ad-closed German Mauser 98 Project, 308 Win, stainless barrel, reamer, F54 barrel

[corerftech]

$395 FTF in Germantown, Collierville, Cordova.

This rifle has a story, its a good read so please, enjoy and maybe even chuckle. Not a word is exaggerated or embellished! Facts and Syntax Correct.

Rifle started life as a beautiful (stock was non-mil wood but had been abused in the field) 220 swift find at a pawn shop in Stanton, CA (I lived nearby). I paid just about my asking price for the gun, maybe a few bucks less, out the door and CA is expensive on the back end of a dealer sale. So maybe the gun was $325 plus transfer/taxes...

Tired, thin, wispy barrel with a worn, erroded throat as swifts produce after about 2000 rounds...(not proper for a SWIFT-- has to be fat!) , as a fix to its emaciated barrel I decided to send it out for rebarreling by Mark Skaags in Grants Pass, OR who ended up being a Dxxick thief, ham-handed B/H who couldnt file a finger nail much less chamber a barrel.

He procured a GM F54 taper 22 cal, 12 twist blank. I sent him money, lots of money, waaaaay too much money, in advance of the rifle arriving.  

A $15 dollar haircut provided more value and quality.

I had done trigger work and reduced trigger pull to, well really really light like a varmint rifle should be! Cocking piece re-hardened and the works. He was ordered to chamber, duracoat the whole package and send back. In the mean time I bought a Fajen heavy synthetic stock (no longer made) at Midway and when the untested BA arrived back from Oregon, pillar and glass bedded the action nicely. Exciting, right?????

I didnt say I couldnt work on rifles, just wans't competent enough and confident enough to re-barrel a rifle at that time. (Times have changed)

I went to the range with Norma 220 Swift factory ammo  (50gr, $40.00 a box!!), 4100 FPS factory ammo.

Also had 4064 behind some 50gr Midway Dogtowns on virgin WIN brass... loaded on the light end (3750-3800 fps) as fireform loads for neck size only, tight chamber work. ('cause Mr. SKUMMS is the tight chamber master, "he dials in his blanks on his lathe sometimes to within .0005"!) Um.... how about .0001/.0002 Mr Man, or less..... he might have been using a Harbor Freight dial indicator and splitting divisions. Thats what the pros do... so I have heard. Anyway---

Started with Norma- I proceeded to have case failures from shell #1!

I fired handloads..... case failures, from shell #1.

Turns out he couldnt chamber his finger in his ear if he tried. Remember he is a "mauser specialist, world renowned". RIGHT?????

I sent the B/A back to him and he set back, chambered again, barrel now 2 inch shorter, PHUN in any language..... Guess what, runout was large enough for what.... more case failures!! The chamber was big enough to swallow a 50 BMG case head, eccentric too. PHUN measurements with a micrometer...... he denied the measurements even after receiving the brass for inspection. I know, the reamer had a LUMPY BUTT, thats all.

BTW: His duracoat was Krylon and it comes off with paint thinner.

I proceded to flame him globally as a payback for his thievery. I doubt you will see his name asscociated with a rifle again anywhere on earth and if you do, make a point of this thread.

I "waited" 3 months for it to return so his DURACOAT job performed in the WINTER could CURE......., My Krylon dries in minutes, matte goes off pretty fast but you know with all the rain and pot smoke in OR, it takes way longer.

Fast forward--- I go to machine school and graduate. I buy many machines, many.... I build guns now and I make things!

No need for Mark DB.. he had already RAPED me twice and wanted a third go around on my dime again! A few years later I take things into my own, now competent hands.

I sell swift barrel with only 14 rounds down pipe and its is successfully set back by new owner for a savage and is living a good life somewhere in USA (Pennsylvania).

I buy (since I didnt have a 308 rifle at the time) on a good deal, a GM f54 profile (remember I already had relieved barrel channel, bedded, etc for a 54 profile) with a NIB PTG 308 reamer (someone elses unfinished project parts in CA). Barrel this time is SS not CrMO. Action still matte Krylon BLACK, Dark Grey/Black synthetic stock with BLUE bases and rings.

Interesting color combo but thankfully duracoat fixes the mismatch if I dont like it, or acetone and back to BLUE steel (or Krylon if your Mark DxxoucheBag in Grants Pass Oregon, Mauser Specialist extraordinaire, eccentric chamber master and "might as well drill the reamer to the muzzle and why headspace it, not needed.... nobody test fires a barreled action, whats the point?)

 

Ok segue--- he didnt have any 220 Swift ammo to test fire the rifle, he admits on the first return trip. 

He then admitted to NOT having a gauge, had to get one to inspect the rifle the second time, was going to BORROW one from a friend "IF HE COULD"!

Ok so....... my special friend in the Pac Northwest is a SHAM, thief and a liar too. I sent him 3 rounds to shoot on trip #2, do you think I got the brass back for inspection??? I think he sold those rounds on Gunbroker...... He didnt fire them.... 

NAH!! Why let the customer...... right up front..... see how bad your work is in brass that looks like Jabba the Hut when extracted!!

Ok fast forward a few years, I accrue maybe 50 projects (my appetite for machine work much larger than belly can hold) and they are not getting done timely...... hence the other project rifles recently listed.  I move to TN and try to finish some and well, 50 (or more) is TWO lifetimes when they are mostly Rolling Blocks and antiques..... plus a Mauser or two.

Oh... have I slammed Mr. Skaags enough? Maybe, NOT.

PACKAGE CONTENTS:

Barrel still in tube from Midway. 26 inch 308 win, SS, F54 taper, pre-thread/short chamber.

Reamer in tube, unused, PTG SAAMI, nothing special (I need to keep it but Id be happy to loan it out to a good guy to finish the chamber, just dont turn it backwards or Ill likely punch you, no Ill just ask you to pay for resharpening)

A Fajen reinforced stock designed for M98 with a F54 barrel channel (this if I recall may be a pre '38 action, ill need to look at it again, its not Turk piece of yuck, its pre slave labor German built good parts), a German 98 action in fine condition, receiver ring faced .010, bolt face trued, trigger down around  1 lb (yep, its light and easy to increase weight if your not happy), I dont recall if I added a timney to it..... Ill look again...... if not I think I have a timney sportsman Ill add in the package), its Krylon painted thanks to Mr Axx-WHOLE in Oregon, likely has his head in a bag of weed while working on his famous Mausers (fortuantely MEK or acetone wipes the finish right back to the unmolested BLUING!).

Its pillar bedded, glass bedded.

 

Mr Tea Bag gunsmith said the trigger should never have been altered and shoud never have been 1 lb. He shoots fine groups with 5 lb triggers.

Well TeaBag apparelty doesnt like bugholes, he prefers patterns. Dang it, did it again. More terse words about a gunsmith in GRANTS PASS OREGON.

Either your capable of the work or your smith is capable.... you decide. I dont have the time or inclination to finish this one. Its a great 80-90% project to complete and WILL render a very nice budget 308 and likely with handloads will shoot bugholes. Its a sad thing since its been sitting for about 9 years like its is..... just sitting.

If someone wants just the stock/action/rings/base (fully assembled still) Ill sell that as I can set back/re-thread for another rifle the SS barrel (and again reamer is NOT for sale, reamer and any of my gauges are avail for LOAN to a buyer only) You may want a different cartridge, any .473 will work. 260, Creedmore, 243, 22-250, 358W, etc. Anything 308 and anything '06 based will feed like butter. I will advise AGAINST a swfit as the rebated rim and the strange body taper makes feeding without modifications to magazine very hit and miss. Magazine NOT altered for SWIFT.... the original builder likely suffered with the Swift feed issue as well. Swifts only feed from SWIIFT mags well. You could put a fixed follower in it and make is a singel shot for SWIFT.

 

I will attach pics in the future (next few days) or send me a PM with an EMAIL addy to emails High Res pics to.

 

I hope you reader find my thread/ad comical because after more than a decade I can finally laugh about the debacle and the thief. I hope the listing lifts someones spirits today. It did mine. Very curative.

 

[Nikiski Dave]

Excellent story. I met his brother or cousin in Wisconsin. Mechanic/gunsmith/logger.