner, you are at almost exactly the same point as I am, except I already have a stock (Richards old classic in AAA English walnut). I opted for a McGowen barrel, machined it1/2 octagon with integral rib, and chambered it in 7X57. I will start inletting it in a few months, right now I have a lot of customers wanting their stockwork done before I get to do my own.

[FrankenMauser]

Thanks for the update, CowTowner.

I'm right behind you guys. I just need to get these threads fixed, so I can see if the barrel needs to be finish-reamed.

The Dumoulin is high on my list of projects, but definitely not at the top. I get reminded of it, daily, by the .270 barrel sitting on my bench, but some other things come first. (A Marlin 336, being converted to a straight-tang, square lever .444 Marlin, is priority #1. I'm into shaping and sanding, now ... so, 80%(?) of the job ... unless I decide to rust blue the whole thing...)

I should probably order a stock for the Dumoulin now, so that I don't have to actually wait for it later on....

[CowTowner]

I changed my stock order a little. I went with walnut instead of laminate. We'll see how long it takes for Boyd's to get it shipped.
I have found a small issue with the safety. It doesn't work.
I got the bolt disassembled and it looks like just a tad more fitting will correct the issue. I've got the parts soaking in Slip2000 carbon killer to get all the gunk out of them. Then comes the fitting fun.

[Clark]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Peruewv_0U

Here is the link to my boring 4 minute video I made this week end while converted Weaver S45 and S54 bases for some Firing line members.
"S" prefix means "steel".
#46 and #54 Weaver would be more standard, made from Aluminum alloy and anodized. These would be cheaper, but would sit higher.

I just got a message from a lurker asking me how I modified the V blocks.

I said I ground them by hand, but it was 10 years ago. I may have ground through the surface hardened steel and then milled trough the soft stuff with a carbide bit. I can't remember.

I measured a lot of rings to see how much clearance they need. Weaver Tactical 48355 take the most. I mill until the S46 is just flat and that has clearance for the 48355. I could mill off more for other less grabby rings.

Normally a 98 Mauser gets a #46 [0.860" hole spacing, thin base] in front and #45 [0.504" spacing, thick base] in the rear.
But the hight of the Dumoulin in the same in the front as the rear. The taller #45 has a countersink that is too deep.
So I use a #54 [0.504" hole spacing, thin base] that normally used on BAR rifles, not Mausers.

[CowTowner]

While eagerly waiting on the USPS to bring packages, I fixed the issue I had with the safety.
The cocking piece of the bolt needed another 12 strokes from my finest file and viola! The safety now does the job it's supposed to do.
Got the bolt assemble all slicked up with 0W20 Mobil1.

[LESchwartz]

Been lurking on this thread for a while now . . . but I got to say I really like Clark's V-blocks. I've just got a set of the Craftsman blocks really cheap and am going to try to grind them out to match Clark's.

Larry

[CowTowner]

Gifts from the northwest arrived. I ran the bottoms over a piece of 600 w/d a couple of passes and then added some Oxpho-Blue paste.
Next part to worry about is getting the correct rings.
I've measured the OD of my scope, 2.044 inches. Half that is @ 1 inch.
I'm guessing that the Vortex medium (.94 to center of ring)rings will do the job. http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/...m-rings-medium
If anyone thinks I can go lower, let me know.http://www.vortexoptics.com/product/...30mm-rings-low For the low rings (.75 to the center of ring)
Scope is a Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44 Dead Hold BDC. 30mm tube.

[LESchwartz]

I'm considering using this receiver for a .300WM project. I'm thinking the following extra steps will be needed:

1) Open up the bolt face.

2) Trim the extractor.

3) Trim the rails.

So now for my question: Are these bolts case hardened, such that I'll need to re-harden the bolt after opening it up?

thanks,

Larry

[Clark]

I have converted two VZ24s and two 1908 Oberdorf Mausers from 8x57mm to magnum bolt face. I made one 300 Win Mag and three 7mmRemMags.

I have been looking at the Dumoulin and it is no harder.
I am going to do at least one, probably two.

Doing that and opening the feed lips per Walsh's Mauser book's drawing, turns out to be easy. Converting a 98 Mauser to 223 is hard.

[CowTowner]

UPS has informed me that my Boyd's stock should arrive today, weather permitting. I'll try to remember to post a pic.
Clark's wonderful scope bases are installed on the barreled action and I have started the ring lapping process.
Question on that - What grit lapping compound gets the job done without it taking hours on end? I do realize that it isn't a quick process. (I used to hand lap the valves when building engines/valve jobs) These aluminum alloy rings and the Weaver compound I have in the kit sure don't seem to get much done. (No, I don't have Kokopelli tools. I don't do this for a living. But if someone wants to donate to my cause......)

[tobnpr]

I think the medium rings should be right with the 44mm front objective...
But I would lay the scope with the rear objective about where you think it's going to end up when you get your stock (eye relief relative to your cheekweld) to see if the front objective of the scope ends up over the tapered area of the barrel.

From your picture, the full diameter of the barrel extends forward of the receiver for a good distance before the taper begins.

Far as the ring alignment and grit for lapping compound- first, how much are you "off"?

When you put the two halves with the pointed ends in each ring and bring them to center, how far off are the two points?

[CowTowner]

When you put the two halves with the pointed ends in each ring and bring them to center, how far off are the two points?

Not very far at all, actually.
When I started the actual lapping, the points of "contact" or high points seem to be pretty small. I expected there to be more metal needing to be removed. And it may just be that I haven't worked at it hard enough. I'll try to get some pics of progress thus far as well this evening.

BTW, the medium rings are a tad high, but they allow me to operate the bolt handle without hitting the scope. I tried using the penny method before I bought and height of the low rings just seemed too low.

[FrankenMauser]

BTW, the medium rings are a tad high, but they allow me to operate the bolt handle without hitting the scope. I tried using the penny method before I bought and height of the low rings just seemed too low.

That's something that I completely failed to check on a Marlin XL7, a few months ago. I assumed it would be just fine, because that scope came off of an identical XL7.
I felt like a completely idiot, when I took it out for its maiden run, went to open the action, and the bolt handle hit the scope.

Luckily, it would still (barely) cycle if the bolt handle was not lifted at all, and I was able to see how that barrel shot. It sucked! ...Just what I wanted to hear, because it's waiting on a .35 Whelen barrel, now.

[CowTowner]

Well, it appears that UPS has determined the rain currently falling in the Fort Worth area is too much for them to handle. I'm to expect the stock to show tomorrow instead of today.
The ice/sleet/snow ain't supposed to get here until later this evening.

[CowTowner]

Well, the stock from Boyd's has finally arrived. And, I remembered to take some pics. These are with the action parts just gently set in place.


Yes, those are Clark's custom bases. Many thanks to him.

[CowTowner]

A close up of the laser checkering.

[CowTowner]

And I did not forget to get what the 2 hours of lapping did on my rings.





Best pics I could get using the cell phone. My digital camera seems to have found a proper hiding place.

[CowTowner]

Anyone know what the torque specs should be for the action screws on these Mausers?
Mine is finally getting close to completion.

[FrankenMauser]

I believe they are 1/4"-20 (or close metric equivalent), which would be ~65 in-lb.

I, personally, would torque the front screw to 65-80 in-lb and the rear to 30-45 in-lb. ...Just personal preference, but the tang can be bent by over-torquing the rear screw if the pillar is not the correct length.

[Clark]

They are 1/4-22 with 5 turns of engagement.
The root, minor diameter is ~0.19"
1.2 times the root is .228"
The pitch is 1"/22=.045"
5 times the pitch is .227" of engagement.
So at failure the screw will snap rather than the female strip, barely.

http://www.portlandbolt.com/technica...-torque-chart/

For the weakest [A307] 1/4-20 screw waxed the recommended torque is 24 in lb
For the weakest 1/4-20 screw lubed with oil or grease the recommended torque is 36 in lb
For the weakest 1/4-20 screw dry the recommended torque is 48 in lb
.
.
For the strongest [grade 8] 1/4-20 screw dry the recommended torque is 144 in lb.

I would do ~~ what FrankenMauser said and buy another pair for $6 if they ever snap off

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/284...g-package-of-2

[CowTowner]

Thank you, gents. I love it when a project gets close to completion.