A friend in India has a Mannlicher Schonauer rifle with a shot out barrel which he is willing to almost give away. If I were to buy it, would I be able to get a custom rifle made on the action? The rifle is registered in India and under Indian law, it could be taken out of the country for repair and enhancement and brought back - something that I am thinking about. It is a 7x57 and I would have to retain the calibre so that it could go back to India - that is the law.

I would appreciate advice on whether it would be worth buying for this purpose and on approximately how much I might have to spend on getting it rebarreled and probably restocked. Also, would it be better to go through the paperwork and regulations and bring it here to be worked on and shipped back or would it be better to take it to Europe?

Thanks in advance for all advice and suggestions. Good hunting!