szihn and everyone else,

First let me state that I am sorry I could not answer those responding to my post but just as I hit the post button my computer crashed. I was not even sure that the post went up. I have re-incornated an old cpmputer and hopefully it will work till I get my 30 day old new cpmputer out of the shop

szihn, I knew that I had seen .404's advertised on standard Mauser actions and thought that it was possibel to build on a standard length Mauser action. If I understand you correctly, you build rifles and have done this type of conversion. I do not understand why a new stock is necessary if you are converting a complete rifle. If I cannot buy one that already has been converted, my thought is to buy a pre-war Mauser and have the conversion done. This rifle would already have a stock. The reason I prefer pre-war Mauser's is because they are mostly hand made and the stocks have more drop than the rifles being produced today. Because of my build and facial features I need a stock with more drop. With the rifles being built today I can hardly get my face down on the stock to use a scope, let alone iron sites and the rifles built today do not have iron sites worth a using.

I no longer reload and do not wish to start again. For this reason I want a .40 caliber for which factory ammo is available. I have never shot a .404 Jeffery, but from everything I have read and heard it is a low pressure cartridge and has less recoil than other similiar calibers. I presiently do all my hunting with calibers 7x57 and 9.3x62 in pre-war Mauser Type A & B rifles. These rifles have the drop that is correct for my build. I now desire to acquire a big bore for Africa and really do not want the recoil of the .458 Winchester. From everything I have read and heard the .404 Jeffery will do everything the .458 will with less recoil.

I have considered the .416 Taylor and .425 Express but these calibers are not available as factory loads and from what I have read and heard are high pressure heavy recoiling calibers. I have also considered the .425 W.R. but understand that this caliber has serious feeding problems and again factory ammo is not available to my knowledge. Thus everything points to the .404 Jeffery or the .458 Winchester. I believe that speciality ammo companys are loading a 450 grain bullet for the .458 which is supposed to not be a compressed powder load and could possibly have less recoil. But here again one is into a speciality load or reloading and I defenately do not want to start reloading again.

All suggestions and help will be appreciated...