With military Mauser actions becoming increasingly rare and valuable in collectors circles, finding one to use in a build can be difficult. In addition, those that remain untouched are generally more expensive than most other options available today. So what is a riflemaker to do? In the past, converting a military Mauser was the common solution. While this is still an option, it should be considered carefully. With a well done conversion, a Mauser sporting rifle can be a stunning piece of woodworking and a beautiful hunting rifle as well.
While there are many re-purposed Mauser actions on the market today, some are more poorly done than others. This is especially true of some Mauser Herstal (H) actions. The best option is to seek out a well-reviewed gunsmith that is familiar with these actions and is capable of performing the necessary action work.
Some of these poorer conversions may have welded bolt handles, 3 position safety or other modifications that are not appropriate for a Mauser sporter. These should be considered carefully as they are generally the most affordable and practical choice for a build.
These poorly converted actions typically require re-heat treating and other action work to make them safe for the modern cartridges that are commonly used. Jerry Kuhnhausen’s book “M91-M98 Bolt Action Shop Manual” is a very good resource for evaluating the quality of these actions and the proper steps to take to safely rework them for a sportser build.
