lemski4

#49 cabinet rasp, a # 50 if it's a little finer than the 49 may be helpful as well.

Curtinatl, If your floor will hold a water bed it'll hold a small lathe. I had my 9" Southbend in my second story apt a few years back, and when I was moving out the manager happened to come by and said he didn't know I had that in there, and I said I know. I estimate my lathe weighs about 400 - 500 pounds,

Well if you feel the need there is always Armslist.com, I hate to see it come to that, but it may be selling to up grade, or simply down size, but it is free and nation wide.

Yes Les Brooks does make it look easy, but he is a career professional, but take in mind the limitations of the mini lathe, the through hole in the head stock, and the distance between centers. I have a 9" Southbend model A and it is small, but manageable for most sporter barrels. With a mini lathe you will be limited to slender taper barrels, but it is still do-able. Les is a very nice guy and will bend over backwards to try to help someone willing to learn, I wish I had got to know him better when he was teaching stock making at TSJC, he started the year I was leaving and I didn't have a class with him. Since then I have chatted with him via the net, and by phone and he really is a good guy with a wealth of knowledge.

I think the main obstacle is the magazine box length. Do you alter the stock bottom metal, or buy a magnum trigger guard? The standard US belted mags are 2.5" - 2.62" case length, and the full length belted magnums are 2.8" - 2.85". But if you wanted to do a blind magazine, all you'd need is a sheet metal box, but on a dangerous game rifle I'd think that a removable floor plate would serve a valuable purpose.

I'd be willing to help and work with someone in south central Ks.

There you go Don, your action wrench is a little different than mine, but the main objective is heavy duty, same as the barrel vice. I bought the barrel vice that uses the hydraulic jack, not the best but works good, the hole key is your holding blocks or inserts, they need to be a good fit to the size barrel you are working on and I have quite a few sets, and make new ones as I need them all the time. I'll see if I can get some pictures up the first of the week.

What Clemson said about the lathe is spot on, as far as the action wrench, I'd make my own and add the 58.99 to a better barrel vice.

No offense, but I wouldn't spend my money on a bolt that looked like that.

Another question, what bolt stop/ejector do they use?

What kind of bolt do they use, a 98 Mauser type?

I just finished building a rifle last summer, nothing overly fancy, the parts cost me 775.00 complete with used scope, and I did all the work myself, except the two position side swing safety, donmarkey did it for me as I don't have a mill, yet. I suggest building a rifle in a caliber that you like, and might be appealing to others, and when it's all said and done, if it doesn't sell for what you need to get out of it, enjoy your new rifle.

I'm looking for an 03' barrel 44 vintage if possible.

Yes it's one of the Rhineland kits.

I have one of the kits for the Mauser in 45acp, and am needing data for loads that will group at 100 yards.

Pictures would help, but are we talking about a L R Mauser or S R Mauser?

I think so

How about some pictures of the top of the action showing the crest, and side of the hole action?

As far as your stock goes Boyd's has a picture to look at with measurements on it to go off of. So measure the outside of the front receiver ring, and triggerguard screw spacing and those numbers will tell you what stock you will need. If you already have a G.I. stock for it why not go ahead and shoot it and see what it does you just might be surprised. Before you order a barrel, pull the old barrel off, because it's bit me in the A** a couple of times ordering a barrel for a Turk 98 action thinking they are all small shank thread size, THEY ARE NOT, I have one on one of my rifles, and I did one for a friend a year ago, that were the large thread size.If you decide to rebarrel the action and find out the thread size you need there are several people around here to give you some very good advice on the in's and out's of installing a barrel, there's a little more to it than just screwing it on the action. Good luck, let us know what you find out, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

I think the hole spacing is set up for the commercial 98, without the stripper clip slot. It can be made to fit, but keep that in mind when ordering one of these.

What length barrel are you working with? Depending on length the steps were not their for looks but for harmonics so length would play into it? Do you have a G.I. stock and the hardware to put it in?

check garage sales, fle markets, and their is always ARMSLIST.com it is nation wide, free, and lots of local adds. Other than that I usually look at the gun shows now and then and they are getting higher and higher every time I go.

If it is in fact a broken tap in the hole, I'd take a small burr in a dermal tool and grind a flat on top of the broken part of the tap and then use a small center punch and shatter it, and pick it out. You might have to make a special punch small enough and sharpen to point and harden it. If the holes are in the right spot for the mounts you want to use, and on center, check first, you can always open hole up for 8-32 threads if all else fails.

I think I'd rather deal with a gunsmith that charges more than 8.00 an hour, even back in the early '90's.

All I can say is WOW