Bedding Mauser action

O

OldHoward

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Happy New Year everyone. I am trying to salvage an older bench rest rifle which I had re-barreled. I could use some advice on bedding a mauser action in the glass stock. The way it is currently bedded it is barrel heavy when the action screws are loosed the barrel weight flops the barrel in to the barrel channel. I have not bedded a mauser action before any suggestions?

Thanks,
Howard
 
The Mauser action is different from a Remington in a couple of significant ways.
1. The front action screw goes into the recoil lug, effectively creating a cantilever if the entire barrel is floated.
2. The tang is long and flexible, with minimal bedding area. A Timney type trigger can be overtightened and cause a major deflection of that long flimsy tang. I just snug the Timney set screw and then stake the threads with a small prick punch.
Because of those shortcomings, I like to bed the bottom of the receiver from the magazine cut forward and also an inch of barrel shank. I bed under the recoil lug because you are tightening the guard screw into the lug and can warp the action if unsupported. On my personal rifles, I cut the round extension off the forward end of the magazine and fit an aluminum pillar up forward to better support the front. I won't cut up a vintage hinged floorplate, release in the bow trigger guard, I get an aluminum replacement from Brownells. I tape the forward side of the recoil lug for clearance.
On the rear, I use one of the Brownell Mauser steel stock ferrules and attach it to the action with a small head socket head guard screw I made up for this job. I bead blast the ferrule to insure bonding to the bedding material. Put tape around the small threaded extension on the rear, or you'll pull a chunk of bedding out with the action.
Everything should slip together freely and I put tape around the barrel at the forend to center it and support it stress free while the bedding sets up.
Using this bedding technique I have produced some very good shooting Mausers.
 
Thank You

Hi Riflemeister and Oldguy,
I just wanted to say thanks for your advice I appreciate it.
The action is actually a single shot Mauser action so it should be a little easier to deal with.
Thanks,
Howard
 
Howard,
The single shot Mausers are so rare I didn't consider you would have one. One of my Mausers is an FN Mauser Benchrest single shot in 22-250 Ackley. On it, you should have the long narrow strap type trigger guard spanning the two action screws. On mine, I made up the front pillar counterbored to clear the threaded extension on the recoil lug and extending through the stock to the bottom. I bedded the action back to just forward of the trigger and picked up 1 1/2" of the heavy varmint barrel. The tang I treated as I said before.

My old Mauser doesn't get much work now, as most of my varmint hunting is on prairie dogs where the 22-250 AI just heats up too quickly, but The old gun with the 15X Unertl Ultravarmint scope is a hoot to take to the range and have the youngsters come over asking what it is. It still shoots in the 3/8-1/2" range with moly coated 55 gr V-Maxs.
 
I do things much as has been described with a couple of variations. First, I don't like to bed any portion of the barrel and free float all the way. Second, I do clear under the lug. The receiver is bedded ahead of the lug (round section) and behind the lug (flat). If a single shot (FN, or Interearms, or even the original Oberndorf Mauser of which I've seen just one) I would install a third screw about 1 inch ahead of the trigger group and add a screw. With this modification, I would then free float the tang. I used this technique on a P14 into which I had welded a solid bottom and it worked very well. Regards, Bill.
 
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