# What to do with this sporterized mauser?



## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

When I was around 12 or 13 I inherited my deer rifle from my Grandpa. He bought it secondhand and it is a sporterized mauser chambered in .30-06. I love the rifle for a variety of reasons, but I don't love everything the guy who built it did with it. He turned it into somewhat of a "brush rifle" and cut the barrel down to about 18 or 19 inches. Growing up I always thought that there was a muzzle brake on this rifle but now I'm pretty sure that it is not a muzzle brake but a flash suppressor because there are no vents or ports to let the gas escape out the sides. 

While I was cleaning it a piece of cleaning patch tore off and got wedged very tightly where the suppressor (brake?) threads into the barrel. I have tried everything to get it out and I can't. I took it to a guy in southern Utah to see if he could get the stupid thing off but he couldn't and was reluctant to horse it too much and risk buggering up my barrel. I have recently come into contact with a gunsmith up here that was referred to me by the folks at Gallenson's. He seems quite sure he can get the suppressor off and get this gun working for me again. His idea is to take the suppressor off and install a muzzle brake on it for me to make it a very nice, sweet recoiling brush gun. He says that a shorter barreled rifle will thump you pretty good, but I have been shooting this rifle since I was 12 or so and I have never found the recoil to be too obnoxious.

He says there are quite a few options we could take and I'm not thrilled with the idea of a muzzle brake due to noise concerns. I don't want to fire a braked rifle without hearing protection and I don't want to have to use hearing protection while I'm out in the field. What else can I do? It sounds like we are probably going to ruin the flash suppressor when he takes it off which is fine and I am wondering about just putting another flash suppressor on. What if I didn't put anything back on the barrel at all? Would the muzzle blast out of a .30-06 with such a short barrel be overly obnoxious without anything on there to tame it? I've heard about thread protectors to put on your threaded barrel when you are using it without the accessory on it. What are these and what exactly do they do? Is it bad just to have exposed threads at the end of the barrel if you don't plan on ever putting anything back on it? I can see how just having the exposed threads visible would look kinda tacky and I don't like that idea. I'd really appreciate some feedback from you gun savvy folks.

Edit: Never mind about just leaving the threaded barrel exposed. I just saw what that looks like on google images and it would look ridiculous. It looks like thread protectors could be the way to go though.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

One other question: Is there a general rule about what bullet weights work best in short-barreled rifles whether it is heavier or lighter? I've heard both light bullets work better and I have heard heavy bullets work better, but maybe both are wrong and it doesn't matter either way. It seems like this '06 has done fairly well with all different bullet weights in the past.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I would leave it as it is. If there is a piece of cloth cleaning patch left in the barrel or the suppressor somewhere I think that some heat from a torch directed directly into the barrel should burn it out without damaging the barrel. You only need it hot enough to catch the cotton patch material on fire. Then once it is charred you should be able to just take a cleaning brush to get the charred remains out of it. 

If you do decide to take it to a gunsmith and they take whatever is on the barrel off you might even have them just cut it off at the end of the threads and recrown the barrel and put nothing back onto it. 

I have a couple of rifles that were either given to me or left to me and they will be safe queens for the rest of my life. I'll just relive the memories that each one has provided me.


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

I may be wrong but weren't you considering putting a .35 whelen barrel on that mauser a while ago? Now might be time to go ahead with it if you're still interested. Otherwise, I don't see why a blow torch or perhaps even a grill lighter couldn't burn it out. Follow up with a copper brush (unless you're not into that kind of thing) to get some of the residue out and do another burn.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

fishreaper said:


> I may be wrong but weren't you considering putting a .35 whelen barrel on that mauser a while ago? Now might be time to go ahead with it if you're still interested. Otherwise, I don't see why a blow torch or perhaps even a grill lighter couldn't burn it out. Follow up with a copper brush (unless you're not into that kind of thing) to get some of the residue out and do another burn.


You are right, Fishreaper. It is me that has been thinking about doing the .35 Whelen rebarrel. However, I keep finding myself going back to the idea of keeping it as a .30-06 and if I can fix this problem without having to put a whole new barrel on I will come out of it WAY cheaper. I have tried taking a flame to it like you and Critter have suggested but I don't know, it is like this stupid thing is flame resistant. I have read on other forums that if you want to get a stuck cleaning patch out you actually apply the heat to the exterior of the barrel until it is glowing red and this will turn the obstructing object into cinders that will easily come out. I'm reluctant to apply heat to my barrel until it is glowing red, though. Something about that seems like a bad idea. I feel like this is a job better left to the pros. It sounds like this guy can fix my problem but if not.... .35 Whelen here I come!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

If a flame seams not to work get some Hopes #9 in the area so that the piece is saturated and then put a flame to it and see what happens. 

I agree not to get the barrel red hot, that seams like what to do if you don't care about the barrel.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

They have a bullet puller like they use in muzzleloaders that would probably get it out. It's just a cleaning rod with a corkscrewy thingy on the end. Or you could go buy a pump packing puller.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

It's your grandpa's old gun, for lord sake, just leave it alone! If you hate it so much(or should I say him) that you are considering destroying HIS gun, go ahead, chop it up, customize it some more, whack away at his posterity...**ll just go throw it in the lake on the end of a rope as a boat anchor. Criminently man, think.
What do you think of that advise?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Get a 3/16" diameter bronze rod from the hardware store, heat it up a dull red, and burn the patch out of the barrel. 

.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> It's your grandpa's old gun, for lord sake, just leave it alone! If you hate it so much(or should I say him) that you are considering destroying HIS gun, go ahead, chop it up, customize it some more, whack away at his posterity...**ll just go throw it in the lake on the end of a rope as a boat anchor. Criminently man, think.
> What do you think of that advise?


Take your pills BP. Maybe his 'posterity' isn't reliant upon material items. I'm leaving a BUNCH of guns to my kids/grand kids and I hope they have just as much fun with them as I did......that would include tinkering, customizing, and surely making a few Ackleys.

In response to Color; in the case of this gun I personally would probably follow some of the great advice given to remove the patch and leave it alone. Find a 700 or 70 action to build your Whelen. -----SS


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Springville Shooter said:


> ... Maybe his 'posterity' isn't reliant upon material items...


You're probably right SS, your posterity shouldn't be based upon material things, but relics can certainly sweeten up your memories. Relics from a loved ones past help call up and strengthen fond memories. If this young man has memories of times spent with his grandpa, this item's demise at his hands will definitely be a "dam*, why'd I do that" in his future.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Holy crap BP you act like I'm gonna sell this heirloom for pennies on the dollar at a pawn shop or something so I can go snort a line off a hookers butt. Yup. Gonna have a little work done on the rifle so I can continue to enjoy it for years to come because I hate this rifle and my grandpa so much. This rifle was a highly modified rifle in the first place. My grandpa wasn't the man who made this rifle his project, he bought it secondhand. I really dont know why you are so emotionally invested in this. Im actually taking this rifle over to be looked at today if that is okay with you. Dont worry I'll be sure to okay it with you before I go through with making any changes to it! Dont have a coronary or mess your diaper in the meanwhile.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Thank you for being the voice of reason here, SS. I have actually talked myself out of the rebarrel. At most I will probably just have the flash hider taken off. I hope that wont make grandpa roll in his grave or send BP to an early one from all the grief it might cause him.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

I'm just expecting my grandparents and parents to leave me money... no material things needed.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Pffft. My grandpa died and all I got was this lousy rifle.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Welp. It looks like the muzzle device wasn't a brake or a flash hider but a compensator. The smith took it off for me and machined part of it to use as the thread protector. I just bought my general season bull elk tag and I cant wait to hunt with this rifle come fall. 

My grandpa died pretty close to the same time he passed it on to me so around the time I was 12 or 13. I wasnt lucky enough to have a lot of years with my grandpa but the memories I do have with him are cherished and sweet. Most of them are from hunting and fishing trips as he was an enthusiasic life long outdoorsman and my dad, as a dutiful son, made a great effort to get him out as much as he could during grandpa's twilight years. 

I understand not everyone has the same standards as to how to properly honor a priceless heirloom. However, you dont know me from Adam, BP, and for you to act like I dont have any love or respect for my grandpa and that I dont have any appreciation or regard for a precious heirloom irks me to no end. I honestly dont think a minor modification to an already "ruined" (according to many purists) mauser would be any kind of a slap in the face to him. This gun will always be in my safe or on my shoulder in the field and that is what matters to me. You do your thing and I will do mine.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

colorcountrygunner said:


> Welp. It looks like the muzzle device wasn't a brake or a flash hider but a compensator. The smith took it off for me and machined part of it to use as the thread protector. I just bought my general season bull elk tag and I cant wait to hunt with this rifle come fall.
> 
> My grandpa died pretty close to the same time he passed it on to me so around the time I was 12 or 13. I wasnt lucky enough to have a lot of years with my grandpa but the memories I do have with him are cherished and sweet. Most of them are from hunting and fishing trips as he was an enthusiasic life long outdoorsman and my dad, as a dutiful son, made a great effort to get him out as much as he could during grandpa's twilight years.
> 
> I understand not everyone has the same standards as to how to properly honor a priceless heirloom. However, you dont know me from Adam, BP, and for you to act like I dont have any love or respect for my grandpa and that I dont have any appreciation or regard for a precious heirloom irks me to no end. I honestly dont think a minor modification to an already "ruined" (according to many purists) mauser would be any kind of a slap in the face to him. This gun will always be in my safe or on my shoulder in the field and that is what matters to me. You do your thing and I will do mine.


Well done CC...we'll be expecting some mighty nice pictures of a buck this season.... _O\\


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks, LL. If I shoot a big buck this year it will be with a bow but I hope to get a bull with the rifle!


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