Akriet, I think it is getting to be almost a sin to sporterize any military Mauser which hasn't yet been altered, even if the serial numbers don't match. So many have been sporterized ("Hot dog, Maw, my new gen-yew-wine Bishop stock came in the mail!") that the remaining military ones are gaining value. However, if you choose to do so, I agree that the high magazine charger hump is very distinctive, and worth keeping. There is an article in a back issue of 'Hatari Times' in which Harold Wolf showcases a very good-looking open-sighted Peruvian Mauser he made in a larger European cartridge. I assume the width of the cartridge base lent itself to loading onto stripper clips. So, if you can be happy with open sights, building something like that might be an option. I have a sporterized Peruvian Mauser (Belgian, I believe) which has been shortened to Kurz length and ground to small-ring width to be made into a 250 Savage. However, it will be scoped. Regarding cartridges, I wonder (a) if Springfield stripper clips could be used for a 35 Whelen, or even 400 Whelen, and (b)if the magazine charger hump on the Peruvian Mauser would need to be widened to accept these stripper clips. European-wise, a 9.3 x62mm, using M98 stripper clips, might be nice too. Seems an open-sighted bolt-action rifle should be chambered in a larger, medium-to-slow cartridge.
|