Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles What did I get and did I do ok?

A nitpick: That's not a VX-II, it's a Vari-X II scope. Leupold's nomenclature is such that abbreviation causes mislabeling.

I don't know if he's shot it yet? I'll bet it shoots well though. But I would not shoot it until a proper glass bedding job has been done to it. You know all about that one. You are one that appreciates proper glass bedding. Really the only way to go. All of my rifles get that done to them, even before I shoot them. Never have to worry or wonder about them ever again. No weird acts of wonky accuracy/precision going on, unless you have a scope puke, but it damn sure reduces the variables of what has gone wrong. You should never have to worry about the foundation of your rifle. Just how I see it..

Any mauser and it's variants need the barrel shank bedded for an inch or two in front of the recoil lug. Since the front action screw goes into the recoil lug, there is a tendency for that to become a fulcrum of sorts when you tighten the screw down and also compresses the wood (unless you sleeve the hole).

My guess is the bedding is an attempt to free float the barrel. Over time I bet the thickness of the stock at the recoil lug 'compressed' and allowed the barrel to set lower into channel. Or there was some wood removed from the action area and made the barrel set too low.

Several past threads on bedding mausers and I think MD did a magazine article about it.

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I will sand out the barrel channel, possibly refinish the stock(I have done several with true oil and really enjoyed it) and probably address bedding the action. I have never bedded an action before, I am kind of nervous to try, not sure if this is a good one to practice on...

Glass bedding the recoil lug is generally all that is needed on these. A lot of guys I know will freefloat the whole barrel. Post up some pics on how your mausers shoot. Thanks. The real proof is always on target. The only time it may be necessary is when the barrel is excessively heavy. Also, every rifle is it's own entity. One may like what you are suggesting and others may prefer what I'm saying. The OP has never done a bedding job, he may want to see if his smith is willing to bed it..

I would not touch that glop of bedding compound, until after you bed the action. That glop will keep it elevated in the stock just right to maintain the freefloat it has. After glass bedding the action, then you can remove it. However, I'd shoot it first to see how it does. That will give you a baseline to work from. Then when you remove that glop of bedding under the chamber, shoot it. If it shoots better, leave it as is. If it shoots worse, put a new bedding pad under the chamber area.

Military triggers are usually 2 stage, if you have pictures of the trigger out of the stock the Mauser experts can tell you what you have better than I. I like the .338-06 so you definitely didn't get hurt at that price. I wouldn't leave it alone, so at $450 it wouldn't be cheap for me.

I'd keep your GS a secret if you really like his work. If his price included a barrel (even Douglas) he's working cheap compared to the guys around here. Though his suggestion of a B&C stock wouldn't be my first choice. Nothing wrong with B&C they're a very serviceable stock, I'm just not sure that it is better than what you have.

A B&C stock will set you back $350.

Good strategy.

DF

I don't know DF. I try to think of things mechanically and from experience. There are many methods, as you know. The main thing is to make sure the foundation is solid. That is first and foremost. Just how I see it.

you can neck up shot 30/06 brass into 338/06, without having to fire form anything..

I've been doing that for a decade or two with my Model 70, that was necked up to that caliber from a 270 rebore...

When I sold my .338-06, I resized those cases back to 30-06. Head stamp never changed.

DF