MAUSER

M98 & M96

by
R.A. Walsh

Wolfe Publishing Company

6471 Airpark Drive

Prescott, Arizona 86301
 About the Author
R.A. Walsh is employed as manager of a research and
development engineering department. He has been a
product design engineer for more than 40 years, special-
izing in complex mechanical and electromechanical
devices and products for military, industrial and con-
sumer products. He is a Mauser rifle collector, Mauser
specialist gunsmith, target shooter/reloader and semipro-
fessional photographer whose special interest and activi-
ties include building custom, high-quality Mauser rifles
converted from military Mauser rifles. He is a member of
the NRA, was a Golden Eagle member of the NRA and
is an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment to the
Constitution. He is also a technical writer for McGraw-
Hill, Inc. and is the author of popular books such as The
McGraw-Hill Machining and Metalworking Handbook
and the Electromechanical Design Handbook.
His main intent in producing this book is to show in
detail how you can, at moderate expense and effort, build
your own favorite custom Mauser rifle from two of the
best bolt action rifle designs ever produced - the military
Mauser Model 1898 and Model 1896 bolt rifles.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
About the Author v
Introduction 1
Section 1 - Mauser Model 1898 and Model 1896 Military Rifles 5
1.1 Types of Mauser Military Rifles Used for Customizing 5
1.1.1 Selection of the Mauser Rifle or Action 5
1.1.1.1 Preferred Models and Manufacturers 5
1.1.1.2 Exploded View and Dimensioned Drawings of Military Mauser M98 and M96 Actions 6
1.1.2 Mauser Military Rifles That Should Not Be Converted or Customized 6
1.2 Custom Mauser Rifles You Can Build 6
1.2.1 Field Grade Hunting Rifles 7
1.2.2 Target and Varmint Grade Rifles 7
1.2.3 Presentation Grade Rifles 7
Section 2 - Equipment, Tools and Supplies Required for Customizing Mauser Rifles 21
2.1 Typical Home Workshop Tools and Equipment Requirements 21
2.2 Specialized Tools and Supplies Required 21
2.3 Machining and Machining Services 22
2.4 Welding Equipment and Welding Services 22
Section 3 - Detailed Outline of Instructions for Customizing Mauser Military Rifles -
M98 and M96 33
3.1 Detailed Stages for Customizing the Mauser Military Rifle - Work Requirements 33
Section 4 - Specific Work Required on Each Part or Section
of the Custom Mauser Bolt Rifle 37
4.1 Removing the Original Military Mauser Barrel 37
4.2 Selection of Components 37
4.3 Procedures for Custom Work on the M98 and M96 Mauser Military Rifles 38
STEP:
1) Bolt and magazine work 38

vii
 2) Bolt finishing 39
3) Assembling the action 39
4) Barrel stub and receiver modifications for the selected cartridge 39
5) Disassembling the receiver 40
6) Scope mounting preparations 40
7) Open iron and receiver sight procedures 40
8) Headspacing 40
9) Measuring headspace 40
10) Finish reaming the chamber 40
11) Assembling barrel to receiver 40
12) Testing the headspace 40
13) Headspace completion 41
14) Drilling and tapping the receiver for scope mounts 42
15) Plugging the receiver tapped holes 42
16) Finishing the bolt assembly 42
17) Open iron sight and receiver sight installation 43
18) Finishes for the barreled action parts 43
19) Final assembly of the barreled action 44
20) Checking the completed barreled action assembly 44
21) Fitting the stock 45
22) Installation of the telescopic sight 45
4.4 Important Reminder Notes on Construction of the Custom Mauser Rifles 46
(Notes 1 through 24)
(Instructions, cautions or reminders of prime importance in customizing the military Mauser bolt rifle)
Section 5 - Data and Data Tables for Custom Mauser and Military Mauser Rifles 77
5.1 Recommended Cartridges for Custom Mauser Rifles 77
5.2 SAAMI Specifications for Centerfire Rifle Cartridges and Chambers 77
5.3 Typical M98 and M96 Mauser Action Drawings - Side Sections 78
5.4 Typical Mauser Military Rifle Steel Compositions and Types 78
5.4.1 Laboratory Analysis Sheets for Military Mauser Rifle Steels 79

viii
Section 6 - Heat Treatment and Finishes for Custom Mauser Rifle Parts 83
6.1 Heat Treatment of Custom Mauser Rifle Parts 83
6.2 Heat Treatment in the Home or Business Workshop 83
6.3 Metal Finishes for Custom Mauser Parts 83
6.4 Other Metal Finishes for Your Custom Mauser Rifle 84
6.5 Hot Forging Original Mauser Bolt Handles for Custom Rifles 84
6.6 Notes on Casehardening Mauser Rifle Parts 85
6.7 Heat Ranges (Degrees Fahrenheit) for Different Colors of Heated Steels 85
6.8 Coloring and Protective Coatings for Steels - Black Oxide and Blueing 86

Section 7 - Ballistic Tables, Graphs, Reloading and Important but Simple Calculations 87
7.1 Sample Ballistic Tables from a Typical Ballistic PC Program (Sierra III) 87
7.2 Reloading Ammunition for the Custom Mauser Rifle 93
7.3 Simple Calculations of Rifle Recoil Velocity and Recoil Energy 94
7.4 Reloading Manuals 96
7.5 How to Line Up or Zero Scoped Rifles and Iron Sight Rifles 96

Section 8 - Gunsmithing Tips and Pointers for Building Custom Mauser Rifles 99
8.1 Tips and Pointers 99
8.2 Glossary of Important Rifle Terms 102
8.3 Mauser Tools and Fixtures You Can Make 104
8.4 Custom Mauser Gunstocks 104
8.5 Additional Custom Mauser Construction Tips and Firearms Information 105
8.6 The 10 Commandments of Gun Safety 107

Appendixes 1ll
Appendix A - Gunsmithing Supplies and Mauser Rifle Suppliers' Directory 1ll
Appendix B - Reloading Suppliers 112
Appendix C - Tool and Machinery Suppliers 114
Appendix D - Special Tools and Equipment 115
Appendix E - German Small Arms Manufacturers' Codes 119

Bibliography 123
Tooling Drawing 127

ix
 INTRODUCTION
T he M98 and M96 Mauser military rifles are among
the best, most reliable and strongest bolt-action
rifles ever manufactured worldwide. A good, mechani-
cally sound M98 Mauser bolt action will easily handle
chamber pressures of at least 65,000 psi or more, and
because of the third safety locking lug on the rear of the
bolt, you need not fear the bolt will fail under severe con-
ditions. Since 1898 there have been an estimated 100-
plus million Mauser rifles manufactured throughout the
world by different manufacturers. The M98 bolt rifle
design has proven itself over the course of many years
since the turn of the twentieth century. A good, clean
Mauser M98 action has been the heart of many fine cus-
tom field grade and presentation grade rifles. The same
can be said, to a more limited extent, of the M96 Swedish
action, since it is more limited in the number of different
cartridges for which it can be chambered without exten-
sive modifications. The famous pre-64 Winchester
Model 70 rifle, often referred to as "the rifleman's rifle,"
is an adaptation of the M98 Mauser design. The
Winchester pre-64 Model 70 action has also been the
heart of many custom field grade and presentation grade
rifles. Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 rifles command high
prices in the present gun market. The American 1903
Springfield bolt rifle is also an adaptation of the famous
Mauser M98 design.
The fine craftsmanship and designs of the quality man-
ufactured military M98 and M96 Mausers are immedi-
ately apparent when the actions are closely examined.
When selecting either of these two famous actions for
custom conversion, select those that were manufactured
in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia or
Sweden, because these are the finest and safest that were
made. Those actions or rifles that were produced from
1908 through 1943 should be your first choice of selec-
tion. I have used the original Mauser GEW98 military
rifle for chambering the potent .270 Winchester without
any sign of strain even on these old actions, which were
produced from 1898 past 1900. Model K98k actions pro-
1
duced after 1943 might prove unreliable, dangerous and
unacceptable due to the quality created by the wartime
conditions under which they were produced. Notwith-
standing this, the author owns a K98k produced in
Austria in 1944 by Steyr, Daimler, Puch (code letters
bnz), and this is a very well-made rifle made from all
machined parts.
The history, classification and specifications books and
manuals for the Mauser bolt rifles are referenced in the
bibliography section of this book, together with a brief
description of this available literature. It would be wise
for those who wish to produce their own custom Mauser
rifle or rifles to obtain copies of the more important
Mauser publications listed in the bibliography.
This do-it-yourself book goes far beyond any available
books or manuals covering Mauser restoration and con-
version/customizing in that it is thorough in all explana-
tions, steps and processes required for custom work on
the M98 and M96 Mauser actions and finished rifles.
This is clearly shown in the illustrations, tables and pho-
tographs. Some of the tables show the cartridge inter-
changeability among the different Mauser receivers.
Dimensioned drawings are also shown for modifications
to the different Mauser receivers so that most of the
available American cartridges can be chambered and will
function reliably and safely in the modified receivers and
actions. This is the only book in publication that shows
this critical data. Without these critical modification
dimensions and procedures you could easily ruin a per-
fectly good receiver. The fitting and modification of a
Mauser receiver to accept a different cartridge should not
be left to trial-and-error procedures.
This book explains in detailed text, accurate illustra-
tions and photographs, the methods and practices used in
building custom, field grade Mauser rifles. When your
skill increases, you might also be able to produce target
grade and presentation grade Mauser rifles. The instruc-
tions cover all the important variations of the M98 and
Mauser M98 & M96
M96 rifles only, due to the fact that these two models of
the Mauser bolt rifles are the best models that were made
and have all the design and safety features required for
building a high-quality, accurate and safe custom rifle.
The M98 models of the Mauser rifles are the strongest
made in the Mauser series (M91 through M98) and will
safely handle powerful, high-pressure cartridges such as
the .264, 7mm, .300, .338 and .458 Winchester and
Remington magnums, all of which produce tremendous
forces against the face of the bolt, bolt locking lugs, bar-
rels and receivers. All the available fitted Mauser barrels
currently produced are made from 4140 chrome-molyb-
denum steel or type 416 stainless steel and are stronger
than the original Mauser barrels. The M96 Swedish
action should be restricted to the smaller cartridges such
as the 6.5x55 Swedish, 7x57 Mauser, .250 Savage and
.35 Remington. Notwithstanding this, some manufactur-
ers produce rebuilt Mauser M96 rifles that are cham-
bered for the .22-250 Remington, .243 Winchester and
.308 Winchester, all of which are high-pressure car-
tridges. This indicates the M96 action is also a very
strong action, but the choice of calibers in prefitted bar-
rels for the M96 action are limited to low-pressure car-
tridges. If you thread some of the available rifled barrels
yourself, you can also chamber the .22-250, .243, 6mm
and the .308 in the M96 Mauser action. Unthreaded and
prethreaded barrels are also produced by Harris, Douglas
or Hart, and if you own or have access to a metal lathe,
you can thread the unthreaded barrels to fit the M98 or
M96 actions.
The purpose of this book is to allow the gun enthusiast,
amateur gunsmith, target shooter and rifleman/hunter
with reasonable manual skills and the proper tools and
equipment to restore or modify and assemble a high-
quality custom field grade, target grade or presentation
grade Mauser rifle. If the work is carefully and accurate-
ly done, the completed custom Mauser rifle will be capa-
ble of minute-of-angle accuracy or better, high reliabil-
ity and safety. See figure 7-12, which shows a three-shot
group fired from one of my .270 Winchester custom
Mausers built in 1995. This group measured close to 1/2
minute-of-angle accuracy and was benchrest fired at 100
yards. I handloaded the cartridges using the 135-grain
hollowpoint boat-tail Sierra bullet, chronographed at
3,000 fps muzzle velocity.
When converting any military rifle, such as the M98 or
M96 Mauser, care must be taken in the selection of a
clean, mechanically sound action prior to beginning the
work. If you start with a bad action, miracles aside, you
will produce a bad rifle. Follow the safety rules shown in
this book and other Mauser manuals and difficulties or
accidents should not occur. Always keep in mind, a high-
2
powered rifle is a dangerous piece of equipment or tool
and has specific physical limits, modes of operation and
strength.
Good, clean, matched number military Mauser rifles
are becoming more scarce and are relatively expensive.
Collector grade or mint condition M98 and M96
matched number Mauser rifles are not recommended for
custom conversion purposes. These should be recondi-
tioned, if required, and kept, sold to serious collectors or
passed on without modification as firearms collector
grade items. There are large quantities of good, mechan-
ically sound M98 and M96 rifles and actions still avail-
able at reasonable prices, so collector grade Mauser rifles
need not be used to make custom, field-grade rifles.
Sources of supply for Mauser military rifles and actions
are obtained from The Shotgun News, the sources and
suppliers section of this book and from gun shows held
monthly throughout the United States. If you are build-
ing a presentation grade Mauser rifle that is engraved
and stocked with select wood, the choice of the original
Mauser rifle you select is determined by your own judg-
ment.
It is not very difficult to produce an excellent and safe,
field-grade custom Mauser rifle if you carefully follow
the detailed directions given in this book, but you will
need the proper equipment and tools or access to those
items listed. Many different items and supplies are
required to produce a high-quality, custom Mauser rifle,
but the work and expense are worth the effort. If you do
a good, clean and accurate conversion job, you will be
the owner of an excellent, accurate and reliable field-
grade custom Mauser rifle that will last for generations.
You can build your own custom Mauser rifle for less
than half the price charged by specialist gunsmiths, and
you will not need to wait a year or two for your com-
pleted rifle.
The table of contents for this book has been designed
and produced in a format that will allow you to easily
find your place on every stage in the production of your
custom rifle. The contents of the book are set in the dec-
imal system, so you can easily reference the parts or
stages of the work. This eliminates the need for a
detailed index and makes it easy for you to go directly to
the subject matter of interest at any particular time in the
construction process. Some of the Mauser manuals now
in print do not have a detailed table of contents, decimal
text reference or index, making it time consuming and
frustrating to locate specific points of interest at any par-
ticular stage in conversion or restoration.
Shown in Section 1 of this book are some of the custom
Mauser rifles I built with a moderate amount of effort

and expense. All of these rifles shoot extremely well and
are attractive, safe and reliable. The finished rifles shown
contain no ornamentation or unnecessary embellish-
ments that add to the cost or utility of the rifles, except
the hand-engraved model of the .458 Winchester
Magnum, whose receiver was engraved in London,
England. If you want a highly decorated, engraved rifle
with presentation grade wooden stock that was hand
checkered or carved, it will cost you thousands of dollars.
However, it will shoot no better nor more accurately than
the one you produce, carefully using the instructions
shown in this book.
To own and shoot a custom Mauser rifle that was pro-
duced by your efforts is a very fulfilling experience giv-
ing you a sense of self satisfaction and proud accom-
plishment. Some might ask the question, "Why go
through the trouble and work of building your own
rifle?" The answer is simple. You cannot buy a more
accurate, safer, more reliable or more appealing rifle than
a custom Mauser rifle as described in this book, for the
same price.
Using the suppliers shown in the appendixes, you will
have no problem obtaining the materials and parts need-
ed to accomplish what is outlined in this book. The prime
supplier for materials and Mauser custom parts, tools and
3
Introduction
accessories is Brownells, Inc., shown in Appendix A.
Brownells has a staff of experienced technical personnel
who can answer many of your questions on Mauser
rifles, or you can seek advice and technical assistance by
checking with your local gunsmith. Most of the technical
instructions given in this book pertain to both the M98
and M96 actions with only minor variations that the cus-
tom builder will immediately be aware of. The M98 is a
"cock-on-opening" action, while the M96 is a "cock-on-
closing" action. The M96 action can be converted to a
"cock-on-opening" action by using one of the three-posi-
tion safety kits sold by Brownells. This work requires
some additional milling operations that are detailed in the
instructions contained in the safety conversion kits.
If you do the customizing work carefully, you will
never regret having built your own custom Mauser rifle
and will more than likely build more than one.
Please take the time to read this entire book and study
the illustrations and photographs with captions before
beginning the project of building your own custom
Mauser rifle. You should have a clear idea of the work
procedures and tools required to do the customizing of
your own Mauser rifle before you begin the work. You
will also be able to make a more accurate list of parts and
tools you will need to order for the project.
 Section 1

MAUSER MODEL 1898 AND MODEL 1896

MILITARY RIFLES
1.1 Types of Mauser Military Rifles 1.1.1 Selection of the Mauser Rifle or Action
Used for Customizing
Selection of a suitable action is the first and perhaps the
There are numerous types of Mauser bolt rifles with the most important step in customizing the Mauser bolt rifle.
Model 91 through Model 98 being the most important Most of the Mauser actions must be obtained directly
from a military arms and design standpoint. Model 1898 from a complete Mauser military rifle, but only the
and Model 1896, in all their variations, are the models action itself can be purchased from some of the suppliers
described in this book. The M98 and M96 are the only listed in the appendixes of this book. Actions, complete
models referred to for customization, since these are the rifles and parts can be obtained through suppliers or from
best Mauser military bolt-action rifles that were designed gun shows or private sales or auctions.
and built and have the superior safety characteristics of
When you obtain a Mauser action or rifle for customiz-
all the Mauser bolt rifles, especially the Model 1898.
ing, if you have any doubts about its mechanical sound-
These safety characteristics and high reliability and
ness and integrity, have it inspected by a professional
strength have made the M98 and M96 Mauser bolt rifles
gunsmith or Mauser specialist. Badly rusted, corroded
world famous and often copied by other arms manufac-
and dented actions should not be used for building a cus-
turers from 1898 until the present time.
tom Mauser rifle.
Most of the better constructed and quality manufac-
If you have purchased a complete rifle, strip it com-
tured Mauser military bolt rifles were made between the
pletely down to the barreled action, disassemble and
years 1908 and 1943. Excellent Mauser bolt rifles were
completely clean it and inspect it for soundness and
also manufactured after World War II by FN in Belgium
proper mechanical working order. As stated previously,
and other locations in Europe. The high-quality crafts-
if in doubt, have it inspected by a professional gunsmith
manship of these rifles is immediately apparent when
or Mauser specialist. If you are a gunsmith or Mauser
you examine the action and stock work in detail.
specialist, check the action for conformity and soundness
Unfortunately, the fine wooden stocks must be discarded
by referring to one of the Mauser shop manuals listed in
when customizing the Mauser bolt rifles as described in
the bibliography of this book or from your own experi-
this book. (Note: Original GEW98 rifles and actions are
ence. In any event, you would not want to sell or pass on
also suitable for customizing, provided the actions are in
a rifle that was not proof tested after its construction.
good condition. One of my .270 Winchester custom
Loads that develop at least 62,000 to 65,000 psi chamber
Mauser rifles was built around the GEW98 action, which
pressure should be fired in the completed rifle as
is strong enough to withstand the high chamber pressures
described in later sections of this book.
of the .270 Winchester cartridge without any problems.)
1.1.1.1 Preferred Models and Manufacturers
The GEW98 was the original Model 1898 Mauser rifle
made in Germany, many of which were used in World There were many models and manufacturers of the
War I, and some of these old rifles were rebarreled for Model 98 Mauser military rifles, while the Model 96
use in World War II. These rifles are available from dif- models were manufactured by Mauser in Germany and
ferent suppliers for modest prices. Carl Gustafs and Husqvarna in Sweden. The following

5
Mauser M98 & M96

list shows the models preferred by the author, although lock time (3msec), faster than the M98 and M96 Mauser
you might prefer to use another model or manufacturer. actions. Most high-quality, modern rifles have very fast
lock times. Keeping the action clean, especially the bolt
Preferred Mauser Military Rifles for Customizing:
assembly, will preserve the fast lock time in any rifle.
Model Manufacturer Stronger striker springs can be purchased for the M98
1908 and others Zbrojovka, Brno, Czechoslovakia Mauser and are made by Wolff. These stronger springs
- made for various countries are called Blitzschnell (lightning quick) and are available
VZ-24, 98/29 Persian 1908 Brazil models of the M98 in 22-, 24-, 26- and 30-pound rates. The normal striker
made by DWM, Berlin, Germany spring for a Model 98 Mauser is 19 pounds.
1909-1930 DWM (Deutsche Waffen-und
Installation of a stronger striker spring will make the
Munitionsfabriken) Berlin, Ger-
lock time faster but make it more difficult to cock the
many - Argentino 1909 and oth-
action. Striker springs are available from the Mauser
ers made for various countries,
parts suppliers listed in the appendixes. For the fastest
especially South American.
lock times on your custom Mauser rifle, titanium firing
1909 thru 1950s Fl\l (Fabrique Nationale D'Armes
pins are available for the M98 standard length action, but
de Guerre) Herstal, Belgium
they are expensive. These can speed up the lock time by
1912 Chilean and Waffenfabrik Steyr, Austria
as much as 35 to 45 percent, and possibly more, when
others
used with a stronger striker spring. The titanium firing
K98k many manufacturers in Europe,
pins weigh about half as much as the original steel firing
especially Germany, until 1943,
pins.
(see Kar98k manufacturers listed
in Appendix E of this book) 1.1.2 Mauser Military Rifles That Should Not Be
Approximately 12.5 million K98k Converted or Customized
types of Mauser rifles were man-
ufactured prior to and during Any Mauser bolt rifle with all matching serial numbers,
World War II. excellent original stock and fine metal condition should
Other models in Mauser Waffenfabrik, Obemdorf, be given consideration as strictly a collector's item and
various years Germany; Carl Gustafs or Husq- not be customized. You do not need a matched number
varna, Sweden (M96) Mauser bolt rifle to produce a fine custom rifle. You only
require parts of the action that are in good mechanical
As can be seen from this partial listing, the countries shape and of the correct, adequately accurate fit.
that produced the better Mauser rifles were Germany, Consideration should also be given to models that are
Austria, Czechoslovakia, Belgium and Sweden. There rare or that were produced in small quantities. Figure 1-
are numerous other models produced by these manufac- 4 is a photograph of some of my original Mauser military
turers, and these can be found in the two major Mauser bolt rifles (Ml898, K98k and Ml896) showing models
classification reference books shown in the bibliography and origins.
(Olson and Ball).
1.2 Custom Mauser Rifles You Can Build
1.1.1.2 Exploded View and Dimensioned Drawings of
Following the directions and procedures shown in this
Military Mauser M98 and M96 Actions
book, you will be able to build your own attractive, safe,
Figures 1A and IB show the exploded views of the reliable and accurate field grade Mauser rifle. With a lit-
Model 98 and Model 96 actions with every part labeled tle more effort, time and expense you can also build the
and defined for reference. Figures 1-2 and 1-3 show the varmint/target type of Mauser custom rifle and the pres-
typical receivers and dimensions for reference. If you entation grade rifle. Some of the work will need to be
will notice the firing pin spring, you will see that it is done by specialists, engravers, finishers and stockmakers
very strong and has a high spring rate. This gave the M98 such as Reinhart Fajen, to produce the presentation grade
and M96 Mauser bolt rifles a very quick lock time rifle. This will be determined by what type of rifle you
(5msec). Lock time is the time it takes the firing pin to want and how much you are willing to pay for such a fine
strike the primer after the trigger releases the sear in the rifle. In any event, it will be much cheaper than having a
action. This quick lock time of the Mauser action allows presentation grade rifle built by a custom rifle specialist.
the shooter to obtain small groups on the target and is Much of the basic work can be done by you, following
one of the hallmarks of a good target grade rifle. The the instructions presented in this book, with the other
famous Remington Model 700 short action has a faster work, such as engraving, being done by specialists. A list

6

of gunsmiths and specialists such as engravers, stock-
makers, etc., are shown in the Gun Digest, 1997, 1998
and 1999, editions 51, 52 and 53.
1.2.1 Field Grade Hunting Rifles
This book mainly concerns field grade custom Mauser
bolt rifles intended for hunting game from varmints to
the world's largest, most dangerous game species includ-
ing Alaskan bear, polar bear, African lion, African Cape
buffalo and African elephant. A properly constructed
field grade custom Mauser bolt rifle (M98 and M96) has
all the safety features, cartridge capability, reliability and
accuracy needed for these intended purposes. Field grade
Mauser bolt rifles built by the author are shown in fig-
ures 1-5 through 1-7. These rifles all shoot approximate-
ly one minute-of-angle (MOA) accuracy fired at 100-
yard targets. Some of these rifles shoot less than one
MOA. All Mauser custom rifles built by the author use
the Shilen prefitted barrels, contours 2 through 5.
1.2.2 Target and Varmint Grade Rifles
For target and varmint shooting, more attention to
detail work such as finish reaming the chamber and
close, more accurate headspacing are required. The type
and manufacturer of the barrel are also important con-
siderations for this type of specialized bolt rifle. The type
of stock and free floating the barrel are also of significant
importance to accuracy. These details are described in
later sections of this book. Reloading your own ammu-
nition is also very important for consistent results in
accurate firing at long ranges. A bull barrel is often
required for this type of intended use by the rifleman.
Barrel dimensions (contours) are shown in figures 4-5
and 4-6. A bull barrel is usually designated as a contour
number 6 through 9. A special stock might be required to
accommodate the large diameter of these types of bar-
rels. Most custom Mauser bolt rifles described in this
book use contours 2 through 5, as depicted in the table.
1.2.3 Presentation Grade Rifles
A presentation grade custom Mauser bolt rifle requires
a great deal of special work that might be beyond the
intended scope of the instructions given in this book.
This would entail special polishing, special blueing,
engraving and an expensive custom fitted wooden stock
of choice or select grade walnut or other wood preferred
by the builder or the customer buying the rifle. A presen-
tation grade Mauser bolt rifle is shown in figures 1-11
and 1-12. This rifle was made using a specially hand-
engraved receiver purchased at a gun show in the state of
Maryland. The author chambered and built this particu-
lar rifle for the .458 Winchester Magnum cartridge.
7
Section 1
Minor modification to the receiver rail ends near the
breech and the bullet feed ramp were required to accom-
modate the large diameter bullet used in this powerful
magnum cartridge. The magazine well also had to be
opened in length to 3.370 inches to safely allow smooth
feeding of this cartridge. The stock on this rifle was
made by Bell & Carlson and is a special crotch walnut
finish in their Carbelite design, model 5051, finish 05.
The author is presently building a companion rifle for the
presentation .458 Winchester referred to previously. This
new rifle will be chambered for the excellent 7mm
Remington Magnum cartridge. These two rifles are to be
a matched set of safari rifles for African hunters. With
these two custom Mauser rifles, any game animal on
earth can be taken in a quick, humane manner, consistent
with being a good sportsman.
All the procedures required to do this work are
described in detail in Sections 3 and 4 of this book. The
actual building and modification requirements and pro-
cedures for all phases of custom Mauser rifle making are
shown in Sections 3 and 4, together with drawings,
tables and photographs describing these procedures.
Figure 1-13 shows the top of the M96 and M98 rifles,
showing the relative size of the actions. Figure 1-14 is a
right side view of a typical M98 action as purchased
from one of the suppliers shown in the appendixes. This
is a field grade quality action suitable for custom Mauser
hunting rifle building.
No other rifle ever manufactured is as easy to cus-
tomize as the M98 and M96 military Mauser rifles. No
other rifle ever manufactured has all the safety features
as those designed into the M98 Mauser rifle. You can
build a Wimbledon Cup match rifle or any other match
rifle economically and easily using a good M98 action,
quality barrel, a quality adjustable trigger and a good
composite or wood stock that is properly bedded and
fitted to the action. The long-range cartridges of choice
for the custom Mauser target grade rifle would be the
.300 Winchester Magnum and the 7mm Remington
Magnum, firing the heavier hollowpoint boat-tail
(HPBT) match bullets made by Sierra or other bullet
manufacturer. For the shorter ranges, the venerable
.30-06 Springfield and the .270 Winchester cartridges
would be excellent choices, firing the heavier HPBT bul-
lets in these calibers. Your own custom built Mauser
match rifle will shoot as good as specialty rifles costing
three to five times the price. Some of my custom Mauser
rifles will shoot less than one MOA with some of my
.270 Winchester's firing 0.6 MOA. I fired these types of
groups during the proofing stages of some of the rifles,
and I am no marksman by any means. I'm sure a good
marksman could have three rounds touch.
Mauser M98 & M96

An important feature of the custom Mauser rifle is the

ability to easily remove and replace a worn barrel.
Reloading your own ammunition is also a wise choice
for obtaining the maximum accuracy possible in your
custom Mauser match rifle. A typical custom Mauser
rifle with a medium weight barrel and composite stock
will weigh approximately 8 to 8.5 pounds without a
scope mounted on the rifle. A bull barrel will add more
weight to the rifle (contours 6 to 8) producing a final
weight, with the scope, of approximately 10.5 pounds or Figure 1A (below) and figure IB
more. (facing page): exploded view of
the M98 and M96 Mauser mili-
tary bolt rifles and Figure 1C:
parts description.

8
 Section 1

Description of Military Mauser Rifle Action Parts Figure 1C

1 - Receiver 17 - Sear
2 - Ejector box assembly 18 - Sear spring
3 - Ejector box spring 19 - Sear pivot pin
4 - Ejector arm 20 - Trigger
5 - Ejector box pivot screw 21 - Trigger pivot pin
6- Boltbody 22 - Trigger guard/magazine housing
7 - Bolt assembly, M-98 23 - Magazine floor plate
7A - Bolt assembly, M-96 24 - Magazine catch plunger
8 - Extractor 25 - Magazine catch plunger spring
9 - Extractor collar 26 - Magazine catch plunger pin
10 - Bolt sleeve 27 - Magazine follower
11 - Bolt sleeve plunger 28 - Magazine follower leaf spring
12 - Bolt sleeve plunger spring 29 - Action assembly screw-front
13 - Safety lever, 3 position 30 - Action assembly screw-rear
14 - Cocking piece 31 - Assembly screw guard screw-front
15 -Firing pin 32 - Assembly screw guard screw-rear
16 - Firing pin spring

NOTE: M-98 and M-96 Mauser actions are similar, but parts are not interchangeable. The M-98 Mauser receiver has a 55 degree "V"
Whitworth thread of 1.100"- 12tpi and the M-96 receiver has a 55 degree "V" Whitworth thread of 0.980"- 12tpi. Standard M-98
receivers have a ring diameter of 1.410" and M-96 receivers have a ring diameter of 1.300". Receiver screws on the M-98 action
measure 7.835" and receiver screws on the M-96 action measure 7.620", center to center. The Argentine 1909 Mauser rifle has a
hinged magazine floor plate, and a floor plate latch lever in the front of the trigger guard. Magnum cartridges should not be chambered
in the M-96 Mauser action. The M-98 standard military action will accommodate all cartridges with an O.A.L. of 3.340", including all
standard magnum cartridges.

9
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 1-2: M98 receiver and headspacing description.

Figure 1-3: M96 receiver and headspacing description.

10
 Section 1

Figure 1-4: Part of the author's military Mauser bolt rifle collection. From the
top: the K98k Mauser used by the German armed forces in World War II, made
in Austria in 1944 (letter code: bnz); M98 Turkish Mauser M98, 1908, 8mm,
Brno, Czechoslovakia; Persian Mauser M98/29, 8mm, Brno, Czechoslovakia;
M98 Argentine Mauser, 1909, 7.65mm, DWM, Germany; M98 Chilean Mauser,
1912, 7mm, Austria; FN Mauser, .30-06, 1954, Belgium; M96 Swedish carbine,
1899, 6.5mm, Oberndorf Germany; M96 Swedish Mauser, 1912, 6.5mm, Carl
Gustafs, Sweden.

11
 Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 1-5: Three of the author's custom Mausers, all chambered for the .270 Winchester. Note the different stocks
and the different safeties. The center rifle has a trigger with safety assembly by Timney, and the ones on either side
have three-position side swing Dakota safeties.

12
 Section 1

Figure 1-6: Three of the author's custom Mausers: the rifle on the left is chambered for the .458 Winchester
Magnum, center rifle is a military 1909 Argentine Mauser M98for comparison, and the rifle on the right is a
.270 Winchester with a Reinhart Fajen custom Mauser stock that has a laser carved stock pattern.

13
 Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 1-7: Left side view of another custom Mauser in .270 Winchester, showing cartridge identification plate below
the ejector box assembly. These cartridge identification plates add a custom touch to your custom Mauser rifle.

Figure 1-8: Right side view of the custom Mauser shown in figure 1-7, showing bolt jeweling, special polished bolt
handle and a Redfield one-piece base with a mounted Bausch & Lomb 3-9x scope. Notice the Buehler type two-
position safety lever used for this scope mounted custom Mauser M98 rifle. The stock is a Bell & Carlson Carbelite
stock in crotch walnut finish.

14
 Section 1

Figure 1-9: A custom Mauser M98 in .30-06 with Redfield two-piece scope base mount, Buehler type two-position
safety and Bell & Carlson Carbelite black stock.

Figure 1-10: A custom Mauser, M96 Swedish in 6.5x55 with a Timney trigger mounted safety and Reinhart Fajen
laser-engraved walnut stock.

15
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 1-11: A presentation grade custom Mauser M98 in .458 Winchester Magnum caliber. The receiver was
hand engraved in London, England. The remainder of the action is a 1909 Argentine with hinged magazine floor-
plate. The stock is a Bell & Carlson Carbelite in crotch walnut finish. The receiver was bought by the author at a
gun show in Maryland. This receiver is a commercial design that is interchangeable with a standard M98 receiver.

Figure 1-12: A three-quarters view of the rifle shown in figure 1-11 showing the adjustable, open-iron rear sight.
The barrel and trigger guard magazine housing were cold blued using Oxpho-Blue solution from Brownells, Inc.

16
 Section 1

Figure 1-13: Top views of the M96 (left) and M98 (right) showing the relative size of the two different Mauser
actions. The M96 was made in Sweden at the Carl Gustafs works, and the M98 was made in Berlin, Germany, by
DWM.

17
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 1-14: A typical M98 action purchased from one of the Mauser action and rifle suppliers listed in Appendix
A. This action is suitable for a hunting grade custom Mauser rifle. When properly worked and assembled per
instructions given in this book, this rifle will shoot one MOA or better if equipped with a Shilen, Hart or Douglas
barrel and a quality trigger such as a Timney.

18
 Section 1

Figure 1-15: An M98/29 Persian Mauser converted to a 7mm Remington Magnum. The stock is a Bell & Carlson
Carbelite classic in black. The scope is a 3-9x Leupold mounted in Redfield rings and base.

Figure 1-16: A close-up view of the rifle shown in figure 1-15 showing the one-piece Redfield base and the two-
position Buehler safety. This is a fine rifle for all North American big game and African plains game when a 175-
grain bullet is used.

19
 Section 2

EQUIPMENT, TOOLS AND SUPPLIES REQUIRED

FOR CUSTOMIZING MAUSER RIFLES
2.1 Typical Home Workshop Tools and Equipment smith or machine shop service. Some of the preceding
Requirements items can be borrowed or rented for a short time from
equipment rental stores. You might wish to invest in the
Many hunters, gun enthusiasts, collectors, target shoot-
modestly priced Smithy lathe, milling machine and drill
ers and handymen will usually have many of the basic
combination machine tool or other brand name. The
tools and equipment required to convert a military
Smithy machine tool can be purchased for a few hundred
Mauser rifle into a custom Mauser sporter rifle. Many of
dollars more than the price of a group of specialized
these people probably did not know how basic and sim-
Mauser tools and fixtures you might need to do the work.
ple are many of the operations required to produce a cus-
tom Mauser rifle. The main purpose of this book is to You will also need the following items or materials:
explain in minute detail every stage in the conversion or
• Buffing compounds (black and white)
construction process. This is done with instruction steps,
• Valve grinding abrasive paste, fine and coarse
captioned photographs and captioned illustrations shown
• Metal and wood working files
throughout this book. The main precaution is that the
• Solvents and cleaners
work be done carefully and accurately, so there will be
• A 1/4-inch wood chisel
no safety problems with your finished rifle.
• Small pin punches
To perform the work, the basic tools needed in your • Center punch
workshop would include the following items: • Nylon bench block
• Sandpaper and emery cloths (various grits)
• Small drill press, 1/2 inch capacity
• Diamond files and honing stone
• 6-inch bench grinder with wire brushes, grinding
• Paper towels
wheels and buffing wheels
• Shop cloths
• Set of drills (per instructions)
• No. 31 carbide drill and No. 6-48 tap set 2.2 Specialized Tools and Supplies Required
• Machinist's vise, large
• Bolt welding jig and heat sink
• Solid work bench
• Receiver drilling and tapping jig (or milling
• Small variable speed grinder (Dremel or Ryobi type)
machine)
• Electric disk sander with various attachments and a
• Barrel groove cutting tool for stock
hand piece on a flex shaft
• Receiver wrench for M98 and/or M96 receivers
• Air compressor, 3.5 to 5hp
• Barrel clamping vise with inserts
• Sand blaster kit and fine white play sand
• Rubber or neoprene gloves
• Orbital sander and Dremel Contour
• Oxpho-Blue, cold blueing solution
• Set of good gunsmith's screwdrivers
• Mauser receiver tap, 1.10-12 tpi (threads per inch)
• Sander set for wooden stock work
for the M98; 0.980-12 tpi for the M96
Access to a metal lathe and milling machine would be • Mauser barrel thread die, 1.10-12 tpi for the M98;
very beneficial. If you have these tools use them. If you 0.980-12 tpi for the M96
do not have these tools, a small amount of machining • Gun Scrubber or solvents such as lacquer thinner
work can be done by a friend who has these tools, a gun- and paint thinner

21
Mauser M98 & M96
• Liquid Wrench and gun lubricants
• Assorted stock finishes and fillers
• Super Glue (cyanoacrylate)
• A No. 6 transfer punch
• Small jeweling wire brushes (engine turning)
• No. 6-48 high-quality taps, ground thread types
• No. 31 solid carbide drill and 'A inch diameter carbide
end mill
2.3 Machining and Machining Services
The only machining required in converting a military
Mauser rifle to a custom sporter would be for the fol-
lowing operations:
• Opening the face of the bolt for the standard magnum
cartridge head diameter of 0.532 inch.
• Facing a TIG welded bolt face that had a badly pitted
corrosive primer ring (see later instructions). All the
other nonmagnum caliber cartridges can be accom-
modated in the standard Mauser bolt face for car-
tridge head diameters of 0.473 inch.
• Cutting the prefitted Mauser Shilen barrel or other
barrel to the length you desire and crowning the muz-
zle. All the Shilen prefitted barrels I have ordered
came in a standard length of 26 inches. A straight
crown is suitable, easy to make and effective.
• Milling the rear of the bolt flange with a % inch diam-
eter carbide end mill for some of the three-position
safeties you might wish to install. This is a precision
operation but a simple one. This requires a milling
machine.
• Milling the face of a restored bolt that had extreme
corrosive primer pitting, after the pitted ring is TIG
welded. This procedure is covered in detail in
Sections 3 and 4 to follow. A badly pitted bolt face
can be restored to like new condition with a small
amount of work. Caution: Never mill or turn back the
face of a Mauser bolt to remove corrosive primer pit-
ting. If you mill or turn back the face of the bolt, there
will be excessive space between the face of the bolt
and the inside of the extractor claw, and the flange of
the cartridge will be a loose fit. This will cause possi-
ble cartridge ejection problems, which are difficult to
correct.
2.4 Welding Equipment and Welding Services
The only welding required to produce a quality field
grade custom Mauser rifle could include the following:
22
• TIG welding pitted bolt faces as outlined in Sections
3 and 4.
• TIG welding a new bolt handle on the Mauser bolt
handle shank per Section 4.
Note: TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding is the only
welding method I recommend when working on a cus-
tom Mauser rifle. This is a precise and clean method of
producing excellent welding, making a strong, void-free
weld that is easy to work with in shaping the finished
bolt. When done by a good welder, and a heat sink is
used in the bolt body, minimal heat is transferred to the
critical casehardened parts of the bolt, and reheat treat-
ment is not required.
It is very unwise to reheat treat any of the main action
members such as the bolt, receiver and cocking piece.
These parts were all ordnance inspected and stamped at
the time the rifle was manufactured and proof tested at
the factory of origin, and they received the proper heat
treatment or casehardening. If you feel you must reheat
treat any of the main action parts, have the work done by
an expert heat treater. The heat treater will want to know
the composition of the steel he is going to heat treat, so I
had a professional chemical test laboratory analyze the
bolt, receiver and barrel of a typical Mauser M98 bolt
rifle, made in 1913 (DWM, Berlin) for chemical compo-
sition of the steels used. These analysis sheets are shown
in Section 5 (5.4.1) of this book.
The steels used in M98 Mauser bolt rifles were special
ordnance steels and are copper bearing to prevent atmos-
pheric corrosion on the receivers and bolt assemblies of
those rifles manufactured with bare, polished receivers
and bolt assemblies. These steels are close in composi-
tion to American HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy)
steels and have high tensile strengths, are tough and duc-
tile. The steels used in the forgings for the various
Mauser rifle parts were most probably produced by the
Krupp Steel works in Germany. These steels contain car-
bon, manganese, silicon, small amounts of nickel or
chromium and are all copper bearing. This is all thor-
oughly explained in Section 5 (paragraph 5.4.1). Most of
the basic and special tools required for building a custom
Mauser bolt rifle are shown in the captioned figures 2-1
through 2-18, which follow. You can make some of these
tools and fixtures yourself if you have the proper
machine tools and experience.
 Section 2

Figure 2-1: A quality set of

Gunsmith's Screwdrivers™ by
Brownells with interchangeable
tips. Never use regular screw-
drivers when working on firearms
or screw head slot stripping will
occur, without a doubt.

Figure 2-2: Digital vernier

calipers at top, plastic bench
block at left, barrel stub in center
and headspace gauges at right.
The bottom items are finishing
chamber reamers for different
cartridges.

23
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 2-3: The Dremel hand grinder with accessories for cutting, grinding and pol-
ishing parts of the receiver and action. Other makes of electric grinders are available
nationwide. Buy the type that does not require brush replacement.

Figure 2-4: A Dremel flexi-

ble shaft grinder with pen-
cil grip or hand piece is
excellent for reaching tight
places in the receiver that a
standard grinder cannot
reach. A polishing bullet tip
is shown in the chuck with
other types of grinders and
polishing attachments near
the pencil grip.

24
 Section 2

Figure 2-5: Special tools required to work on custom Mauser rifles. From left clockwise (starting
at arrow): a bolt handle welding fixture, a pair of Mauser extractor pliers, a bolt welding heat-
sink, a B-Square receiver scope mount drilling and tapping fixture. In the center is a barrel clamp
with two bushings. Bottom: a Mauser M98 action wrench. Mauser action wrenches are made for
the M98 and M96 and other rifles. Never try to remove a military Mauser barrel or install a new
barrel without using the correct action wrench or damage to the receiver can occur.

Figure 2-6: A bolt jeweling fix-

ture with a Mauser bolt shown
in position in the fixture. The
fixture has a calibrated dial that
allows evenly spaced jeweling to
be placed on the bolt body.

25
 Section 2

Figure 2-9: A typical finishing chamber reamer and an India sharpening stone
used to sharpen dull reamers. A light stroke along the face of the cutting edges
of the reamer is all that is required to bring a dull reamer back to normal. A
dull reamer will chatter in the chamber and cut uneven ridges in the chamber.

Figure 2-10 A set of number and letter punches in 1/16-inch characters and a trigger pull measuring
scale.

27
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 2-11: A small oxyacetylene type torch set that uses oxygen and mapp
gas for heat treating small parts or areas on the action or heating a military
bolt handle prior to bending down the handle.

Figure 2-12: A Shilen barrel shown in a barrel clamping block and a chambering reamer shown
in a proper wrench. A can of Tap Magic is shown to the left. This is an excellent cutting fluid for
drilling, tapping and reaming steels, especially finish reaming the chamber. Liquid Wrench is also
a good drilling and tapping oil.

28
 Section 2

Figure 2-13: The cold blue finishing

solutions Oxpho-Blue, shown in liquid
and paste form containers.

Figure 2-14: Two types of Loctite® screw

thread locking compounds. Loctite 242® is
for screws that must remain tight but might
need to be removed, such as scope mount-
ing screws or sight mounting screws. The
Loctite 271® is used when the screw is to be
retained permanently and can only be
removed with special procedures.

Figure 2-15: A Reinhart Fajen semifinished Mauser M98 walnut stock, shown with grip cap, action
screws, recoil pad, barrel channel cutting tool and files.

29
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 2-16: A B-Square recoil pad grinding fixture shown at the butt of a Reinhart
Fajen semifinished and inletted walnut stock. The fixture is set per instructions and the
recoil pad then sanded on a disk sander to produce a perfect fit to the stock.

Figure 2-17 Dem-Bart checkering tools used to place checkering on

the stock. Checkering patterns are available in decalform and placed
in position on the stock prior to beginning the checkering operation.

30
 Section 2

Figure 2-18: A special set of improvised extensions for finish reaming the barrel chamber
through the receiver after the barrel is installed. These homemade tools are used to touch up
the close headspace that might occur after the barrel is torqued to the receiver. The use of
these tools allows a light reaming action to slightly increase headspace that is too close and
that jams the cartridge in the chamber.

31
 Section 3
DETAILED OUTLINE OF INSTRUCTIONS
FOR CUSTOMIZING
MAUSER MILITARY RIFLES - M98 AND M96
3.1 Detailed Stages for Customizing the Mauser
Military Rifle - Work Requirements
(Stages of Construction)
This section is an overview and outline of the work
required to customize a Mauser military rifle, M98 or
M96. The actual detailed description of the work
required on each part, section and assembly of the rifle is
given in Section 4, together with instructions, photo-
graphs and illustrations needed to complete the work.
1) Disassemble the rifle, disassemble the action and
clean all parts with solvents.
2) Saw off the barrel 1/2 inch behind the rear of the sight
collar, see figure 3-1. If you do not saw off the origi-
nal barrel, you will not be able to attach the barrel
clamp ring used in the clamp or vice assembly to
remove the barrel stub from the receiver. You can also
unsolder the sight assembly on the original Mauser
barrel using a butane torch. I don't recommend this
practice because of the tremendous amount of heat
required to remove the sight collar and assembly. See
Section 8 for a further explanation.
3) Soak the receiver and barrel stub in an oil-base paint
thinner, in a tall metal container. Let it soak for at
least 24 hours. This will later facilitate barrel stub
removal in most cases.
4) Remove receiver and barrel stub from solvent, clean
and dry. Then apply Liquid Wrench to the barrel junc-
tion, both inside the receiver and outside the barrel.
Let this sit for one hour, then clean off the ex- cess
with lacquer thinner or Gun Scrubber or other gun
cleaner solution (i.e., 1,1,1, trichloroethane, now
banned).
33
5) Remove the barrel stub using a Mauser action wrench
and B-Square or other barrel clamp with the appro-
priate clamp collar for Mauser barrels (1 inch diame-
ter). Save the barrel stub for later use.
6) Wire brush all parts using a fine wire wheel on a
bench grinder. Place all parts of the entire action
inside plastic bags such as Ziploc® bags.
7) Cut off the original bolt handle at the correct distance
from the bolt.
8) Prepare the new bolt handle for welding.
9) Assemble and clamp the bolt and new bolt handle in
an appropriate welding fixture.
• Set the handle at the correct angle to the bolt.
• TIG weld the new handle to the bolt body. Do not
MIG weld, stick weld or oxyacetylene weld.
• Grind, file and sand the welded areas smooth and
even with a good contour of your choice.
• TIG weld and machine badly pitted primer erosion
ring on the face of the bolt, if present.
10) Polish the completed bolt body and set aside.
11) Jewel the extractor and ejector box spring if desired.
12) Smooth and polish the point of the firing pin. Be
careful not to remove excessive metal.
13) Assemble the complete bolt and check for correct fir-
ing pin protrusion in the assembled action.
14) Check the sear edge on the cocking piece. It should
be true, flat and smooth.
15) Remove the original safety lever and replace with
another safety of your choice, if desired. A low-
Mauser M98 & M96
mounted Buehler type or side swing safety will be
required on scoped rifles.
16) Drill and tap the receiver for scope base mounting
(No. 31 carbide drill and No. 6-48 tap) using a
drilling and tapping fixture or milling machine. Or
drill and tap for a receiver peep sight. Or wait until
barrel installation and headspacing are completed
before drilling and tapping the barrel for standard
open iron sights.
17) Measure headspacing dimension on the assembled
action without the barrel in place.
18) Install the new barrel in a barrel clamp and clamp it
vertically in a bench vise. Then finish ream the
chamber carefully, until the GO gauge protrudes the
correct headspacing dimension above the breech end
of the barrel.
• Lightly grease the receiver threads then screw the
receiver to the barrel and tighten firmly.
• Check the headspace with the appropriate GO and
NO GO gauges. If the GO gauge will not allow the
bolt to close with light pressure, remove the barrel
and carefully ream the chamber a few thousandths
of an inch deeper. Reassemble the receiver to the
barrel and recheck headspace. The bolt must close
with no pressure on the GO gauge but must not
close on the NO GO gauge. If the bolt closes on the
NO GO gauge, you have reamed the chamber too
deep and have two options at this point: (1) You
can requalify the barrel in a lathe by removing
equal amounts of metal from the breech face and
the shoulder of the barrel, or (2) you can check to
see if the bolt does not close with light pressure on
the FIELD gauge. The bolt must not close on the
FIELD gauge or you will have excessive head-
space. Never force the bolt closed on a headspace
gauge or you will damage the chamber, especially
on magnum calibers, where the shoulder in the bar-
rel chamber for the belt on the magnum cartridge
cases is rather thin.
• Remove the barrel after the action is properly head-
spaced and set aside. If you will be installing iron
sights, do not forget to clock mark the underside of
the barrel and receiver so the barrel can be rein-
stalled at the correct location per the clock marks.
• Lightly chamfer the outside edge of the chamber in
the barrel at the breech to prevent cartridge neck
damage when chambering a cartridge.
19) Screw the original barrel stub into the receiver and
lightly tighten.
34
20) Assemble the action and fully load two to five
dummy cartridges into the magazine, according to
caliber. Check cartridge feeding for no binding and
smooth working action. Cycle the bolt only far
enough to see if the cartridge enters the chamber on
center. Some cartridges do not require receiver rail
and feed ramp modifications. In general, you should
use 7.92mm Mauser (8mm) actions for the larger
cartridges and the 7.65mm and 7mm for the smaller
cartridges. Check the receiver rail modification
drawings shown in Section 4 for nominal receiver
rail dimensions. Grind the receiver rails per the
dimensions shown in the drawings and detailed
instructions. This receiver modification work must
be done carefully to prevent ruining the receiver.
Remove all grinding particles from the receiver with
solvents and compressed air.
21) Remove the barrel stub from the receiver.
22) After drilling and tapping the receiver, clean it and
set it aside.
Note: At this point, you have a completed, finished
bolt, a drilled and tapped receiver that has
been modified for your selected cartridge and
a properly headspaced action. See figure 3-2
for a completely disassembled M98 Mauser
action.
23) File nicks and dents from the trigger magazine hous-
ing and finish the surfaces with abrasive cloth, files
or polishing wheels.
• The inside length of the magazine housing can now
be increased to accommodate all cartridges with a
maximum OAL of 3.340 inches. This work is best
done with a metal cutting file, by filing 0.040 inch
from the rear wall of the magazine and 0.020 inch
from the front wall of the magazine. Since most
Mauser inside magazine lengths are 3.310 inches,
the filing process will increase the inside length to
3.360 to 3.370 inches, which is adequate for all
cartridges of 3.340-inch OAL. After opening the
inside of the magazine, the bottom edge of the bul-
let feed ramp on the receiver must be cut forward
so the edge of the inside of the magazine is flush
with the edge of the bullet feed ramp.
24) Polish the cartridge follower and bevel the rear edge
so the bolt will close on an empty magazine. It is not
necessary to do this if you prefer the bolt to remain
open without being able to be closed until the mag-
azine follower is depressed into the magazine.
 Section 3

figure 3-1: Where to cut the original military Mauser barrel prior to attaching the barrel clamp
block for removing the barrel stub from the receiver. Soaking the receiver and barrel stub in a tall
container of oil-base paint thinner for 24 hours makes barrel removal easier. See instructions in
Sections 3 and 4.

Figure 3-2: A completely disassembled M98 Mauser action after cleaning and inspection. At this
stage work on the custom Mauser rifle can begin. This action is a 1908 Mauser M98 made for Brazil
by DWM in Germany.

35
Mauser M98 & M96
25) Assemble the custom trigger or military trigger to the
bottom of the receiver with the trigger cross pin.
26) Assemble the action completely, including the barrel
stub. Tighten all screws.
• Insert two to five dummy cartridges (according to
cartridge size) and cycle the action to recheck for
smooth feeding. Close the bolt on the empty
action and test the trigger and safety for proper
and safe functioning. Check for:
• safety-off firing.
• sear engagement problems or trigger hang-up.
• slam-firing.
• poundage of trigger pull (adjust to your prefer-
ence).
Note: Hunting trigger pull is generally 4 pounds.
Target and varmint trigger pull is 2.5 pounds or
less. Rifles used for dangerous game hunting and
that use the original military Mauser trigger will
have a pull of 6 to 8 pounds. A light trigger pull on
heavy recoiling rifles helps in more accurate fir-
ing. This is because the shooter has less time to
anticipate the recoil and will help reduce flinch-
ing, thus allowing more accurate firing.
27) When step 26 is completed, completely disassemble
the action and remove the barrel stub. Solvent clean
all parts and save the barrel stub for future use.
28) The receiver, barrel, trigger magazine housing, floor-
plate, ejector box, including all screws, are now
ready for the finish of your choice. Final surface
preparation of all these metal parts is done according
to the type of finish you wish to apply. Following is
36
a list of possible types and combinations of metal
finishes and surface preparations.
Finishes:
• hot salts blueing, matte or polished
• cold blueing, Oxpho-Blue, matte or polished
• manganese phosphate (parkerizing)
• zinc phosphate (granodizing)
• rust blueing
• nickel plating (electroless)
• no finish, stainless steel barrel
Surface Preparations:
• polishing
• glass beading
• sand blasting, using fine white play sand (This
gives a nice coarse texture to the metal surfaces.)
There are many combinations of surface preparations
and surface finishes that can be used to complete the
final barreled action. Some of these combinations are
shown in the photographs of my custom Mauser rifles in
Section 1.
29) After the completed barreled action is surface fin-
ished and assembled, the stock is selected and fitted
and a suitable rifle sling installed. Stock selections
include woods of all types and grades, thermoplastic
and composite thermoset plastic. The plastic and
composite stocks come in black or wood-grain col-
ors such as walnut, crotch walnut and others.
The following section of this book (Section 4) will give
the entire detailed working instructions, photographs and
illustrations so you can successfully complete the custom
M98 or M96 Mauser rifle.
 Section 4
SPECIFIC WORK REQUIRED ON EACH PART OR
SECTION OF THE CUSTOM MAUSER BOLT RIFLE
4.1 Removing the Original Military Mauser Barrel
Remove the original Mauser military stock and fittings.
Save these or discard. Solvent clean the complete bar-
reled military action that remains after stock removal.
Clamp the military Mauser barrel in a bench vise and
saw off the barrel lA inch from the base of the rear sight
collar, about YA inches from the receiver, see figure 4-1.
Use a quality steel cutting hack saw with approximately
30 teeth per inch. Discard the old military barrel.
Remove the barrel stub using a barrel clamp with a
Mauser barrel insert collar (1 inch diameter) and a
Mauser receiver wrench (M98 or M96). A 36-inch length
of l 1/4-inch standard galvanized iron pipe, schedule 40, is
useful as added leverage on the handle of the Mauser
receiver wrench. Clamp the presoaked barrel stub and
receiver and barrel clamp in a large, well-mounted bench
vise and attach the receiver wrench to the receiver. Do
not over tighten the receiver wrench. Give the receiver
wrench, with the 1 1/4-inch pipe attached, a quick firm pull
or jerk, and the receiver will break loose from the barrel
stub. Turn the barrel counterclockwise to remove and
clockwise to tighten. The direction of turning is deter-
mined by looking from the muzzle end of the barrel
toward the receiver.
Presoaking the receiver and barrel stub in an oil-based
solvent prior to barrel stub removal often makes this
operation easier. Never attempt to remove a Mauser mil-
itary barrel from the receiver without this presoaking
procedure. Also, use powdered rosin on the barrel stub
and the inside of the barrel clamping insert. The barrel
clamping tool must be tightened very firmly, or the bar-
rel will slip in the clamp ring insert. I recommend the B-
Square barrel clamp/vise and the aluminum barrel clamp
inserts. They are economical and are very effective in
37
removing and tightening Mauser and sporter barrels.
Clean the barrel stub and set it aside for future use.
Completely disassemble and clean all the action parts,
including screws and springs. Inspect all parts for dam-
age and use replacement parts if required. When you are
working with a good clean Mauser action no parts
replacement should be required. Dinged screw slots can
be cleaned up with a Swiss pattern needle file or dia-
mond needle file and emery cloth. The appearance of the
screw heads is important on a custom rifle, and these
should be in excellent condition, reconditioned or re-
placed with new screws.
4.2 Selection of Components
1) Decide which cartridge you wish to use for the cus-
tom conversion. See figure 4-2 for possible choices
for the M98 and M96 that do not require the difficult
job of cutting and lengthening the receiver, bolt and
magazine housing. Lengthening a military Mauser
action for cartridges such as the .300 H&H, .375
H&H, 8mm Remington Magnum or .416 Remington
Magnum and the larger Weatherby cartridges (.300,
.378 and .460) can pose very difficult and dangerous
problems.
You might be able to build your custom Mauser rifle
around the .240, .257, .270 or 7mm Weatherby mag-
nums, although I would check the available literature
to see what the chamber pressures on these cartridges
generate before attempting to chamber them in a
Mauser M98 barreled action. Roughing and finishing
chamber reamers are available for all these cartridges.
If you decide on a Weatherby cartridge and build your
Mauser for one of those mentioned, use the safety
technique of remotely test firing the rifle as outlined
later in this book. These Weatherby cartridges all
Mauser M98 & M96
have an overall length (3.25 inches) that will easily fit
into an M98 Mauser magazine (3.310 inches), and
you should be able to open the receiver rails to
accommodate these cartridges. I think I just talked
myself into trying one of these Weatherbys in a future
custom Mauser that I build. The ballistics of these
cartridges are impressive to say the least.
2) Select the type of safety system you wish to install,
see figure 4-3. Selection of the safety system could
determine the type of trigger you must use. Side
action trigger safeties require a trigger assembly with
a built-in safety lever on the right side.
3) Select the trigger assembly, see figure 4-4. A Timney
trigger is shown; many other makes are also avail-
able, some in single set and double set styles.
Brownells carries most any trigger you could want to
use on your custom rifle.
• Cut off the standard straight or bent bolt at the square
4) Select the barrel manufacturer and contour number.
Prefitted barrels are generally available in contours 2
through 5 or higher. See figure 4-5 for the M98 and
figure 4-6 for the M96.
5) Select the sight system, see figures 4-7a, 4-7b and
4-7c.
• Open the face of the bolt in a lathe to the dimensions
• Open iron or receiver peep sight (see Section 8).
• Telescopic sights, see figure 7-7c (see Section 8).
• Select the sight manufacturer and model of your
choice (see Section 8).
6) Select the stock, see figures 1-5 through 1-12 in
Section 1. There are many stockmakers in the United
States, and they are listed in the manufacturers and
suppliers section of Gun Digest and Shooter's Bible,
which are yearly publications.
7) Select the metal finish or combinations of finishes.
(See figures 1-5 through 1-12 in Section 1 for some of
the possible combinations.)
8) Order the preceding selection of components for your
rifle.
• See list of suppliers in the appendixes at the end of
this book.
4.3 Procedures for Custom Work on the M98 and
M96 Mauser Military Rifles
1) Perform the bolt and magazine work first.
• If the inside length of the magazine housing is too
short for your selected cartridge (.30-06, .270, .300
Winchester Magnum, etc.) file the inside rear of the
38
magazine approximately 0.040 inch and the inside
front 0.020 inch for a total length increase of 0.060
inch. Since most Mauser M98 actions have an inside
magazine length of 3.310 inches, the additional
increase of 0.060 inch will produce a magazine
length of 3.370 inches, which is more than adequate
for all the cartridges listed in the preferred cartridge
list of figure 4-2 and the Weatherbys mentioned pre-
viously. The Weatherbys will fit the standard M98
Mauser magazine length of 3.310 inches but can
give you width problems because of the size of the
Weatherby cartridge cases at their shoulders. You
can grind the inside of the bottom of the receiver at
the magazine junction area to help fit these car-
tridges, as shown in the illustrations of the receiver
rails (cross-section figure 4-41). Use an M98 action
that was built for the 8mm German cartridge, and
that might help the fit.
shank to the dimension shown in figure 4-8. Bevel
the edges 0.09 x 45 degrees or slightly more. Do not
use excessive bevels because you should be using
the TIG welding process, which is a precision weld-
ing process, that if done correctly, will not require
reheat treatment of the bolt.
shown in figure 4-9a for magnum cartridges, which
have a standard head diameter of 0.532 inch. You
can use a lathe or a milling machine for this opera-
tion. Special carbide lathe bits are available for
opening the face of the casehardened bolt, as are
carbide end mills for the milling machine. If you are
using a standard cartridge with a head diameter of
0.473 inch, do not machine the bolt face at this point,
see figure 4-9b, unless it is damaged by corrosive
primer erosion. A bolt face with excessive corrosive
primer erosion can be seen in figure 4-10. This
defect can be fixed by using the plug pin together
with TIG welding as shown in figure 4-11. A bolt
face repaired in this manner does not require reheat
treatment. The precision TIG welding process does
not generate enough heat into the locking lugs or
rear bolt flange to alter the casehardened surfaces. A
wet cloth wrapped around the bolt body near the
lugs will further ensure against heat damage to the
casehardening on the bolt surfaces. After welding
the face of a pitted bolt, the surface must be trued on
a lathe or mill. During the turning process, the firing
pin hole plug will fall out or can be driven out with
a pin punch of the proper size. The face of the bolt
does not require casehardening, because soft brass

will not wear strong steel, and as stated before, the
casehardening was done for wear protection, not
strength.
• Grind the extractor claw 0.03 inch back and rebevel
at the original angle, for magnum cartridges only.
• It is not recommended that the extractor claw be
altered so the bolt can be closed on a hand-cham-
bered cartridge, although this practice is performed
by many gunsmiths at the customer's request.
• Set up the new bolt handle and altered bolt in a weld-
ing fixture as shown in figure 4-12. Then have a
qualified welder TIG weld the new handle to the bolt
at the correct angle. See figures 4-12a through 4-12f
for bolt handle preparation to the finished bolt as-
sembly. The angle and type of bolt handle is im-
portant when you plan to mount a telescopic sight to
your rifle. Figure 4-13 shows the relationship be-
tween the bolt handle and the ocular of some typical
scopes. Use the illustrations to help select the bolt
handle, the correct angle and the height that the
scope must be mounted in order to clear the bolt han-
dle when the action is cycled during firing. Some
scopes have smaller oculars than others. Scopes with
large oculars can give you mounting problems
unless the handle type and angle is properly selected
and welded in place. The typical bolt handle angle is
between 70 and 75 degrees when using a bolt handle
shaped as shown in figure 4-13. Scope rings are
available in short, medium and high styles to accom-
modate your particular scope ocular.
Be sure to use a Mauser bolt heat sink inserted into the
bolt during the TIG welding process. Heat sinks are
available for both the M98 and M96 Mausers (see the
suppliers section in the appendixes). Welding processes
such as MIG, stick and oxyacetylene can generate exces-
sive heat and cause the casehardened surfaces to flake
off the bolt, ruining it or making repairs difficult. Also,
reheat treatment will be required. I have never reheat
treated any part of a military Mauser rifle during the cus-
tomizing process, except the sear edge on the cocking
piece, and then only if the sear face is ground back to
remedy a trigger/sear problem, and the cocking piece
sear becomes the actual working sear. Improper heat
treatment can cause dangerous conditions in the Mauser
actions. The casehardening applied to original Mauser
military actions were mainly applied to prevent wear and
afford smoother operation of the action. Military Mauser
steels are very strong and tough as will be seen in
Section 5.4.
39
Section 4
2) File, grind and polish the welded bolt to your satisfac-
tion.
• Check to make sure the bolt closes completely.
Grind the rear bolt stop edge as shown in figure
4-14, if required, along the edge indicated by the
arrow. This edge can be cut back as far as needed,
using a grinding wheel on a hand grinder, or by
hand filing with a small, flat diamond file.
Note: After the bolt handle is welded and the bolt is fin-
ished, it is sometimes difficult to screw the bolt sleeve
into the buttress threads in the rear of the bolt. To elimi-
nate this problem, place a small amount of fine valve
grinding paste on the bolt sleeve threads and run the bolt
sleeve in and out of the bolt body threads until you can
easily screw the bolt sleeve completely into the rear of
the bolt. Then clean all traces of abrasive from the parts
and apply a good gun grease or Teflon type lubricating
oil to the threads.
3) Assemble the complete action, including the barrel
stub.
4) Screw the barrel stub into the receiver using the prop-
er action wrench and barrel clamp. Some barrels will
screw in easily; others will be tighter. Check to see if
your selected cartridge feeds smoothly without bind-
ing. Make sure you do this with the maximum num-
ber of dummy cartridges the magazine will hold. The
number of cartridges will be determined by the car-
tridge size. Check the dimensions of your receiver
opening and guide rails using figures 4-15 and 4-16.
These will need modifications for certain larger car-
tridges.
• Open the receiver rails and grind the bullet
guide/feed ramp, if required. This work must be
done very carefully to prevent ruining the receiver.
On large magnum cartridges, the front section of the
receiver must be ground open on both sides so the
bullet does not interfere with the sides of the re-
ceiver and prevent smooth cycling of the action.
The bullet feed ramp must also be ground to clear
large diameter bullets, such as the .338 and .458,
without removing more material than required from
this bottom section of the receiver. Over grinding
can weaken the action at the bottom bolt lug bear-
ing surface in the receiver. After grinding and pol-
ishing the receiver rails and bullet feed ramp, check
the action for smooth, positive feeding of the car-
tridges. All cartridges must feed properly and eject
prop-erly. Remember, you are using the barrel stub
Mauser M98 & M96
at this point and need not attempt to chamber the
dummy cartridges. You are checking for proper
stripping, extractor function and ejector function,
together with smooth feeding.
• This procedure should confirm that your selected
cartridge feeds and cycles through the action prop-
erly. The receiver rails and bullet feed ramp can now
be final polished to a mirror finish.
5) Disassemble the action completely (see figure 4-17).
6) For scope mounting, drill and tap the receiver using a
milling machine or the B-Square drilling and tapping
fixture shown in figures 4-18a and b and 4-19a and b.
The scope base threads are No. 6-48 and the tap drill
is No. 31. You should use a solid carbide No. 31 drill
to drill the casehardened Mauser receiver. If your
receiver has minor pitting or scratches, these can be
removed with fine emery paper or cloth, or you can
use the new Dremel Contour Sander set to do the work
faster and with less effort.
7) For open iron sights or receiver sights, you must first
finish ream the chamber in the barrel, headspace the
action and then install the barrel to the receiver. Make
clock marks on the bottom of the barrel and receiver
so that when the barrel is removed for finishing, it can
be reinstalled in exactly the same position.
8) To headspace the action, remove the barrel and clamp
it in a barrel clamp and install it in a bench vise with
the breech end up and the barrel vertical (see figure
4-20).
9) Measure the headspace dimension as shown in figures
4-21 or 4-22, according to the action being used.
10) Finish ream the chamber until the GO gauge pro-
trudes the proper dimension from the breech end of
the barrel as shown in figures 4-23 and 4-24a and b.
When finish reaming, apply a firm downward force
while turning the reamer clockwise with a steady
motion. Remove the reamer at intervals by turning it
clockwise while applying an upward pressure on the
reamer wrench. Do not turn the reamer counterclock-
wise or you will dull the cutting edges. Treat the
reamer with great care and it will finish ream at least
four or five barrels before it needs to be resharpened.
During removals of the reamer, blow out the metal
shavings with compressed air before checking for
headspace protrusion of the GO gauge above the
breech end of the barrel. Proceed with the finish ream-
ing very carefully, checking at close intervals, until
headspace protrusion is correct. Use Tap Magic, Do-
40
All or Liquid Wrench as a reaming lubricant and cut-
ting fluid.
Note: On magnum calibers, make sure the bolt face has
been opened up to the proper diameter to accept the mag-
num GO gauge, NO GO gauge and FIELD gauge before
doing the finish reaming operations. If you forget to do
this, you could headspace the action incorrectly.
11) Before threading the receiver onto the barrel in the
vise, apply a high-pressure grease to the barrel
threads. If the barrel threads are sharp and rough,
they should have previously been brushed on the
bench grinder using a stiff wire brush. Turn the
receiver on the barrel thread until the receiver is fully
seated. Then tighten the receiver to approximately 50
to 75 lb-ft torque (equivalent to a 23 to 25 pound pull
on a 36 inch length of pipe attached to the receiver
wrench handle). A 36 inch length of VA IPS standard
galvanized iron pipe can be used for more leverage
on the short handle of the Mauser action wrench. To
prevent the barrel from slipping in the barrel clamp,
apply powdered rosin to the inside of the clamp col-
lar of the barrel clamp before tightening.
Note: If the receiver is very tight on the barrel thread,
the barrel thread can be filed evenly with a triangular
diamond needle file or chased on a lathe or rechased with
a Mauser thread die (1.100-12 tpi on the M98 and 0.980-
12 tpi on the M96) and the barrel thread again wire
brushed on the bench grinder. The receiver thread must
also be retapped, using a Mauser receiver tap, if the
threads are damaged or out of tolerance. These two pro-
cedures will normally allow the receiver to be tightened
to the barrel without the use of excessive force. If the
receiver is a firm, hand-tightened fit on the barrel thread,
the use of Loctite 242 applied to the threads is recom-
mended when the receiver is finally attached to the bar-
rel. The barrel threads should never be a loose fit into the
Mauser receiver because the original Mauser threads
were 55 degree Whitworth threads, and the prethreaded
barrels available from suppliers use the 60 degree stan-
dard form American thread.
12) With the receiver wrench on the receiver and the bar-
rel clamped in the bench vise, test for proper head-
space as outlined below for the M98 and M96
Mauser actions. The M98 Mauser is headspace
measured slightly differently than the M96. See
figures 4-21 and 4-22 for the method of taking
dimensions for determining the correct protrusion of
the GO gauge from the breech end of the barrel
chamber.

Follow the dimension methods shown in these two
illustrations to determine the correct dimension the GO
headspace gauge should protrude from the reamed cham-
ber during the finish reaming process.
After reaming the chamber to the correct GO gauge
protrusion above the barrel breech face as described in
step 10 preceding, proceed as follows:
• Insert the GO gauge into the cleaned chamber in
the barrel. Make absolutely sure no metal chips or
other materials are present in the chamber before
inserting the headspace gauges.
• Insert the stripped bolt (bolt body only, without the
extractor collar) into the receiver and carefully turn
the bolt toward the closed position. The bolt should
fully close without the slightest pressure on the bolt
handle. If the bolt closes on the GO gauge, remove
the GO gauge from the chamber and insert the NO
GO gauge into the chamber through the receiver. If
the bolt does not close on the NO GO gauge, the
headspace is correct and headspacing is completed.
• If the bolt will not close on the GO gauge, remove
the barrel and carefully ream the chamber a few
thousandths of an inch deeper. Again thread the
receiver onto the barrel and insert the GO gauge
and again try to easily close the bolt. Repeat the
process in small steps, very carefully, until the bolt
closes on the GO gauge. Then remove the GO
gauge and insert the NO GO gauge. The bolt must
not close on the NO GO gauge. If the bolt closes on
the NO GO gauge, you have reamed the chamber
too deeply and the barrel must be requalified. This
requalification is done by turning an equal amount
of metal from the end of the barrel breech end and
the barrel shoulder. Try removing a minimum of
0.006 inch of metal on the first attempt to correct
the improper headspace, if the bolt also closes on
the FIELD gauge. If the bolt just closes on the NO
GO gauge, only turn back the barrel end and shoul-
der 0.002 inch.
• Proper headspace on a bolt-action rifle is essential
for the following reasons: (See Section 8.2 for a
definition of headspace for rimless and belted mag-
num rifle cartridges.)
Excessive headspace can cause case head separa-
tion on the cartridge when the rifle is fired.
Excessive headspace is detrimental to accuracy in
firing.
The cartridge case can be too deep into the cham-
ber, not allowing the firing pin to properly ignite
41
Section 4
the primer when the rifle is fired. This can cause a
hangfire (see Section 8).
Figure 4-25 shows the position of the bolt in the re-
ceiver on a properly headspaced action with a NO GO
gauge in place in the chamber.
Note: As a general rule, close headspace is essential for
target and varmint rifles, while a looser headspace is
more adequate for hunting rifles. Headspace into or past
the FIELD gauge range might be indicated on dangerous
game rifles used in dusty and muddy locations such as
Africa. This practice is determined by the rifle builder
who has experience with this type of headspacing prac-
tice. If you do not have special headspace experience, the
bolt must not close on the NO GO gauge. You should be
aware of the differences in the lengths of the GO, NO
GO and FIELD headspace gauges. There is usually
0.006 inch difference between the GO and the NO GO
gauges and 0.003 inch difference between the NO GO
and FIELD gauges. That is only 0.009 inch of space,
which is equal to the thickness of three sheets of standard
weight paper. This is the reason you must be very care-
ful when finish reaming the barrel chamber with the fin-
ishing reamer.
A "mud gutter" is sometimes machined into the face of
the bolt when the rifle is used in sandy and dirty loca-
tions where the cartridges can become fouled with dirt,
mud or sand. The Mannlicher rifles are a good example
of bolts that have mud gutters cut into the face of the
bolt. See figure 4-26 for a typical undercut bolt face. This
bolt face is from a Model 91/38 Carcano short rifle used
by Italy in World War II during their African and
Ethiopian campaigns, where sand was a problem in these
rifles. I have machined a mud gutter in some of my
African dangerous big game Mauser custom rifles for
this reason. It is a good safety precaution for these types
of rifles.
A note of caution on close headspace is indicated
here. If the cartridge is too tight in the chamber
when the bolt is closed using excessive pressure on
the bolt handle, the rifle will not group consis-
tently and the chamber pressure will rise to possi-
ble dangerous levels, especially on high pressure
cartridges used in hot climates.
13) With headspace completed, unscrew the receiver
from the barrel and clean with solvent. Set the bar-
rel aside for future work such as installation of iron
sights, sand blasting, polishing and final finish
application.
Mauser M98 & M96
14) For scope-mounted rifles, place the receiver in the
drilling and tapping fixture and proceed as follows:
• Drill the front receiver holes through the receiver
wall and through the receiver thread area. This will
not weaken the strong Mauser receiver and is done
on many custom Mauser bolt rifles produced by
famous manufacturers. Make sure you do not drill
into the top bolt lug ring inside the receiver. Using
the B-Square drilling and tapping fixture will elim-
inate this potential problem when the fixture is
used per directions. You must carefully locate the
drilling for a front receiver ring sight base when
using a milling machine to avoid this potentially
dangerous problem.
• Drill one or two holes through the rear receiver
bridge according to the type of sight base you will
be using. I recommend drilling only one hole in the
rear receiver to accept a one piece scope base. If
you prefer a two piece scope base, drill two rear
receiver holes. If the two piece scope base rear
block overhangs the receiver, it must be ground
back so the bolt handle shank does not hit it during
operation of the bolt. Some of the custom rifles
shown in Section 1 have a two piece scope base
mount. I recommend the famous Redfield scope
bases and rings for scope mounting. Many of my
rifles have Redfield one-piece bases and Redfield
rings, together with high-quality scopes, which
help in shooting less than one MOA at 100-yard
targets. Remember, high-quality scopes with high-
quality mounts will assist in shooting competition
grade groups when quality barrels are installed on
the custom Mauser rifle that has been properly
headspaced.
• Tap the No. 6-48 receiver holes with good quality
ground taps, using good cutting fluids such as Tap
Magic or other quality cutting fluids. The receiver
holes must be tapped in a fixture as shown in fig-
ure 4-19b or an accurate milling machine. If the tap
is not started straight, the tap will break or the
tapped hole will be untrue to the centerline of the
drill.
15) After tapping the receiver, plug the holes with No.
6-48 receiver scope base screws. Then set the re-
ceiver aside for later stages of construction.
16) The complete bolt assembly can be finished in a
number of methods, including the following:
• Select the type of bolt handle for welding, see fig-
ure 4-27. This was completed in a previous step.
42
Note: A plain Mauser bolt sleeve is shown to the right
of the bolt handles. This type of sleeve is used when the
trigger is equipped with the safety lever. (Timney pro-
duces a trigger safety combination trigger.)
• See figure 4-13 for bolt handle and scope clearance
scale drawings. The new bolt handle must clear
the ocular (eyepiece) of the scope of your choice.
The illustration shows the largest ocular that I
could find to make the illustrations. Simmons ocu-
lars are generally the largest oculars encountered
on American scopes. Different ocular diameters
occur on many scopes and must be taken into
account when selecting a bolt handle and its cor-
rect angle. The bolt handle angle is generally
between 70 to 75 degrees down from the horizon-
tal when the bolt is in the fully closed position.
• Select the type of safety (see figure 4-3). Some
safeties can be installed directly on the military
Mauser rifle without modification. Other safeties,
such as the Dakota three-position side-swing
safeties require rework to the rear flange of the
bolt body as shown in figure 4-28. I recommend
three types of safeties for the custom Mauser rifle
(original Mauser, Buehler or three-position side
swing): the original Mauser safety for open iron
sight rifles; the Buehler type vertical swing type,
two-position safeties (Timney and Precise Metal-
smithing); the Dakota three-position safety, which
is of high quality but requires rework of the cock-
ing piece sear edge, the firing pin locking lugs and
a 0.125 inch diameter milled cut into the rear of
the bolt body flange as shown in figure 4-29; and
the Precise Metalsmithing three-position safety.
The custom rifles shown in Section 1 show the
types of safeties described.
• Select either standard or magnum cartridges, see
figures 4-2a and 4-2b. The face of Mauser military
bolts must be machined larger to accept the mag-
num head diameter of 0.532 inch. The standard
rifle cartridges have a head diameter of 0.473 inch
and will fit a standard military Mauser bolt face
and extractor without modification.
• The bolt can be polished bare steel, jeweled and/or
blued.
• The extractor can be polished, jeweled or sand
blasted and blued.
• The ejector box spring can be polished, jeweled or
blued.
• Other parts of the bolt assembly can be polished or
finished to your choice.

After all bolt modifications and preparations, clean,
lubricate and assemble the complete bolt assembly.
• Install the trigger of your choice to the bottom of
the receiver using the original Mauser trigger pin
with either the original military trigger or a qual-
ity trigger such as a Timney type, which is adjust-
able for pull, creep and overtravel. Then assemble
the action without the barrel.
• Test the trigger and safety systems for proper func-
tion:
The action must not safety-off fire.
The action must not slam-fire.
The trigger and safety must operate smoothly and
safely. Occasionally, the military safety is difficult
to engage. This can be fixed by grinding a larger
bevel on the top, right side of the front of the cock-
ing piece.
Adjustment to trigger pull, creep and overtravel
are made using the trigger manufacturer's instruc-
tions supplied with the trigger assembly. See fig-
ure 4-30 for a Timney trigger and its adjustment
points.
It is not recommended to alter the military trigger,
except to hone or polish the sear surfaces for
smoother action. The Mauser military trigger nor-
mally has a pull of 6 to 8 pounds.
Safety-off and slam-fires are corrected by follow-
ing the trigger manufacturer's instructions.
17) Open iron sight and receiver sight installation.
For open iron sights proceed as follows:
• Select a screw mounted front and rear sight assem-
bly (see figures 4-7a and 4-7b).
• Screw the receiver onto the barrel using the re-
ceiver wrench and barrel clamp in a bench vice.
Clamp the barrel in a vertical position with the
breech end facing up (see figure 4-31). Now, tight-
en the receiver to the barrel with firm pressure -
approximately 50 to 75 lb-ft torque. This is equal to
a pull of 17 to 25 pounds on a 36-inch pipe exten-
sion placed over the handle of the receiver wrench.
• Mark the torqued barrel and receiver with clock
marks at the bottom of the barrel/receiver junction
using a sharp cold chisel. This must be done so that
after the sights are located and the sight mounting
holes drilled and tapped, the barrel can be removed
and finished by blueing or other finish and later
reinstalled in the exact position to the clock marks.
Note: Iron sight alignment can be made in the follow-
43
Section 4
ing manner if you do not have a milling machine or sight
drilling jig, both of which are expensive. Place the barrel
and receiver in a gun vise or on a level surface or in a
bench vise. Protect the barrel against vise jaw marks.
Insert two No. 6-48 taps into the front and rear receiver
tapped holes and use these two taps as alignment points
for positioning and locating the front and rear sights to
the barrel. Use tie wraps to hold the sights in place
against the barrel surface. Carefully align the sights by
eye, using the two taps as alignment points. When the
sights are accurately aligned, place a drop or two of
Super Glue (cyanoacrylate) in the sight mounting holes
and let the glue set up. Check the sight alignment care-
fully before applying the Super Glue.
• Measure the barrel diameter at the rear sight screw
hole locations and deduct the bore diameter from
this dimension, then divide by two. This is the wall
thickness of the barrel at the sight screw locations.
Drill the sight screw holes, using the glued on sight
base as a guide, to a depth of one-half the wall
thickness of the barrel and tap No. 6-48 using plug
and bottoming taps. Be very careful in drilling the
barrel for the sight, not to drill more than half way
through the barrel wall. The rear sight blade, when
in its center position, should be placed 4.00 to 4.25
inches from the front of the receiver ring. Use the
same procedure for the front sight, except that the
front sight might only require a small guide hole
for tightening the front sight ramp when a ring
type, hooded front sight is used. After the iron sight
holes are drilled and tapped, knock the glued sights
off the barrel using a plastic-faced hammer. Clean
the excess Super Glue off the barrel with Super
Glue remover (acetone).
• Remove the barrel from the receiver and set aside
for later stages of construction. If the barrel and
receiver are to be blued or finished together, do not
remove the barrel. I do not recommend soldering
iron sights to the barrel. If the soldered sights are
damaged in handling, you have a big problem on
your hands.
• The same procedure is followed for receiver sights:
locate the sights, Super Glue in place, drill and tap
the side of the receiver and the front of the barrel.
Carefully check sight alignment before gluing,
drilling and tapping.
18) Applying finishes to the barreled action parts.
The custom military Mauser can be finished in many
combinations of your choice. See Section 1 for photo-
Mauser M98 & M96
graphs of my custom Mauser rifles with different finish
combinations. Finishes include:
• Polished, blued or nickel-plated receiver (engraved
and polished on presentation grade rifles).
• Blued or nickel-plated barrel. Stainless steel bar-
rels can be polished or sand blasted or finished
with an abrasive cloth.
• Bolt parts can be polished, blued, plated or jew-
eled.
• Trigger guard magazine surfaces can be blued or
nickel plated.
The custom Mauser builder can use cold blueing solu-
tions to obtain an excellent blue finish to various parts of
the rifle. For matte blue, the part must be sand blasted
prior to applying the blueing solutions. Oxpho-Blue is an
excellent choice and forms a tough, good blue finish.
Oxpho-Blue can be obtained from the suppliers listed in
the appendixes of this book. Figure 2-13 also shows sam-
ples of blueing solutions. Other blueing solutions are
shown and detailed in Section 6.8.
Note: The cold blueing process requires the metal be
thoroughly cleaned down to bare metal before applica-
tion. All traces of oil or finger marks must be removed
with solvents prior to applying the blueing solution.
Wear rubber gloves while cold blueing the different
parts. Follow the directions supplied with the cold blue-
ing solutions. More than one application is recommend-
ed. Heating the parts to approximately 150 to 200
degrees Fahrenheit helps in cold bluing. The cold blued
surfaces should be rubbed with very fine, oil-free steel
wool then solvent cleaned and another coat of cold blue
solution applied. The final finish is rubbed with the steel
wool and then waxed and polished lightly with a soft
cloth or a silicone lubricant applied.
19) Final assembly of the completed barreled action.
All work on every metal part of the rifle should be com-
pleted prior to final assembly and final functional testing.
Note: Scope base, scope rings or iron sights are
installed after the barreled action is fitted to the stock.
• Screw the finished receiver on the barrel using the
barrel clamp and receiver wrench and tighten until
the clock marks are in perfect alignment. If the bar-
rel threads are an easy, not loose, fit to the receiver,
use Loctite 242 on the threads prior to tightening.
If the barrel to receiver threads are a moderately
tight fit, apply a high-pressure grease to the threads
prior to tightening. Barrel to receiver threads that
44
are excessively tight are not recommended. Use a
Mauser thread die to recut the barrel thread to a
proper fit. A firm to moderately tight fit is recom-
mended.
• Completely assemble the bolt after applying a light
coat of gun lubricant.
• Assemble the ejector box assembly to the receiver.
Do not apply excessive pressure to the ejector box
pivot screw or you might strip the threads.
• Assemble the trigger mechanism to the bottom of
the receiver using the Mauser trigger cross pin.
• Assemble the trigger guard magazine housing to
the receiver using the action screws. Use the origi-
nal Mauser screw spacer on the rear action screw.
• Install the magazine follower spring, the magazine
follower and the magazine floorplate into the mag-
azine. The 1909 Argentine Mauser has a hinged
floorplate and locking latch in the front of the trig-
ger guard. This is a good feature on the 1909
Argentine Mauser.
• Slide the completed bolt assembly into the re-
ceiver.
• The barreled action is now completed, less the
sight system, which is installed later.
20) Checking the completed barreled action. (Correct
headspace was previously verified.)
• Open the bolt and insert the maximum number of
dummy cartridges into the magazine. The magazine
will hold from two to five cartridges, according to
the size of the cartridge selected.
• Cycle the bolt fully to see if the cartridges feed
smoothly and eject properly. The receiver rail
edges might need more polishing if the cartridges
are badly scratched during chambering. It is normal
for the cartridges to receive light scratch marks dur-
ing chambering, even in the original Mauser mili-
tary rifle for which the cartridge was designed. This
is not a problem and does no harm to the cartridge
cases. If you forgot to chamfer the edge of the bar-
rel chamber before installing the barrel, this can be
done by using a sharp countersink on an extension
passed through the receiver and lightly turning by
hand. The chamber entrance chamfer should be
slight (approximately 0.010 to 0.015 inch x 45
degrees).
• Recheck the trigger and safety system functions.
• Make sure the trigger does not bind in the slot in
the trigger guard magazine housing. This condition
can cause the cocking piece sear to slip past the
trigger sear as the bolt is cycled in operation. This

is extremely dangerous, especially on a dangerous
game sporting rifle. To remedy this problem, file
the slot in the trigger guard magazine housing
wider by approximately 0.025 inch. Recheck for
safety-off fires and slam-fires and correct the prob-
lem according to the trigger or safety manufactur-
er's instructions. If a Timney trigger is installed, the
original factory setting is usually excellent for
hunting rifles. Readjustment might be required for
target grade and varmint grade rifles. Adjustments
are to be made according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
Note: Target grade rifles have the trigger pull set at 2
pounds or less, hunting rifle triggers are usually set at 2.5
to 4 pounds and dangerous game rifle triggers are usual-
ly set at 4 to 6 pounds. Many dangerous game custom
rifles that produce tremendous recoil and use the original
military Mauser triggers have trigger pulls from 6 to 8
pounds. The selection of trigger pull is determined by the
custom rifle builder or the customer's preference.
• Check the ejector box housing assembly as follows:
It should spring back easily and without binding
when it is pulled out and released.
If it binds, determine the cause and correct it.
Apply Loctite 242 to the threads of the ejector box
pivot screw and firmly tighten. Do not apply exces-
sive pressure to this screw.
21) Fitting the stock.
• Select the stock of your choice.
Wood stocks are fine and can be selected from a wide
choice of woods and figure, but they can be expensive,
especially if custom fitted to the barreled action. If the
stock is custom fitted by a stock manufacturer, you
should have no problems.
• If you buy an inletted stock of wood, thermoplastic
or composite thermoset plastic, you might need to
fit the stock to the barreled action. See figures 4-32a
and 4-32b (F) for points of fitting that might be
required. On many prefitted stocks, the barrel chan-
nel might need to be opened up to fit a larger diam-
eter barrel. Many prefitted stocks are made to fit
contour 2 or 3 barrels. See figures 4-5 and 4-6 for
barrel contour dimensions. To open the barrel chan-
nel, use the barrel inletting tool shown in figure
2-15.
Note: I have found through extensive testing that a
free-floated barrel is best for consistent accuracy.
45
Section 4
This applies for all cartridges from .22-250 through
the powerful .458 Winchester Magnum.
• After the stock is properly fitted to the barreled
action, install the iron sights using the sight screws
provided. Apply Loctite 242 to the threads of the
mounting screws before securing in place.
This completes the custom Mauser rifle with iron or
receiver sights.
22) Installation of the telescopic sight.
• After assembling the fitted stock to the barreled
action, install the scope base to the receiver with the
screws provided. Apply Loctite 242 to the threads of
the base mounting screws prior to tightening. Check
to make sure the base mounting screws do not bot-
tom out when tightening. If they bottom out, grind
the ends of the screws on your bench grinder. Use a
screw holding tool so the screws do not fly away
and get lost in your shop or work area. All small
parts that need to be ground on the bench grinder or
polished on the buffing wheel should be firmly held
so they do not fly away, making them difficult to
find.
• Install the scope rings to the scope base per instruc-
tions supplied with the rings. Scope bases and rings
such as the Redfield are the most popular and easi-
est to work with, and I highly recommend them.
They are well made, attractive and provide a very
positive and secure scope mount that will not move
under the recoil of heavy caliber rifles. Make sure
the scope rings are exactly in line and the ring tight-
ening screws are not over tightened. Do not apply
Loctite to the scope ring screws. If the scope rings
are not exactly in line, damage to the scope tube and
internal optics can result. Do not use the scope to
pressure align the scope in its ring mounts. Use a
one inch diameter steel rod or aluminum rod, place
the alignment rod into the lower half of the scope
rings and tighten the top rings over the rod. This
will force the rings into perfect alignment. You can
then install the scope sight.
• Install the scope in the scope rings and move the
scope to the best position for your eye relief. If the
scope cannot be moved to the best position for your
eye relief due to interference on the scope bell, ocu-
lar or adjustment caps, extension rings are available
for either front or rear ring or both.
• After scope positioning and crosshair alignment,
tighten the ring screws evenly and with firm pres-
sure. Do not over tighten the ring screws or damage
Mauser M98 & M96
to the scope can result. A small amount of pow-
dered rosin placed on the inside of the rings will
prevent scope movement even under the most se-
vere recoil from firing heavy caliber magnum car-
tridges.
This completes the custom Mauser rifle work.
4.4 Important Reminder Notes on Construction of
the Custom Mauser Rifles
1) Be sure to cut off the original bolt handle before
machining the face of the bolt for magnum calibers
that have a head diameter of 0.532 inch. This allows
the bolt body to be placed in a lathe in a three-jaw
chuck. A carbide turning lathe bit is required to open
the rim on the bolt face to a diameter of 0.538 to 0.540
inch. A special tool for this purpose is available from
Brownells. This same tool can be used to true the face
of a bolt that was TIG welded to correct an excessive
corrosion ring in the face of the bolt. A small steel
plug is inserted into the firing pin hole prior to TIG
welding.
2) To easily saw off the existing Mauser bolt handle at
the shank, the casehardened surface of the shank must
be cut 0.020 inch deep all around before a hack saw
will cut the steel. A quality hack saw blade with
approximately 30 teeth per inch is recommended.
3) Be sure to cut/grind back the extractor claw edge
0.030 inch and rebevel for all standard magnum car-
tridges.
4) Be sure to clock mark the barrel and receiver after
headspacing on rifles to be equipped with iron sights
or receiver sights.
5) Apply Loctite 242 to the threads of the barrel and
receiver when they are a moderate or easy fit during
final barrel installation.
6) Do not tighten scope ring screws excessively, and do
not apply Loctite to these screws.
7) When checking headspace, use only the completely
stripped bolt body. Be sure to remove the extractor
collar or it might become caught in the rear receiver
groove, and it is difficult to remove the bolt if the col-
lar is sprung open slightly.
8) Do not tighten the main action screws excessively, and
use a close fitting gunsmith's screwdriver. If the rear
action screw is installed without its spacer tube, over
tightening this screw will deform the receiver causing
46
the bolt to bind or drag in the receiver. The bolt will
also drag on the protruding action screw.
9) Use gunsmith's screwdrivers on all screws. The
screwdriver blade must fit the slot in the head of the
screw closely, or screw head slots will be deformed
and ruined.
10) Be certain the new bolt handle is held at the proper
angle when clamped in the bolt welding fixture prior
to TIG welding. If the handle is wrong, the handle
might interfere with the telescopic sight ocular (eye-
piece) when cycling the action.
11) When working on custom Mauser actions and rifles,
use only the TIG welding process. This process is a
precision welding process that will not generate
enough heat to require any part of the action to be
reheat treated. This applies especially to the bolt.
12) When installing a custom trigger assembly such as
the Timney, be sure the trigger slot in the trigger
guard magazine housing is filed open to prevent trig-
ger drag or binding. A binding trigger can cause dis-
engagement of the trigger and cocking piece sear
edges. The result is that when you cock the action,
the sears will not engage and the firing pin spring
will not compress, not allowing the rifle to fire. This
condition can be extremely dangerous, especially on
a dangerous game hunting rifle.
13) For improved firing accuracy, free float the rifle bar-
rel in the stock.
14) Requalify the barrel if the bolt closes on the NO GO
or FIELD gauge.
15) If you insist on having the bolt or receiver reheat
treated, select a qualified heat treater and inform him
of the composition of the alloy steel used in Mauser
military rifles. The composition of Mauser rifle
steels is shown in Section 5.4.1.
16) Steel stamp the cartridge designation on the barrel of
the finished rifle. The stamp can be placed on the left
side of the barrel, above the stock line, and approxi-
mately 2 inches from the front of the receiver ring.
Steel stamps are available in 1/16, 3/32 and 1/8 inch char-
acters. This is a federal firearms regulation and
requirement.
17) Prefitted Mauser rifle barrels for the M98 and
M96 are usually supplied in 26-inch lengths. If you
shorten the barrel, do the work in a metal lathe and
face the end of the barrel and also cut a slight cham-
fer at the exit of the bore.
 Section 4

18) Use only dummy cartridges for checking the action the finish reamer to go through the receiver and
operation of the rifle or barreled action. Do not keep ream the chamber slightly deeper. Then recheck to
live ammunition in your work area while working on make sure the bolt does not close on the NO GO
the rifle. gauge.
19) If you use an oxyacetylene torch for heating bolts 24) Do not use stainless steel weld rod or wire to TIG
that are to be forged or bent down, do not heat the weld the new bolt handle. There will be a color dif-
steel above a dull cherry red color. Higher tempera- ference between the bolt handle steel and the stain-
tures such as a yellowish red color will ruin the case- less steel that will show when the bolt is polished.
hardening and cause it to flake off, ruining the part. Also, the cold or hot salts blueing will not take prop-
erly on stainless steel. Bolt handles purchased com-
20) Decide exactly how you wish to prepare, finish and
mercially are made from 8620 alloy steel or 4130
equip your custom Mauser rifle before beginning
alloy steel. Use only low carbon steel weld rod or 3.5
work. Make a work sheet outline from the instruc-
percent nickel weld rod and the TIG process to weld
tions given in this book and a list of all the parts you
on the new bolt handle. Be sure the weld rod or wire
will need to purchase for the rifle. Parts, action,
is completely clean and without an oxide surface
sources for Mauser military rifles and tool suppliers layer. Otherwise the TIG weld might show some
are listed in the appendixes. This procedure is very porosity that will need to be rewelded after filing or
important in order to perform the work more effi- grinding the bolt handle to the shape you want.
ciently and in less time.
The following photographs of various work procedures
21) Heavy recoiling magnum rifles such as the 7mm on the custom Mauser rifle will prove useful in your
Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, work. See figures 4-33 through 4-44 and the important
.338 Winchester Magnum and .458 Winchester captions under the photographs.
Magnum should weigh at least 10 pounds. If your
magnum rifle is lighter than this, weight can be
added in the buttstock after removing the recoil pad.
Lead shot mixed with a good epoxy glue does a
good job and will stay in place under heavy recoil.
Some prefitted stocks, such as the Bell & Carlson,
have a cavity in the buttstock into which the lead
shot and glue can be added. Use No. 7 to No. 8 lead
shot for this job. Holes can also be drilled in other
stocks for this same procedure. You will not enjoy
firing a very heavy recoiling rifle that weighs IVi or
8 pounds and will probably not shoot accurately due
to flinching in anticipation of the shock you are
about to receive because of a lightweight rifle. Some
of the early large caliber double rifles made by the
British gun manufacturers weighed as much as 12 or
13 pounds.

22) If you lengthen the inside of the magazine housing to

accept cartridges of 3.340 inches OAL, be sure to
grind the bullet feed ramp at the bottom front of the
receiver in line with the front inside of the magazine.
Failure to do this will cause cartridges to hang up
when the tip of the bullet catches on the unground
edge of the bullet feed ramp.
23) If the bolt handle is hard to turn down on a cham-
bered factory loaded or properly reloaded cartridge,
the headspace is too close. Use an extension rod on
Figure 4-1: A Mauser rifle barrel stub after removal
from the receiver. The barrel is first cut off'A inch
behind the rear sight sleeve. Then the barrel clamp is
attached to the stub, which is then removed from the
receiver with a receiver wrench. Save the barrel stub
for later operations on the action.

47
 Cartridge Data for Custom Mausers, M98 & M96

Caliber Bullet Dia. Head Max. O.A.L. Typical Chamber

(Cartridge) (inches) Dia.(ins.) (inches) Pressures, (Ref)

.22-250 Rem.(*) .224 .473 2.350 59,400 psi

.220 Swift .224 .473 2.260 50,500 CUP
.243 Win. (*) .243 .473 2.710 57,500 psi
.244/6mm Rem. .243 .473 2.825 63,000 psi
.250/3000 Sav. (*) .257 .473 2.515 43,300 CUP
.257 Roberts .257 .473 2.780 43,000 CUP
.257 Roberts +P .257 .473 2.780 48,000 CUP
.25-06 Rem. .257 .473 3.250 61,000 psi
6.5x55 Swedish (*) .264 .476 3.062 44,500 CUP
.264 Win. Magnum .264 .532 3.340 51,800 CUP
.270 Win. .277 .473 3.340 62,000 psi
7mm-08 Rem. .284 .473 2.800 59,000 psi
7x5 7mm Mauser (*) .284 .473 3.065 49,000 psi
280 Remington .284 .473 3.330 58,100 psi
7mm Rem. Magnum .284 .532 3.290 59,000 psi
.308 Winchester (*) .308 .473 2.810 57,500 psi
.30-06 Springfield .308 .473 3.340 57,600 psi
.300 Win. Magnum .308 .532 3.340 61,200 psi
8x57mm Mauser (JS) .323 .473 3.250 36,000 CUP
.338 Win. Magnum .338 .532 3.340 52,400 CUP
35 Remington (*) .358 .460 2.525 30,700 CUP
.35 Whelen .358 .473 3.340 50,400 CUP
.458 Win. Magnum .458 .532 3.340 47,000 CUP

NOTE: All chamber pressures shown are for typical pressure reference only, and are not maximum allowable
chamber pressures per SAAMI, (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, Inc.), specifications.
CUP = copper units of pressure; psi = pounds per square inch.

Custom military M98 Mausers may be built for the following cartridges, but the actions require extensive
modifications, welding and machining: .300 H&H Magnum, 8mm Remington Magnum, .375 H&H Magnum & .416
Remington Magnum. Cartridges marked (*) have been chambered in the military M96 Swedish Mauser action
commercially. All cartridges listed in the table above have been chambered in the military M98 Mauser action.
All magnum cartridges listed with .532 inch head diameters require that the face of the M98 bolt be machined and
the extractor claw reground. It is not recommended that the M96 Swedish Mauser action be converted to any
magnum caliber cartridge.

American cartridge dimensions, chamber dimensions and maximum allowable chamber pressures are listed in the
SAAMI/ANSI publication: ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4-1992 and may be obtained from SAAMI or ANSI, (American
National Standards Institute).

SAAMI, (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, Inc.)

Flintlock Ridge Office Center
11 Mile Hill Road
Newtown, CT 06470-2359
(203)426-4358

Figure 4-2a: Cartridge data for custom Mauser bolt rifles, M98 and M96. The listing of cartridges shown in this
table are recommended for chambering in the M98 Mauser or M96 Mauser, as indicated.

48
 Section 4

Mauser Prefitted Barrels, (Shilen)

Model Caliber - (Prethreaded and short-chambered barrels)

M1898 .22-250 Remington

.243 Winchester
.257 Roberts
.25-06 Remington
6.5x55mm Swedish
.270 Winchester
7mm-08 Remington
7x57mm Mauser
7mm Remington magnum
.280 Remington
.308 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
.300 Winchester magnum
.338 Winchester magnum
.35 Whelen
.458 Winchester magnum

M1896 .250 Savage

6.5x55mm Swedish
7x57mm Mauser
.35 Remington

NOTE: The above barrels are prethreaded and short-chambered for the M1898 and M1896 Mauser military rifles.
These barrels are made in contours #3 through #7. See Figs. 4-5 and 4-6 for the barrel dimensions of the different
contour numbers. A finish reamer is required for final chambering and head space adjustment in conjunction with
"GO", "NO GO" and "FIELD" gauges. The barrels are produced by Shilen and stocked by Brownells, Inc.. See the
suppliers section for addresses and telephone numbers. Barrels are also available from Harris, Hart and Douglas,
threaded and nonthreaded, for all calibers from .17 through .458, without threads. Some of these barrels must be
lathe turned for the proper thread size, rough chambered and final finish reamed, and are available in contours
#1 through #8. In effect, the custom Mauser rifle builder has a large selection of cartridges for which the custom
Mauser rifle may be chambered, provided that the builder has the required equipment or access to this equipment.

Important Calibers of M1898 & M1896 Mauser Military Rifles

Model Calibers of the Original Military Rifles

M1898 7x57mm (7mm Mauser), 7.65mm Argentine, 7.92x57mm (8mm Mauser)

M1896 6.5x55mm Swedish

NOTE: The magazine length of the M1898 Mausers must be increased by filing or grinding, in order for some of
the cartridges shown under the prefitted barrels table to fit. Most original M98 magazine inside lengths measure
3.310" and must be increased to 3.360" to 3.370" in order to prevent cartridge "hang-up" in the magazine. This
procedure is explained in section 4 of this book, (see contents and custom work procedures sections). Check the
reloading manuals for the maximum O.A.L. of the listed cartridges, or refer to Fig 4-2a.

Figure 4-2b: This table shows the Mauser prefitted barrels that are available from the suppliers shown in the
appendixes and are made by Shilen. A prefitted Mauser barrel makes it easy to convert a military Mauser bolt rifle
to a custom sporter rifle, target rifle or presentation grade rifle.

49
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-3: Shown at the upper left is a three-position safety for the M96
made by Precise Metalsmithing and includes a cock-on open kit. At middle
left is the Dakota three-position safety for the M98. This type of safety is
excellent for presentation grade custom Mauser rifles. At lower left is a plain
bolt sleeve that replaces the original Mauser bolt sleeve. When this sleeve is
used, a trigger with a built-in safety must be used, such as one of the Timney
types. At the upper right is a two-position side swing safety for the M98 that
requires milling the bolt sleeve and other fitting operations. At right center
and right bottom are two different brands of two-position Buehler-type, low-
profile safeties used with scope-mounted rifles. All the safeties shown in this
figure are used with scope-mounted rifles.

Figure 4-4: This is the Sportsman trigger by Timney and

is made for different types of Mauser bolt rifles including
the M98, K98k and M96. On the right are the three
screws used for the different trigger adjustments: pull,
creep and backlash. These types of triggers allow accu-
rate firing of the custom Mauser rifle and are better than
most factory installed triggers. The lock time of the M98
and M96 Mauser military rifles is very fast, allowing
accuracy in firing.

50
 Section 4

CONTOUR A B c D E L •

2 1.200 .750 .600 2.50 2.00 26.00 •

3 1.200 .800 .625 2.50 2.00 26.00 •

4 1.200 .875 .650 2.50 2.00 26.00 •

5 1.200 .900 .700 2.50 2.00 26.00 •

• Recommended installed length: Long range & magnums, 26.00"

Standard hunting, 24.00"
Safari grade rifles, 22.00 to 24.00"
Light sporters, 20.00 to 22.00"

Figure 4-5: Table of barrel contour dimensions of prefitted barrels for the M98. Most prefitted Mauser stocks will
fit contours 2 and 3 but will need to be rechanneled for contours 4 and 5 or higher.

51
Mauser M98 & M96

[645

C D E L •
CONTOUR A B

2 1.200 .750 .600 2.50 2.00 26.00 •

3 1.200 .800 .625 2.50 2.00 26.00 •

Figure 4-6: Table of barrel contour dimensions ofprefitted barrels for the M96.

Figure 4-7a: A rear iron sight is shown at the left; a plain front iron sight is shown at the right. Both are the
screw-on types that are recommended for building custom Mauser rifles. They are easier to install than soldered
sights and can easily be removed and replaced if damaged. Care must be used when drilling and tapping the
threads so the holes are not too deep into the barrel wall, especially near the receiver, where the pressures are
much higher than at the muzzle.

52
 Section 4

Figure 4-7b: Different sights, safeties and trigger assembly. A receiver peep sight is shown at the right with its
mounting screws and different apertures.

Figure 4-7c: A Redfield one-piece scope base and mounting rings. The
one-piece scope base is recommended because it is more rigid than a
two-piece base and easier to install accurately. The Redfield scope base
mounting system and scope rings are recommended because of their sim-
plicity, sturdiness and cost. When installed properly, this type of scope-
mounting system will remain in place, even under the recoil of heavy
magnum cartridges.

53
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-8: This figure shows the recommended cut-off dimension for
the M98 Mauser bolt handle. The M96 bolt handle must be cut off past
the recess for the bolt stop with a recommended dimension of .45 to .50
inch from the bolt body.

Figure 4-9a: This illustration shows
the radius for opening the bolt face of
the M98 for magnum cartridges with
head diameters of .532 inch. The
edges of the inner rim must be ground
back with a small grinder to allow the
head of the magnum cartridge to slide
upward into the recess and under the
extractor claw.
Figure 4-9b: This illustration shows
the normal radius of the M98 bolt face
inner ring for cartridges with head
diameters of .473 inch (.30-06, .270,
.280, .25-06, etc.). See figure 4-2a for
head diameters of the different car-
tridges. The M96 Mauser bolt face
need not be opened up, because mag-
num cartridges are not recommended
for chambering in the M96 action.

54
 Section 4

Figure 4-10: A photograph of a badly corroded bolt face caused by firing cartridges with corrosive
primers. The early cartridges fired in the military Mauser rifles used primers containing fulminate of
mercury, which leaked back onto the face of the bolt, causing the corrosion ring shown here. This
type of bolt damage can be easily repaired using the firing pin plug shown in figure 4-11 and the TIG
welding process. The plug is forced into the firing pin hole, after which the corrosion ring is welded
over using the precision TIG welding process. The face of the bolt is then lathe turned, down to its
original surface, cutting through the plug. The firing pin hole stem is then driven out with a punch.
It is not recommended that the face of a Mauser bolt be turned below its original surface to try to
remove a corrosion ring. Turning back the face of the bolt will cause ejection problems if it is cut
back more than a few thousandths of an inch. TIG weld repairing the bolt face in the manner
described does not require the bolt to be recasehardened. The plug should be turned on a lathe from
mild carbon steel (1020, 1018, etc.). Do not use stainless steel for the bolt face repair plug.

Figure 4-12: This photograph shows a Mauser M98 bolt clamped in a bolt welding fixture, together
with its new bolt handle. The Allen wrench used to tighten the clamp screws is to the right and the
important bolt heat-sink is shown below. The bolt is set up in the fixture with the bolt handle at the
correct angle and position and is then tack welded in place. The bolt is then removed from the fix-
ture, the bolt heat sink is installed, and the bolt handle is finish welded using the TIG welding
process. When welded in this manner, it is not required to reheat treat the bolt, because the case-
hardened surfaces on the rear or front of the bolt are not affected by the TIG welding process.

55
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-12a: This photograph shows how the casehardened

surfaces of the bolt handle shank are cut with a cut-off wheel,
prior to sawing off the original bolt handle.

Figure 4-12b: This photograph shows the cut-off bolt handle and the bolt handle shank beveled in
preparation for welding. Do not over bevel the bolt handle and bolt stub - 0.09 to .12 inch x 45
degrees is sufficient.

56
 Section 4

Figure 4-12c: A view of

the TIG welded bolt han-
dle showing the heat sink
in place in the bolt body.
Note the neat, small weld
beads formed by the TIG
welding process. This
allows a minimum
amount of work required
to file and grind the han-
dle to the proper shape
and form, prior to polish-
ing and other finishing.

Figure 4-12d: A top view of the filed, ground and shaped bolt handle. Note the small holes in
the shank area. These are closed by lightly TIG welding and then refiling. The handle and
bolt can now be polished, bead blasted, sand blasted or blued for your choice of finish.

57
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-12e: A view of the finished and polished bolt and handle, prior to assembly.

Figure 4-12f: A view of the completely finished and assembled bolt. Note the jeweling on the
extractor and the two-position Buehler-type, low-profile safety lever on the bolt sleeve. Good
bolt work is required for a good appearing custom Mauser rifle. Pit holes, sharp edges and
ding marks are a sign of poor workmanship. The first thing noticed by a person inspecting a
bolt rifle is the bolt and bolt handle workmanship.

58
 Section 4

Figure 4-13: This full-scale drawing will help to set the correct angle of the bolt handle on Mauser bolt rifles so
you will have adequate scope clearance when the bolt is opened and cycled. High mount scope rings are shown in
the figures. If your scope has a smaller ocular (eyepiece) than that shown, a medium height scope ring set could be
used. Forging the original bolt handle on Mauser bolt rifles is not recommended due to the possibility of distorting
the inner buttress threads for the bolt sleeve and ruining the casehardening on the bolt and other reasons stated in
the text.

Figure 4-14: This is a view of the

rear stop ledge on the right rear of
the receiver. If the bolt shank is cut
too short, the bolt will not close,
but this can be fixed by grinding
this edge back where indicated by
the arrow. This will allow the
underside of the bolt handle to
clear the ledge and fully close.

59
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-15: This is a plan view looking down on a typical M98 receiver, showing the basic dimensions of the
receiver rails and feed guides that will need to be ground and polished for smooth feeding of standard cartridges.

60
 Section 4

Figure 4-16: This is a plan view looking down on a typical M98 receiver, showing the basic dimensions for the
guide rails and cartridge feed guides for standard magnum cartridges. Modifying the original receiver rails is deli-
cate work and must be done carefully, otherwise you can ruin the receiver.

61
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-17: This is a view of a disassembled M98 Mauser bolt action that has been custom worked with a new
Shilen barrel fitted. The Timney, or other trigger of your choice, is shown at the lower left. The next step in con-
struction is to assemble the action and test for proper cartridge feeding. The stock is then fitted to complete the
rifle. Stock fitting books are available from gun-book publishers such as Wolfe Publishing.

62
 Section 4

Figure 4-18a: A view of a Mauser receiver clamped in the B-Square drilling and tapping
fixture.

Figure 4-18b: A top view of the receiver clamped in the drilling and tapping fixture, showing a
drill bushing in place at the front of the receiver ring. A drill bushing and a tapping bushing
are required for accurately placing the tapped holes for the scope base in the top center of the
receiver.

63
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4- 19a: Drilling the receiver in the B-Square drill and tap fixture, using a small drill press and
solid carbide No. 31 drill. Note the drill bushing, which accurately guides the carbide drill. When
doing this work, you can drill through the receiver wall at both front positions on the receiver ring.
This will make the work easier than working in a blind hole and will not weaken the receiver as
stated in some gunsmithing manuals. By drilling and tapping through, you will not need to grind the
scope base mounting screws to a shorter length.

Figure 4-19b: Tapping the receiver for the No. 6-48 tapped holes required to mount the scope base. A
good drilling and tapping fluid is required to do this work. The tapping must be done slowly and
carefully so the tap does not break. If you use quality ground thread taps and tap slowly, backing out
at short intervals, you should never break a tap. A broken tap in the receiver can be difficult to
remove, but tools are available to help remove broken taps.

64
 Section 4

Figure 4-20: A view showing the posi-

tion of the barrel and barrel clamp in a
bench vise while finish reaming in the
clockwise direction with a firm down-
ward pressure.

Figure 4-21: This drawing shows how to measure for headspacing on the M98 Mauser. The B dimension, which is
the distance from the top of the inner receiver ring to the face of the bolt, is the basic headspace dimension. The
chamber is carefully finish reamed until the head of the GO gauge protrudes above the face of the breech (cham-
ber end of the barrel) as measured by the B dimension.

65
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-22: This drawing shows how to measure for headspacing the M96 Mauser. Dimension B minus dimen-
sion A is the basic headspace dimension, which is the distance the head of the GO gauge must protrude above the
chamber end of the barrel. Dimension A is normally .645 inch or the actual length of the barrel threaded shank.

Figure 4-23 A view of the GO gauge protruding above the chamber end of the barrel, after finish
reaming to the proper headspace. Headspace is merely the distance or dimension from the rear of
the GO gauge to the face of the bolt when the bolt is fully closed and locked. In the M98 Mauser
the dimension B is normally approximately .100 inch. Each headspace dimension for a particular
rifle is different due to the tolerances allowed in manufacturing the Mauser parts. Always strive
for a close but not too tight correct headspace.

66

Figure 4-24a: A drawing showing the protrusion of
the GO gauge on the M98 Mauser replacement barrel.
This dimension is the B dimension shown in figure
4-21.
Figure 4-25: A view of the bolt body, showing the posi-
tion of the bolt handle, when the bolt is trying to close
on the NO GO gauge. The bolt should stop closing
when the handle is approximately half way through its
closing action. Use very light pressure when testing for
headspace, as damage to the chamber will result if you
force the bolt handle. The bolt must close on the GO
gauge but not close on the NO GO gauge.
67
Section 4
Figure 4-24b A drawing showing the protrusion of the
GO gauge on the M96 Mauser replacement barrel.
This dimension is the difference between the A and B
dimensions as shown in figure 4-22.
Figure 4-26: A view looking into the face of a
Mannlicher-type bolt, showing the mud gutter that is
sometimes cut into bolt faces to allow the bolt to close
on the cartridge when sand, mud or other dirt is pres-
ent in the action or on the cartridge head. Dangerous
game rifles used for African game are sometimes pre-
pared in this manner so sand or mud will not prevent
the bolt from closing. The mud or sand is forced into
the mud gutter as the bolt is turned down. One of the
author's .458 Winchester Magnum custom Mauser
rifles has a mud gutter ring cut into the face of the
bolt for this reason.
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-27: Samples of different types of bolt handles that are available for
your custom Mauser bolt rifle. The handle at A is the type generally used by
the author, although the handle shown at B is also a good looking handle and
has a hole in the knob to save a small bit of weight. The bolt shown at C can
also be used if you like the appearance of this type of handle. At the right is
the plain type of Mauser bolt sleeve that is available for both the M98 and
M96 Mausers. A trigger with a built-in safety lever must be used when this
type of bolt sleeve is used to replace the original bolt sleeve.

Figure 4-28: A view of the end of the bolt and the firing pin of the M98 Mauser, showing
areas that must be reworked when a safety such as the Dakota three-position side swing
safety is used.

68

Figure 4-29: This drawing shows the coordinates of the
.125 inch diameter end mill cut that must be made in
the rear rim of the bolt body when using the Dakota
safety. A 0.125 inch diameter solid carbide end mill
must be used for this operation due to the casehardened
surface that must be milled in this operation.
69
Section 4
Figure 4-30: A typical Timney Sportsman trigger with
the cocking piece of the Mauser action shown above
indicating the sear surface that might need to be
ground back to keep the sears of the cocking piece
and trigger from hanging up. This interference will
not allow the firing pin spring to compress during
cycling of the bolt. This condition can be dangerous
on a dangerous game rifle and must be carefully
adjusted by grinding back the face of the cocking
piece sear the proper amount. The face of the Mauser
sear need not be recasehardened because the actual
working sear is now in the Timney or other quality
trigger assembly.
Figure 4-31: A view of the Mauser
receiver being tightened to the barrel,
using the barrel clamp, Mauser action
wrench and a large bench vise that is
strongly mounted. A 36-inch piece of
1 1/4-inch IPS, schedule 40 galvanized
iron pipe can be used over the action
wrench handle to gain leverage when
removing or tightening a Mauser
receiver and barrel.
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-32a: Plan or top view showing points on a prefitted Mauser stock that might require fitting for
the different types of Mauser military bolt rifles. Fitting points are marked F.

Figure 4-32b: Bottom view of a prefitted Mauser stock that might require fitting, according to the type of
Mauser action you will be using. The fitting points are shown at F and can be sanded or ground using the
electric grinder tool, such as the Dremel, or flexible, shaft-type hand grinder with a pencil grip or hand
piece.

70
 Section 4

Figure 4-33: Retapping the threads on a Mauser receiver, M98 or M96. This must
be done when the receiver threads are damaged. The receiver is shown clamped in
the Mauser action wrench that is held in a large bench vise.

Figure 4-34: This photo shows one method of jeweling an extractor using a jewel-
ing brush and a drill press. Note the clamping vise and guide ruler that help keep
the jeweling evenly spaced for a professional look. This operation can also be done
on a milling machine if you own one or have access to one.

71
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-35: A view looking into the receiver, showing
how the pencil-type, flexible shaft grinder can be used
to obtain access into the hard-to-reach places in the
receiver. The bullet feed ramp can be ground in this
fashion as well as the cartridge guide rails as shown
in figures 4-15 and 4-16.
Figure 4-36: A view of a flexible shaft grinder
equipped with a polishing tip for polishing the bullet
feed ramp and sides of the cartridge guide rails. The
normal electric hand grinder cannot reach into these
tight spaces inside the receiver.

Figure 4-37: A bottom view of an M98 trigger guard magazine housing, showing where the
magazine can be filed open to 3.360 to 3.370 inches to allow cartridges of 3.340 inches OAL
to smoothly feed from the magazine. The cartridge OAL of 3.340 inches is the longest length
that should be used for your custom Mauser bolt rifle. Cartridges of this maximum length
include all those shown in the table of recommended cartridges shown in figure 4-2a.

72
 Section 4

Figure 4-38: A view of an ejector box spring that has

been jeweled for appearance. This spring can be pol-
ished, jeweled or blued, according to your preferences.
One or two rows of jeweling can be added.

Figure 4-39: A side view drawing showing where to file the magazine opening for car-
tridges of 3.340 inches OAL.

73
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-39: A side view drawing showing where to file the magazine opening for car-
tridges of 3.340 inches OAL.

Figure 4-40: A side view of the bolt and

firing pin, showing the normal range of
firing pin protrusion when the trigger
is pulled. Make sure you push the rear
of the cocking piece forward when tak-
ing this measurement. This will allow
for firing pin overtravel. The firing pin
must not protrude more than .075 inch
on the M98 and M96 Mauser actions
or less than 0.055 inch.

74
 Section 4

Figure 4-41: A section cut through the

receiver showing the points that can be
ground if any round "stands up" in the
receiver when cycling the cartridges
through the action. By grinding the inner
radiuses and sides of the receiver at points
G, the cartridges will spread sideways and
could eliminate the problem of cartridge
stand-up. The problem of cartridge stand-
up is caused by over grinding the receiver
rail edges.

Figure 4-42: A Shilen pre-

fitted Mauser barrel shown
clamped in the B-Square
barrel clamping block.
Various aluminum split
inserts are available for this
clamp to fit the original
Mauser barrel and also to
fit the sporter prefitted bar-
rels produced by Shilen and
other barrel manufacturers.

75
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 4-43: A view looking into the front of the Mauser M98 receiver on
a completely assembled action. This is the stage where firing pin protru-
sion and headspace dimensions can be taken. Firing pins that are too
short must be replaced and firing pins that are too long can be reground,
rounded and polished.

Figure 4-44: A plan or top view of an M98 receiver taken from a 1908 Brazilian Mauser showing the
receiver rails and bullet guide ramp that might need to be reworked to fit the particular cartridge of your
choice. Receiver work must be carefully done using diamond files, hand grinders and polishers and
micrometers or vernier calipers to check the dimensions as you proceed with the work. Test dummy car-
tridge feeding while doing the work.

76
 Section 5
DATA AND DATA TABLES
FOR
CUSTOM MAUSER AND MILITARY MAUSER RIFLES
5.1 Recommended Cartridges for
Custom Mauser Rifles
To keep the work as simple as possible, safe and rela-
tively inexpensive, I recommend only those cartridges
shown in the prefitted barrel table shown in figure 4-2b.
The maximum cartridge overall loaded length (OAL)
should be restricted to cartridges of 3.340 inches maxi-
mum length. There are enough excellent cartridges of
this length and shorter available for all hunting and tar-
get or varmint shooting applications to satisfy almost
everyone. Holland & Holland cartridges and the large
caliber Weatherby magnum cartridges (.300, .338, .378
and .460) are not recommended for various reasons in-
cluding very extensive and difficult action rework and
very high chamber pressures. The action rework for
these types of cartridges is so extensive and demanding
that it is hardly worth the effort required.
Notwithstanding this, some gunsmiths are willing to take
on this effort, but the finished rifle will be very expen-
sive.
The cartridge table (fig. 4-2a) covers all standard car-
tridges from the .22-250 through the mighty .458 Win-
chester Magnum. The very strong M98 Mauser military
rifle action will easily and safely handle all these car-
tridges. Mauser military rifles are reported in some pub-
lications to have been proof tested to 80,000 psi pressure
levels or higher. The Mark X Mauser type action that
might still be available in limited quantities are proof
tested to 70,000 psi. I have a Mark X action that came
with a proof test sheet indicating the action was proof
tested at the factory in Yugoslavia to 70,000 psi. Since
the maximum pressure levels specified by SAAMI
(Sporting Arms & Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute,
Inc.) for most American high-pressure cartridges is
65,000 psi, the Mauser action in good mechanical condi-
77
tion can safely handle all the cartridges listed in the table
of prefitted barrels with no problems.
Caution: Do not exceed the maximum loads shown in
the various reloading manuals for your particular car-
tridge, unless you have safely test fired and confirmed
that these loads can be increased in your particular rifle.
Also, the M96 Swedish action is not recommended for
maximum pressure cartridges due to its smaller receiver
ring and absence of a third bolt locking lug. The table of
figure 4-2a lists those cartridges recommended for
chambering in the M96 Swedish action, and for which
prefitted barrels are available from Brownells, Inc. or
Shilen, Inc.
Note: The M96 Swedish action is being commercially
chambered for the .243 Winchester, .22-250 Remington
and the .308 Winchester. This is an indication that the
M96 action is strong enough to safely chamber these car-
tridges. Shilen prefitted barrels are not available in these
calibers, but you can use a Harris, Douglas or Hart bar-
rel and turn the 0.980-12 threads on the barrel required
for the M96 Swedish action.
5.2 SAAMI Specifications for Centerfire Rifle
Cartridges and Chambers
SAAMI publication ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4 -1992 is the
specification book that regulates cartridge chamber pres-
sures, cartridge dimensions and chamber dimensions.
There are other SAAMI publications the custom rifle
builder might wish to consult. These important publica-
tions are available from:
SAAMI
Flintlock Ridge Office Center
11 Mile Hill Road
Newtown CT 06470-2359
Phone: (203) 426-4358
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 5-1: A side section cut through a typical military Mauser bolt action showing all important parts. This type
of action has a removable type magazine floorplate. On the left is shown the rear action assembly screw in relation
to the cocking piece sear. If the rear action screw spacer tube is not used, the threaded end of the rear action screw
will need to be ground shorter to prevent interference with the cocking piece sear. Do not shorten this screw exces-
sively, because over tightening the screw will cause the receiver to bend out of alignment and make the bolt bind in
the action.

5.3 Typical M98 and M96 Mauser Action Drawings
- Side Sections
See figures 5-1 and 5-2 for a sectional view of the M98.
The M96 action is similar in design.
5.4 Typical Mauser Military Rifle Steel
Compositions and Types
There are numerous publications about Mauser military
rifles, shop manuals and pamphlets that have been pro-
duced over a period of many years. None of these publi-
cations describe the types and compositions of the main
steel parts of the famous Mauser M98 or M96 military
rifles. Some of these publications recommend reheat
treatment of critical Mauser rifle parts such as the bolt
and receiver. It should be noted that a professional heat
treater must know the chemical composition of the type
of steel, or high or low alloy steel, that will be heat treat-
ed. Heat treatment, including casehardening, is a critical
metal working procedure and must be done accurately. I
have taken samples from Mauser military rifle barrels,
bolts and receivers and sent them to professional test
laboratories for exact analysis of chemical composition.
Figures 5-3, 5-4 and 5-5 are chemical analysis sheets
showing the composition of typical Mauser steels for
barrels, bolts and receivers produced between 1909 and
1930. Mauser military rifle steels are not simple carbon
steels, as some authors have stated in their publications,
but are what are known today in modern metallurgical
practices as: copper-bearing, HSLA (high strength low
alloy) steels. Steels of this type were used in Mauser mil-
itary rifles because they are strong, tough, somewhat cor-
rosion resistant and ductile. All of these qualities were
required for ordnance equipment produced in Germany
during the early part of the twentieth century. Mauser
military rifle steels were probably not altered through
World War II or the early 1950s when FN was still pro-
ducing Mauser military rifles in Belgium. These HSLA
steels were produced as forgings for the various parts of
the Mauser military rifles and were then machined to the
proper, controlled dimensions for each part of the rifle,
using master tooling jigs, fixtures and quality control
measurement systems. Some of these parts such as the

78
 Section 5

Figure 5-2: A side section cut through a typical military Mauser bolt action as in figure 5-1, except this action has
a hinged magazine floorplate and a trigger guard mounted latch lever. This type of action is found on the 1909
Argentine Mauser and is one reason the 1909 Argentine is very desirable for custom Mauser rifle building.

receiver and bolt assembly parts were casehardened
using the old method of packing the parts in cast iron
containers packed with carbon bearing materials, sealed
and oven heated to the correct temperatures for the cor-
rect time. They were then quenched in water, oil or brine
solutions to give the case a high level of hardness
(Rockwell 50 to 55 on the C scale for receivers and
Rockwell 60 to 65 on the C scale for bolts). This heat-
treating procedure left the core of the steel part soft
compared to the outer casehardened surfaces. These
manganese, silicon, chrome and nickel steels, also con-
taining copper, were strong, tough and resistant to brit-
tleness or fracture. The copper was added to the steel to
impart atmospheric corrosion protection or resistance.
My military Mauser rifle collection contains many
rifles with bare, polished bolts and receivers, and they
look like they were just delivered from the factory, even
though some of these rifles were produced from 1899
to 1913.
5.4.1 Laboratory Analysis Sheets for Military
Mauser Rifle Steels
See figures 5-3 through 5-5 for laboratory test reports.
Caution: Never ask a heat treating company to heat
treat a steel or special alloy steel part unless you can pro-
vide the heat treater with the chemical composition of the
steel or alloy steel. The special alloy steels from which
the military Mauser rifle parts were made were more than
likely produced by Krupp in Germany since the quanti-
ties of steel forgings required to produce the millions of
Mauser rifles were enormous.
Note: In order to obtain an accurate analysis of the
Mauser steels shown in figures 5-3, 5-4 and 5-5, I had the
test samples taken from core drillings on the steel parts
so that none of the carbon in the casehardened outer sur-
face would be included in the sample, which could have
produced a false analysis of the steels of the various parts
that were tested for chemical composition.

79
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 5-3: A laboratory test report showing the type of alloy steel used in the typical military Mauser M98
receiver.

80
 Section 5

Figure 5-4: A laboratory test report showing the type of alloy steel used in the typical military Mauser M98 barrel.

81
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 5-5: A laboratory test report showing the type of alloy steel used in the typical military Mauser M98 bolt.

82
 Section 6
HEAT TREATMENT AND FINISHES
FOR CUSTOM MAUSER RIFLE PARTS
6.1 Heat Treatment of Custom Mauser Rifle Parts
As stated previously in the preceding sections, reheat
treatment of bolts is not required after the TIG welding
process is used to attach a new bolt handle. Reheat treat-
ment is also not required when the face of the bolt is
turned in the lathe or mill to open the rim to accept the
standard magnum cartridges. Reheat treatment is like-
wise not required or recommended when the face of a
bolt is TIG welded to correct a badly pitted bolt face due
to damage caused by the use of corrosive primers. When
a bolt heat sink is used during TIG welding and the body
of the bolt is protected with a wet cloth, the critical case-
hardened surfaces will not be altered or softened. The
temperature of the steel must reach a high degree before
the casehardened surfaces are affected (bright red heat).
This high temperature limit can result if MIG (Metal
Inert Gas), stick or oxyacetylene welding are employed
as the welding process. Then the parts must be reheat
treated or recasehardened.
See Section 5 for the steel compositions of the parts to
be reheat treated or casehardened. The heat treating pro-
fessional will need this information to do a safe and
accurate job of reheat treatment or casehardening.
If the receiver is to be hand engraved, it might first need
to be annealed or softened before the engraver can
engrave the receiver and later reheat treated/casehard-
ened. A heat treater is required to properly anneal the
receiver. The receiver can also be engraved in the case-
hardened condition by some engravers who use carbide
engraving tools. The casehardening used on Mauser
rifles was not done for strength; it was done to prevent
wear on critical wear surfaces such as locking lugs, inner
receiver ring or entire receiver and other surfaces such as
the bolt, sears, etc.
83
6.2 Heat Treatment in the Home or Business
Workshop
Small parts and critical areas such as the cocking ramp
at the end of the bolt body can be casehardened by using
the hardening compounds sold by the suppliers listed in
the appendixes of this book. The part is heated to about
500 degrees Fahrenheit with a torch set such as shown in
figure 2-11. It is then dipped into the hardening com-
pound, removed and heated to a high temperature (bright
red heat) for a few minutes and then water quenched. Do
not use this method on stress critical parts such as bolt
locking lugs, firing pins, etc. If heat treatment must be
done, it should be done by a qualified heat treating com-
pany or professional gunsmith with the proper equip-
ment, but only after the heat treater knows the composi-
tions of the steels to be treated.
6.3 Metal Finishes for Custom Mauser Parts
• Hot salts blueing is one of the best types of blueing
to use on your rifle for two good reasons:
1) It is less costly than professional rust blueing or
browning.
2) It is a durable, attractive finish that can be done in
polished blue or matte blue.
Parts that are to be hot salts blued should be sent to a
finisher with instructions as to what type of surface you
want - either polished or matte.
• Cold bluing is adequate if you use the best solutions
available and you do it properly.
1) I recommend Oxpho-Blue supplied by Brownells,
Inc. Ammonium polysulfide is also excellent and
might be more permanent than Oxpho-Blue (see
Section 6.8).
2) Oxpho-Blue will produce an excellent finish on either
Mauser M98 & M96
semi-polished or sand blasted parts such as the barrel,
receiver and trigger/magazine housing. Caution:
Metal parts must be freshly prepared surfaces and
cleaned of all oil or grease. Do not touch the part with
your bare hands prior to applying the Oxpho-Blue fin-
ish or the finish will not be uniform. Wear rubber or
neoprene gloves and make sure all abrasives have
been removed from the part surfaces. Do not get the
Oxpho-Blue solution on your skin, as it might cause
problems such as cracked skin and other irritations
and skin discoloration.
• Electroless nickel is another good finish, if you like
bright metal surfaces on your rifles, and can be done
in the home workshop or sent to a metal finisher.
Brownells carries a complete line of gun metal
finishes.
• Polished bare parts.
1) Parts such as the bolt assembly and receiver look very
good when highly polished. You can do the polishing
yourself using a 6 inch diameter bench grinder, wire
wheels, buffing wheels and the proper polishing com-
pounds. If the part is blued, remove the blue surface
with blueing solvent or wire brush the part using a
bench grinder and wire wheel (medium or fine). Most
of the Mauser military rifles supplied to the South
American countries had polished bolts and receivers,
and they were and are still attractive. Remember that
the copper content of military Mauser rifle steels was
used to resist atmospheric corrosion of the bare metal
finished parts. I have Mauser military rifles with bare
receivers and bolts, and they look like they just came
from the factory, even though they are more than 75
years old. The M98 and M96 Mauser military rifles
are masterpieces of metal craftsmanship. This is why
a custom Mauser rifle is such a fine piece of sporting
equipment. A modern rifle action, built like the mili-
tary Mauser action, would be very expensive to pro-.,
duce, even though using present day manufacturing
procedures. In effect, these Mauser actions were in-
dividually custom crafted and fitted from excellent
steel alloys. Even though this be the case, many
Mauser rifle parts are usually interchangeable with
one another.
6.4 Other Metal Finishes for Your Custom Mauser
Rifle
The following types of finishes can be used on your
Mauser rifle but are not recommended because they
attack the metal surface and should not be used on close
fitting parts or in the bore of the rifle barrel. The phos-
84
phating solutions all contain phosphoric acid to some
extent.
• Manganese phosphate (parkerizing) produces an
almost black surface that is easy to apply if you have
the proper equipment. Parkerizing solutions are
available from the suppliers listed in the appendixes.
Parkerizing is done in a water solution using the
proper chemicals and is processed in stainless steel
tanks at temperatures between 170 to 190 degrees
Fahrenheit for approximately three to five minutes.
• Zinc phosphate (granodizing) produces a gray to dark
gray finish and attacks the metal surface as does
parkerizing. A popular solution for zinc phosphating
is Amer-Lene gray. The zinc phosphating process is
similar to parkerizing, as described previously.
Note: Phosphating solutions produce different shades
of gray and black according to the alloy, hardness and
carbon content of the steel. Phosphating cannot be done
on stainless steels and many steel alloys containing
nickel and/or chromium in moderate amounts. Most of
American military rifles and ordnance equipment receive
phosphate coatings, either manganese or zinc. Although
the phosphated finishes are durable, I do not use these
processes for my custom Mauser rifles. The choice of
finish is determined by the rifle builder or the customer.
6.5 Hot Forging Original Mauser Bolt Handles for
Custom Rifles
The practice of hot forging the original Mauser bolt
handle to turn it down and reshape it for scope mounted
rifles is not recommended. Hot forging a Mauser bolt
handle is expensive when performed by a gunsmith, and
if done improperly it can ruin the bolt. The only instance
that you should use the original Mauser bolt handle is
when you are going to make a rifle with open iron sights
and you want the bolt handle bent down for neatness and
convenience. If you wish to bend the original Mauser
bolt handle down, the handle should be deeply notched
on the underside of the shank, heated to a cherry red heat
and then bent down using aluminum holding blocks. The
underside and sides of the shank are then TIG welded
securely, filed and then polished or blued. Hot forging a
Mauser bolt handle is not recommended for the follow-
ing reasons:
The Mauser bolt handle is too short to forge effec-
tively for scope-mounted rifles.
The ball on the end of the Mauser bolt handle is too
large in diameter for a good appearance.
Hot forging can destroy the casehardened surfaces,
causing flaking off of surface metal.

The rifle serial number is often deeply stamped
into the top surface of the handle and difficult to
remove.
The buttress threads on the inside rear of the bolt
body can become distorted or ruined.
The entire bolt body might require recasehard-
ening.
The process of notching the original Mauser bolt han-
dle, bending it down and TIG welding it is shown in the
construction sections of this book. A drawing with
dimensions is included for this practice.
I have seen Mauser bolt handles that were forged and
reshaped to bend them down to clear scopes, but all I
have seen do not look good, and I doubt they would ade-
quately clear a mounted scope having a large eyepiece.
When you see these at gun shows, there never seems to
be a scope mounted on the rifle, and for good reason.
6.6 Notes on Casehardening Mauser Rifle Parts
As shown in Section 5.4.1, the military Mauser rifle
steels used for the bolts and receivers contain medium
to low amounts of carbon in their composition. The
amounts of carbon and other elements that form the alloy
steels for these parts must be known by the heat treater if
you are going to send the bolts or receivers to have them
recasehardened. This can be a problem, and a danger to
you, if the casehardening is not done properly. Case
depths on Mauser rifle parts are known as a "light case,"
and the case depth should be between 0.003 to 0.008
inch deep. If the heat treater makes the case depth too
great or uses the wrong process, a part can fracture under
working stresses or shock loads. Mauser receivers are
generally RC55 or slightly more in hardness, and the
M96 and M98 bolts are RC60 to 65. These measure-
ments are taken on the Rockwell C scale and indicate the
Mauser steels for these parts received a very hard case-
hardened surface during their manufacture.
This is the reason I have stated in the construction sec-
tions of this book that you should use the precision TIG
welding process to weld on a new bolt handle, or weld
the receiver, and not have the bolt or receiver recase-
hardened.
By TIG welding on the bolt handle and protecting the
bolt from excessive heat by using a Mauser heat sink tool
and a wet cloth, you will not need to have the bolt reheat
treated with casehardening.
This same reasoning is used when you open the face of
the standard Mauser bolt to fit the standard magnum car-
tridges with 0.532 inch diameter heads, or TIG weld the
85
Section 6
primer corrosion ring and then reface the bolt to its orig-
inal level on a lathe. Recasehardening the face and lock-
ing lug areas of the bolt can be particularly dangerous if
not done properly. It is best and safer if you do not dis-
turb the heat treatment and finish that were done on the
original Mauser rifle bolts or receivers. Remember the
original Mauser rifle you will be working with has been
proof tested and ordnance stamped at the factory of ori-
gin. The casehardening was not applied to the Mauser
parts for strength; it was applied to prevent wear and
make the action operate smoothly. This reheat treatment
danger can all be prevented if you use heat sinks and the
TIG welding process in constructing your custom
Mauser rifle, as explained in Sections 3 and 4.
When installing a Dakota three-position safety and a
Timney Sportsman trigger assembly, it is usually neces-
sary to grind the sear on the cocking piece back approx-
imately 0.070 inch or more to obtain proper sear engage-
ment and to eliminate "safety-off "' firing. You can heat
treat this area of the cocking piece if you wish, but that
is not really necessary, because the hardened working
sears are located inside the Timney trigger assembly. The
cocking piece sear merely pivots the Timney secondary
or top sear in a downward arc as the cocking piece sear
slips past and moves the firing pin forward to the fired
position after the hardened trigger internal sears have
released during trigger pull.
When the Mauser cocking piece sear is used as the
actual working sear, it must be rehardened if it is ground
back and used with the original Mauser trigger or other
type of trigger where the cocking piece sear is used as the
working sear. In this case, after hardening, the cocking
piece sear should be honed with a good fine sharpening
stone, such as an India or Arkansas stone, and polished
carefully. The face of the ground, honed and polished
sear must be perpendicular to the axis of the cocking
piece and firing pin body. If the angle is not correct, you
could have a hard-to-pull trigger or a dangerous hair trig-
ger, which might be subject to slam firing. You can do
this hardening process yourself by using one of the case-
hardening compounds sold by Brownells or other suppli-
ers, since the cocking piece sear edges are small and
localized.
6.7 Heat Ranges (Degrees Fahrenheit) for Different
Colors of Heated Steels
An approximate temperature range of a heated steel can
be determined by its radiated color (glow) or by its sur-
face color when not heated to the higher radiant temper-
atures. Steels heated below 900 degrees Fahrenheit do
not produce a radiated glowing color. The following
tables show the temperature versus color for both radiant
Mauser M98 & M96

and surface colors. These tables can be used if you are
going to heat treat any of the Mauser parts yourself, such
as casehardening or full hardening and tempering,
including black oxide coatings.
Blueing Steels
Most ordnance steels can be blued using the following
procedures. This would include Mauser rifle steels, 4140
chrome-moly steel and 8620 alloy steel. Most modern
rifle barrels are made of 4140 chrome-moly steel or 416
stainless steel, which is not blued. Most of the better bolt
handles are made from 8620 chrome-moly steel.
Blueing Procedure: (Cold blueing)
Clean the steel part with a potassium bichromate-
sulfuric acid solution: 1 ounce each per 48 ounces of
water. Then wash with ammonium hydroxide solution: 1
ounce per 64 ounces of water. Then dry with a clean, lint-
free cloth or blow dry. Apply ammonium polysulfide
until the desired depth of blueing is obtained. You can
repeat applying the ammonium polysulfide until the part
is as dark as you want it. Wipe the part dry and then
apply a light machine oil or wipe the part with a silicone
cloth for additional protection. If you do a lot of blueing
and like an excellent cold-blue method, this process can
be your preferred method of blueing your rifles or other
firearms. You can also find this method more permanent
than the commercially available cold blueing solutions.
Note: Wear rubber or neoprene gloves when handling
these chemicals. These chemicals are available from
chemical supply companies such as Fisher and Kodak or
your local chemical suppliers.

Note: The average temperature range for hardening

steels is 1,375 to 1,575 Fahrenheit, and the average tem-
peratures for tempering (drawing) steels is 300 to 700 F.
The quenching medium can be either water, oil or brine.
Accurate hardening temperature is determined by the
carbon content and alloy of the steel and is the reason a
professional heat treater must know the composition of
the steel in order to do the heat treating accurately and
safely.

6.8 Coloring and Protective Coatings for Steels -

Black Oxide and Blueing
The following procedures can be used to blacken or
blue steels that contain low to high amounts of carbon
and that are not stainless or high-alloy steels.

Black Oxide Finishing Steels

Heat the steel part to 700 to 900 F. and plunge it into
a container of good quality machine oil. Repeat the
process for a darker more permanent color.
You can also blacken steel parts by immersing the bare,
cleaned part into a boiling solution of sodium hydroxide
and mixtures of sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate.

86
 Section 7

BALLISTIC TABLES, GRAPHS, RELOADING AND

IMPORTANT BUT SIMPLE CALCULATIONS
7.1 Sample Ballistic Tables from a Typical
Ballistic PC Program (Sierra III)
Included in this section are some ballistic
tables and graphs printed from a popular ballis-
tic program for the personal computer. This par-
ticular program is produced by the Sierra Bullet
Company and is named SIERRA III. These
tables and graphs show bullet energy, bullet drop
and windage corrections, and the graphs show
the path of the bullet from the moment it leaves
the muzzle of the rifle out to the maximum range
selected. Figure 7-lb: The ballistic curve for the .270 Winchester shown
in figure 7-la.

Figure 7-la: The ballistic table for a .270 Winchester firing a 140-grain bullet at 3,075 fps.

87
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 7-2a: The ballistic table for a .30-06 Springfield firing a 165-grain bullet at 2,800 fps.

Figure 7-2b: The ballistic curve for the .30-06 shown in figure 7-2a.

88
 Section 7

Figure 7-3a: The ballistic table for a 7mm Remington Magnum firing a 150-grain bullet at 3,100 fps.

Figure 7-3b: The ballistic curve for the 7mm Remington Magnum
shown in figure 7-3a.

89
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 7-4a: The ballistic table for a .300 Winchester Magnum firing a 165-grain bullet at 3,200 fps.

Figure 7-4b: The ballistic curve for the .300 Winchester Magnum
shown in figure 7-4a.

90
 Section 7

Figure 7-5a: The ballistic table for the .338 Winchester Magnum firing a 250-grain bullet at 2,700 fps.

Figure 7-5b: The ballistic curve for the .338 Winchester Magnum
shown in figure 7-5a.

91
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure 7-6a: The ballistic table for the .458 Winchester Magnum firing a 500-grain bullet at 2,150 fps.

Figure 7-6b: The ballistic curve for the .458 Winchester Magnum
shown in figure 7-6a.

92

These PC programs show the ballistic tables and graphs
and give the rifle builder an idea of the performance of
the various cartridges available for the custom Mauser
rifle. When you reload your own ammunition, you can
measure the muzzle velocity of your bullet with a
chronograph and run your own ballistic curves and tables
for your reloaded cartridges. Chronographs are not ex-
pensive today, are very accurate and are available from
many different manufacturers. If you are a serious target
shooter and reloader, these instruments are well worth
their modest cost.
7.2 Reloading Ammunition for the Custom Mauser
Rifle
Reloading your own cartridges for your custom Mauser
rifle is an interesting activity that can have the following
advantages over buying factory loaded cartridges:
• If you do a lot of shooting such as varminting and
target or competitive shooting, it will save you
money.
Figure 7-7: The author's reloading room showing the different facilities. Ron has been reloading his own ammuni-
tion for more than 30 years.
93
Section 7
• You can precision reload your cartridges for better
accuracy than that attainable using factory loaded
ammunition.
• You have a much larger bullet type and weight
selection when reloading your own cartridges.
Bullet makers include Sierra, Hornady, Nosier, Speer,
Barnes, Remington, Winchester and a host of other
smaller companies that make custom bullets of all types.
• You can tailor your loads for extreme accuracy or
for heavy hunting loads.
I always reload my own cartridges and have attained
close to Vi MO A accuracy at 100 yards benchrest from the
custom Mauser rifle in .270 Winchester and other cal-
ibers, using Sierra bullets and Shilen contour 2, 3 and 4
barrels, 26 inches long and free floated in Bell & Carlson
composite Carbelite stocks. Figure 7-7 shows my reload-
ing room in one of my downstairs work areas.
Mauser M98 & M96

7.3 Simple Calculations of Rifle Recoil Velocity and
Recoil Energy
When you reload your own ammunition and use a sim-
ple chronograph to measure the muzzle velocities of the
bullets, you can easily calculate the muzzle energy avail-
able for any particular load of your choice. The muzzle
energy of a particular bullet can be calculated as follows:
Where: ME = muzzle energy in foot-pounds; Wg =
weight of the bullet in grains; and V = velocity, fps (feet
per second).
The recoil velocity of the rifle firing a particular car-
tridge and the recoil energy of your rifle firing a particu-
lar cartridge can also be calculated easily with a hand-
held calculator per the sample sheets shown in figures 7-
8 and 7-9.

Recoil Velocity of High-Power Rifles

The recoil velocity of a high-power rifle gives a good indication of the forces involved in
shooting a particular caliber, when used in conjunction with the recoil energy equation. The
recoil energy is measured in foot-pounds and the recoil velocity is given in feet per second.
When these figures are compared to the recoil effects of a standard 30-06 load fired in a
normal hunting rifle, you may determine quantitatively if the new weapon and load will be
tolerated by the rifleman or you.

The recoil velocity of the gun, (Vg), may be calculated using the equation shown below, using
the following parameters:

Wt = the weight of the bullet in grains- [ ]

Vp = the muzzle velocity of the bullet in ft/sec- [ ]
W2 = the weight of the powder charge in grains- [ ]
Wg = the weight of the gun in pounds- [ ]
Vg = the the recoil velocity of the gun in ft/sec- [ ]

Calculate the free recoil velocity in the boxed section below.

Gun: Caliber/Cartridge:

Figure 7-8: This figure is a form for calculating the recoil velocity of center fire, high-power rifles.

94
 Section 7

Calculation of Recoil Energy for Firearms

The following equation will allow you to calculate the free recoil energy in foot-pounds, when
firing a rifle, pistol or shotgun:

Where: Ke = kinetic energy of recoil, ft-lbs.- [ ]

v = muzzle velocity of bullet or shot, fps-... [ ]
K = a constant, [ ]
Pw = weight of powder charge, grains- [ ]
m = weight of bullet or shot, grains- [ ]
Ww = weight of firearm, lbs- [ ]
K = 1.25(pistols); 1.50(shotguns); 1.75(rifles with mv over 2000fps)

NOTE: Use the following boxed area to perform the calculations for various applications of
free recoil in rifles, pistols and shotguns: Note the variable constant, K, given above.

Gun: Caliber/Cartridge:

Figure 7-9: This figure is a form for calculating the recoil energy of different types of firearms. Comparing the
recoil energy of a .30-06 to another cartridge will give a good indication for your tolerance to withstand the recoil
of some of the heavy magnum cartridges such as the 7mm Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .338
and .458 Winchester magnums or some of the Weatherby magnums.

95
Mauser M98 & M96
7.4 Reloading Manuals
There are a number of excellent reloading books or
manuals available today that are published by the differ-
ent bullet manufacturers, powder manufacturers, reload-
ing equipment manufacturers and ammunition manu-
facturers. These would include those manuals produced
by: Sierra, Hornady, Speer, Nosier, Barnes, Lyman,
Winchester, Hodgdon, Hercules, Lee, Remington and
others of foreign manufacture. There are no loads listed
in any of these publications that exceed the SAAMI rec-
ommended maximum pressure levels for centerfire rifle
cartridges. The loadings listed are safe to fire from a cus-
tom Mauser rifle that is in good condition and that was
constructed properly, using the proper equipment and
procedures. As all the manuals state, approach maximum
loads with caution, looking for signs of excessive pres-
sure and other problems outlined in these reloading pub-
lications.
As stated in the beginning of this book, select only
those Mauser military rifles or actions that are in good
mechanical condition and that show no signs of exces-
sive corrosion or cracks in critical stress points in the
action.
7.5 How to Line Up or Zero Scoped Rifles and Iron
Sight Rifles
Prezeroing a scoped rifle can be done using a collimat-
Figure 7-10: A collimating instrument for approxi-
mately prezeroing the rifle prior to range firing. Use
of the collimator should allow the first fired round to
hit the target paper and allow a quick zeroing opera-
tion. With a bolt-action rifle the prezeroing can be
done at the range as described in the text of this book.
96
ing instrument like that shown in figure 7-10, wherein
the rifle crosshairs can be centered and an approximate
elevation zero can be made. The scoped rifle can also be
bore sight zeroed by a gunsmith, or you can do it at the
range using the usual bore sight zeroing methods. This
procedure is easy to do and requires a minimum amount
of ammunition to bring the scoped rifle to an accurate
zero at 100 yards or more.
Procedure: Manual Bore Sight Zeroing a Scoped
Rifle at 100 Yards
1) Remove the bolt from the receiver.
2) Clamp the rifle securely in a rifle vise or zeroing
cradle such as the Bullshooter.
3) Sight through the receiver and bore of the barrel and
move the rifle so the center of the target is centered
in the bore. The standard NRA target should be set
up at 100 yards. You can also begin the procedure
from 50 yards and then make the elevation correc-
tions for 100 yards.
4) With the rifle held in the same position, adjust the
crosshairs in the scope using the adjusting screws
until they are centered on the center of the target.
5) Then, move the vertical adjustment screw until the
center of the crosshairs are moved up about 3 to 4
inches above the center of the target. This will com-
pensate for bullet drop and sight height above the
bore.
6) Insert the bolt in the receiver and load two or three
cartridges in the magazine, or load one at a time.
7) From a benchrest position, carefully aim at the cen-
ter of the target and set off the first round.
8) Fire two more rounds, aiming carefully.
9) You should have a three-shot group showing on the
target.
10) Put the rifle back into the rifle vise or cradle and
move the rifle until the scope crosshairs are centered
near the center of the three-shot group and hold it in
this position. Then move the adjusting screws on the
scope until the crosshairs are brought back to the
center of the target. The rifle should be closely
zeroed at this point but might need minor adjust-
ments to attain the center of the target. This can be
done with a few more shots fired at the target.
Procedure: Prezeroing Iron Sights Before Going to
the Firing Range
1) If you selected the correct front sight height in rela-
 Section 7

tion to the rear sight, you should have no problems.
This procedure is simply done using the catalogs for
the sights, which give the dimensions of the front
and rear iron sights. Select a combination according
to the dimensions of your barrel and the sight cata-
log dimensions.
2) Using a vernier caliper, set the notch in the rear sight
blade to the same height from the centerline of the
bore of the rifle as the front sight bead.
3) Determine how many inches your particular bullet
will drop at a 100-yard range. You can use a ballis-
tics program or the ammunition manufacturers' bal-
listic tables that are shown in the Gun Digest or
Shooter's Bible. Ammunition manufacturers such as
Remington, Winchester and others have their own
catalogs with this ballistic data.
4) Raise the rear sight notch the amount calculated by
using the procedures shown in figure 7-11.
This method is simply a practical use of geometry and
simple algebra and will pose no problem if done correct-
ly. The figure is self-explanatory.
If you have any trouble with the calculations, merely set
the rear sight notch about 1/16 inch higher than the front
sight when planning on firing at a 100-yard target. This
allows for about a 9-inch drop and can be readjusted for
elevation at the firing range, after you fire a few shots, by
adjusting the rear sight. Use an official NRA 100-yard
high-power rifle target or other target of your choice.

The difference between the (H1) and (H2) sight heights dimension determines the (d) dimension shown on the geometric diagram. (
L) is the dimension between the front and rear sights. (S) dimension is usually selected between 4.25 and 4.5" from the front of the
receiver ring. (R) is the range in yards, which must be converted to inches, i.e. 100 yards is equal to 3 x 12 x 100 = 3600 inches.
Using the (L) and (d) dimensions, and the range of 3600 inches will allow you to calculate the (D) dimension, which is the drop
dimension at 100 yards. From this, you can calculate how high the rear sight must be set above the front sight for your particular
round to be at the center of the target. (B) is the diameter of the barrel at the rear sight location and (A) is the diameter of the barrel at
the front sight location. Select your iron sights so that the height of both sights is equal, when the rear sight is set at its mid point of
adjustment. To make it easier for those who cannot do the calculations, set the height of the front and rear sights equal, and fire at a
target at 50 yards. Then adjust the rear sight height so that the bullet will impact at center target at 100 yards or other range.
Remember, moving the rear sight higher will cause the bullet to shoot higher on the target.

Figure 7-11: This shows how to select iron sights and how to approximately prezero them prior to going to the fir-
ing range. The figure contains the text of instructions for installing or selecting iron sights.

97
Mauser M98 & M96

Note: When using open iron sights, if you want your fired a three-shot group where all the bullet holes
bullet to impact higher, raise the rear sight blade. If you touched. That says a lot for the custom Mauser rifle and
want to correct for windage, move the rear sight blade in the American barrel makers like Shilen, Harris, Hart and
the direction you wish the bullet to move. Douglas. That Redfield 5-Star 4-12x scope also did its
job extremely well.
Rules for Open Iron Sights:
As you read this book, I will probably be working on
• If you want to move the bullet up, move the rear sight
another custom Mauser rifle. I bought two M98 Mauser
blade up; if you want to move the bullet down, move
rifles at the last gun show I attended for less than $200
the rear sight blade down.
and already ordered a Reinhart Fajen extra fancy walnut
• If you want to move the bullet left, move the rear sight M98 stock with a built-in bullet trap in the bottom of the
blade to the left. buttstock. I'm looking forward to this next Mauser proj-
ect. I will use an M98 Mauser action built for the 8mm
• If you want to move the bullet right, move the rear
German cartridge, and this will allow me to use a .30-06
sight blade to the right.
cartridge with only a little work on the receiver. When
As shown in the beginning section of this book, the you study the ballistics of the .30-06 Springfield car-
custom Mauser rifle can be finished in various manners, tridge and all the different styles and weights of bullets
decorated or engraved and configured to the cartridge of available, you will know why the venerable .30-06 is still
your choice. If you build the rifle carefully and accurate- the number one choice in America.
ly and select a custom barrel made by one of America's
leading barrel makers, you will have not only a hand-
some rifle but also one that will shoot very accurately.
You can produce a fine hunting rifle, a long-range target
rifle or a presentation grade rifle if you do the work care-
fully and not rush the process. I have built dozens of field
grade, target grade and presentation grade custom
Mauser rifles for one main reason: You simply cannot
buy a rifle of such fine metal work, finish and accuracy
for the same price. The Mauser military rifle will always
remain a popular, well-liked rifle because it is safe,
strong, has controlled round feed, is designed exception-
ally well and is easy to customize for your intended pur-
pose. If you do a good job in building your first custom
Mauser rifle, you will undoubtedly build others. I have a
collection of original matched-number military Mauser
rifles from around the world and a collection of cus-
tom Mauser rifles that were built from the excellent .22-
250 Remington through the mighty monster mashing
.458 Winchester Magnum.
Figure 7-12 shows a three-shot group fired at 100 yards
with one of my custom Mauser bolt rifles chambered for
the .270 Winchester cartridge. Not many factory rifles Figure 7-12: A group fired from one of the author's
will group like this right out of the box. As a matter of .270 Winchester custom Mauser rifles. This group was
fact, I don't know any that will. The barrel on this rifle is fired at the Elk Neck State Park range in North East,
a Shilen, and the three-shot group was the last of the first Maryland. The group measured .67 inch at 100 yards
five rounds I fired from a new barrel. The barrel was not and is an indication of the accuracy you can expect
even broken in, yet it produced this close group. Your from your custom Mauser bolt rifle when a prefitted
custom Mauser rifle will produce groups such as shown Shilen barrel is properly fitted and headspaced to your
if the customizing work is done carefully, following all rifle. Other barrels such as the Harris, Hart or
the procedures outlined in this book. Douglas are equally effective, but some of them must
be lathe turned and threaded to fit the receiver, 1.100-
The last custom Mauser rifle I built had a contour No. 12 tpi for the M98 Mauser and 0.980-12 tpi for the
2 barrel (lightweight) and when zeroed at the range, I M96 Swedish Mauser.

98
 Section 8
GUNSMITHING TLPS AND POINTERS
FOR BUILDING CUSTOM MAUSER RIFLES
There are many ways in which the novice gunsmith or
rifle builder can save substantial amounts of money and
effort when building a custom Mauser rifle. Listed in this
section are some of the things that can be done to make
your work easier and more economical, plus more accu-
rate. Following is a list of time- and money-saving tricks,
and also Mauser tools you can make yourself if you
have a Smithy or other type of metal lathe and milling
machine.
8.1 Tips and Pointers
1) When a new barrel is fitted to your Mauser action, it
might not fit the barrel channel of the new drop-in
stock, either wood or composite plastic. To fit the
new barrel easily, you must use a barrel inletting tool
such as that shown in figure 2-15. Place the barreled
action in the stock as far as it will go, and mark the
outline of the barrel onto the top of the stock using a
sharp awl or fine marker pen. Clamp the stock in a
large vise, using a piece of rough paper, cloth or sand
paper, with a firm tightening action to securely hold
the stock. Do not over tighten the stock, or you might
crack or mar it. Using the barrel inletting tool,
remove the excess stock material to the scribed lines,
and then try the barreled action for fit. Repeat the bar-
rel channel cutting until the barrel is a loose fit in the
barrel channel of the stock. You need about 1/32 clear-
ance or slightly more around the barrel so it will be
free floated in the stock. This will improve the accu-
racy of the rifle. Never fit the barrel tightly into the
stock or accuracy in firing will be erratic. The action
parts must be a close fit but not the barrel.
2) On heavy recoiling rifles, such as the .300, .338 and
.458 Winchester magnums or 7mm Remington
Magnum, care must be used when selecting open iron
sights. Open iron sights on these caliber rifles should
be of the type where there is a positive screw type,
99
nonslip adjustment or folding leaves that do not move
under heavy recoil. Do not use sights with small,
weak adjusting screws, or they will move or be
knocked off the barrel when the rifle is fired. I have
had the slides of such sights knocked off to land 6 feet
behind me during firing tests on a .458 Winchester
Magnum firing heavy A-Square lion loads. A good
sight for this type of application is the N.E.C.G.
Masterpiece adjustable rear sight that is available
from Brownells. This sight is mounted with one hard-
ened No. 8-36 screw. The Whitworth Express sight or
the Precise Metalsmithing Winchester 70, .458 style
rear sight are also excellent.
3) To make sure the trigger does not drag or bind in the
trigger housing slot you can do either of the follow-
ing procedures:
• File the trigger slot about 0.025 inch wider.
• Grind the sides of the trigger using the flat side of
your electric bench grinder fine grinding wheel.
Take about 0.010 to 0.015 inch from each side of the
trigger, and then reblue the trigger using Oxpho-
Blue or other cold blueing compound.
Note: A binding trigger can be dangerous on a danger-
ous game rifle.
4) If you do not like the recoil pad supplied with your
drop-in stock, or if it is not supplied with a recoil pad,
you can use the Pachmayr brand recoil pads that are
supplied in many styles. Remove the old recoil pad
and install the new recoil pad so that it overhangs all
around the stock. Start and then tighten the new recoil
pad screws, then scribe a line around the stock and
onto the back face of the new recoil pad that normal-
ly rests against the butt. Make sure you select the cor-
rect size recoil pad, so the new recoil pad hangs over
all around the finished stock. Remove the new recoil
Mauser M98 & M96
pad and install it on a B-Square recoil pad fixture
using the instructions supplied with the fixture. Then
grind the recoil pad exactly to the scribed line, using
a bench mounted disk sander. Your new pad should
be a very close, neat fit to the new finished stock.
Reinstall the new pad with the screws supplied.
Heavy recoiling rifles need a heavy duty recoil pad.
5) The Smithy combination lathe and milling machine is
a low-priced machine tool that is accurate enough for
all the gunsmithing tasks required on the Mauser cus-
tom rifle. With this machine tool you can open the
face of the Mauser bolt for magnum cartridges, drill
and tap for scope bases on the receiver, recrown or
face the end of a cut down or shortened barrel, thread
the Harris, Hart and Douglas barrels for 1.100-12 tpi
(threads per inch) or 0.980-12 tpi for both the M98
and M96 actions, mill the safety notch on the rear of
the bolt flange for the Dakota three-position safety or
other three-position safety and a host of other machin-
ing operations, including requalifying the barrel if
you have made an error in headspacing the action and
making your own Mauser tooling devices such as jigs
and fixtures.
6) All Mauser specialty parts such as new barrels,
safeties of all types, triggers, sight bases, etc. are sup-
plied with instructions for their use on the Mauser
rifle. Some of the instructions are complete and oth-
ers are not. Call the parts supplier if you have any spe-
cific questions relating to their equipment or parts.
Note: There is a wide selection of trigger assemblies
for the M98 and M96 Mauser including the following:
• Timney, which I use most of the time due to quality
versus price.
• Kepplinger, which are excellent but expensive.
• Dayton Traister, which are moderately priced and
excellent.
• Precise Metalsmithing, double-set types that are
expensive but excellent.
• N.E.C.G. M98, which are double-set and expensive
but also excellent.
All of the above triggers are available from the gun-
smith supply houses listed in the appendixes of this
book. (The Brownells catalog contains a wealth of
information and a tremendous amount of gun parts,
tools and other equipment.) The price of some of
these triggers costs as much or more than a good
Mauser military rifle available at national gun shows.
The choice is left to the custom Mauser rifle builder
100
or customer as to what trigger is selected and used on
the rifle.
7) When polishing finished bolts or receivers, make sure
deep scratch marks caused by sanding or filing are
made as small as possible. Use fine emery paper or
cloth as the last finishing medium before polishing.
Begin the sanding process with No. 200 or No. 240
grit emery paper or cloth and finish up the final sand-
ing with 400 grit emery paper or cloth. Start the
polishing procedure using the coarse polishing com-
pound first (black stick), followed by final polishing
with the fine aluminum oxide polishing compound
(white stick). Do not sand or over-polish the bolt
locking lugs on their rear surfaces. The polishing
compounds are available from the suppliers listed in
the appendixes of this book. These polishing com-
pounds will polish metal parts to a very good looking
mirror finish.
8) When a Mauser military rifle is used for customizing,
check the action for wear and cracks. If the action is
clean and mechanically sound, you need not buy all
the expensive tools that are offered by many of the
supply houses. If you have a good Mauser action, you
need only the tools and equipment shown in this book
to economically produce your own custom Mauser
rifles. When buying a Mauser military rifle for cus-
tomizing, try to obtain one on which the serial num-
ber on the receiver matches the serial number on the
bolt. The bolt and receiver numbers actually need not
match, because you will be headspacing for a new
barrel, but make sure that a nonmatching numbered
bolt is a correct fit in the receiver. If you have a
Smithy machine tool, you can also eliminate some of
the tools shown in this book, thus saving more time
and money.
9) With a mechanically good Mauser action and follow-
ing the instructions in this book, you should have no
liability or safety problems when firing or selling the
rifle. The steels used in the Mauser rifles are copper-
bearing, high-strength-low-alloy steels (HSLA) hav-
ing tensile strengths of at least 65,000 to 70,000 psi.
The composition of the Mauser steels are shown in
Section 5. The Mauser rifles were also produced with
many safety features and factors taken into consider-
ation by Paul Mauser when he designed the Model
1898 and Model 1896 rifles. The M98 military
Mauser action is a massive rifle action that was
designed with an abundance of safety for the shooter
or rifleman in mind.
10) When removing an original Mauser barrel from the
receiver, you can save some time and effort by using

a large pipe wrench, with a pipe extension for more
leverage, to torque off the old barrel. This will ruin
the finish and metal on the old barrel but will save
the time of cutting off the old barrel with a hack-saw
and then using a Mauser barrel clamp to remove the
barrel stub left on the receiver. You can also remove
the rear sight base assembly by unsoldering it from
the barrel using a propane torch, prior to applying a
barrel clamp to remove the old barrel. I do not rec-
ommend this unsoldering practice, because the
extreme heat required to remove the soldered rear
sight assembly passes into the threads in the receiv-
er and bakes any lubricants that might be present
inside the receiver threads, making it even more dif-
ficult to remove the original Mauser barrel. Some
Mauser barrels are extremely tight.
I cannot find any legal problem with sawing off the
barrel 1/2 inch behind the rear sight assembly, since
you will be sawing into part of the chamber of the
original barrel prior to removal and there will be no
rifling in the barrel stub. We all know that the BATF
(Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) by fed-
eral law does not allow a rifle or shotgun barrel to be
cut to a length of less than 16 inches, but this does
not apply in this case because we will be ruining the
barrel chamber, precluding any effective firing of a
short barreled firearm with part of the bullet pro-
truding out the end of the barrel stub. Not only that,
but we will also discard the barrel stub after per-
forming the chambering test described in Section 4
to check for proper feeding of the dummy cartridges
from the receiver. The cartridges are not completely
chambered, merely fed part way into the chamber to
check for correct cartridge stripping and feeding
from the magazine when using the barrel stub.
The Mauser barrel threads are all right-hand threads,
which means that when looking into the muzzle, the
barrel is tightened by turning it clockwise and loos-
ened by turning it counterclockwise. Discard the old
Mauser barrel or stub after removal and after the car-
tridge feeding tests during receiver rail preparation.
11) When jeweling or damascening the extractor or ejec-
tor box spring, use a drill press, drill press vice, ruler
(18 inches), spacers and coarse valve grinding paste.
The valve grinding paste can be bought from an auto
parts supply store. Refer to figures 4-34 and 4-38 for
photographs that show the complete setup. Proceed
as follows to simplify the process:
• Clamp the extractor in the vise using thin, flat pieces
of wood shims to straighten the extractor so the jew-
eling will be even and consistent.
101
Section 8
• Raise the rear end of the vise with bolt spacers to
allow for the curvature of the extractor, so that the
jeweling brush is square with the surface of the
extractor when jeweling.
• Spread a moderate amount of coarse valve grinding
paste over the surface of the extractor, lightly, with-
out scratching the surface. The extractor should be
polished prior to doing the jeweling work.
• Use the clamped ruler as a guide and spacing means,
moving the extractor 1/8 inch at each jeweling inter-
val. Bear down on the jeweling brush, and hold it at
each jeweling interval for 10 to 15 seconds, release
the brush and move to the next interval. Using this
process, you can produce a very fine, even jeweling
pattern without using a milling machine. You can
run two or three rows of jeweling on the extractor.
One or two rows is sufficient for the ejector housing
spring.
Note: A 12 to 14 inch square piece of 3/4 inch thick ply-
wood is used as a platform on the drill press table to
allow this operation, as shown in the photographs.
12) When you want a sand-blasted finish on your Mauser
rifle, use a compressor with a standard, low-priced
sand blasting kit available through hardware stores.
Also, there is no need to buy expensive glass beads
for sand-blasted finishes. Purchase a bag of fine,
white play sand (40 pounds) and use this instead.
You will get a better finish together with an enor-
mous price reduction. The play sand costs less than
$3 a bag and can be used to finish two or three
Mauser rifles. Since the sand is so cheap, you also do
not need a sand-blasting cabinet; just let the play
sand blow away and onto the ground. Wear a face
shield during this operation. The compressor must
be capable of supplying air at 90 psi minimum.
13) A word of caution on hot-blueing rifle barrels. If you
hot blue your own receivers and barrels or send them
out for a hot blue finish, the temperature of the blue-
ing salts must not be too high. This could result in
barrel distortion with resulting poor accuracy. Since
all my rifles are polished/cold-blued, stainless steel
or matte/cold-blued, this could account for their
extreme and consistent accuracy. All my Mauser
custom rifles with Shilen prethreaded barrels shoot
one MOA or better, and they are mostly cold blued
(except stainless steel), using the Oxpho-Blue solu-
tion available from Brownells. Other cold blueing
solutions and pastes are also equally effective in pro-
ducing a good finish if you follow the directions
shown in the construction section of this book. Hot
Mauser M98 & M96
salts blueing might account for the fact that riflemen
and hunters are happy if their out-of-the-box com-
mercial rifles group 1 1/2 inches at 100 yards. I'm not
satisfied with that kind of accuracy and neither
should you be.
14) A word about tooling and fixtures for your custom
Mauser rifle is included here for your convenience
and in order to save you a considerable amount of
money:
If you own or plan on buying a Smithy lathe/milling
machine combination, Jet or other brand, you can do
the following:
• The receiver drilling and tapping without an expen-
sive fixture.
• Drill barrels and receivers for iron sights, receiver
peep sights and scopes.
• Make the bolt clamping fixture shown in this book,
figures D-la and D-lb.
• Make your own gun racks very economically. See
figure D-2.
• Thread barrels without buying expensive threading
dies.
• Cut off and crown new barrels to your preference.
• Requalify a barrel whose chamber was incorrectly
headspaced.
• Mill the receiver rails prior to final grinding and
polishing.
• Mill the trigger housing trigger slot wider to prevent
trigger binding.
• Lathe turn the bolt face open for magnum cartridges
(0.532 inch diameter +).
• Jewel the extractor, bolt and ejector box spring with
great precision.
• Mill metal from the trigger guard for a custom
appearance.
• Make your own bolt handle welding fixture.
• Make your own firing pin protrusion gauge.
• Mill the slot in the rear bolt flange for the Dakota
three-position safety.
• Make any other tools and fixtures for your conven-
ience and to your design.
15) For drilling, tapping and chamber reaming a barrel,
there are many good cutting fluids available such as
Do-All, Tap-Magic, etc. I have found when tapping
102
and reaming operations are not going well, using
Liquid Wrench as the cutting fluid helps. I had a .270
Winchester finish reamer with which I had finish
reamed four or five barrel chambers, but during the
sixth operation, after I resharpened the reamer twice,
it did not cut easily. My use of Liquid Wrench dur-
ing this reaming operation worked extremely well,
and the reamer cut an even, smooth chamber. Liquid
Wrench is a low-cost, all-purpose lubricating fluid,
having many uses around the shop, and finish ream-
ing chambers seems to be one of those uses.
16) When cold blueing a barrel, the blueing solutions
work well and are more permanent when the barrel
is heated prior to applying the cold blue solution.
You must not overheat the barrel during this process,
or you will destroy its accuracy by creating internal
strains. Never heat the barrel above 200 degrees
Fahrenheit prior to the application of the blueing
solution. Also, a sand-blasted barrel will blue more
evenly and permanently than a polished barrel.
17) You can replace a Mauser firing pin spring with a
stronger aftermarket spring. This will make the lock
time faster but will also make it more difficult to
cock the action. The original Mauser firing pin
spring is strong (19 pounds) and produces a fast lock
time of approximately 5 milliseconds (msec). This is
evident to me by the accuracy of my custom Mauser
rifles. A rifle with a slow lock time might not shoot
accurately unless it is clamped in a rifle vise, which
is not the normal firing mode for custom Mauser
rifles or any other rifles.
8.2 Glossary of Important Rifle Terms
Breech: The chamber end of the barrel where the bolt
face meets the cartridge.
Cartridge: The complete round of ammunition -
bullet, cartridge case, primer and powder.
Casehardening: A hardening process that places a
hardened skin or layer on the surface of a steel part. Case
depth for Mauser bolts and receivers is usually .003 to
.008 inch and is used to prevent wear on the part sur-
faces. It makes the action easy to operate, while also pro-
tecting the polished surfaces from easily rusting. The
hardness numbers are given on the Rockwell C scale.
Receivers are generally around RC50 to 55 or a little
higher, and bolts are RC60 to 65. These cases are very
hard and wear resistant, with the core of the parts being
strong, tough and somewhat ductile to prevent shattering
under severe stresses or shock loads.
Cocking piece: The part of the Mauser action that

secures the firing pin and holds back the firing pin dur-
ing the loading/cocking procedure. The sear is located on
the bottom front edge of the cocking piece. On custom
trigger assemblies such as the Timney Sportsman, the
working sears are located within the trigger assembly
and can be seen by looking into the hole in the side of the
trigger body.
Collimator: An optical instrument for prezeroing a
rifle prior to range zeroing or firing. The collimator will
give you an approximate zero, allowing your first round
to strike somewhere on the official NRA 100-yard target
paper or other target, allowing a quick final zeroing of
the rifle at the range, using the elevation and windage
screws or knobs.
CUP: A pressure measurement (obsolete but still used)
measured in copper units of pressure.
Dummy round: A dead cartridge that is deactivated
and colored black, used for testing the feeding and cham-
bering of the cartridge you will be firing from the rifle.
Never use live ammunition to test the action during
the construction process. Keep all loaded cartridges in
another location so you do not accidentally chamber a
live round during fitting and testing the action. Some
dummy cartridges have flat bases or heads and others
have a dead primer with a small hole drilled through
them. If you reload your own ammunition, use an empty
cartridge without a primer and the correct caliber bullet,
seated and crimped in place at the correct cartridge over-
all loaded length (OAL). This will save you money, as
dummy cartridges are expensive and get scratched and
beat up very quickly.
Ejector: A flat steel part that strikes the cartridge head,
thus ejecting the empty cartridge from the receiver when
the bolt is fully cycled.
Ejector box spring: The outside spring on the ejector
box that puts tension on the ejector.
Extractor: A spring steel part attached to the bolt that
pulls the cartridge from the chamber of the rifle. The
extractor claw does the pulling action as the bolt is rotat-
ed to the open position.
Extractor collar: A soft steel, circular part with flanges
that hold the extractor against the side of the bolt and
allows the extractor to rotate part way around the bolt
during operation of the action.
Hangfire: A delay in the combustion of the powder
inside the cartridge after the firing pin strikes the primer
on the cartridge. This delay can be from a fraction of a
second to one or two seconds and is a dangerous condi-
tion. If you squeeze the trigger on a loaded cartridge and
103
Section 8
it does not immediately fire, hold the rifle downrange for
five to 10 seconds before trying to eject the cartridge.
Also, keep the rifle shouldered or you could be injured
when the rifle eventually fires, especially on heavy mag-
num calibers.
Headspace: On rimless rifle cartridges, it is the dis-
tance from a reference point on the shoulder inside the
chamber where the cartridge seats to the face of the
closed bolt. On belted magnum rifle cartridges, it is the
distance from the belted rim shoulder or ledge in the
chamber to the face of the closed bolt. All standard belt-
ed magnum cartridges use the same set of headspace
gauges. We use the measuring and dimensional methods
shown in Section 4 to arrive at the proper headspace on
a custom Mauser rifle, either M98 or M96. The head-
space dimensions are controlled or confirmed by the GO,
NO-GO and FIELD headspace gauges.
Length of barrel: The length is measured from the
breech end at the chamber entrance to the end of the
muzzle. In other words, it's the full length of the barrel,
including the threads.
Lock time: The time interval from the instant the sear
releases until the firing pin strikes the cartridge primer,
crushing the primer pellet and causing it to ignite the
priming mixture.
Muzzle: The end of the barrel at which the bullet exits.
psi: A pressure measurement in pounds per square inch.
A correct pressure measurement.
Receiver rails: The inside, lower edges of the receiver
that hold and guide the cartridges in the correct loading
position, together with the bullet follower. Overcut re-
ceiver rails can ruin a receiver. Cartridge "stand-up" or
"pop-up" is an indication of overcut receiver rails.
Cartridge binding and drag is an indication of undercut
receiver rails or receiver rails that were not polished
enough.
Recoil energy: The recoil force or kick force of a rifle
or firearm, measured in foot-pounds.
Recoil velocity: The speed of recoil or kick of a rifle or
firearm measured in feet per second.
Safety-off fire: If you pull the trigger on a cocked rifle
with the safety on, and then manually release the safety
lever, the rifle will fire. This is a dangerous condition
that must immediately be corrected. If this happened
with a .458 Winchester Magnum or other powerful mag-
num rifle, I'm sure you would never forget the incident,
and you would be lucky not to shoot someone or injure
yourself.
Mauser M98 & M96
Sear: The bottom, front edge of the cocking piece that
bears against the trigger sear when the rifle is cocked for
firing. The sears slide against one another until the cock-
ing piece is released, allowing the firing pin to strike for-
ward into the cartridge primer.
Slam-fire: When you bump or slap the cocked rifle and
it fires, this is a dangerous condition that must immedi-
ately be corrected. It is caused by not having enough sear
engagement at the cocking piece or internal trigger sear
surfaces or by the sear surfaces not at the correct angle to
the cocking piece and firing pin axes.
8.3 Mauser Tools and Fixtures You Can Make
The following tools, jigs and fixtures can be made by
the rifle builder if you own a Smithy lathe/milling
machine tool or other moderately sized lathe and milling
machine. The cost of the commercially available tools,
jigs and fixtures is almost the cost of the Smithy-XL
machine tool. Many of the commercially available jigs
and fixtures are made from the wrong materials and use
the incorrect types of hardware items such as bolts, set
screws and other screw devices.
With the proper machine tools, you can design and then
make your own jigs and fixtures, including:
• Mauser bolt handle welding fixture for TIG welding
the bolt handle of your choice.
Note: The set screws on these commercial bolt welding
fixtures are cup point, hardened steel types that will
badly mar the bolt handle knob when tightened, making
these marks extremely difficult to file out or hide by pol-
ishing. These screws should be replaced with brass, flat
(dog) point set screws or flat point mild steel set screws.
• Mauser barrel clamp with inserts for Mauser and
commercial barrels. Inserts are aluminum. The
Mauser insert is one inch diameter, and the most
common commercial barrel insert is 1.200 inch diam-
eter with other diameters available for different bar-
rels.
• Mauser M98 receiver wrench for removing or tight-
ening barrels to receivers.
Note: These tools have the receiver clamp half made of
hard steel and can cause bad marring marks on the front,
top or sides of the receiver. This part of these tools
should be made from 7075-T651 aluminum alloy, which
has a tensile strength of 73,000 psi. I have ruined a beau-
tiful Argentine Mauser receiver that had a very tight bar-
rel because of this point. Also, the clamping bolts have
fine thread, socket-head cap screws, countersunk into the
receiver half of the tool, which should be standard grade
104
five-hex bolts with a coarse thread and no counterbore.
The handles of these tools are lightly knurled, which is
useless, because the handles are too short to develop the
torque required to remove Mauser barrels from the
receivers. A 36-inch length of 1 1/4 IPS galvanized iron
pipe, schedule 40, should be used over the short handle
to develop adequate torque. The bench vise used for
this operation should be large, heavy and very solidly
mounted.
• Mauser M96 receiver wrench for removing or tight-
ening barrels. See note on M98 receiver wrench.
• Mauser firing pin protrusion gauge. This tool is not
required when you have a depth micrometer or
caliper. Since this small tool costs $20 with shipping
and handling, you can save some money by using
your machinists' measuring tools instead.
• Muzzle cutting tools, which usually leave wavy
marks on the end of the muzzle.
• Threading dies for the M98 (1.100-12 tpi).
• Threading dies for the M96 (0.980-12 tpi).
• All Mauser scope base drilling and tapping fixtures
for receivers.
• All Mauser receiver and barrel drilling and tapping
fixtures for open iron or receiver sights.
• Barrel muzzle crowning tools, which usually leave
wavy marks on the end of the muzzle.
The cost of all the tools, jigs and fixtures described here
is over $1,200 with shipping.
I designed a special tooling fixture for holding the bolt
body for milling operations, which is shown in Figure
D-la and D-lb. You can do the same with many of the
tools, jigs and fixtures described and shown in this book
and save a substantial amount of money.
8.4 Custom Mauser Gunstocks
Building a good gunstock from a wooden blank is a
tedious, exacting and demanding procedure, and one that
the amateur gunsmith and rifle builder would usually not
attempt to do. As a matter of fact, a professional rifle
builder usually does the barreled action and subcontracts
the gunstock work, engraving and other specialty work
on the custom Mauser rifle. Most of my gunstocks are
Bell & Carlson Carbelite in black or crotch walnut fin-
ish. If I use a wood gunstock, I buy a drop-in, inletted
stock from Reinhart Fajen and sand and finish the stock
to my preference. Reinhart Fajen inletted wood stocks
come in a variety of grades of black walnut and other
woods. You can also send your completed Mauser bar-

reled action to Fajen and have it fitted, finished and hand
checkered in any number of patterns in their custom
shop. This procedure is not cheap, but doing it or not
depends on the size of your wallet and what you really
want in a custom Mauser rifle.
To make your wood stock easy to shape and sand to its
final contour, the Dremel tool company has produced a
great new sanding device called the Dremel Contour
Sander. This tool is electric powered and adjustable in
speed from 4,000 strokes per minute (spm) to 8,500 spm.
With this new tool, the difficult task of final shaping and
finish sanding a wooden gunstock is now very easy. This
tool will allow you to reach all the difficult curves and
crevices on the stock and do a professional job that was
previously difficult and very time consuming. If you do
your own wooden stocks, this tool is indispensable and
well worth the cost.
The composite plastic gunstocks in crotch walnut finish
are a good choice if you want the best looking rifle for
the least amount of money. This is the way I go when
doing most of my rifles. An advantage in using a com-
posite plastic gunstock is that water and moisture do not
affect the accuracy of your rifle or cause a loss of their
zero. These types of stocks will also take a lot of abuse
and rough handling when used for hunting or competi-
tion shooting. I had a custom Reinhart Fajen stock made
in black walnut and hand checkered and finished, but I
was always afraid to touch the rifle for fear of ruining
that beautiful, custom wooden stock.
I wish you well in building your own custom Mauser
rifle, and hope the instructions, data, photographs and
illustrations shown in this book prove useful in your
work to produce your own custom Mauser rifle. Please
follow all the safety precautions shown in this book and
make reference to the other Mauser technical manuals,
and you should have no problems with your custom
Mauser rifle or rifles.
8.5 Additional Custom Mauser Construction Tips
and Firearms Information
1) You cannot build a high-quality custom Mauser
sporter field grade, target or presentation grade rifle
unless you start the process with a military Mauser
rifle that has an excellent action that is mechanically
correct and in excellent condition. The receiver must
be free of rust pitting and dents or deep scratches.
The bolt must be shiny and without rust marks or pit-
ting and should match the number stamped on the
receiver, although it does not specifically need to
match, since you will be headspacing the action to a
new barrel. The bolt face must not be pitted with a
105
Section 8
corrosive primer ring around the firing pin hole. If
the action is otherwise excellent, a corrosion ring on
the bolt face can be corrected with TIG welding as
explained in the previous sections of this book. Do
not turn down the face of the bolt to remove corro-
sion pitting marks or you might have cartridge
ejection problems. Correct the corrosion ring as
described in the construction section using TIG
welding.
2) On field grade custom Mauser rifles, it is suggested
that you use one of the composite plastic stocks such
as Bell & Carlson Carbelite and Premier, High Tech
Specialties, Brown Precision, Zero 98, Ram-Line or
others.
3) For wooden stocks on all classes of custom Mauser
rifles, it is suggested that you use the Reinhart Fajen
Mauser drop-in stocks that must be final contour
sanded, fitted and finished, or which can be custom
fitted, finished and checkered to your Mauser bar-
reled action by Fajen's custom shop. The drop-in
Mauser stocks are available in various grades of wal-
nut, from straight grain to crotch and presentation
grade.
4) When finish reaming the chamber for your particular
cartridge, use a good cutting fluid and a firm, even
downward pressure on the reamer. If the reamer
begins to chatter and make fluted marks in the cham-
ber, apply more downward pressure or resharpen the
reamer and continue to finish the chamber with a
firm pressure to eliminate the fluted marks in the
chamber. Flutes or ripple marks in the chamber will
mark the fired cartridge case with ridges and make
resizing more difficult during the reloading process.
These marks are a sign of poor workmanship or a
dull reamer. Liquid Wrench is an excellent reamer
cutting fluid, and also a good drilling and tapping
lubricant.
5) A Buehler two-position safety is an excellent safety
for scope-mounted custom Mauser rifles. These
safeties are strong, positive, easy and economical to
install. Two makes of Buehler style safeties are
available from Brownells, Timney and Precise
Metalsmithing. I personally do not recommend the
use of other two-position safeties. They require a lot
of extra work to install, are not very attractive, and
some do not function properly even though they are
installed correctly. Dakota three-position side-swing
safeties are excellent and add a touch of class and
function to a custom Mauser rifle, but they are
expensive and require milling the rear end of the
bolt, cocking piece sear surface, and firing pin rear
Mauser M98 & M96
grooves, including fitting procedures to make them
work safely and effectively. There are also other
brands of three-position side-swing safeties that are
available from the gun parts suppliers listed in the
appendixes, such as the Precise Metalsmithing
brand, but make sure the milling coordinates for
adding the locking notch in the rear bolt flange are
given in the instructions. Ask the supplier of the
three-position safety if the milling coordinates are
available for this rear notch whether it be for the M98
or the M96 Mauser. I have installed numerous
Dakota three-position safeties to M98 Mausers, and
they function very well and are very attractive. The
milling coordinates for this safety are supplied in the
instructions that come with the safety. This is shown
in the illustrations in section 4.
6) One of the easiest and most attractive bolt handles
that can be welded to a Mauser bolt is the Harris
Gunworks Universal Bolt Handle (Lenard Brownell/
Ruger 77 style) available from Brownells. These han-
dles are made from 4130 chrome-moly steel and can
be polished to a mirror finish. They easily clear
scopes with large oculars when welded on the angles
indicated in the construction section of this book
using the TIG welding process. Use a low-carbon,
high-strength welding wire to TIG weld the bolt han-
dle to the bolt body or welding wire with a small
amount of nickel, approximately 3 to 4 percent.
7) In my opinion, the most cost effective and sturdy
scope bases and rings are made by Redfield. The one
piece scope base is preferred because it is more stur-
dy and less apt to misalign than the two-piece base.
Redfield also makes the two-piece bases for the M98
and M96 Mauser rifles. Other scope manufacturers
have copied the Redfield scope mounting design
because it is so good and has been proven to be reli-
able over a period of many years.
8) When selecting a front and rear open iron sight system
for your custom Mauser rifle, be careful in its selec-
tion before installing it to the rifle barrel. On heavy
recoiling rifles such as the .458 Winchester Magnum,
.338 Winchester Magnum and other heavy recoiling
rifles, an iron sight system must be sturdy and tight-
ened to the barrel securely, preferably with Loctite
242. Failure to do this will result in movement of the
sights during firing or cause the adjustable parts of the
weaker sights to be thrown off the rifle during recoil.
9) A leather rifle sling should be attached to your custom
Mauser rifle for field use. Rifle slings come in vari-
ous styles and designs with the Cobra and military
slings being the most popular. I have a preference for
106
the leather military style slings, because they are
strong, attractive and adjustable.
10) To break in a new barrel installed on your Mauser,
you need to fire at least 10 to 20 rounds with fre-
quent bore cleanings. After this process, you can
make the final zero adjustments.
11) Barrel life is a frequent concern to many riflemen
and hunters. Certain cartridges are more prone to
cause premature barrel wear than others. As a gener-
al rule, the smaller calibers with large powder capac-
ity cartridge cases tend to wear the barrel faster than
larger caliber cartridges with moderate powder
capacities. Also, the magnum caliber cartridges usu-
ally produce more premature barrel wear than the
standard cartridges. Premature barrel wear can only
be defined by the shooters and for what purpose they
are using their rifles. Presentation Mauser rifles can
only be proof fired, cleaned and never shot again.
Hunters might fire only six to 12 rounds a year,
while target shooters might fire hundreds of rounds
or more a year.
12) When reloading your own ammunition, do not
exceed the reloading manuals maximum loads. I
have never exceeded these maximums and have
never seen a sign of over-pressure on my cartridge
cases that were fired in my custom Mauser rifles.
Also, the recommended loads for accuracy that are
shown in the reloading manuals are usually very
accurate.
13) If you are going to install a set of receiver or open
iron sights on your custom Mauser rifle, carbide drill
No. 31 and tap the receiver for No. 6-48 tpi screws
for a standard Redfield scope base or other scope
base of your choice. The drilling and tapping for
receiver sights is given with the instructions for
these types of sights. This drilling and tapping will
allow you to line up your open iron sights or receiv-
er sights without the use of expensive fixtures or a
milling machine. Follow the procedure for installa-
tion of open iron sights in the work section (Section
4). Plug the receiver tapped holes with receiver plug
screws after you install your open iron sights. The
receiver drilling and tapping must be done accurate-
ly on a milling machine or by use of the B-Square
professional drilling and tapping fixture, or the
Williams scope mount drill fixture, both supplied by
Brownells. If you do a lot of rifles, then the expen-
sive Forster Universal sight mounting fixture can be
purchased and used to prepare for installation of iron
sights or scope sights. The reason for drilling and
tapping the receiver even though open iron sights are

installed is that a scope base mounting system can be
installed later if a scope is required to be installed on
the rifle.
14) When you select a telescopic (scope) sight for your
custom Mauser rifle you should keep the following
points in mind:
• Select a scope with a long eye relief (approximate-
ly 3 inches) if it is used on a heavy recoiling rifle.
• Select the best scope you can afford. There is no
such thing as "something for nothing." If you want
a really good scope, it will be expensive, but it will
not disappoint you later.
• Select a scope that is easy to adjust in the field or
at the range, and one that holds its zero during the
recoil of repeated firing of the rifle. Scopes are
available with various means of adjustment in-
cluding slots, built-in knobs or bars and microme-
ter type knobs for elevation and windage.
• Select a scope that matches the finish of your rifle:
glossy blue, glossy scope; matte blue, matte scope;
stainless steel, bare metal finished scope.
• All the big name brand scopes are good, but some
are better than others. I have found the following
scopes to be an excellent value for the money:
Leupold, Redfield, Bausch & Lomb Elite series
3000 and 4000, Weaver and Bums.
15) The scope reticles of choice are usually medium or
thick Duplex for hunting and fine crosshair for tar-
get work, varmint shooting or accurate long-range
shooting.
16) The barrel length I use on my custom Mauser rifles
is normally 26 inches. This length allows the maxi-
mum velocity for a given load. If you need a short-
er barrel, the 24-inch length is normally selected.
This will require you to cut off 2 inches from a
Shilen standard prethreaded Mauser barrel and then
crown the muzzle. Barrel lengths of 22 or 20 inches
are preferred by some hunters, but the muzzle blast
is much more pronounced on these shorter barrel
lengths, and you will not be able to attain maximum
velocities for a particular factory or reloaded car-
tridge.
17) During construction of your custom rifle, check the
striker spring (firing pin spring) to see if there is
external wear on the spring coils. This is evident if
you see flat spots on the outer coils and indicates the
spring is worn. Replace this type of original spring
with a Wolff Blitzschnell 22-pound spring, available
107
Section 8
from Brownells. This new spring will bring the lock
time of the action up a little faster than the original
spring, which is to your benefit. As stated in other
sections of this book, these Blitzschnell springs are
available in 22-, 24-, 26- and 30-pound rates. Use
the one that suits your needs. The higher the spring
rate, the faster the lock time. The faster the lock
time, the harder it is to cock the action. Lock times
for the Mauser custom rifles can range from 3 to 5
msec, according to the striker spring installed. The
lower the msec of the lock time, the faster is the lock
time. See Section 8.2 for a technical description of
lock time.
18) As a word of caution: Always check your barrel to
make sure it's clean and unobstructed before
firing.
19) You must stamp the rifle's cartridge designation on
the barrel after construction. This is a federal fire-
arms law.
20) Smooth and flawless controlled cartridge feeding,
chambering and extraction are essential and ab-
solutely necessary on any rifle used on dangerous
game. You should take special precautions and use
careful workmanship to make sure your custom
Mauser rifle's action functions perfectly. This is
done by carefully working the receiver rails, the
bullet feed ramp and the extractor claw on magnum
calibers. A highly polished finish is required on the
edges of the receiver rails and the bullet feed ramp
on the bottom of the receiver, together with excel-
lent fit dimensions for your particular cartridge.
Controlled round feeding, chambering and extrac-
tion during the operation of the action must be done
as perfectly as you can do them.
8.6 The 10 Commandments of Gun Safety
When handling firearms always be aware of the fol-
lowing safety rules:
1) Do not rely on your gun's safety. Treat every gun as if
it were loaded.
2) Never cross a fence, climb a tree or jump a ditch with
a loaded gun.
3) Never load or carry a loaded gun until you are ready
to use it.
4) Watch your muzzle so other people do not have to.
5) Store guns and ammunition separately and in locked
storage.
Mauser M98 & M96

6) Do not shoot unless you are absolutely sure of your
target and what is behind it.
7) Know the range of your gun. Remember, even a .22
rimfire Long Rifle cartridge has over one mile max-
imum range.
8) Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting.
9) Always be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions and
carry only the proper size ammunition for the gun
you are using.
10) Alcohol and gun powder do not mix.

108
 Appendix A

APPENDIX A
Gunsmithing Supplies and Mauser Rifle Suppliers' Directory
Bell & Carlson, Inc. 101 Allen Road Suppliers of quality, composite
Dodge City Industrial Park rifle stocks. Standard or custom
Dodge City KS 67801 grade; black or woodgrain colors.
(316) 225-6688 Standard rifles or magnums.

Billingsley & Brownell Box 25 Custom grip caps, bolt handles,

Wyarno WY 82845 etc. Call for details & orders.
(307) 737-2468

Brownells, Inc. 200 South Front Street Suppliers of a very broad range
Montezuma IA 50171 of gun parts and gunsmithing
(515) 623-5401 tools and fixtures. Broad
Catalog produced annually selection for Mausers. (Technical assistance)

Century International Arms PO Box 714 Suppliers of Mark X actions (M98)

St Albans VT 05478-0714 and rifles in various calibers
(802) 527-1252

Clymer Mfg. Co., Inc. 14241 W. 11 Mile Road Suppliers of reamers and
Oak Park MI 48237 chamber reamers, (all calibers)
(313) 541-5533 Quality products.

Reinhart Fajen Inc. Midway Arms Inc. Custom gunstocks and drop-in
5875 W. Van Horn Tavern Road stocks for Mausers and other
Columbia MO 65203 rifles. Precut and shaped or made to
(573) 445-6363 your specifications.

Samco Global Arms Corp. 6995 NW 43rd St. Suppliers of Military Mauser
Miami FL 33166 rifles such as K98k, Persian
(800) 554-1618 98/29 & 1909 Argentine models

Springfield Sporters RD#1 Suppliers of military rifles,

Penn Run PA 15765 Mauser actions, and gun parts
(412) 254-2626 for a variety of rifles. Mauser FN receivers
Catalog available M98, and handguns.

Timney Mfg. Co. 3106 W.Thomas Road Quality adjustable triggers

Suite 1104 for most Mauser bolt actions and
Phoenix AZ 85017 other popular rifles.
(602) 269-6937
NOTE: The author was able to obtain all supplies and materials for the customizing and restoration of Mauser M98
and M96 rifles from the suppliers listed above. Suppliers of machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, etc. can
also be found in the extensive index of gunsmithing supplies, materials, services and machinery from Gun Digest
1997, 1998, 1999, Editions 51, 52 and 53, or later editions. Also see Appendix C.

111
 Mauser M98 & M96

APPENDIX B
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reloading Suppliers

Midway PO Box 718, Dept. D This supplier carries most

Columbia MO 65205 reloading materials, except
(800) 243-3220 powders and primers. All major
Catalog on request brands.

Widener's PO Box 3009 CRS This supplier carries most

Reloading & Shooting Johnson City TN 37602 reloading materials, including
Supplies, Inc. (800) 615-3006 powders and primers. All major
(423) 282-6786 brands. Will order specials.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Custom, Hand Engraved M98 Mauser Receivers:

Hand engraved M98 Mauser receivers might still be available from the Gibbs Rifle Company in West Virginia. These
receivers were available in bare polished finish or polished and blued. The .458 Winchester Magnum rifle built by the
author and shown near the front of this book has one of these receivers installed. The receivers are well made, well fit-
ted and beautifully hand engraved. They can be obtained from:

The Gibbs Rifle Company - (800) 398-7557

NOTE: An FFL is required to buy directly from the supplier.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Custom Engraving Services

Hand engraving of various types, on hardened Mauser receivers and standard hardness bolt handles, is available from
the following source:

New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd.

N.E.C.G.S. LTD - (You should address any package you send them using the initials only, for safety).
438 Willow Brook Road
Plainfield NH 03781
Phone: (603) 469-4350
Fax: (603) 469-3471
Samples of some of the engaving from New England Custom Guns, Ltd. are shown in the photographs following this
appendix. This type of engraving is done by hand on hardened Mauser receivers in order to eliminate the reheat treat-
ing problems usually associated with engravers who can only engrave annealed or soft rifle parts. The receiver and bolt
shown in the photographs is done in fancy scroll, and was done by the expert engraver Frank Conroy, through New
England Custom Gun Service, Ltd. This custom gun company employs different engravers who specialize in different
types of engraving. Most engravers cannot or will not engrave hardened Mauser or other hardened receivers. If you want
a really custom, presentation grade Mauser rifle, give these people a call and discuss what you need. This is a first-class
custom rifle service company.

112
 Appendix B

Figure A-B-1.1: A custom scroll-type, engraved Mauser receiver and bolt handle, engraved on a hardened receiver
by expert engraver Roy Conroy of New England Custom Gun Services, Ltd. All other metalwork is by the author.

Figure A-B-1.2: A close-up view of the custom engraved Mauser bolt handle and side of the right, rear bridge on
the receiver. Engraver: Frank Conroy, New England Custom Gun Services, Ltd. All other metalwork is by the
author.

113
Mauser M98 & M96

APPENDIX C
Tool and Machinery Suppliers
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jet Equipment and Tools - lathes, milling machines, etc.

Alley Supply Company
PO Box 848-SN
Garnerville NV 89410
(702) 782-3800

Blue Ridge Machinery and Tools - lathes, milh'ng machines, etc.

PO Box 536-S
Hurricane WV 25526
(800) 872-6500

Smithy - combination lathes, drills and milh'ng machines

POBox 1517
Ann Arbor MI 48106-1517
(800) 476-4849

Brownells, Inc.- tools, fixtures, custom Mauser parts, taps and dies, reamers, hand grinders, etc.
200 South Front Street
Montezuma IA 50171
(515) 623-5401

SEARS Stores, Nationwide

Hand tools, power tools, etc., "Craftsman" brand

114
 Appendix D

APPENDIX D
Special Tools and Equipment
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

During the processes and procedures required to build your custom Mauser rifle, it is convenient to have certain spe-
cial tools and fixtures to help do accurate work. Shown in figures D-la and D-lb is a special clamping fixture for hold-
ing the Mauser or other rifle bolts, while performing different milling operations, such as facing the bolt after the cor-
rosion ring is TIG welded per instructions given in previous sections of this book, or opening the bolt face ring for mag-
num cartridges with head diameters of 0.532 inch. Opening the Mauser bolt face for magnum calibers can be done on
a lathe or a milling machine. The author prefers using a lathe, although some gunsmiths might use the milling machine.

115
Mauser M98 & M96

Also included is a design for a wooden rifle rack as shown in figure D-2. This rack can be made of prefinished red
oak boards as sized in figure D-2. The holding pegs are made from % inch diameter hardwood dowels. This rifle rack
design is made using only a hand saw, small drill press and disk sander. You can eliminate one of the pegs and con-
struct a three-rifle rack instead of a four-rifle rack. After drilling .625-inch holes for the pegs, they are glued in place
with carpenter's glue and set aside to dry. Elmer's Professional Carpenter's Glue is recommended. After drying, the
rack can be finished with wood stain and varnish or in the finish of your choice.
This type of rack will not scratch the stock or metal parts of your rifles and is economical to build. The component
pieces of wood can be bought from the large hardware supply stores such as Hechingers or The Home Depot. These
types of rifle racks can be seen in Section 1, figure 1-4, where they are holding some of the author's Mauser military
rifle collection.

116
 Appendix D

Another useful tool that can be used to precisely line up your scope rings, prior to installing the scope, consists of a
6 inch long piece of aluminum or steel round bar stock that is exactly 1 inch in diameter. This bar or rod will elimi-
nate scope tube damage by allowing you to line up your scope rings exactly. To use this tool, insert the round bar in
the saddle or lower part of the scope rings, assemble the top halves of the rings, and tighten the rings firmly. This
action will pull the rings into exact alignment. Remove the round bar and install your scope. Never use the scope to
pull the front ring into alignment or damage will occur to the scope tube. Also, do not over tighten the top half of the
scope rings or damage might occur to the internal optics of the scope. A small amount of powdered rosin can be
applied to the inner surfaces of the scope rings to prevent scope movement, especially on heavy caliber rifles with
high recoil.

117
Mauser M98 & M96

Figure D-3
Weight Equivalents - Metric/US Customary (Avoirdupois)

1 gram = 15.43 grains

1 pound = 7,000 grains

1 ounce = 437.5 grains

1 ounce = 28.35 grams

1 grain = 0.0648 grams

1 grain = 0.002286 ounces

10 grains = 0.02286 ounces or 0.648 grams

100 grains = 0.2286 ounces or 6.48 grams

NOTE: Multiply the number of grains times 0.002286 to arrive at ounces. Multiply the number of grains times 0.0648
to arrive at grams.

118
 Appendix E

APPENDIX E
German Small Arms Manufacturers' Codes
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Since more than 12.5 million Kar98k Mauser rifles were produced prior to and during World War II, there were
many manufacturers in Germany and other nations that produced these weapons. The following lists were obtained by
the United States government immediately after World War II and are shown in this appendix. These code listings,
being government property and printed by the government, are not covered by the U.S. copyright laws and can be
reproduced by others who need to copy these listings.
Code letters were used by the Germans to indicate the manufacturer and year of manufacture, and this information is
shown in the following listing. Since there are so many surplus K98k rifles still available that are in good to excellent
condition, the author thought this listing would prove valuable to those who wish to know the origin of their K98k
rifles. Check the Mauser collector books listed in the bibliography to see which models are rare and valuable to col-
lectors.
Many of the K98k Mauser rifles were not made to the high quality standards found on earlier Mauser military rifles,
but they are fine for field grade custom rifles provided they are in sound mechanical condition (be careful of models
manufactured after 1943). Check the code letters on your K98k, prior to converting the weapon, to find its origin.
Some of these rifles are rare collector items, and you might not wish to convert the rifle to a sporter but instead sell it
to a collector.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A b j v - Bohm-Mahrische Kolben-Danek A.G., Prague,

a a k - Waffenfabrik Brunn A.G., Prague Vysocan Works
b k p - Gewehrfabrik H. Burgsmiiller and Sons
a c - Carl Walther, Zella-Mehlis, Thuringia
aek - F. Dusek Waffenerzeugung, G. m. b. H., Kreiensen, Harz
b k q - Rohrenfabrik Johannes Surmann G. m. b. H.,
Opoczno bei Nachod
amn — Mauser Works, Waldeck bei Kassel Arnsberg
a r - Mauser Works, Borsigwalde, Berlin b k y - Bohmische Waffenfabrik A.G., of Prague,
a s b - Deutsche-Waffen und Munitions Fabriken A.G., Ung-Brod Works, Ung Brod, (Moravia)
Borsigwalde, Berlin bmv-
Rheinmetall-Borsig A.G., Sommerda Works,
a u c - Mauser Works A.G., Ehrenfeld, Cologne Sommerda
a w t - Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik A.G., bmz-
Minerva Nahmaschinenfabrik A.G., Boscowitz
Geislingen bnd-
M. A. N., A.G., Nurnberg Works, Niirnberg
a x s - Berndorfer Metallwarenfabrik Arthur Krupp bnz-
Steyr-Daimler Puch A.G., Steyr Works,
A.G., Berndorf, Niederdonau
ayf- B. Geipel, G.m.b.H., Waffenfabrik "Erma" bpr- Steyr, Austria
a z g - Siemens-Schuckert Works A.G., Berlin Johannus Grossfuss Metall and
B br- Locierwarenfabrik, Dobeln, Saxony
Mathias Bauerle Laufwerke G. m. b. H.,
b c d - Gustloff Co., Weimar Works, Weimar
bvl- St. Georgen, Schwarzwald
b e - Berndorfer Metallwarenfabrik Arthur Krupp
Th. Bergmann & Co. Abteilung Automaten u.
A.G., Berndorf, Niederdonau
b h - Brunner Waffenfabrik A.G., Brunn bxb- Metallwarenfabrikation, Altona, Hamburg
(Brno, Czechoslovakia) byf- Skoda Works, Pilsen
Mauser Works, Oberndorf
119
Mauser M98 & M96
bym- Genossenschafts Maschinenhaus der
Buchsenmacher, Ferlach, Carinthia, Austria
bzt- Fritz Wolf Gewehrfabrik, Zella-Mehlis,
Thuringia
C fxa - Eisenacher Karosseriefabrik Assmann
c e - J.P. Sauer and Sons Gewehrfabrik, Suhl, Saxony
cdo- Th. Bergmann & Co. A. G., Waffen u.
Munitionfabrik, Veltem Works, Veltem am Main
c h - Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, Herstal,
Liege, Belgium
chd- Berlin Industrie Werke A. G., Spandau, Berlin
cof- Carl Eickhorn, Waffenfabrik Solingen
con- Franz Stock Maschinen u. Werkzeufabrik,
Berlin
cos- Merz Brothers, Frankfurt am Main
cpo- Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., Marienfeld Works,
Marienfeld, Berlin
cpp- Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., Guben Works
c p q r Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., Breslau Works
crs- Paul Weyersberg & Co. Waffenfabrik, Solingen
cvl- WKC Waffenfabrik G. m. b. H., Solingen
cxq- Spreewerk G. m. b. H., Metallwarenfabrik,
Spandau, Berlin
D hhv - Steyr-Daimler Puch A. G., Nibelungen Works,
dfb- Gustloff Co., Suhl Gun Works, Suhl, Saxony
dgl- Remo Gewehrfabrik, Rempt Brothers, Suhl,
Saxony
dot- Waffenwerke Brunn A. G., Brunn
(Brno, Czechoslovakia)
dou- Waffenwerke Brunn A. G., Bystrica Works
dov- Waffenwerke Brunn A. G., Vsetin Works
Czechoslovakia
dow- Opticotechna, (formerly Waffenfabrik Brunn A.
G.), Prerau, Czechoslovakia
dph- Interessen Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie A. G.,
Autogen Works, Griesheim, Frankfurt am Main
dsh- Engineer F. Janecek, Gun Works, Prague
duv- Berliner-Lubecker Maschinenfabriken,
Lubeck Works
duw- Deutsche Rohrewerke A. G., Thyssen Works,
Mulheim
E
egy- Engineer Fr. August Pfeffer, Oberlind, Thuringia
F kwn - S. A. Fiat, Turin, Italy
fnh- Bomische Waffenfabrik A. G. of Prague,
Strakonitz Works
120
fue - Mechanische Werkstatt A. G., (formerly
Dubnica Works of Skoda Co.), Dubnica
fwh - Norddeutsche Maschinenfabrik G. m. b. H.,
Hauptverwalting, Berlin
G. m. b. H., Eisenach
fxo - C. G. Haenel Waffen u. Fahrrad Fabrik, Suhl,
Saxony
fze - F. W. Holler Waffenfabrik, Solingen
fzs - Heinrich Krieghoff Waffenfabrik, Suhl, Saxony
G
ghf - Fritz Kiess & Co., G. m. b. H., Waffenfabrik,
Suhl, Saxony
gsb - Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., (formerly S. A. des
Ateliers de la Dyle), Louvain, Belgium
gsc - S. A. Beige de Mecanique et de l'Armement,
Monceau-sur-Sambre, Belgium
guy - Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Buhrle &
Co., Oerlikon Zurich, Switzerland
H
hew - Eningeer F. Janecek, Gun Works, Prague
hhg - Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., Tegel Works,
Tegel, Berlin
St. Valentin, Austria
J
jhv - Metallwaren Waffen u. Maschinenfabrik A. G.,
Budapest
jkg - Kong. Ungar. Staatlische Eisen, Stahl u.
Maschinenfabrik, Budapest
lj - Heeres Zeugamt, Ingoldstadt
jua - Danuvia Waffen u. Munitionsfabrik A. G.,
Budapest
jwa - Manufacture d'Armes Chatellerault,
Chatellerault, France
K
kfk - Dansk Industrie Syndicat, Copenhagen,
Denmark
kls - Steyr-Daimler Puch A. G., Warsaw
ksb - Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Levallois,
Levallois, Paris, France
kur - Steyr-Daimler Puch A. G., Graz Works
L
lza - Mauser Werke A. G., Werk Karlsruhe
 Appendix E

M
moc - Johann Springer's Erben Gewehrfabrikanten,
Vienna
mpr - S. A. Hispano Suiza, Geneva, Switzerland
mrb - Aktiengesellschaft, (formerly Prague Works of
Skoda Co.), Prague
myx - Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., Sommerda Works,
Sommerda, Thuringia
N
nee - Waffenwerke Brunn A. G., Prague
nhr - Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., Sommerda Works,
Sommerda, Thuringia
nyv - Rheinmetall-Borsig A. G., Werk Unterluss
nyw - Gustloff Co., Meiningen

121
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Ludwig Olson Mauser Bolt Rifles, Third Edition

F. Brownell & Sons, Inc., 1993

• Jerry Kuhnhausen The Mauser Bolt Actions, A Shop Manual

VSP Publishers, 1991

National Rifle Association Mauser Rifles, Revised Edition

NRA, 1992

National Rifle Association Military Rifles, Revised Edition

NRA, 1993

• Frank de Haas Bolt Action Rifles, Revised Edition

DBI Books, Inc., 1984

John Walter Rifles of the World

DBI Books, Inc., 1993

J.B. Wood Firearms Assembly/Disassembly, Part 4 (Centerfire Rifles)

DBI Books, Inc., 1990

• Frank C. Barnes Cartridges of the World, 6th Edition

DBI Books, Inc., 1989

Edward Matunas Lyman 's Guide to Big Game Cartridges and Rifles
Lyman Products Corporation, 1993

• John Walter The German Rifle

Arms and Armour Press, 1979

• Robert WD. Ball Mauser Military Rifles of the World

Krause Publications, 1996

• R.A. Walsh McGraw-Hill Machining & Metalworking Handbook, Second Edition

McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1998/99

SAAMI Flintlock Ridge Office Center

(Small Arms & Ammunition 11 Mile Hill Road
Manufacturers Institute) Newtown CT 06470-2359
(Arms Publications) (203) 426-4358

Note: Books or organizations marked (•) are recommended for those building custom Mauser rifles or restoring
original Mauser military rifles considered collector grade.

123
 NOTES
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mauser M98 & M96
Tooling Drawings

R. A. Walsh
© 1997 R. A. Walsh
 Tooling for the M98 and M96 Mauser custom rifles
The enclosed set of AutoCad drawings will allow you to produce the jigs and fixtures for doing accurate
work on custom Mauser rifles. By producing the tools shown on the enclosed drawings, you can save a
substantial amount of money (approximately $600 to $800), and some of the tools shown are not available
commercially. If you have a Smithy mill, drill and lathe machine tool, Jet, or other appropriate machine
tools such as a metal lathe and milling machine, you will have no trouble producing your own major jigs
and fixtures for customizing the M98 and M96 Mauser custom rifles. You can also use your Smithy or
other machine tools for operations performed on other commercial tools which are not listed, thus saving
more money. This group of AutoCad shop drawings consists of detail and assembly engineering drawings
for the following tools (jigs and fixtures), including reference to the appropriate hardware items. Photos of
the commercially available tools are shown throughout the book Mauser M98 & M96 - How to Build
Your Favorite Custom Rifle by R. A. Walsh, published by the Wolfe Publishing Co., 1998, Prescott,
Arizona.

Tooling Drawing List and Description:

1 - Mauser barrel and custom sporter barrel clamping fixture/vise for removing and installing barrels on
the M98 and M96 receivers. Included are aluminum alloy clamping inserts for the Military Mauser barrels
with 1.000 inch diameters, and sporter barrels with 1.200 inch diameters. Drawing RW-001Y95. You can
also remove the original Mauser barrel with an 18 inch or longer pipe wrench, but this will mar the origi-
nal barrel. Use a pipe wrench if you do not plan on using the original Mauser barrel. By positioning the
receiver wrench handle and clamped, barreled receiver on a solid floor, you can use the pipe wrench by
placing it on the barrel shank near the receiver on an upward angle from the floor, and standing on its han-
dle, bearing your weight downward. You can develop a great amount of torque using this method and
should be able.to remove any Mauser barrel, no matter how tight it might be. Use caution with this method,
and support yourself with your hand on a wall to keep your balance.

2 - A holding plate for the Mauser barrel clamping fixture (for RW-001Y95 barrel vise). This holding plate
allows you to remove and install barrels to the Mauser receivers without using a heavy bench vise. This
plate must be mounted on a strong, heavy work bench or a steel pedestal mount anchored to a concrete
floor. The steel pedestal mount drawing RW-013Y95 is included with the drawings of the listed tooling
devices. This tool is not available commercially. Drawing RW-002Y95.

3 - Universal receiver wrench for the large ring M98 Mausers, for removing original Mauser barrels and
tightening new sporter, custom barrels. Drawing RW-003Y95. Use with a 36 inch length of 1 'A IPS, sched-
ule 40 galvanized iron pipe for more leverage.

4 - Receiver wrench head for M96 Mauser for removing original M96 Mauser barrels and tightening new
sporter, custom barrels. This head is used with the welded steel wrench handle shown on the M98 receiv-
er wrench drawing RW-003Y95. This tool is not available commercially. Drawing RW-004Y95.

5 - A drilling and tapping fixture for preparing the Mauser receivers for installation of scope sight bases
on the M98 and M96 Mausers using No. 6-48tpi screws. This tool is for M98 and M96 Redfield type scope
bases, one and two piece styles. Redfield scope base catalog numbers are as follows: JR-M, 1 piece M98;
SR-M, 2 piece M98; JR-MK, 1 piece M96 (after 1906) and Kar98k. Drawing RW-005Y95.

1
6 - A bolt handle welding fixture for TIG welding new bolt handles to bolt shanks for the M98 and M96
Mauser bolts. Drawing RW-006Y95. Set the bolt handle at a 70 to 75 degree angle prior to welding. Tack
weld the handle first, then remove it from the fixture. Insert a Mauser heat sink tool into the rear of the bolt
and finish TIG welding. Make sure the heat sink shoulder bears firmly on the rear flange of the bolt body
so that welding heat is transmitted into the head of the heat sink.

7 - A Mauser bolt jeweling fixture for securely holding and indexing Mauser bolts for jeweling
(Damascusing). This fixture can be used with the original straight bolt handle attached or cut off ,or with
a newly welded custom bolt Drawing RW-007Y95.

8 - Scope ring alignment bar and scope ring alignment indicator test bars. Drawing RW-008Y95.

9 - Mauser bolt heat sinks, M98 and M96. Two tools are incorporated on one drawing. The only difference
is in the length of the 60 degree buttress threads, (0.528-13tpi). The M98 heat sink will not work with the
M96 bolt due to the differences in the lengths of the threads. The bolt heat sink shoulder must bear against
the face of the rear flange of the bolt body in order to transfer welding heat into the bolt heat sink head
more efficiently. If the heat sink shoulder does not bear on the rear face of the bolt, excessive welding heat
will affect the casehardening around the area of the shank of the bolt handle. The correct M96 heat sink
is not available commercially. Drawing RW-009Y95.

10 - Mauser firing pin protrusion gauge. For use with calipers or micrometers to measure firing pin pro-
trusion from the face of the bolt. On the assembled bolt, push the rear of the cocking piece forward when
taking the firing pin protrusion with the gauge, to allow for overtravel of the firing pin. Drawing RW-
010Y95.

11 - Mauser bolt clamping fixture for milling machine operations on the bolt, such as preparations for
installation of three-position safeties and milling the bolt face of a TIG welded bolt face to correct for
primer erosion damage. Also suitable for other machining operations on various parts of the Mauser M98
and M96 actions and other gun parts. This tool is not available commercially. Drawing RW-011Y95.

12 - Special pliers for holding No. 6 and No. 8 gun screws for grinding and polishing. Use a standard set
of pliers or lineman's pliers, drill two holes and grind the inner faces of the plier teeth so they will close
more than normal, thus holding No. 6 and No. 8 screws. (No. 6 diameter = 0.136 inch; No. 8 diameter =
0.164 inch). Drawing RW-012Y95.

13 - A steel pedestal mount for the barrel clamp holder, RW002Y95. This pedestal can also be used to
mount a large machinist's vise by adding the mounting holes in the top plate for your particular vise. This
pedestal will easily and effectively hold a 55- to 65-pound vise. This tool is not available commercially.
Drawing RW-013Y95.

14 - A fixture for sanding the correct angles and size of the recoil pad, prior to installation of the pad to
the finished rifle stock. This fixture is used with a bench-mounted disk sander. See instructions on the
assembly drawing RW-014Y95, sheet 2. The drilling on this device is for the Pachmayr type recoil pads.
You can add more tapped holes in the recoil pad mounting bar for other types of recoil pads as required.
Drawing RW-014Y95.

2
When these tools are made using the materials and hardware items indicated on the drawings, they should
last you many years. Some of these tools were derived from commercial types that are available at the gun
parts supply companies, but all were changed in design and materials to improve their properties and per-
formances, for use exclusively on the Mauser M98 and M96 custom rifles. The builder of these tools can
also change the types of materials indicated on the drawings, provided the materials are equal or stronger
in yield strength than those listed. High-strength aluminum alloys are used on some of the tools for pro-
tection against marring the receivers, while steel has been substituted for aluminum on some of the tools
to make them stronger, more rigid and less prone to wear. American standard 60 degree, class 2B coarse
threads were selected for all the fasteners used on these tools instead of American standard 60 degree, class
2B fine threads. Fine threaded fasteners are not normally used on tooling devices, unless there is a partic-
ular functional reason. Do not change the material of the Mauser bolt heat sinks to aluminum. The tem-
peratures in the area of the buttress threads gets too hot during the TIG welding process, and can cause
melting of the surface of aluminum buttress threads. It is also recommended that the 1018 steel heat sinks
be casehardened to RC50 to RC55.

Size for size, the fine threaded fastener is considered to be stronger than the coarse thread, but in reality,
engineering laboratory tests have shown the difference in strength is not that much of an advantage, and
in some cases or applications the coarse threads in certain sizes are ANSI (American National Standards
Institute) rated stronger. Not only that, the fine threads are more difficult to tap, and the fasteners are more
expensive and difficult to obtain in hardware stores. The fine threads have an advantage when a thin or
shallow section of metal is to be tapped for small screws, and there is a finer adjustment available with the
fine thread in certain applications. In gunsmithing applications on firearms, the fine and special series of
threads are more appropriate. But on gunsmithing tools such as jigs and fixtures, the coarse threads have
their advantages and are preferred. Fine threads should not be used in aluminum, unless the aluminum is
a high-strength, aircraft-type aluminum alloy.

The type of steel used on most of the tooling devices is AISI 1018 (American Iron and Steel Institute),
which is a medium low-carbon manganese steel of relatively high strength, excellent in welding and easy
to carburize caseharden, if required. Many steel parts of the tooling devices can be given a zinc or man-
ganese phosphate coating to prevent rusting, using the zinc phosphating or manganese phosphating solu-
tions sold by the gun parts and tool supply companies. The aluminum parts on the tooling devices use the
aircraft-quality, high-strength aluminum alloys such as the 2024 and 7075 series. These quality, high-
strength aluminum alloys need not be finished or coated, because they form their own aluminum oxide,
full protective layer naturally, approximately 20 days after they are machined. These alloys are excellent
for machining, and they are very strong. It is recommended the aluminum parts of the tooling devices be
sand blasted after they are completed, to enhance their appearance.

The special vice and barrel clamp holder pedestal should be painted with a good grade oil-base enamel,
such as Rustoleum, or an epoxy paint, both of which are available in spray cans for easy application. This
pedestal is very strong and rigid when mounted on concrete and is necessary because of the high torque
required to remove some of the original M98 and M96 barrels. By changing the size of the top plate of
the pedestal, it can be used to mount a bench grinder for grinding and polishing operations or a machin-
ist's vise. Use 5/8-11 anchor bolts to mount the base of the pedestal to a concrete floor when it is used with
the barrel clamp holder or heavy machinist's vise.

NOTE: If you decide to use an aluminum alloy for any welded jigs and fixtures, it should be the 6061-T6
series of aluminum alloys that are made for welding operations, which are also very strong.

3
 Typical Properties of Mauser Tooling Materials

MATERIAL TYPE MINIMUM YIELD STRENGTH

(or hardening range)

AISI - 1018 steel, same as (C-1018) 70,000 psi

Hot rolled low-carbon steel, (A-36 plate) 36,000 psi

Drill rod, water hardening (Wl, or W2) RC50 to 64 with water quench at 1,600
degrees Fahrenheit

Pipe, carbon steel, standard grade 35,000 psi

2024-T3511 aluminum alloy or equal 46,000 psi

7075-T6511 aluminum alloy or equal 73,000 psi

6061-T6 series aluminum alloys 40,000 psi (welding grade)

HARDWARE

Grade 5 hex bolts - (l/2-13tpi) 61 to 82 lb-ft torque range (13,000 lb clamp

load, maximum)

Grade 8 hex bolts - (l/2-13tpi) 86 to 115 lb-ft torque range (18,400 lb clamp
load, maximum)

Grade 5 hex bolts - (3/8-16tpi) 25 to 33 lb-ft torque range (7,000 lb clamp

load, maximum)

Grade 8 hex bolts - (3/8-16tpi) 35 to 47 lb-ft torque range (10,000 lb clamp

load, maximum)

Grade 2 hex bolts - (l/2-13tpi) 38 to 51 lb-ft torque range ((8,000 lb clamp

load, maximum)

Grade 2 hex bolts - (3/8-16tpi) 16 to 21 lb-ft torque range (4,400 lb clamp

load, maximum)

4
 List of AutoCad Shop Drawings
for
Mauser M98 & M96 Tooling Devices

Drawing Number Tool Description

________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: The tolerances on the dimensions on the following drawings are:
.XXX = ± 0.005 inch; .XX = ± 0.010 inch, unless otherwise shown. Break all sharp
edges on all parts 0.010 inch.

RW-001Y95 Barrel clamp/vise with 1.000 inch and 1.200 inch clamping inserts

RW-002Y95 Holding plate for barrel vise RW-001Y95

RW-003Y95 Universal receiver wrench with M98 receiver head clamp

RW-004Y95 Receiver head clamp for M96; uses handle on Dwg. RW-003Y95

RW-005Y95 Mauser M98 and M96 receiver drilling and tapping fixture for
Redfield type scope bases that use No.. 6-48tpi screws

RW-006Y95 Universal bolt handle welding fixture for the M98 and M96 bolts

RW-007Y95 Bolt jeweling fixture for M98 and M96 Mauser bolts

RW-008Y95 Scope ring alignment rod and two tapered alignment rod indicators

RW-009Y95 Mauser bolt heat sinks for M98 and M96 bolt handle welding

RW-010Y95 Firing pin protrusion gauge. Used with calipers or micrometers

RW-011Y95 Clamping fixture for milling operations on bolts and other parts of
the M98 and M96 Mauser actions

RW-012Y95 Special pliers for holding No. 6 and No. 8 screws - for grinding
and polishing operations

RW-013Y95 Pedestal mount for holding plate RW-002Y95 or machinist's vise

RW-014Y95 Recoil pad sanding and shaping jig for accurately fitting new
recoil pads to finished stocks