Dad's Sporterized Mauser (I think) - What to do?

[z7]

I will attach photo's but basically dad has a mauser he traded for years ago. it is chambered in 270, shows decent wear in places, the writing is worn so you can't the writing completely anymore.

the only writing is:
FAB. NAT. D'ARMES DE GUERRE
HERSTAL-________________(you can't read it. I believe it should say "BELGIQUE")
0463 serial number

barrel marked: 270 W

1st, this is a mauser correct? from what I can tell it is a FN Mauser. I have no idea when it was made, no proof marks or other markings on the rifle.

Now to the problem:
users have experienced two Negligent Discharges using it. Mine was shooter error. i was hunting and watching does through the scope and squeezed the trigger not thinking much of it. later a buck came out and when I took the safety off, the gun fired. (my fault)

Dad had a similar experience last year, again, when removing the safety to shoot a deer, the gun fire. he does not remember pulling the trigger. I can't replicate that error, but the gun has lost our confidence.

I like the gun and would like to make it a 30-06. Can you fix the mauser safety issues with aftermarket gear? I also understand that mechanically the mauser SHOULD have lots of sear engagement and the safety mechanism locks to bolt and is reliable. I think dad traded this at a flea market in the early 80's. not sure who owned it or what happened to the gun before that.

I would like to make the trigger and safety mechanism better, the trigger is sloppy and we are unsure of the reliability/safety of the firing mechanism.

would this rifle be a good candidate for new barrel, new stock (current one is cracked), and gunsmith work on the firing mechanism? I think it would be neat to have, but I don't want to deal with something potentially unsafe. what would you do? is this rifle one of a million or is the serial number and manufacturer just a little bit special?

is it worth a little work to breath life into, or just scrap it and buy a new gun? (i do not NEED a new gun, I have plenty)

thanks

 

[tark]

is it worth a little work to breath life into, or just scrap it and buy a new gun? (i do not NEED a new gun, I have plenty)

I'm thinking that question could be best answered by a gunsmith..

 

[kBob]

Does it have a military style trigger or like the safety is it something other than was designed originally for the Mauser rifles? I think the first thing I would do is ditch the scope so I could use an original Mauser safety lever. Consider for a moment that short throw safety lever does not have a lot of metal between safe and fire and a little ding over the years might be an issue.

Still If you don't know much about Mausers taking it to and actual gunsmith ( not just a gun dealer or seller) would be a good bet. I note that the stock is relieved for an after market trigger mechanism that would have a lever mounted beside the receiver rather than where that lever is. It may be that getting such a trigger with that different safety might take care of things.

You might consider carrying the gun with an empty chamber and only chambering a round when actually ready to shoot with the barrel pointed in a safe direction rather than depending on a mechanical safety.

You need to decide if this is about money or family legacy.

-kBob

 

[Blkhrt13]

Scrap it. Man are you serious. Send it down south to me first. I will get it runnin.

 

[boom boom]

Ditto on the gunsmith recommendation.

While the problems with the safety need to be addressed, it is fixable and for a pretty low price as parts are available from Midway, Brownells, and new/old stock from other sources. My guess is that someone tried to make a single stage or much lighter trigger by grinding down the sear and maybe messing around with the bolt's cocking piece. Both of those from the description of your problems will probably need to be replaced. If you have a scope, the safety can be changed out to a Buehler type side swinging safety as well.

Just out of curiosity--have you ever taken the bolt out of the action? Normally you have to place the safety straight up and pull back with the bolt and hold the bolt release lever open. It looks like you would have to take your scope off to do so. Removal of the sear and trigger is pretty easy too. There are copious images of what the cocking piece (on the bolt) and the sear should look like.

The worn finish can be remedied in a number of cost effective ways. Triggers that replace the sear, trigger assembly are also available and give a much smoother trigger pull as well. Some use the military safety (which when in correct condition positively prevents the firing pin from reaching the cartridge with the safety on--e.g. drop safe) and some replace it with a trigger blocking safety which does not.

 

[LoonWulf]

Also agree with the gunsmith recommendation. The saftey issue is likely a poorly adjusted/modified trigger. Infact its likely just a return spring cut too short.

The guns definitely worth working on specially if it was your dads and youd like to keep using it.
Your trigger problem will likely be 150ish if you replace the trigger. If you REALLY want an 06 brownells sells profiled and short chambered barrels pretty cheap, as do other places including ebay.

 

[Archie]

IF you can determine the current caliber, there is probably no need to change it, unless you just have to have [what ever].

The action is indeed a Mauser design, probably a 1898 design, which is the best. The rifle fires if the trigger is pulled with the safety on, then taken off safe. Not shocking. For any one of a number of reasons, the parts between the trigger sear, the safety and the bolt sear notch have developed 'wear' (for lack of a better word). A reasonable gunsmith can fix it, although some bits and pieces might need replacement; they are available. Good time to replace the original trigger with a 'nicer' one. Perhaps not super light, but smooth and consistent and clean breaking.

At the same time, this is changing your late Father's rifle. Which may wear on you later. You pick.

 

[tahoe2]

My opinion would be : replace safety, cocking piece, trigger new stock and new barrel ? if desired. I think you would still have a much better rifle
than any current cookie cutter Savage, Ruger, or Remchester. Mauser actions are great and FN Belgium are some of the best, if you choose a
different path, I'd be happy to take that one off your hands and give it a good home !!

 

[CraigC]

Absolutely fixable and the trigger/stock issues are easily fixed without too much cash outlay. Fixing the trigger and bedding it into a Boyd's laminate or walnut stock would make for a nice hunting rifle. Caliber conversions are going to start getting into money, depending on what you do for a barrel, so you really need to decide what you want and how much you want to spend. With a good Mauser action, anything is possible.

 

[kBob]

You know, while I would not dash out and buy a .270 ( to many rifle calibers as it is) I would not be in any hurry to re-barrel a family treasure that is in a caliber that can do everything I would want a .30-06 to do out beyond were most folk would want to shoot....and with a flatter trajectory.

The ammo is rather common, so much so that I used to keep a box around for guests. IIRC cases can be made from .30-06 with the hardest part being reaming the neck to ensure it is not to thick when swaged down for the smaller diameter and new .270brass is easy to find if you want to hand load as are suitable bullets.

Been a lot of book and magazine articles extoling the virtues of .270 every since it first appeared. Be honest, you plan on shooting this enough to buy more than a box or three of 20 hunting rounds a year? No savings in ammo cost and as I say not much difference in capability and some advantages.

Get the rifle safe and shoot it in .270 for a couple of years then see if you still want to spend more money than buying a new .30-06 rifle before changing the barrel. Honestly if you just have to have a .30-06 keep an eye out for something like a used Savage 110 for the money and effort re-barreling would take.

-kBob

 

[z7]

2 follow on questions because you all got me thinking:


1 is a trigger replacement, cocking piece and new safety something I can do at home? I can use a set of punches and follow directions, but do not want to start lapping pieces together

2. Is there any benefit in blue printing a Mauser? I read that you should not.

And I might just keep the barrel as is, fix the trigger issues and see if the stock needs a little tlc vs replacement

 

[Elkins45]

Fixing the safety issue would probably be fairly inexpensive. Rebarelling to 06 would not. Do you really have a need to change calibers?

 

[z7]

No caliber change is an idea, I do need to inspect the bore first, I would it be surprised to find some rust/pitting.

 

[Art Eatman]

Don't use the safety while you test fire for group size. If the groups are okay for Bambi shooting, stay with the .270 barrel. Have a gunsmith check out the trigger/safety system.

If you mostly hunt from a stand, forget the safety. Just have the bolt open with a round in the chamber. Or, with the bolt closed, just keep the booger hook off the bang switch.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

That's a Buehler safety, and works on the "half-safe" and has been reversed, What's happening is the safety doesn't always cam the striker back far enough, so there is light spring pressure on the sear. If you pull the trigger with the safety engaged, spring pressure will press the bent forward enough to clear the sear, and when you take the safety off, the gun will fire. Replacing the safety, or at least the cam, will solve the problem.

 

[Rudedog]

I have a custom 98 that I did most of the work.
Looking at your 4th pic it appears that your stock is cut out for a more modern safety. Buy a Bold trigger system with safety (check out Boyd's stocks website) and replace the trigger unit you have which sounds like it is worn out. That or the sear part of the firing pin. You could keep the old safety on the bolt shroud to maintain the look or have it removed. The .270 is a fine cartridge and is available most everywhere, plus it has lighter recoil than the 30-06.
I rebarreled my Mauser to .35 Whelen, I call it Thumper.

 

[Milt1]

Gunsmith!

 

[GooseGestapo]

Yep, aftermarket safety is reversed.
Stock appears to be a pull-off from an Interarms MkX commercial Mauser. Hence the cut-away for the modern commercial trigger. (Red button near safety cut gives this away, and the finish and checkering pattern. Also barrel taper cut doesn't match current barrel).
If it were mine,
Id repair the crack in the stock emanating from the tang (simple epoxy bedding), and replace the present trigger with a Bold trigger with built in safety.
I had a gunsmith do a trigger job on my Interarms MkX in 1975. By the early '80's, it would drop the firing pin/striker if the butt were struck against something firm. I had another gunsmith repair it. I have since replaced the two stage trigger with a Bold trigger. (Bought mine on sale from MidwayUSA).

Yep, you've got a war baby FN action that was "sporterized" at some point. With a bit of TLC, it's got a couple more lifetimes of usefulness left in it. The .270 is as good as there is out to 400yds.
Fix er-up and enjoy "dads" rifle.

I wish I had a descendant that would enjoy mine.

 

[z7]

Yep, you've got a war baby FN action that was "sporterized" at some point.

You said "war baby"

Where would the manufacturing date appear?
I will pull the scope off and look for marks under the rings eventually (traveling for work for a month or two)

Thanks