One Last Time

W

WallyDog

New member
The very first rifle I ever bought was a sporterized Argentine Mauser 1891 with a Fajen mahogony stock. I was 18 yrs old. Im 65 now. It had the original 7.65 x 53 barrel in rough condition. I got some ammo and shot it with open sights. It killed 3 deer that way and then I decided to cut scope bases for it and set it up in the mill as square as possible and cut the dovetails together at once. That worked too but I grabbed the wrong rings and cut it to a rimfire dovetail before I realized. They seem to work ok still. The gun has never shot better than 3" groups at 100 yds.
I tried to take it deer hunting last year and the barrel was completely done. Horrible groups if you want to call them a group. I had a 15 twist 308 hunter class barrel that I decided needed to go on that action. I cut it down on the lathe to the original straight stepped contour to fit the stock and keep it looking kind of original. Chambered to 308 min neck diameter. It still shot 3" groups with 130 gr Hornadys at 2600. Not happy groups. So since the quarantine I dug it out and decided to fix that mess. Ordered a new Boyd hardwood laminate and will pillar bed it out when it is delivered. Any suggestions on improving the accuracy of the gun. I don't think the rimfire dovetail is hurting anything but I may be mistaken. I think that old Fajen stock and the bedding is pretty well shot and the stock feels springy. What say ye?
Wally
 
Wally, properly bedding one of those Mausers goes a long way.

Can you post some pics of the dovetails you milled? -Al
 
Cautious

In reality handloading the 7.65 x 53 is just as easy to exceed the 1891's intended loads as a 308 win would be. I did qualify the loads as 2600 fps and that is published 39,000 cup. That with a 130gr bullet also. I should have realized its a public forum and left the caliber out of it.
 
WallyDog said:
In reality handloading the 7.65 x 53 is just as easy to exceed the 1891's intended loads as a 308 win would be. I did qualify the loads as 2600 fps and that is published 39,000 cup. That with a 130gr bullet also. I should have realized its a public forum and left the caliber out of it.
Click to expand...

I savvied your load for the 7.65 cartridge re: pressures with that action, Wally ;)

The dovetail/ring deal is a bit herky, though likely useable with a quality rimfire ring and assuming a good fit. If mine, it would get some J.B. Weld between the action/bases and between the rings/bases for good measure.

Did we meet at Van Dyne, Wi. at the NBRSA Wi. Hunter Championships one year? -Al
 
Van Dyne days!

Al Nyhus said:
I savvied your load for the 7.65 cartridge re: pressures with that action, Wally ;)

The dovetail/ring deal is a bit herky, though likely useable with a quality rimfire ring and assuming a good fit. If mine, it would get some J.B. Weld between the action/bases and between the rings/bases for good measure.

Did we meet at Van Dyne, Wi. at the NBRSA Wi. Hunter Championships one year? -Al
Click to expand...

The bases are epoxied to the action but its a good idea to JB the bases and rings Id say. I have never physically seen the bases move. The groups are round-ish and it never clusters shots and moves and cluster again. I will buy some good Burris rimfire rings and try that if the new Boyd doesn't help. The present stock is old and the wood degraded from age. Mounting the action seem firm enough but the fore end is real springy and bends with ease. That action and floor plate really cuts a lot of wood out in the middle of a stock.
We may have met at Van Dyne for sure. I used to shoot the Wisconsin State shoot and even the NATs maybe there? Randy and Terry Meiers used to come too along with IBS guys from out East. I also shot a lot at St. Louis. We shot that Hunter Postal League at Aurora Sportsmens Club for many years and I liked Hunter more than Group BR. Randy Robinette helped me a lot back then going to light bullets and slow twists. I built my own actions back then as I was a mold maker and had access to all kinds of shop stuff. I was a gear head too. I have a pretty nice 68 SS Chevelle with a 463 in it for fun..lol
 
WallyDog said:
In reality handloading the 7.65 x 53 is just as easy to exceed the 1891's intended loads as a 308 win would be. .........
Click to expand...


:)



All true, and all good.... I just for myself if nothing else, maybe to remind myself how far I've drifted from my gunsmithing days???..... I sometimes feel I must work to not forget these basic rules from an earlier time in my life.

Currently I run loads so far out of any reloading book I can get forgetful.

And that's always been the conundrum of handloading....We had a neighbor who had a 336. He'd run his loads "up past 308! Almost a 30-06!"

One day he mentioned to my Dad to save his brass, he'd load him up some good stuff....... for his pre-64 '94

So Thank You for understanding that YUP! You never know who's reading :)

And maybe setting home this weekend with Dad's reloading gear thinking "hey....."
 
Model 91

I had one given to me about 50 years ago. Was going to put another barrel on it but never got around to it. The fit, finish and machine work is pretty good given the fact it's for military use

Mort
 
Something I have seen

on European scope rings is a set screw down through the center of the ring using a dog point screw into a matching hole in the scope base or in some cases, into the action itself. Invisible to the casual observer and rock solid.

Pete
 
How much experimenting

WallyDog said:
The very first rifle I ever bought was a sporterized Argentine Mauser 1891 with a Fajen mahogony stock. I was 18 yrs old. Im 65 now. It had the original 7.65 x 53 barrel in rough condition. I got some ammo and shot it with open sights. It killed 3 deer that way and then I decided to cut scope bases for it and set it up in the mill as square as possible and cut the dovetails together at once. That worked too but I grabbed the wrong rings and cut it to a rimfire dovetail before I realized. They seem to work ok still. The gun has never shot better than 3" groups at 100 yds.
I tried to take it deer hunting last year and the barrel was completely done. Horrible groups if you want to call them a group. I had a 15 twist 308 hunter class barrel that I decided needed to go on that action. I cut it down on the lathe to the original straight stepped contour to fit the stock and keep it looking kind of original. Chambered to 308 min neck diameter. It still shot 3" groups with 130 gr Hornadys at 2600. Not happy groups. So since the quarantine I dug it out and decided to fix that mess. Ordered a new Boyd hardwood laminate and will pillar bed it out when it is delivered. Any suggestions on improving the accuracy of the gun. I don't think the rimfire dovetail is hurting anything but I may be mistaken. I think that old Fajen stock and the bedding is pretty well shot and the stock feels springy. What say ye?
Wally
Click to expand...

Have you done with seating depth?

Pete
 
Seating depth

Pete Wass said:
Have you done with seating depth?

Pete
Click to expand...
I did a little bit. Right now its about .020 off the lands with the 130. I think its the stock or I just totally messed up that old HBR barrel when I turned it down to the original military step diameter contour. I took off quite a bit and it was a button rifle barrel. Ill post up the results after I get the Boyd and get it pillared.

Wally
 
Pete Wass said:
on European scope rings is a set screw down through the center of the ring using a dog point screw into a matching hole in the scope base or in some cases, into the action itself. Invisible to the casual observer and rock solid.

Pete
Click to expand...

What's a dog point screw Pete?
 
WallyDog said:
.....or I just totally messed up that old HBR barrel when I turned it down to the original military step diameter contour. I took off quite a bit and it was a button rifle barrel. Ill post up the results after I get the Boyd and get it pillared. Wally
Click to expand...

Wally, even though re-contouring an already finished button rifled barrel may change the internal dimensions, it's doubtful that's the culprit. A 'bad' (by BR standards) button rifled barrel would still be head and shoulders above your original!

I've used these BKL and Warne rimfire rings on center fire guns with no issues on correct 3/8" 'rim fire' bases:

https://www.bkltech.com/BKL-6-Long-Dovetail-Rings-p/bkl-257.htm

https://www.natchezss.com/warne-22-steel-rings-1-7-3-22-medium-matte.html

Looking forward to your results! -Al
 
Re cut barrel

Al Nyhus said:
Wally, even though re-contouring an already finished button rifled barrel may change the internal dimensions, it's doubtful that's the culprit. A 'bad' (by BR standards) button rifled barrel would still be head and shoulders above your original!

I've used these BKL and Warne rimfire rings on center fire guns with no issues on correct 3/8" 'rim fire' bases:

https://www.bkltech.com/BKL-6-Long-Dovetail-Rings-p/bkl-257.htm

https://www.natchezss.com/warne-22-steel-rings-1-7-3-22-medium-matte.html

Looking forward to your results! -Al
Click to expand...
A dog point set screw has a dowel pin like on one end rather than a tapered point. Use it like a dowel pin with a drilled hole in your base material and then tighten. Its super strong. Thanks for the rimfire ring links. Im using Weavers now. I have some medium Burris rings with a really hefty jaw on the movable side. Running a tight patch through the barrel and it seems consistent all the way through for tension. Very scientific I know. I have access to hole pin gages but didn't want to get too fussy …. yet!. Trying to stay in the realms of economic reality with this old action. I just hate to see an old dog Mauser die. I have 2 other highly modified M98's from the 60's that are my favorite deer and varmint rifles. I have an old CR Pederson rifle from Wisconsin in 270 in an exhibition stock. The other was a early Benchrest gun in 6 International and a huge BR stock from that period. It was a PD launching machine. I recently retired it from the PD field and made it into a 243 with a synthetic stock. Id like to think that both will last another 100 yrs if taken care of.
 
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