I found a mauser action custom 338 win mag. The wood is beautiful the action smooth and strong showing no signs of abuse or wear.

The action length is the same as a 30-06 right?

If one wanted to return the gun to a more normal or standard caliber the barrel along with the bolt would have to be changed ?

Any input would be welcome.

longwalker

I've never done anything like that but i think it's possible......But you know, you can down load 338 to 30-06 specs with out a problem. I'd have to look through my data, but i've done it for years.

Is it a military '98 Mauser or a longer commercial Mauser action? There is a difference. The action has probably been modified to accommodate the .338, the feeding rails may have been altered and the bolt face opened up. To convert that action to say a .30-06 or .270 would be difficult and costly, if at all possible. My thoughts would be to leave it a .338 or find another rifle on the used gun racks. All the best...
Gil

My 30-338 is a miltary action , all smitty had to do was a little werk on the feedrails and extended the magazine in my understanding about 1/8" to handle a longer oal round ..
Jack

Gil' question is it a commercial Mauser OR military action is key ?
To answer you question about turning a Mauser 338mag back to say a 30-06 means,Changeing the brl is a given, but you have too change the bolt face, this means new bolt. The rails have been opened for the larger 338 case, which means 30-06 case size will not feed, so you would have too have a center feed clip conversion done or have someone add metal to the rails. So basically it's the old saying once you gone magnum size you don't go back, to the smaller size......My take is if you wan't a 338 buy it, or if you want to have it re-brl at a later date to 300win/7mm rem mag/270wby mag/264win mag or 257wby mag...but remmember most re-brl jobs start at around $300 and can exceed $500 with no problem, a good cut rifled brl blank can cost $250 alone, and some gunsmith charge Over $300 just to thread/chamber,crown and reblue. So it adds up real fast......Some re-worked M98 military mauser are a work of ART ! and can be a real bargin buy if the gun was done right.