To sporterize or not

[sbuff]

I need a winter project , thinking of sporterizing a Enfield or mauser . I have both , both are accurate, neither have any matching numbers . I have more 8mm ammo but not by a lot .  Both were bought on the cheap years ago .  Should I do it or find another winter project 

[G-man]

No matching #  do it  

[Lawdwaz]

42 minutes ago, sbuff said:

I need a winter project , thinking of sporterizing a Enfield or mauser . I have both , both are accurate, neither have any matching numbers . I have more 8mm ammo but not by a lot .  Both were bought on the cheap years ago .  Should I do it or find another winter project 

Build wood duck houses.   Pizz on those other projects.  

[Spaceman Spiff]

I say go for it. Sounds like fun. 

[SportsmanNH]

I had a sporterized Parker Hale Mauser 98 270 Winchester with a Redfield Widefield 3x9 scope on it and a set trigger . That set trigger would drop the trigger pull down to 3/4 lbs .  Very nice looking guns . We had fun shooting it but I sold it when cleaning house on guns  that I was never going to use. Mauser actions are popular guns to sporterize . Have fun with it and good luck . 

Mine looked like this one only with a darker stock and a set trigger.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by SportsmanNH

[sbuff]

I pondered this a few years ago, might have even ran it past members on the old forum ...

Wood duck houses are done over the summer 

[Dinsdale]

33 minutes ago, SportsmanNH said:

I had a sporterized Parker Hale Mauser 98 270 Winchester with a Redfield Widefield 3x9 scope on it and a set trigger . That set trigger would drop the trigger pull down to 3/4 lbs .  Very nice looking guns . We had fun shooting it but I sold it when cleaning house on guns  that I was never going to use. Mauser actions are popular guns to sporterize . Have fun with it and good luck . 

Mine looked like this one only with a darker stock and a set trigger.

 

 

 

Parker Hale’s were built on Santa Barbara , Spanish made commercial actions in a mauser type action with side safety. 

Thats doesnt fit the definition as most would take sporterized to mean as in taking a former military rifle and modifying it for use in hunting or target use. They were not modified but already produced using an action devoid of military features like a thumb cut, or feeding lips for a clip, a bolt safety.

Other companies who built on commercial mausers would be like CZ,Zastava,FN/Browning, Whitworth etc. all mausers…..but commercial, not military or sporterized; they start that way.

Some military actions used in custom rifles are more desirable than others most due to metallurgy qualities. Mauser A or B, G33/40 on the good end; Turkish stuff on the not so good. Often customizing has makers rehardening actions, you can look up discussions about set back with higher pressure rounds……blah blah blah.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Dinsdale

[SportsmanNH]

19 minutes ago, Dinsdale said:

Parker Hale’s were built on Santa Barbara , Spanish made commercial actions in a mauser type action with side safety. 

Thats doesnt fit the definition as most would take sporterized to mean as in taking a former military rifle and modifying it for use in hunting or target use. They were not modified but already produced using an action devoid of military features like a thumb cut, or feeding lips for a clip, a bolt safety.

Other companies who built on commercial mausers would be like CZ,Zastava,FN/Browning, Whitworth etc. all mausers…..but commercial, not military or sporterized; they start that way.

Some military actions used in sporterizing are more desirable than others most due to metallurgy qualities. Mauser A or B, G33/40 on the good end; Turkish stuff on the not so good. Often customizing has makers rehardening actions, you can look up discussions about set back with higher pressure rounds……blah blah blah.

I didn't do any work to this gun. Only had fun shooting it at the range for a couple years . It was a very accurate gun. I bought it used originally because of the name Parker thinking it was somehow a division of Parker Brothers.  It was a real nice gun . Bought it for $300 and sold it 10 years later to a guy in the mid west on gunbroker for $700 without doing anything to it but cleaning it. It was fun shooting it though with that light set trigger.  I wouldn't want to hunt with it unless you were in an elevated tower. You just touched that trigger and  it would fire.

Edited November 21, 2023 by SportsmanNH

[Dinsdale]

9 minutes ago, SportsmanNH said:

I didn't do any work to this gun.

Kinda my point.

You referred to it as “sporterized”.

Its not.

It came that way and had no work to make it a civilian rifle.

A sporterized is a former heavy chunky military rifle trimmed down in stock and barrel, often rechambered in not its original form.

Just sayin’.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Dinsdale

[JohnPlav]

Do it!  8mm is a sweet deer round, although even a “sporterized” Mauser can be pretty heavy.  This one gets the nod for 1 of my likely 4-5 rifle hunts each year. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by JohnPlav

[SportsmanNH]

2 hours ago, Dinsdale said:

Kinda my point.

You referred to it as “sporterized”.

Its not.

It came that way and had no work to make it a civilian rifle.

A sporterized is a former heavy chunky military rifle trimmed down in stock and barrel, often rechambered in not its original form.

Just sayin’.

 

Honestly I didn't know anything about a Parker Hale . The gun shop had it listed as a " sporterized  mauser " . I bought it for the Parker name for $300  . Thought it was very good quality for that price .  A buddy of mine has a real German 7MM Mauser from WW2 with the high rise iron sights. Freakin thing weighs a ton . I bet it weighs 10 lbs just the gun itself . No wonder they sporterize those things LOL

Edited November 21, 2023 by SportsmanNH

[mowin]

3 hours ago, SportsmanNH said:

I had a sporterized Parker Hale Mauser 98 270 Winchester with a Redfield Widefield 3x9 scope on it and a set trigger . That set trigger would drop the trigger pull down to 3/4 lbs .  Very nice looking guns . We had fun shooting it but I sold it when cleaning house on guns  that I was never going to use. Mauser actions are popular guns to sporterize . Have fun with it and good luck . 

Mine looked like this one only with a darker stock and a set trigger.

 

 

My dad had a Mauser sporterized back in '43 after he got home from the army. Has the set trigger.  My nephew used it to take a doe Sunday. 

[Dinsdale]

25 minutes ago, SportsmanNH said:

Honestly I didn't know anything about a Parker Hale . The gun shop had it listed as a " sporterized  mauser " . I bought it for the Parker name for $300  . Thought it was very good quality for that price .  A buddy of mine has a real German 7MM Mauser from WW2 with the high rise iron sights. Freakin thing weighs a ton . I bet it weighs 10 lbs just the gun itself . No wonder they sporterize those things LOL

Just trying to give a little insight and education of why terms matter and what’s the difference on your example.

I’ll go away now.

[grampy]

1 hour ago, Dinsdale said:

Just trying to give a little insight and education of why terms matter and what’s the difference on your example.

I’ll go away now.

I find your insight compelling Dan. I've picked up alot from you over the years. Thanks for free education!

[sbuff]

Rabbit hole for sure after looking into sights and stocks variations!