Zastava Stainless Mauser actions, 30-06 and 375H&H size.

2.2K Views
Last Post 23 May 2010

Standard Member

NITROTRIP posted this 11 May 2010

Good Morning All, I have a matched pair of these actions, stainless steel new in each of these sizes. They are complete unbarreled heavy 98 style with adjustable triggers. I got them about 6yrs ago. I am about to get started on figureing out what caliber to chamber them in. So they are a mached pair. They are drilled for scope mounts and side mount target style open sights. But I don't find them listed anywhere. And 98 Mauser stuff does not fit as they are quite a bit heaver. The only other marking on them is KBI.inc I have not looked them up yet so that is my next step. So any info or expereance anyone has would be great to here about. And what would you chamber them in if they were yours?

1 30-06 bolt face and length, controled feed Mauser extractor.

2 375H&H Mag bolt face and longer magazine well and length, same extractor.

I have not ordered stocks or barrels yet. I could even make them switch barrel. Let's have some fun putting togather a package. Any use, target, hunting, plink'in. Then get to makeing chips. And see what we end up with.

Thank you,

Rick

Attached Files

12 Comments

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes

CBA Member

raytear posted this 11 May 2010

Nitro Trip, Wow! :doooah: I wish I had your problem!!

I can offer no information, but being a “Mauser looney” myself I will follow this thread with much interest. So, please keep us posted.

Good shooting! RT

Attached Files

Standard Member

NITROTRIP posted this 11 May 2010

HI RT, Nice to here from another “Mauser loony” OK, if you did have my problem, what would you put together? Some ideas I have so far. I have a .458mag reamer. But I have a 1874 Sharps in 45-90, so a 375H&H for cast? 338 Lapua for those copper dinnerjacket things? Ideas anyone?

Thank You All,

Rick

Attached Files

CBA Member

6pt-sika posted this 11 May 2010

Well if I were you , the one with the 06 bolt face would become a nice 6.5-06 PDQ !

24” heavy sporter weight barrel , set up with a throat to shoot the Honrady 129SST !

And the one with the magnum bolt face would either become a 8mm REM MAG or a 375 H&H MAG !

I've had both the 375 and 8mm Mag . And I would most likely go with the 375 just because of jacketed bullet selection !

This one should have a nice heavier contour 24” barrel to give it a little bit extra weight !

I would want them both stocked in decent walnut , both barreled with Shilen or Lilja pipes (stainless as well) and put a finish on them so as not to have the normal stainless silver finish , more to give one the illusion that they're blued !

Oh did I mention neither of these if mine would be for cast bullets !

Attached Files

CBA Member

6pt-sika posted this 11 May 2010

I just traded off a pair of Interarms Mark X Whitworths !

One was a 375 H&H MAG and the other was a 375 H&H that I rebarreled to 416 REM MAG .

And oh yeah I still have rifles for both cartridges , but now in Ruger #1H's !

I only have two usable Mausers at the moment !

One is a nice old sporterized 1898 that was made in 1916 and is now a mannlicher sticked sporter and the other is a Shilen barreled 98 that is what else but a 6.5-06 !

Attached Files

CBA Member

tturner53 posted this 11 May 2010

The stainless steel is crying out for an all weather large to very large game combo. Think Alaskan Brown Bear in the rain at close range, hippos and crocs at the river's edge on the dark continent. I'd be looking at Weatherby magnums, preserve the resale value that way. Maybe a .460 and a .240 for thin skinned game. I believe the .240 shares the same bolt face as the '06, could even form brass from '06 if my memory is working right today. SS barrels and matching laminated wood stocks, need some weight to 'em. Someone else can pick the sights, optics, mounts. Think deep safari and back country pack in tough.

Attached Files

CBA Member

JetMech posted this 12 May 2010

I'm with Tim on the use of your #1 “30-06 bolt face and length, controled feed Mauser extractor.", but I always liked the 338-06. Handloads approach .338 Win Mag energy, and that round, to me, has the right case capacity to bore diameter ratio to make it a great cast bullet gun. Veral Smith makes some fine molds in that caliber.

Attached Files

CBA Member

raytear posted this 12 May 2010

NT,

For the '06 bolt face, I might go with a neat wildcat from Z-Hat custom .358 Hawk. Reaches close to .358 Norma in full loads and can be throttled down to .35 Remington. Probably works best with “that other kind of bullet” due to the short neck. My next choice would be .35 Whelen. Again, in an action that strong, you could stoke them right up there if you need power, or come down to .35 Remington for plinking & small game. The Whelen has a slightly longer neck than the Z-Hat wildcat, making more room to cover lube grooves. .35 Whelen brass is easy to come by and a 285-300 grain .35 cast bullet is a great stopper for most anything on the planet short of elephants or rhinos.

If you don't like .35 caliber, I'd go to 6.5 X 55mm Mauser. One of the most flexible and under rated cartridges available. Again, with that strong action, you could rival a .270 Winchester or throttle down to 6.5 X 54 MS or 6.8 SPC level. Brass is plentiful as are some great cast bullet varieties. BTW, The Thompson-LaGarde tests in the early 1900s found 6.5mm was the minimum diameter bullet that gives reliable stopping in human-sized targets with non-expanding bullets.

For the larger bolt face, .450 Marlin. In actions as strong as the one you have, you could come close to .458 W.M., yet still throttle down to something like .45 colt for plinking. Brass is a bit pricey, but cast bullet designs are plentiful.

For cheaper brass than the Marlin, but more fussing around, the wildcat .458 American 2” works. .458 W.M. brass trimmed to 2.0", and you are good to go. Ballistics are identical to .45-70 at every load level--i.e., 1873 trapdoor, Marlin Model 1895, Ruger No. 1.

My thoughts.

Good shooting! RT

Attached Files

CBA Member

raytear posted this 12 May 2010

MORE. . .

If you already have a .458 reamer, then I'd go with the .458. If you have close to magnum length in the magazine, you have lots of flexibility with the cartridge OA length and many of the better .458, i.e., more interesting to my mind, cast slugs are pretty long.

As you might guess, I like unusual stuff e.g., .458 American 2", .35 Whelen even before Remington domesticated it, 6.5 x 55 in a strong action so it can be loaded to full potential.

BTW, the 6.5 bullets jacketed seem to be less expensive than some of the larger diameter ones. (I have shot many 160 grain 6.5s and they have been great for accuracy and killing power with modest recoil.) Cast 6.5s are “stingeyer” in the amount of alloy per bullet, too.

Attached Files

Standard Member

Nrut posted this 12 May 2010

.400 H&H 35 Whelen

Attached Files

CBA Member

giorgio de galleani posted this 12 May 2010

30-'06 and 375 H&H.

Two wonderful calibers simple to reload for,you'll be able to find ammo for them all over the world.

Attached Files

Standard Member

Reg Lingle posted this 12 May 2010

Hi Rick: Being a great experimenter I would make a 30 BR on the '06 action and then make the same thing only use the Mag case and special forming dies to make a short Mag 30 BR with the larger diameter case. I can't think of the gunsmiths name from Indiana, but he is famous for his BR 22's, he built a Mag short 6mm back in the 80's that cleaned every bodies clock. I would be neat to see a comparison of the 30 BR to the 30 Short Mag! Reg

Attached Files

Standard Member

NITROTRIP posted this 23 May 2010

Hi All, I dug those 2 actions out of the safe and gave them a good look over. Sorry, I missed giveing you the major markings. They are marked. Charles Daley by ZASTAVA Then small KBI.inc They seem to be stainless. very well finished inside and out. Bolt travel seems nicely smooth and the triggers have no creep and break at 3lbs for the standard length action, and 3lb 5oz for the 375H&H length. And they both have 3 adjustment screws that look the same as a remington trigger just a little larger. Thumb safety on the right side of the trigger houseing. Solid steel trigger houseing and mirror polished floor plate and outside of action. Floor plate release is in the front of the trigger guard and is a cross bolt style. Very heavy sides and rear area of the action with no stripper or thumb slots. The rear tang area and back half of the action is twice as thick as a standard large ring 98, and the H&H is a little taller on top (thicker) and is 5oz heaver. Bolts have the same Mauser 3 bolt lugs and controled feed claw extractor. I wish I was able to post you some pictures. I have trouble even emailing them. I think for the Big one I am going to go with Giorgio's advice,375 H&H. Good for cast, paper patch, copper, deer, elk, rhino. old buick, whatever it takes. OH, OH, OH, The small one, 6.5-06 is runnung first so far but has'nt won the race yet.

But I still want to find out more history on these. I heard Remingtons 798 was a marketing cheepened version of this action made by the same people. And the old Interarms Mark X. But not for shure. And these 2 seem to be very high quality workmanship inside and out. I am a machinist by trade and these are nicely machined and the finish will not need much to equal most high grade customs I have looked at.

So any help with resurch direction, ideas, or first hand expereance would be great help.

Thank You All, For your help and ideas,

Rick