Dr.Hess

Yeah, like I said, not too long after the actual events. Here's the whole first season in order: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn5100e9Drg&list=PLGs_qYQjdXLVcM9vpVhUAsFOmQrxIyIC6

Hunters Lodge has small ring 7.62 rifles for $100. You could pull the barrel off of one of those. They were civil guard, made (or remade) obviously after 7.62 came out, so probably in the 50's, and not shot out from going through a civil war. Of course, you have to deal with Hunters Lodge, that is, send money and wait 3 months.

I bought a large ring Spanish Mauser 43 for a hundred bucks from Hunters Lodge. Pics of it here somewhere. It's basically a K98k pattern. I don't think you can buy a receiver for that, but it is a crap shoot as to what you get.

I've read that those Arisakas are the strongest of all Mauser type actions. The destructive testing level it took to damage them was just crazy. And the "stoopid" survival of the actions as well, like running 30-06 through them. "Recoiled a lot more...." What caliber are you going to make it?