Rifle Magazine and the 7x57

[alfsauve]

Jay, I'm just using Minwax Dark Walnut.

I'm not happy though with the wood.  It is has some bad places in the grain that have absorbed the original stain (and subsequent paint) and it is very uneven on the right side giving it a "tiger spots" like look.

I'm no wood expert, so I'll just probably run steel wool over this last coat and call it quits.  Then put on 2 coats of Tung Oil.


On thing my wife an I learned in our years of craft making was there's no accounting for some people's taste.  While I don't find this stock attractive, and my efforts to make it so have failed, there's somebody out there who will be in love with it and think it very artistic and one-of-a-kind.   I can only hope they also like it attached to an 1893 Mauser shooting 7x57. 

[erdes]

Hold me back.  Hold me back.

First I overlooked, Marlin and T/C of production grade rifle.  But no 7x57's there either.

So I was just about to scratch the 7x57 off my list as an impulse that I really didn't need.  Then I see this NIB CZ550 on GunsAmerica for $680.

Argh-h-h-h-h-h-h-h.

The dealer, Lipsey's, at one time listed a Ruger 77 in a Mannlicher (sp?) in 7 X 57.  I bought one and it is a great rifle.  It came in stainless steel with a decent walnut stock.  It is a true beauty.  Don't recall exactly the cost athough I have to say it wasn't, prohibitive.  I used the rifle last year to harvest a doe and it performed very well.
I purchased the rifle because I had picked up an old 93 Spanish Mauser in 7X57 at a Cabela's.  I was intrigued with it as it was the rifle used against us by the Spaniards/Cubans in the Spanish American War and which led the U.S. military to develop the 30-03 (later the 30-06) Springfield bolt-action rifle.  I shot the 93 several times but decided that due to its age, repeated use was just tempting fate for something to go wrong.  The Ruger came to the rescue.
It is a great caliber with sufficient energy to take most of the big game hunted here in North America as well as plains game in Africa.  My advice is to keep looking on the the various gun sites like Guns America and Guns International, also Lipsey's (as I think it was a special run they had Ruger make for them).  Good luck.

[alfsauve]

There's always a couple of Ruger 77s on sale at any given time.  The lowest price I've seen was about $550. 

BUT Oh gosh golly, Wally,  there are so many unique 7x57s out there.   Most way out of my price range.

The latest to catch my eye is the Mauser 66/600.  An early example of interchangeable barrels.   I can't tell but doesn't appear to be a "Mauser" action.  At least I don't see the extractor claw.  It's at gun shop just up the road so I may go see it on Friday.

Mauser 660 cousin of the 66 in caliber.7x57mm, in exceptional condition and appears unfired. Not many rifles imported in this caliber. The Mauser 660 was imported by a firm known as Mauser-Bauer in Fraiser, MI in the early to mid 1970's. The OEM pad was replaced with a Deluxe Pachmayr pad. The rifles feature 24" barrels, telescoping bolt and receiver. These actions are extremely strong and can handle modern hand loads that exceed the the original SAMI standards for the 7x57. Overall the Mauser 66/660 is 4" shorter than other rifles with similar barrel lengths. You can also change barrels within the same case head dimensions. You could mount barrels in cal. 30.06, .243, 25.06,.270,.308. The Mauser 66/660's are extremely accurate rifles. Extra barrels are still found on firearm auction sites. Included in the auction with the rifle is the the German scope bridge and rings with a Bausch & Lomb 2.5-10 w/AO Scope.

[MAUSERMAN]

Now thats a pretty gun. Now I must look into buying one for myself.