Woldan
(.224 member)
23/03/20 12:17 PM
New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Hey I'm new here, so I thought what better way to celebrate my first post than to show you what I just finished building. This is also my first rifle build ever, so don't be too hard on me!

Found an old 1970's Santa Barbara Mauser kit in 7x57, bought it for 390 bucks.

The kit was still in the original box, unopened. I felt almost bad cutting it open, but I think a kit like that never becoming a rifle is a worse fate. I decided that ~50 years spending in a shops dusty corner was just enough, and that I'd give my best to turn it into a nice rifle.



The stock was 80% finished, which means I had to finish all the fitting including the barrel channel and of course the finish. The metal parts were very rough and required the use of a very course metal file, and lots of polishing by hand (ouch!). I also had to polish the feed lips, ramp and the inside of the magazine a ton in order to get proper, smooth feeding.



The hardest part was actually getting the rear of the buttstock flat and even for the installation of the butt pad. I did that with my stationary disc grinder and LOTS of patience and trys.
I decided to use a different butt pad when the stock was finished, so I had to very carefully shape the butt pad to fit the stock. I had lots of fun finishing the stock with linseed oil.



But I bet you are getting impatient now! So here is the finished rifle! I decided to put a Williams peep sight on it, instead of glass. Weird thing is, I'm in my early 30's but I have a huge crush on classic rifles, so I tried my best to replicate that look & feel a bit.



Last thing I did was adjust the trigger to a crisp approx 3 lbs.





Aaaaand, thats all! Hope you like it!


tinker
(.416 member)
23/03/20 12:50 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Welcome to Nitro Express

Great way to start here - and a really cool classic hunting rifle in a great caliber.

How does it shoot?


Woldan
(.224 member)
23/03/20 01:06 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

Welcome to Nitro Express

Great way to start here - and a really cool classic hunting rifle in a great caliber.

How does it shoot?




Thank you!

She shoots very well, just a little bit high - I'm still waiting for a taller front sight -
Best thing is with the front and rear sight perfectly in the middle she shoots bullseye - and that with this huge sight radius! So no ugly adjusting ''till the sights fall of the base''. (Been there, done that, not fun)

Only downside is she does not feed blunt round nose softpoints very well, the first round of a full magazine tends to hit the sharp edge of the chamber on the left side. She feeds incredibly smoothly and totally reliably with pointy softpoints and FMJs though, so no big deal.


DarylS
(.700 member)
23/03/20 05:00 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

It is permissible to slightly radius the sharp edge (if that is there) on the rear of the chamber mouth. Just slightly, to help guide the bullet in & not shave brass from the ctg case.
So, you are saying with only 4 in the magazine, it feeds properly with RN's? If so, no need to load 5.
With open sights, blunt round nose bullets will handle any range you are likely to need & handle them better than pointy bullets, imho.

Welcome to the forum - a nice introduction.


Viking338
(.333 member)
24/03/20 12:36 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Very nice job Woldan, and agree any rifle should always fulfill its destiny!
Also agree with Daryl, open sights and in 7x57 I would be getting the RN to feed and shoot well.
Something satisfying about hearing that “extra” bit of slap as a round nose hits the spot


Woldan
(.224 member)
24/03/20 02:13 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

I thought about slightly smoothing out the chamber mouth, it is razor sharp, in fact sharper than the chamber mouth of my 1943 K98k. But that's definitely a job for my gunsmith, I do not have the means to go in there and do precision work.

Yes, is cycles 4 softpoints smoothly, the 5th (1st round of a full mag) does not chamber very well, there must be a change in the feeding angle if the spring is under full tension. It probably gives less at a certain stage of the feeding resulting in a steep angle so that a very blunt projectile bangs into the chamber mouth at around 10 o' clock.

Its really not a big issue since I can use the pointier soft points with no issue, but I think its fixable problem, and a classic 7x57 ought to handle classic hunting rounds, so I'll try to sort it out for sure.

Also, I just loaded some 7x57's, I got to say if there is something like a pretty cartridge, the 7x57 is one of them. I wonder how those 175 grain FMJ's, which I load to 2400 fps, penetrate. The others are 140 grain soft points loaded to about 2750 fps.



Louis
(.375 member)
24/03/20 06:14 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Welcome to the Forum, Woldan, and congratulations on your classic rifle/ammo combination.
Which game do you / will you hunt in Austria?
Louis


DarylS
(.700 member)
24/03/20 06:23 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Good looking blue-nose rounds.
Loading four in the mag and one in the chamber should give 4 rounds more than necessary.


PatagonHunter
(.300 member)
24/03/20 06:49 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Hello Woldan,

Great work on a very good rifle in my favorite cartridge. Well do e!
Enjoy your rifle!

Best!

PH


Woldan
(.224 member)
24/03/20 08:12 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

Welcome to the Forum, Woldan, and congratulations on your classic rifle/ammo combination.
Which game do you / will you hunt in Austria?
Louis




Thanks! Maaaaaybe, red stag or boar, one day. Caliber should work nicely I think and shots around here in this heavily forested mountainous area are all within 50-120 meters so open sights would be absolutely ok, especially a good peep.

Sadly hunting is very costly around here, and I'm so poor I have to build my own rifles from kits!
Someday in the future.-

Quote:

Good looking blue-nose rounds.
Loading four in the mag and one in the chamber should give 4 rounds more than necessary.



I like the way you think! Since it has a hinged floorplate I could load one in the mag, chamber the round and then dump 4 through the bottom into the magazine.


DarylS
(.700 member)
24/03/20 11:31 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Hope you don't mind me asking the price of the kit. I've never seen a "Kit" such as this before. I did not know they were even a "thing". Looks like a model 96 action by the length of the firing pin housing and pin protrusion.

Woldan
(.224 member)
24/03/20 11:54 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

Hope you don't mind me asking the price of the kit. I've never seen a "Kit" such as this before. I did not know they were even a "thing". Looks like a model 96 action by the length of the firing pin housing and pin protrusion.




Not at all - I bought it for 390 Euros. (Euros and Dollars are pretty much the same as far as I know). The company that sold them closed a gunsmith's shop and they found a couple of those kits in some dusty corner, made by Santa Barbara in the 70's in various calibers. Mine was the last they sold, and I immediately jumped on it despite having never done much work on a gun.
As a huge Mauser fan I just had to have it!

Its a true large ring Mauser 98 action, it is identical with the commercial FN Mauser 98 action.

Good thing they sold them all but mine, I would have bought them all!

The barreled action:



It also came with a certificate from the factory, it was inside the box. Date 1975!
With it came a manual in English that described the steps to finish the kit.





Huvius
(.416 member)
24/03/20 12:56 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:







There’s got to be a formula that explains the visual quality of a bullet to case length ratio.
These are dimensionally similar to my 220gr 30’06 loads or 160gr. 6.5 Dutch loadings.
They just look right!


Woldan
(.224 member)
24/03/20 01:35 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:


There’s got to be a formula that explains the visual quality of a bullet to case length ratio.
These are dimensionally similar to my 220gr 30’06 loads or 160gr. 6.5 Dutch loadings.
They just look right!




Yeah I agree, the 175 in the 7x57 are just about right! Can't explain it either, but long bullets are awesome!

Once I had a .300 Winchester Magnum that really liked 240 grain SMK's, it would shoot them into groups not bigger than the nail of my thumb but with a velocity of 2650fps. Crazy rifle, with those long bullets it was a spear thrower! Loved loading those on my press.


Marrakai
(.416 member)
24/03/20 02:15 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Woldan:
This is marvellous stuff!
You will get so much more satisfaction taking game with a rifle you have "built" yourself.
I love the look of the commercial FN bolt shroud, and have fitted a couple to Mauser 98 sporters I have made up, including a .416 Taylor.
Only down-side is losing the sensible safety.

I feel compelled to caution against loading your mag from the bottom though: too easy for rounds to misalign or stack incorrectly. Check to see if your extractor claw will snap over a chambered round, it should on a commercial sporter. If so, it is better to top-load 4 rounds into the mag, then slide the 5th into the chamber. Press down the top round in the mag with your thumb until the bolt clears its rim, then close on the chambered round for 5 cartridges in the rifle.

If the extractor prevents the bolt from closing on a round already in the chamber, just bevel it to do so. There are probably YouTube videos showing how to do this, its not hard.

Good luck in your future hunting endeavours!


Rothhammer1
(.400 member)
24/03/20 06:16 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:


Not at all - I bought it for 390 Euros. (Euros and Dollars are pretty much the same as far as I know).




Pretty much. indeed.
The exchange rate fluctuates, but as of 24 March 2020 one Euro = $1.08 USD.

Seems a good purchase to me. There aren't likely many unfinished 'kits' such as yours around. You've bought a time machine.


JDL
(.300 member)
25/03/20 01:54 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Congratulations Woldan on making a fine rifle from a kit. I have never seen a kit for a centerfire rifle before but, I would have grabbed it just as you did. 7x57 is my favorite chambering and until you have that sharp corner of the chamber corrected, my recommendation is to just load 4 rounds and be happy. After all, if you haven't finished the job in 4 rounds, the 5th probably won't help. ;-)

Woldan
(.224 member)
25/03/20 04:45 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

Congratulations Woldan on making a fine rifle from a kit. I have never seen a kit for a centerfire rifle before but, I would have grabbed it just as you did.




Me neither, I had no idea that those existed back in the day, if I had lived back then I would have built me a Mauser rifle every three months in every caliber possible. Imagine going to the gun store getting a couple rifle kits in a bunch of boxes, haha thats just way cool.


Rothhammer1
(.400 member)
25/03/20 05:03 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

if I had lived back then I would have built me a Mauser rifle every three months in every caliber possible.




If you could set the 'way back machine' to 1939... :


Marrakai
(.416 member)
25/03/20 10:38 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

I'd like a couple of the No.8 actions, 'cause they should be Kurz, and a couple of the No.20 of course, 'cause they should be double square-bridge.

Damn! Now where did I put my keys to the time machine...?


LongIsland
(.224 member)
25/03/20 11:37 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build


Very nice, brings back old memories. I got mine from Sarco, .280 B/A completely finished and blued, with a single stage military trigger, no sights, 24" bbl, quite accurate, for 69.99 pre '68 GCA. It was called a Centurion Mauser 98 from Golden State Arms. The stock was extra, a fully finished and inletted Bishop for 19.99.

I still have the original instruction booklet if anyone is interested, 6 pages. I can't post pics but can share thru email address.

Good luck, you did a fine job.

Bob


Rothhammer1
(.400 member)
25/03/20 04:43 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

I'd like a couple of the No.8 actions, 'cause they should be Kurz, and a couple of the No.20 of course, 'cause they should be double square-bridge.

Damn! Now where did I put my keys to the time machine...?




Don't forget to pack along some pre - 1940 U.S. currency :



Woldan
(.224 member)
26/03/20 12:24 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:



If you could set the 'way back machine' to 1939...




Yeah, that time, I'm not sure if I wanted to do that if it was possible, especially around here. I really love Mausers and all and I like the idea of being issued a brand new all numbers matching K98k, but to be honest I don't like em enough to freeze to death in some eastern country with it.

But if any of you want to go back I'd really appreciate it if you would send me a couple .416 Rigby 98's my way.


Rothhammer1
(.400 member)
26/03/20 01:58 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

Quote:



If you could set the 'way back machine' to 1939...




Yeah, that time, I'm not sure if I wanted to do that if it was possible, especially around here. I really love Mausers and all and I like the idea of being issued a brand new all numbers matching K98k, but to be honest I don't like em enough to freeze to death in some eastern country with it.





Many in the United States of 1939 were blissfully unaware of such things:



NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
26/03/20 04:38 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Well done and welcome to the NE forums Wotan. Cool alias as well. Your own "Gungnir".

I really like the thought of a 7x57 / .275 Rigby rifle. Probably loaded it is a wonderfully effective medium rifle choice from over a hundred years ago, so much better than the much promoted cartridges "invented" in the last few years.

I do want one one day, a 7x57, a 6.5x54 MS, a .30-06 (corrected), .318 WR, .375 H&H in my armoury. Got a couple of them.

And also wonderful to be able to hunt with a rifle you "made" yourself.


Igorrock
(.400 member)
26/03/20 08:05 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

".39-96,"

Do you mean .30-06 ?


Waidmannsheil
(.400 member)
28/03/20 10:23 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Woldan, great little project rifle in a ripper cartridge.

Very interesting kit, something you can't buy anymore these days which is a pity.

Imagine how much fun it would be for a young boy to get a present like that at Christmas.


Well done.


Matt.


DarylS
(.700 member)
28/03/20 10:53 AM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Spot-on - would have been spectacular indeed. Matt.

NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
28/03/20 05:37 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

Quote:

".39-96,"

Do you mean .30-06 ?




No, a new cartridge I have created, case almost four (4) inches long ie 96 mm, and unique .39 calibre. Called the .39x96 Nitro Express. I know a confusion of terms of imperial and metric systems. Or the .39 Creedmoor. But even though a Creedmoor, for the first time, not duplicating or copying a better cartridge existing already for a hundred years.



HeymSR20
(.300 member)
28/03/20 10:49 PM
Re: New here & my Mauser 7x57 build

I wonder if those kits were really aimed at guntrade Market. In the UK many gunsmiths would buy in semi finished guns and finish them with their own brand on the barrel. You still find these Santa Barbara type mausers labelled John Dickson etc etc.

Indeed i have a Rigby that looks very similar.



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