What does it cost to make your own rifle?

[coyote trapper1928]

Hi:

  I read an article today about someone that made their own custom bolt action rifle. They used a Mauser 98 action, bought the barrel and the stock and then put it together themselves. What would something like this cost someone to do themselves? Can a single shot rifle based on the Ruger No.1 Falling Block action be made by someone who is not a gunsmith?

[PaulS]

If you do all the work yourself you have the cost of the components, the cost of the tooling - reamers and such. but if you do it yourself you are going to buy some expensive equipment that you probably won't use much. You have some machine work to do with bolt actions and unless you buy a barrel that is theaded and chambered you will have to do that, the stock work, checkering, inletting, fore end, grip cap and butplate or recoil pad all have to be done. Some of that requires tooling that most people don't have in their garage. The hand lapping of triggers, lugs, finish work on parts as well as blueing all takes special equipment and skills.
You could buy finished parts (I think they must be available) and just assemble it but it is just going to be an assembly of parts with nothing really mated in any custom way. It would never be the same as a custom rifle.

[roper]

Hi:

  I read an article today about someone that made their own custom bolt action rifle. They used a Mauser 98 action, bought the barrel and the stock and then put it together themselves. What would something like this cost someone to do themselves? Can a single shot rifle based on the Ruger No.1 Falling Block action be made by someone who is not a gunsmith?

I think that rifle barrel was pre-threaded and had a short chamber Midway handles those type barrels for some bolt action rifles.  On a #1 you have to have a gunsmith install the barrel.

[mjbgalt]

my 98  project isn't done but i will post the cost and time involved for anyone else who might want to undertake the project. It looks like this now:

Drill, tap, install barrel, blue, install safety, etc: $250
Price of 98: $170

-Matt

[Cknerr]

I gotta agree with you PaulS. All that tooling is expensive. Since it is my business, I can't take short cuts. However, the guy working on his own rifle and not going to make a lot, there is a lot of helpful info about shortcuts on the web. There is a guy who has a nack at making things simple.
http://www272.pair.com/stevewag/ He does a lot stuff, so scroll the page to find all the Mauser stuff.  I gotta admit I have "borrowed" a few ideas myself.

Just to compare costs, and I am leaving out tooling: Mauser98 rifle $100 - $125
                                                                        New barrel      $200- $250
                                                                    wood stock blank $350 - $1200
                                                      triggerguard/magazine assy.  $75
                                     misc. like swivels, recoil pad, trigger, etc. $75

Have fun, and holler if you get stuck,
Chrus




                                                                       

[Questor]

I'd be reluctant to put that much money into a military surplus action. Is there another good action that's less likely to have wartime manufacturing quirks?

[Cknerr]

There is nothing junky about the metal. They where made of good Krupp steel. The company not only made a tough steel, they where careful of quality control. Some of the knock-offs you might want to be a bit careful of. All of the original large rings , m98 not 96 or lower, will take the abuse. I imagine the small rings will too, just don't work with them.  The only exception might be the ones made at the very end of WW2, they where pretty much eliminated when they where re-arsenalled(spelling ?)The largest I was willing to shoot and not use an iron horse to tune was a 308 Norma Magnum. The iron horse never saw one come apart yet, other things have though. I have been working with them for over 30 years. I have no intention of stopping now. I have replaced a few shock absorbers if I remember correctly...I can not imagine what it is that would allow someone to shoot one of those monsters a second time with no recoil reduction....ouch!!!!!! I don't do that anymore and don't have the iron horse. Guess I will have to build another if someone into S&M asks me for a monster again!

Take care,
Chris

[PaulS]

You are less likely to have "quirks" in a wartime military action than in a modern mass-produced rifle today. Wartime rifles had to work and work well under some of the worst extremes of conditions. Most peacetime rifles are kept and used under moderate temps, and in extremely clean conditions. $800 -$900 is pretty cheap for a custom rifle. Having one built for you can be three times that without looking much like a custom gun at all.
If you don't want to use a milsurp action then the price just goes up.

[mjbgalt]

mine is almost done...

figure on AT LEAST $150 for a barrel.

$200 or so for drilling and tapping, bluing, installing and headspacing the new barrel.

another $150 or a little less for a stock, depending what you want it to look like.

plus the original Mauser you start with as a donor.

so you end up spending north of $600, which is about exactly where you can purchase a new remington, winchester, or browning which is probably nicer than your custom. that is, unless you are skilled in this area and can do the work yourself.

i did this as a project for fun, and to learn from, and to have something i did FOR myself, BY myself.

Don't come into it thinking, like I did, that you can create a nicer rifle, cheaper than you can buy one. i was wrong.

-Matt

[jeff]

Did anyone  mention the bolt alteration?

Most 98's have a straight bolt handle which won't work very well with a scoped rifle.  The few that have a turned down bolt still need work for clearing a scope.

The big question is what are you trying to accomplish?

Perhaps a used Remington 700, Winchester M70 or Savage  would be a better idea.  A custom built on commercial actions has greater value than any military action.

Your money, your choice.

[Indian Creek 1]

Here is my 35 whelen I did which cost me about $ 350 to do. I used an FN mauser which cost $ 75.00 . Bought an A&B barrel from Midway for $80.00 and a stock blank for $ 40.00 . I rented a chamber reamer to do the chamber, I think for about $25 0r $30.00. Scope mounts & scope about another $100.00. Did all the work myself and had the tools I needed to do the job. I built my own Model 70 type safety and the stainless steel shotgun style trigger guard. Made the floorplate release button . I used the timmney trigger about $35.00. Made my own stock from the blank and checkered it. I drilled and tapped the receiver and used the Leupold one peice base. Also made the forend tip for the stock . The scope in the picture is a bushnell but is now on my 45/70 Handi. The whelen now has a Master series Simmons. I also made and checkered the bolt handle.

[hillbill]

indian creek, very awesum rifle!much what i hope to acheive with my 6.5 project.tell me about your trigger guard, you make it?it looks familar, where yu get idea for it?what buttplate did yu use?

[Indian Creek 1]

Yes Hillbill I made the trigger guard. I did the first one in 1965 for a 338 Win. that I built. I have seen similar lately. The guard is made from one peice but is made to look like one peice laminated onto another. These pics may give you a better idea of trigger guard and safety.

[Fast Ed]

It usually cost more to make your own than to buy one someone else made.  That should tell you something.

Fast Ed