These aren't really "customs" so much as they're not fitted to me, and a lot of the work like stock finishing and assembly was just done at home by an amateur (me
), and the stuff that I didn't do I shopped around and subbed out (one guy forged the bolts, another blued them, another drilled and tapped, yet another did the rebarrel on the .257, etc
), but they are nice guns that turned out unique
. Both were fully finished about a year ago which was when I finally had them reblued.
The first started life as a $40 Turkish Mauser. It was missing some small parts and was in rough shape visually, but all I wanted was the basic action. I had it rebarreled with an Adams and Bennet Barrel in .257 Roberts. Stock is a Boyd's JRS Classic in Brown Laminate. I've not hunted with it, but I have shot it a lot at the range and it does sub-MOA easily. Very nice rifle. My only complaint is with the steel rings, and #3 contour barrel, and the laminate stock, it is HEAVY
. On the bright side though, that combined with the .257 RBRTS cartridge mean the recoil is virtually unnoticeable. I'm lending it to my uncle this year to hunt with - he had shoulder surgery a few years back and his trusty .30-06 hurts him a bit too much to shoot.
The second one is a La Coruna Spanish Mauser that I got for $75 or so from a local pawn shop. It had already been sporterized in the "bubba" variety. Stock cut down and refinished, and the rear sight and safety were completely removed as if they wanted to mount a scope, but the gun was never drilled nor was the bolt ever forged. I figured I'd "stay cheap" on this one but still try for the best results I could. The rifle deserved to be rescued
. The safety on this one was a generic "no mods" one that Numrich had for like $7 (the one above uses a Dayton Traister safety). It works well and didn't require slotting of the shroud. It is on the left side of the shroud which is awkward, but that was a necessity of the no modification design. The stock is one that Sarco had on sale for $55. They were already finished (not glossy, but I'm trying to stay cheap here
) and inletted for a 98 Mauser with military barrel. I had the bolt forged ($30) and the gun drilled and tapped ($32) by a local smith that I know, and I sent it off to an internet company to be reblued ($90). I kept the original 8mm chambering. It came in at just under $300 which is about what a new gun would cost, but in that price range I'd be looking at a synthetic stocked, cheap-coated firearm with plastic parts. Even though used an old "blue n' wood" gun feels much better to my hands.
And both guns together in an overall shot:
Note that the forum sizes down the view of the pictures on the fly, but if you save them off or view the picture by itself in your browser they are much larger.
Oh well. I'm done with my show 'n tell session
.
