The Belgian Mauser is closer than ever!

[BornFighting88]

Howdy all,

The barrel for my custom Mauser build arrived yesterday. Pretty excited over having it fitted and finishing this build!! Still need to do some stock work and glass bed it. Also need to think about what I am going to do for a muzzle device. Has 5/8”-24 threads on the end of the pipe. I have a muzzle brake, but was thinking maybe going through the trouble of getting a devoted can. Haven’t made up mind yet.

As for the muzzle brake, I don’t have a crush washer for that size in my bag of tricks. Does anyone know of a good reputable source to get 5/8” ID “Belleville” washers I think they are called?? Spring disc washers, maybe??

Only need a few. Might even buy one (or more) off a fellow member of the forum if the price be right.

Forum was giving me a hard time posting pictures last time I signed on. If I can get it to work, I will add the pictures I have so far. I got one of those carbon fiber wrapped barrels from Carbon6 LLC. I looked at proof research, but they just didn’t impress me, and I couldn’t find the one I wanted in stock ANYWHERE!!

So far REALLY impressed. This bull barrel (1.200” at the shank and 1” at the muzzle minus the threaded area ) only weights 3 pounds and change.

[taylorce1]

So what is it going to shoot? I'm not a fan of muzzle brakes, but definitely a fan of suppressors. Brownells will have either crush washers or a shim kit to align your brake.

[brasscollector]

Crush washers, at least that's what I've always heard them referred to as.
This place is where I usually buy them from: https://www.downrangeproductsco.com/

[BornFighting88]

It is going to be chambered in 26 Nosler. Wanted a 1/4 bore, and 25-06 was going to be my round of choice... But measured the bolt face, and it is cut for magnum case heads, not standard 12mm.

I fired a Kimber Mountain Ascent model one time, and it had a pencil thin pipe on it, chambered in 6.5 CM, and even though that is a milder round, it still goes BANG really loudly when you touch it off. Fired it with and without the muzzle break, and noticed a difference. I think at first I am going to leave it just as is, and work on going through the ringer for a can. I think a flat shooter like 26 with a little less noise signature, win win, no??

As soon as I posted this, I kicked myself in the hind end for not considering Brownells like I do for almost EVERYTHING else. Thank you for pointing it out to me, though. That shim kit may come in handy one day. Never know.

Still working on getting the photos before I send it off to the smith.

[Scorch]

By "Belgian Mauser" I hope you mean a FN model 98 and NOT a 1891 Mauser (the ones usually referred to as "Belgian Mausers"). A Model 1891 with a 26 Nosler would disassemble pretty quickly.

[BornFighting88]

Only Mauser in my vocabulary is a large ring 98, friend. Yes a power plant like 26 Nosler would bring an old 1891 to spare parts pretty dang quickly. I do agree with you there.

I was thinking about what someone else said in this thread about not being a huge fan of muzzle brakes. While I made a case for one, I was thinking about it last night over a glass of Scotch and if I put a brake on, it is kind of semi-permanent. I’d have to carefully remove the brake if I wanted to put a can on, and then time the brake again, such a headache just to change muzzle devices. The barrel is target crowned, so harmonics shouldn’t be a big deal. Plus, the ability to just slap a can on at will without having to fadoodle a brake and crush washer…. Excellent point!!!

Next question for the forum, pardon my ignorance. Would you suggest a crush washer with a can?? I have heard some people say they can “shoot themselves loose”. All help appreciated. I have some 1” diameter brass in my lathe leftover from another project, and if I needed a crush washer/shim, I could make one out of that post haste and not need to wait on the UPS driver from Brownell’s.

Thoughts??

[taylorce1]

That was me and I'm not a fan of breaks because of a bad experience shooting a specialty pistol. I had to wear muffs and plugs just to be able to bear to shoot the pistol and it had a 17" barrel with break. Also if I was wearing a hat my hat would blow off every time I pulled the trigger as well. That told me that it had too much of the hot gasses directed back, but shooting basically a 280AI in pistol form it did reduce recoil dramatically.

I wouldn't worry about using a crush washer with a .26 Nosler and a suppressor, shooting loose, as it would be something you could check every few shots. You're not shooting a semi or full auto rifle doing magazine dumps. The thing you're going to have to worry about is finding a suppressor that is rated for the .26 Nosler. I think to shoot something like a .26 Nosler you might have to step up to a suppressor rated for the .338 LM.

[BornFighting88]

Taylor, I think I was just one step behind you!! 26 or 6.5mm hasn’t really garnered the attention from the suppressor industry than things like 22 cal or 30 cal. Even 338 cal as you have mentioned. I was thinking of getting one rated for 300 WinMag, and everything below it. Uses the same 5/8-24 threads. I like your idea of not worrying about a crush washer, but checking it after every few shots. You’re right in that I am not dumping mags or going full auto. It is a bolt gun after all.

Got sent to the Gunsmith yesterday morning. Hopefully the forum doesn’t throw a fit about me putting pictures up today.

[taylorce1]

I'm more thinking along the lines of saving your investment. The 26 Nosler burns more powder, thus more heat and that's what destroys suppressors. As long as the suppressor is rated for RUM or Weatherby cartridges you should be fine. However, if you want a 6.5mm suppressor Thunder Beast Arms makes a few options. Me I'd go with a multi caliber of at least a .30 cal, because once you start using a suppressor you'll want it on all your rifles.

[handlerer2]

One good pic of the barrel. I was curious about the top of the receiver.

You say Belgian Mauser. Is it an FN Mauser? As in, was it manufactured in Belgium?

Maybe you could show us the top of the receiver. I have always been curious about the FN Mausers. I only know of them through their reputations, which is excellent.

28 Nosler. I have never fired one of them either, but do have some experience with grossly overpowered rifles. I have reloaded for and owned a 300WBY, and a 340WBY, and 7Remmag. I will never shoot either of them enough to burn out the barrel. But if you are going to play with it at the range on a regular basis, this could be an issue.

The notion of a can on my 340WBY 60s era Deluxe is preposterous to me. "Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle", as my uncle that left to me the 340WBY, said to me. I don't even have a rifle with a muzzle brake, and they aren't nearly as ugly as a can.

Good luck with your build, I'm curious to see how it turns out.

[BornFighting88]

Dumoulin (sp?) Herstal, Belgium. So I am guessing FN...?? Maybe not. Maybe a completely separate entity. It has a sort of wide dovetail atop the two receiver bridges, maybe a proprietary scope mount?? I picked up a picatinny rail from EGW in Quakertown, PA to make it a single rail. I do believe that a single rail aids in scope ring alignment.

Sure is a pretty action. Deep deep bluing, almost looks like black oxide. Matches the carbon fiber of the barrel. I sent it off to the smith Saturday morning, and have lost the original pictures of the action, it seems. Should I recover them, I will add them here for all to see. If I get the setup back before that, you will all see that, then.

Just need to devote some time to finishing the stock work. I plan on getting a barrel bed scraper from Brownell's. Made by gunline, and it is the exact size I need. Would hope they get a new shipment of Acra-glas in soon. Does anyone on here know of another quality brand glass bedding concoction?? Want to glass the rear pillar and the action.

As to the can, I would go the route of something rated for 30 or 338 mag. Titanium handles heat VERY well. I have machined and welded a LOT of Ti in my time in the shop. It would be an ideal material for the baffle stack of a can for 26. I think the length of barrel would help burn up powder and help with gases in the can. Like you said, I will want them on everything I own, and then if not threaded, would get them threaded. Hahah

Guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I find the addition of a can on the end of a rifle to be a good looking thing. Like a pretty red-head, pure distraction.

[PzGren]

FN was started by Ludwig Loewe of DWM after he had acquired Mauserwerke and won the contract for a Mauser rifle with the Belgian military. The Belgians wanted the rifles to be made in Belgium and FN was started. Ludwig's brother was a director at Vickers, explaining the English Lugers.
Dumoulin is a well respected French customs rifle maker and a step above FN made 98s, their guns used to be popular among big game hunters.

[BornFighting88]

Yes, I have read this in many places. Some say the rifles made on Dumoulin actions soared in price to over $10k, but I don’t know how much I buy that. Could be, but I have yet to see it. I have seen full rifles on Dumoulin actions that brought a few thousand, and that seemed right in line with everything.

There are no qualms from me about this action. I cannot wait until it is finished and I can finish bedding the stock and give it a run at the range.

[Scorch]

I have used the DuMoulin action to build a few rifles. Very nice, has a lot of the right features to make a custom rifle special: 3 position bolt shroud mounted safety, hinged floorplate magazine, square bridge action, adjustable trigger. I really like them.

As far as a custom rifle based on a DuMoulin action fetching $10K, that would depend on the builder and the client.

[BornFighting88]

Scorch, you are right, all dependent.

So we had a little hitch in the giddy up today. Gunsmith called me, and I thought the Dumoulin Herstal S. A. On the side was all makers marks. Turns out its a short action. Thanks SARCO for telling me it is a standard action. I’ll be ding dang sheriff!!

So since I had a 26 cal barrel, and a short action, we worked out that we would work it for a 6.5 PRC. Factory loaded ammo available (don’t laugh too hard at that one), and it will still reach out and touch whatever I am aimed at. 26” barrel is ideal for this round, too.

Pretty excited!!

[sako2]

I think you'll like the 6.5 prc. Not a heavy recoiler. Factory ammo is pricey. But then again what's not these day's.

[BornFighting88]

Thanks, but you touched on a point that helped me make that decision. Factory ammo is a thing. While 26 Nosler is, as well, its just made by very few factories right now. PRC has an offering by Hornady in that “Precision Hunter” line with those ELD pills, that I am a huge fan of. Too bad those aluminum A-Tips aren’t really cleared for hunting, I think they’d just mess things up hardcore but in a good way.

Now for a quick ethics question, if those A-Tips were available, would it cross any lines to use them on varmints and pests?? Or does some hunting governing body’s have something to complain about with that?? Hahah

[sako2]

The A tips will be an expensive varmint bullet. Give the eld-m a try. As far a powders go look for h1000, retumbo, rl26. And don't be afraid of hornady brass i have some with 15 firings on them.

[BornFighting88]

Sako, I agree with you on the A-tips. I’ll leave them to sponsored shooters who can afford those things. Hahah. I have some ELD-X pills that a friend sold me. Reloder 26 I have heard of many times before. H1000 as well, but not as much. Are these both ball powders?? I have become a big fan of ball powder when it comes to my rifles, with a magnum primer to really burn through that stuff. I did it when I loaded my 300 WSM to mind blowing good results. Brass didn’t suffer, either.

As for Hornady brass, I’ll give them a harder look. If all of their other stuff is just top shelf, I don’t see a reason not to trust their casings, too. Thank you for that tip.

[sako2]

No they're not ball powders. Rl26 is like a short cut powder. Ramshot magnum shows promise for me and i believe is a ball powder. Retumbo shot really well but you can't get it. Imr 8133 is supposed to be very close to retumbo if you can find some.

[BornFighting88]

Thank you sir!! I seem to remember a Winchester Ball Powder being just the bees knees. I used it in all my rifles with a magnum primer. Stuff burned like the dickens, and sent bullets right where I aimed.

I don't know if they have any offering of 6.5 PRC yet but Federal brass has been my go-to for years. For some reason, I have best results of all the brass I've used yet.

[sako2]

Yes Federal has 6.5 prc ammo. I've had good luck with their brass. Some say it's to soft. Hodgdon doesn't show any data for Winchester powder.I did load 6.5 stabal in mine but the speeds where slow.

[BornFighting88]

When you say “slow”, you talking under 3000fps?? Another powder company bought out Winchester last I knew, and then all the powder companies were under one umbrella outside of the foreign makers. I’ll definitely give Hornady brass a look. I am very excited to see this thing come to fruition. Has been years in the making.

[sako2]

Yes they were under 2900 if i remember right. I haven't reached any velocities the say's.

[BornFighting88]

I used H414 in my 300 WSM to glorious results. 3100 fps, less than 1" at 200 yards grouping. Absolutely obliterated a buck last rifle season opening day. Spun that poor thing right around in its tracks. Broadside slam, right in the lungs, didn't even take a step, but was 180 degrees and facing the other way before he dropped. Don't want to get grotesque, but the trauma, shock, and carnage must have been mind numbing.

Anyways, got a call from the smith today, he started on it, said the receiver rails were dead on, just needed to trim away a bit of the feed lips for the fatter cartridge, and will polish feed ramps once barrel is fitted. He is going to lap the lugs. He just finished up truing up the tenon threads. He had a 6.5 PRC reamer on hand, so I didn't have to shell out for one of them. This is exciting!