Hello Folks
You may recall that I obtained a Mauser Kurz in 250 Savage, sadly missing its bolt. This rifle is very original condition (apart from the bolt) although it has obviously been hunted with a lot. Recently I was able to obtain a price from a NZ precision engineer (who is a previous life apprenticed as a gunsmith in Ferlach, Austria) to make a new bolt body. The price to do so was moderately horrific (NZ$1250 – that’s US$820) but he would take the risk – no completion –no payment. I also have a NZ smith who is able to shorten a bolt. This is rifle 1 – I call it the “original”
However yesterday I was offered yet another Mauser Kurz in 250 Savage – its a 1930’s Model B single square bridge. This one is complete and shootable although “bubba” has been very busy. Little remains of the stock, it has been shortened, a comb added, has several very strange inlets, and lots of missing chunks, one suggests it may once have has a Lyman #36 sight fitted. The original claw mounts (factory dovetailed through the front ring) have been removed and the dovetail filled and drilled. The rear square bridge is drilled (off-centre). Amazingly all the original scope base parts are still with the rifle. Tragically the bolt handle has been very bubba’d to clear a scope, the original handle has been bent, ground and welded on. The cocking piece has been drilled an tapped for a cocking piece sight, I don’t recognise the make of the sight but two tiny screws fasten a disk to the rear of the cocking piece , this disk has the dovetail that carried the sight. Again the sight is present and could be refitted. The rear open sight is missing. I have given $NZ1000 (that’s US$650) for this rifle, and should get possession in a fortnight. This is rifle 2 – I’ll call it the “rough” one
Now you assistance – I see three options, and wonder which might be best and why:
1. Restore the “rough” rifle that has a bolt - a new stock, tidied bolt handle, and either new claw mounts or, have a front saddle fitted and shape both bridges for Talley rings and go hunting with it.
In the meantime wait till a bolt “is turned up” for the “original” rifle.
2. Fit the bolt from the “rough” rifle to the “original” rifle so that it has a genuine an original albeit mis-numbered bolt. The rough bolt will need work to get the headspace correct for the “original” rifle, and to restore the handle.
I can go on to restore the “rough” rifle by having a bolt shortened and proceed as above.
3. Have the bolt (and probably the rough rifle) adjusted so both rifles share a bolt - and retain them together as a “set”, and going on to restore the “rough” as per option one – it would be my “hunting” rifle, the “original’ would be a shootable safe queen (albeit a bit of a “seen some life” sort of lady !!)
I’m real interested in your thoughts on the best way to proceed e.g. what is the “correct” thing to do regards treatment of relatively rare collectors items, what would add the most value (thinking $$) etc.
My objective in this is firstly to have a really cool rifle to hunt with (I’ve dreamed about these rifles since I was a kid and an old 2nd cousin of my Dad’s had one) and secondly to do the “right thing”. Money is not really an object although it cannot be ignored.
Cheers - Foster
