Starman,

What I was trying to get at was not so what for friend is doing rather comparing M70/M98.

In other words, imagine the M70 had been first on the scene and someone suggested a new action and to make this new action they would:

1) Reduce the recoil lug by half and then position it further back so as to reduce the amount of stock material behind the new small recoil lug and

2) Reduce the tang size so that was virtually no bedding area left.

They would be the sort things you would have to do if one was to "convert" a Model 70 to a Mauser.

Mike