rebarreling a turk t38

[fluffyphydeaux2010]

got one in trade. its all military but not matching.

wanting something like a 458 win mag or 450 marlin. only problem is that i cannot find a small ring barrel in either caliber.

other route would be a 6.5 swede. I know they're Twedes. but I really want the big 457" bullet.

any ideas or recommendations of competent smithy's? really wanted to do the project on my own though, free is my favorite #. have access to a machine shop.

[Victor3]

 You could do a 458 or 450 but it will be a lot of work. You'd have to (for starters) open up the bolt face and feed lips and shorten the extractor claw. I doubt you'll find a small ring bbl in those calibers; most build them on large rings.
 
 Personally, I'd stick with a small case head cartridge, especially if you've never done Mauser conversions yourself before. Much more simple.


 If you were to have a smith do a 458 or 450 conversion I think you'd be looking at ~$400 minimum for the action & bbl work (cost of bbl included) alone.


 "Polishing a turk" comes to mind. Sorry, I couldn't help myself... 

[Mikey]

fluffy:  Your Turkish Mauser could be either a small ring or a large ring but none the less, check out the Montana Rifleman website or e-mail them and see what they will do for you.  HTH.

[kombi1976]

Is it the same length action as the standard military mauser action?
It may be a 03/38 conversion.
Many Turk 8x57s were actually converted the 1903 "K" action that was originally chambered to 7.65x53.
They can be identified by the semicircular notch machined in the receiver ring so stripper clips could still be used with them.
I think the metalurgy in them is actually better than the later 8mm rifles, not that there's anything wrong with them, but the 1903 rifles were Mauser factory contracts and were meticulous.
A friend tells me of his grandfather who fought the Turks in the Middle East during WW1 and the Turks were gave up their rifles when they surrendered.
He passed a massive heap of said Mausers when leaving one town and he said any of them was 10 times the rifle his SMLE No1 Mk3 was in terms of fit, finish and function.
The British burnt the lot. 
But I digress.
If your action is an 03/38 a "T'wede" or "T'illean" (Chilean 7x57 bbl) is far more suitable.
I have the 7mm bbl and 03/38 action stowed away for a T'illean when my oldest son starts to hunt deer.

[fluffyphydeaux2010]

its the standard military long action. no signs of conversion. has all the correct turk made markings

[1911crazy]

Isn't the turkish 38 a large ring sized receiver that takes a small ring barrel? The small ring receiver measures 1.300" on the outside dimention while the large ring measures 1.400".

[fluffyphydeaux2010]

ah but the turk is a large ring action, thus keeping the large ring specs, just cut for a small shank barrel

[kombi1976]

Yep, makes it ideal to convert to 6.5x55 or 7x57 or whichever other small ring Mauser bbl you can get your hands on. You can even convert it to 260 Rem, 6.5/06, 7mm-08 or 280 Rem if you rechamber it.

[fluffyphydeaux2010]

not really wanting another, i stumbled into another turk mauser action. already D&T'd and has bent bolt.

anyone know where someone could get a surplus 6.5x55 or 7x57 barrel?

[1911crazy]

Go to,  www.e-gunparts.com and go to "m"  mauser then click on barrels and search.


I been wanting to do a short barreled large ring 7mm mauser build for quite sometime now.


11czy

[theratdog]

go to mauser central they should have your answer.

[fluffyphydeaux2010]

decided that i'd like to go with 7x57 or 6.5x55 or 6.5 either grendel or creedmoor.

anyone have a small ring barrel laying around they don't want/need anymore?

[Mikey]

fluffy;  seeing as how that action is built for the 57mm length cartridge, you should be just fine with the 7x57 or even the 6.5x55, which you couldprobably load pretty long if you needed to but you may encounter cycling problems with the 308/260 /6.5 Creedmoor length rounds.  I believe Brownells sells or used to sell a detachable box magazine replacement for the stock Mauser internal magazine that resolved the problems of shorter or longer length rounds having feeding problems while being cycled through the 57mm length Mauser action. 

[theratdog]

i have a 7mm mauser 1895 mauser that is sportsterized they are nice shooting guns light recoil very accurate same as my 8mm i just finished wouldn't shoot the mil surp ammo very good shot some of my reloads now it shoots good. i was going to have the 8mm re barreled but not now.