Z1r What are your 2 piece base tricks? Mauser Pic

[usmc0332]

I am working on a Turk sporter. I have decided to be difficult and use 2 piece bases. I am looking at all options of 2 piece. What do all of you recommend for a budget built sporter. I have shortened and recrowned at 21 inches. Cut stock off and added a 2 1/2 maple tip. Reshaped stock. I sealed the stock with 2 coats of BLO. Now I have to cut and reweld handle. I am interested in Lauer finishes, but I will probably re-blue this one as it is cheaper, and I have no access to blasting equipment.

 

http://photobucket.com/albums/a20/usmc0332...=snowMauser.jpg

[Sailormilan2]

I usually contour the receiver bridge to get rid of the charger clip hump. I then D&T 3 holes for a standard 1 piece base, commercial or 98, it doesn't matter. Then, I install a set of 2 piece bases that are cut for a 98 Mauser, without the windage screw. The rear of the rear base is cut at an angle, this allows it to be positioned further to the rear. But, the hole in the base are closer together, and the jig isn't set up to drill them.

Depending on the length of the receiver, I will either use the front hole on the base or the rear hole on the base to secure it.

So, I re-install the D&T jig, with out the spacer bushings. I want the jig to come right down and sit on the bases. I then position one of the jig holes over the hole that hasn't been D&T'd yet . Sometimes I have to switch out the Mauser guide for the Springfield guide to do this. Then I carefully center the drill bit, and then D&T as usual.

This allows me to use either a standard one piece base or 2 piece base set.

I have posted links to 6 photos showing the holes and the positions of the scope bases. One action is a 1903 Turk, essentially a standard length action, and one action is an intermediate length Yugo. The holes on the Turk could have been done like the Yugo, if I had moved the original holes forward about .1". But the, the one piece base hides the unused hole.My WebpageMy WebpageMy WebpageMy WebpageMy WebpageMy Webpage

[z1r]

Sailormilan brings up an oft overlooked detail. The fact that should you want the option of using both one and two piece bases it is best to get the spacing set by the one piece base as he describes. The commercial actions are done that way.

 

I never use 1 piece bases by choice so I don't bother with this detail often. But if you may then by all means follow his advice. I'm usually more concerned with looks and accomodating a particular scope, ring & base combo.

 

usmc0332,

 

Do you have a jig? Or will you be drilling without one?

[usmc0332]

I will be drilling without a jig, but with a drill press. I thought you had to have the barrel pulled to use one of those anyway. I am keeping it in 8mm, hence no pulled barrel. I would like to acquire all of these cool tools, but I keep finding companies that run out of work. I have been laid off 4 times this year. I am also very cheap, and like to feel clever for getting by with less. I will not be changing to 1 piece on this gun. I liked Wagners rubberband trick, but I doubt it will work as well on 2 piece. I just thought that with the thumb notch in the receiver that 2 piece would look nicer, and I could use both thumbs for loading/unloading.

[z1r]

I do all my driling either in a forster jig or in my mill. But, If you keep things nice & square like in Wagner's essay you can drill & Tap for 2 piece bases as well. The key is using two squares or the calipers to make sure the base is square. I've seen people use a drop or two of super glue to keep the base in place during the drilling process.

 

If that don't work, then I know a smith down in LA that wil do it for about $15 a hole.

 

By the way, nice job so far. If I might add a comment, if you slimmed the forearm down some, give it some more taper and narrow it, it would go really well with the barrel. Keep us posted and welcome!

[spec4 e4]

Try an d&t fixture, I have an wheeler fixture and love it. I have been working on 25 receiver so far, getting them ready for barrel, I still have to tune up the action, new bolt handle(same of them will have forge handles), and new safeties.

 

Question for you, any reason for the 21" barrel? I would have went with at lease 24" or more. I don't like short barrel expect AR-15 CAR. I don't even like the M44 Mosin-Nagant. Been trying to find an junk 91/30 to sporterized.

 

spec.4

[Clark]

I use a jig for Mausers:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/...leitemid=603260

I have used the mill, but it takes too much thinking and room for mistakes.

I use a drill press set on the lowest speed.

I use cutting coolant mixed with water in a spray bottle to keep the drill from getting dull and will not make rust:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=5...&PARTPG=INLMK32

 

I use 6-48 fillister head screws that I get from Brownell's.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/Pro...%26+8-40+SCREWS

I buy the long fillister had 6-48 screws. I put a nut on them I made with the 6-48 tap, grind to length, and then true the threads by removing the nut.

I tap a hole like the shop teacher taught us in 1965, 1/4 turn in, 1/8" turn out, to break the chip, 1/4 turn in, etc.

I use Tap Magic cutting fluid on the tap:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=5...1&PARTPG=INLMK3

 

I used to grind the rear hump off, but now I contour the Weaver base, and sometimes a little off the welded or forged bolt handle where it hits the mount.

I use Weaver #45 and #46 for 98 Mauser, like 1903 Turks and 1938 Turks

 

There are Aluminum mounts:

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item...?sku=0002948045

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item...?sku=0002948046

 

The steel mounts are lower, heavier, and more expensive:

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item...?sku=0002948226

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item...?sku=0002948227

 

I do not do scope ring lapping, but I do scope ring alignment by glass bedding the mounts to the receiver, so rings can move from rifle to rifle with the scope and the rings are not married to a rifle by lapping.

This is my own process and I do not have any converts at this time, but by reading this, you might join the cult:)

1) I set the rifle up in a benchrest and bore sight on a target with the scope mounted.

2) I verify that the scope is in the middle of the vertical adjustment and horizontal adjustment and the cross hairs are on target. Typically scopes have 2.5 turns up and down before the cross hairs stop moving and 2.5 turns left and right. 1.25 adjustment turns is then in the middle of the adjustment range.

3) If the scope is not centered, I use slender pieces of masking tape on the receiver under the mount to shim the edge of the mount up where needed. If the cross hairs are off 3 feet at 100 yards [~36moa], and the mounts are 6" apart, then twelve layers of .005" masking tape will fix that. This tape also acts as a dam for the bedding. I put the mounted mounts on a flat surface and verify the side edges of the two mounts are collinear and the top surfaces of the two mounts are co-planar.

4) Once the mounts are made in line and parallel with the bore, I put Devcon Steel putty and catalyst between the mount and receiver.

5) I tighten the scope rings to the scope and the scope rings to the mounts, but not the mounts to the receiver those screws are left loose.

6) When the fiber glass sets up, the mount to receiver screws are tightened.

7) The really hard part about this is that the scope rings on the scope are the fixture and must be in the right place:

a) The scope rings must be the right distance apart per the drilled and tapped holes in the receiver

The scope rings must be in the same plane. Some ring designs are not going to cooperate with this step. Pushing their flat bottoms down on a flat surface may work.

8) When the fiber glass is half set up, clean the edges of fiber glass with a Q tip with alcohol or vinegar.

9) Because of variations in Mausers and mounts, some will need shims under the front mount and some will need it under the rear. Some don't need any shimming for height but still need glass bedding, as it is possible to screw on a mount pointed in all different directions because of the screw to mount hole clearance, and the drilled holes are never exactly parallel with the bore of the barrel.

 

One piece mounts like Farrell's are always collinear with themselves, but need shimming and glassing for a good mount and to get the scope in the middle of its range. These are very fussy about how the jig is set up so that the holes line up.

http://www.kenfarrell.com/MAU-98-B-0.html

[fritz]

I will be drilling without a jig, but with a drill press. I thought you had to have the barrel pulled to use one of those anyway.

 

The jig sold by Midway can be easily modified to use with the barrel installed. What you do is cut off the front of the guide shaft that slides into the receiver. Cut it off just enough to all the holes to be over the proper area of the receiver. It still gives the proper hole spacing (for the one-piece base) because of the pin that jutts against the rear of the receiver ring.

 

Cut off just enough from the front of the shaft to allow the pin to touch the rear of the receiver ring.

 

fritz

[z1r]

I think the idea is to do this with as little investment as possible. If you follow Wagners instructions which are essentially mirrored in every gunsmithing book ever published, you can do a good job. The key of course is to get everything square.