If you are going to build a rifle from scratch you should consider what the total cost in time and money will be and if you still want to proceed what it will be worth when you finish. A 96 action with modifications to have it cock on opening will be very close in cost to a 98 action. There is a reason why top rifle makers all over the planet use the Mauser 98 exclusively. I have yet to see a $40 000 H&H built on a M94-96 action.
If the rifle is to be thrown in the back of a pickup truck, used as a walking stick or a paddle then any action will do.