Project Custom Mannlicher Mauser begins

[Headoftheholler]

I found a old Bishop Mannlicher full length stock for my Swedish mauser, I have a ton of old bedding to chip out. I'm going to fit a walnut buttplate and TRY to fit a custom nosepiece from an 8 point I took a few years back. I say try because I don't know if this is something I'm capable of fitting so it looks right, I always have the steel cap to fall back on.
Here is what we start with:


A rough mock up just to see how much work we have:



Walnut buttplate from a Beretta prior to shaping and sanding:


Antler nosecap taking shape:

[Adam Lee]

This looks like a good project, Andrew. Keep us posted with your progress!

Adam

[Headoftheholler]

Got the stock inletted for the side mount scope and the buttplate shaped to the stock.

[Headoftheholler]

Floorplate filed flush with bottom of stock, trigger guard re-profiled to thinner shape.

[Headoftheholler]

That looks great mike, I just dont know if I trust myself enough with a file.
Got some more progress made on the antler nosecap, I plan on making the tail end flush with the stock, just not sure if I have enough clearance from the muzzle blast.

[Headoftheholler]

Steel grip cap came in

Floorplate scrubbed of all military stampings:

Before and after , reprofiling military follower to allow closing the bolt on an empty magazine without depressing the follower:

[Adam Lee]

Andrew, nice progress - hey, could you provide your original Mauser data so I can plug & play the variables? I was looking to see whether your rifle started as an M-94 or an M-96. Also, if this was a 6.5x55mm with any unit markings left anywhere on the metal.

Thanks! Rock on. This totally reminds me of leafing through my Grandma's old American Rifleman magazines that her oldest son, my uncle Bob, left at her house. They were all from about 1950-1958.

Adam

[Headoftheholler]

Thanks Adam!
This one was a M94 , I cant provide anything else because it was also one of the Interarms G33/50's, which interestingly enough have started to gain a following and value.
Interarms obliterated the date and rollstamped their own "Interarms G33/50" in its place.
It came to me already in the Fajen stock and already drilled and tapped for a side mount scope, which isnt the most attractive but it does allow use of iron sites.
It is indeed 6.5x55 swede, and even with a 16" barrel , with Norma factory loads and a 4x scope it is a legitimate sub moa gun all day long as long as I do my part. The Timney trigger helps a lot.

[Adam Lee]

Thanks Adam!
This one was a M94 , I cant provide anything else because it was also one of the Interarms G33/50's, which interestingly enough have started to gain a following and value.
Interarms obliterated the date and rollstamped their own "Interarms G33/50" in its place.
It came to me already in the Fajen stock and already drilled and tapped for a side mount scope, which isnt the most attractive but it does allow use of iron sites.
It is indeed 6.5x55 swede, and even with a 16" barrel , with Norma factory loads and a 4x scope it is a legitimate sub moa gun all day long as long as I do my part. The Timney trigger helps a lot.

Andrew,

I happen to live very near Interarms old headquarters, which is on the Potomac waterfront in Old Town, Alexandria. Interarms has quite an interesting history as a gun importer, to say the least!

The "tricks" they had to pull in order to get the gun legally sold here, by obliterating the original stampings and randomly renaming the guns "G33/50" so as to "create" a "new gun" with a "new" serial number - and all because of the arcane 18" minimum length rule (prior to the 68 GCA "re" ruling the 16" rifle barrel minimum) - typically byzantine American legality nonsense!

Now, back to YOUR custom Mauser - have you been rolling your own 6.5mm or buying "off the shelf"? I know there are plenty of manufacturers putting these rounds out there, Privi Partisan for one. I have a high-school buddy long relocated to the glorious state of Washington living near Mount St. Helens who shoots an M96 (amongst other guns) and has been a 6.5mm fan for decades.

Have fun! Only 2 more days to muddle through until I am out of my classroom for 2 weeks, thank God!
Adam

[Headoftheholler]

I use Norma Alaskans, which at 156 grains is on the heavy side for the 6.5 but the terminal performance is outstanding on deer. I wouldnt hesitate one second to use the same on a KY elk, IF I ever get drawn.

[Phyrbird]

Good luck on the drawing, my brother has been on the lottery for 10 years now.
He's still hopeful.

[Headoftheholler]

I wasn't happy with the smaller piece of antler so I went with another antler crown, epoxied and ready for final finishing.

[Headoftheholler]

Grain is filled , waiting to cure prior to checkering and final finish.

[Adam Lee]

Nearly ready to show the finished rifle, Andrew?

It will certainly be unique - with the antler crown, I think it's going to be pretty cool.
How's the "little one" doing? Helping out yet at the workbench?

Adam

[Headoftheholler]

Still a bit to do, at the moment stock is being checkered, grip cap and floorplate are being engraved. One final coat of finish after checkering is complete, remaining metal still needs rust blued and a rear sight to be put on where I eliminated the peep sight, & I have to bed the stock.
On a side note for those interested, the antler nose cap was a Austrian (Bavarian) Really fashionable after Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria grew fond of rifles made by the gunmaker Leithner in Bad Ischl.
Example: http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion ... at63_s.txt

[Headoftheholler]

Front sling post, rear sling stud and hood for front sight came in and installed.
Still waiting on bottom metal at local engraver, still have to bed stock and checker.

[DWalt]

I sporterized a M94 Swede long ago. I bought the carbine for about $20 from Montgomery Wards in about 1958-59, and bought a semi-finished stock from the old Interarms operation in Alexandria VA (previously mentioned). I was working in DC at the time. Certainly not as nice a job as yours, but it shot well. I put a Lyman peep sight on it.

The 6.5X55 was the very first cartridge I reloaded - I formed cases out of .30-'06 brass. The base diameter is a little smaller than the 6.5mm, but with a few turns of tape to center the cartridge in the chamber, after the first firing it worked fine. I also bought some Herter's 6.5X55 brass, but it didn't hold up very well. As the barrel was shorter than 18", I silver-soldered a short sleeve on the end of the barrel to stretch it. I sold it over 20 years ago. Like many others, I should have kept it. I don't remember seeing another M94 since I bought that one. The only thing I didn't like was the cock on closing bolt. I still have two 6.5s in the arsenal - a M96 and an AG42b. I don't shoot either one much anymore.

[Headoftheholler]

Floorplate and gripcap back from engraver

[imfuncity]

Classy work... Like.

[Headoftheholler]

Got some bluing done today while it was snowing outside:

[Adam Lee]

Andrew - looks like you'll be done pretty soon. Hey, I tried to get some amateur gunsmithy stuff going on today, but real life got in my way!
We had another snow day too - not sure if tomorrow will be a 2-hour delayed opening, or closed schools or not.

Had to get my wife's car to jump start my VW Beetle - it's a diesel - battery draw is pretty deep, even though it's fairly new it doesn't keep much zap when it's 8 degrees outside.

Saw a nice 1840's no-name maker German percussion fowler for sale on Lodgewood for a nice price - had a horn or bone nosecap, which reminded me of your project!

http://www.lodgewood.com/1840s-German-S ... _1623.html

[Headoftheholler]

Awesome find! Its underpriced. Use of decorative antler on guns came into fashion when Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria grew fond of rifles made by the gunmaker Leithner in Bad Ischl.
Here is another that sold at auction in Europe:
http://www.hermann-historica.de/auktion ... at63_s.txt
This one sold for 2000 Euro or about $2700.

[Headoftheholler]

Glass bedding today

[Headoftheholler]

Woodwork is nearing completion on Project Mannlicher.
Next time we see it should have some great checkering.

[Adam Lee]

looks like it's coming along well!

I still would love a 6.5mm Swede Mauser at some point in my life.

[Headoftheholler]

Keep your eyes peeled for poorly executed sporters, they make a great jumping off point at a great price.
Case in point I bought an entire 1909 mauser today for $160 for my next project rifle.
Just the action/floorplate assembly for those rifles bring $300 and its THE choice military mauser action to
build off of. Just preliminary thoughts here but maybe a Guild type rifle build, express sights, barrel band sling,
butterknife bolt handle, double set triggers, german style pancake stock rebarrel to 9.3x62.
Of course these are just thoughts at the moment, lol.

[Headoftheholler]

Not a whole lot to show per se, stock is at a friends house getting checkered, this is it half way through:

[Adam Lee]

Looks good, Andrew!

FWIW, if'n when I come across my next Mauser projects, I had a hankering for .35 Whelen on the "big end" of the spectrum and 6.5 Swede on the "little end".....

I put in some time today blueing parts for the Stevens shotguns. What can you do on snow days when work is closed?

Adam