Adobe PDF Downloadable Version of Article

Semi-Custom Siamese Mauser, Not To Be Confused With…

Siamese Cat!!!!

Mauser, staying at the forefront of firearms design, went to work and developed the famous type 93 Mauser action at the end of the 19th century. It had all the latest innovations in firearms design. It won hands-down against all competitors in the Spanish rifle trials. One of the new features was a staggered column, 5 round, flush fitting magazine. Since most, but not all countries moved to rimless case, pointed ammunition; Mauser did a brisk business in supplying arms around the world. See the article on this site: “The Spanish Mauser Inquisition”.

Still, some countries clung to rimmed ammunition, even after it was clearly obsolete for military purposes. They wanted a Mauser type rifle, but wanted it to use rimmed ammo. It is somewhat difficult to get a rimmed case to feed from a straight sided, box type magazine. The rims will hang up on each, other causing the rifle to jam. Mauser solved the problem by designing a magazine box with a forward rake at both ends of the magazine. In this way the magazine could still have a double column, but the rimmed cartridges would feed without hanging up. The most important feature of the Mauser design is what others failed to achieve. Mauser’s design kept the magazine within the stock. It was protected and didn’t get in the way.

Siamese Mauser Long Rifle

Between WWI & WWII the British civilian gun trade bought many, many Mauser actions fitted with the special box magazines. They were building sporters destined for Africa and India. Many of the British big-game hunters favored rimmed cartridges. This was due to the popularity of the double rifles. However, a “best quality” double rifle cost a small fortune, and could take up to two years to complete! A Mauser sporter built by one of the best makers in either London or Birmingham was comparatively inexpensive, and could be completed rather quickly. To the coinsurer, a “best quality” double rifle was the status quo; while a Mauser actioned repeater was considered rather Unitarian!

Note Sliding Dust Cover On Forward Action Receiver Ring Of Siamese Mauser

Siam (now Thailand) was one of the eastern countries that clung to a rimmed, bottleneck case with an 8 mm spitzer bullet. They originally contracted with Mauser for rifles. The Mauser produced examples are rarely seen. Apparently the Mauser contract was rather small. Siam later contracted with Japan for the lion’s share of the rifles. The Japanese made rifles are extremely well made arms and mirror the Mauser produced examples. They were made in peacetime and exhibit careful craftsmanship and high quality blueing.

Other gunsmiths took the Siamese action to the next level. With a bit of lathe work, the bolt face could quickly be opened up for the 45/70 round. After that, bit of careful shaping on the feed rails and a Siamese would reliably feed a 45/70, even with a cast, flat point bullet. The extractor hook needed only slight alteration. A new barrel in 45/70 completed the package. When the actions were very plentiful, at least one commercial outfit in the 1970’s were building Siamese 45/70’s ready made.
 

Note Model 70 Type Safety, Bolt Handle Lowered And Contoured. Peep Sight Makes Sense In Foul Weather Hunting.

The 1984 Gun Digest whetted my appetite for a Siamese 45/70. It ran a story about a fellow who acquired a Siamese action and had it converted. He had gunsmith friends who were retired or semi-retired and willing to do the work on the cheap. I wanted such a rifle to hunt in wet, brushy country. I thought my Siamese 45/70 would just remain a dream. As we shall see, it was a dream that would come true. However, I would have to learn a lot, and wait 5 years before I touched off the first round from my Siamese 45/70.

In mid 1985 I rotated back to the States from a tour in Germany. I kept my ear to the ground, and made inquiries about Siamese actions or a complete rifle.

Some fellows said, “A what? Never heard of a Siamese Mauser.”

A couple of times guys said, “My buddy has one of those”. Invariably it would turn out to be a garden-variety model 98.

Siamese Mauser, Note Original Safety & Straight Bolt Handle

Others had heard of it, but could offer no leads. Then a fellow said a gun shop had an action that was already converted. After work I made beeline for the gun shop to see the Holy Grail. It was a Siamese action all right. Unfortunately, some all-thumbs person, who fancied himself a gunsmith, had completely ruined the action. The bolt face looked like it had been opened up free hand with a dull Dremmel tool. The rails looked like they had been worked over with a chisel! The safety didn’t work. It would make a nice paperweight. I just smiled and passed on it. One Day in late 1988 I walked into Brown’s Mills Hunting & Fishing Supplies. Jimmy, the best

guy on earth to ever have a gun shop asked if I was still looking for a Siamese Mauser. Remembering my experience with that butchered action, I guardedly said I was still looking. Then Jimmy said a fellow he sees about once a week came in and offered him a complete Siamese! Wow…could it be real? Jimmy said he could have it there the next week. All week I thought about that rifle. Would it really be a Siamese, or another model 98 someone thought was a Siamese?

Jimmy was good to his word. The next week a complete, unaltered Siamese was in the shop! Other then a bore eaten by corrosive primers, the rifle was in fine shape. I finally had the basis for a 45/70. Then my research began.

I already had the specifications in mind for my project. A turned down bolt handle, model-70 style safety, metallic sights and Weaver scope bases, semi-gloss blueing, long barrel with 6 or 8 lands (for cast bullets). I wanted a classic styled stock with a shadow line cheek piece. A steel recoil bolt and a good recoil pad would round out the stock. Knowing what you want and getting it at the right price can be two very different things.

Most of the individual builders who do quality work were priced way out of my league. Others were backed up several years and could offer no delivery time. One fellow said he simply had more work then he could handle and couldn’t take on any new clients. He was only taking new orders from long time clients. I didn’t blame these men a bit. The very best men, with an established reputation, can command the highest remuneration for their efforts. The others were being very honest. No one likes to hear a firm delivery date, and then have it constantly pushed back again and again.
 

Siamese Mauser, Another View Of Original Safety & Straight Bolt Handle

One day I was reading Shotgun News. A large ad proclaimed they had model 98 bolt sleeves already converted to model 70-safety configuration. The price was attractive. If you sent them a trade-in bolt sleeve, they would take off $5.00. Knowing there were slight dimensional differences between regular Model 98 and Siamese Mauser’s, I called the company.

I queried the man who answered the phone if he had Siamese bolt sleeves and if not would a regular model 98 sleeve interchange. He said, “No, and the question comes up quite often. I can’t get enough Siamese sleeves to offer it.” Then he rattled off the size differences between Siamese and model 98 sleeves! I asked if I were to send my Siamese sleeve to him, he could convert it and return it to me. He said, “At this price I have no way to track an individual sleeve through the shop”.

While I didn’t get a converted Siamese bolt sleeve, I did learn something. The need was out there, and someone had to be doing the work. Since the fellow could quote size differences from memory, he must have done at least one, probably for himself.

One day a fellow showed me a commercial FN action that had been recently rebarreled, blued and sighted by a company called E.R. Shaw, www.ershawbarrels.com

During the 50’s, Sears imported commercial FN 98 type actions and had them barreled, blued and stocked by High Standard. They were then sold as a Sears’s house brand. He had acquired the rifle and had E.R. Shaw rebarrel, add sights and reblue it. They installed a beautiful 8-land barrel of their own manufacture; Williams’s sights were added, then glass beaded and blued the works. The blue job looked like rust bluing. It shot as well as it looked too!

E.R. Shaw’s pricing was within my means, and the turn around time was good. I got their brochure and saw they also offered Siamese conversion, turning down bolt handles, D&T for Weaver bases, Williams sights etc. Cool! There was still the issue of the safety conversion to deal with first, before the action could be shipped off to E.R. Shaw.

In the classified section of Shotgun News I saw an ad from an individual gunsmith that converted model 98 bolt sleeves and actions to model 70-safety style configuration. The price was attractive. I gave Ed Delorge of Thibodaux, LA a call. Yes, he could convert a Siamese action to model 70-safety configuration, and had done so before. I queried him if the regular model 98’s and Siamese were the same. He replied, “No”. Then he rattled off the size differences! The fact he instantly provide detailed information, gave me confidence in this man. Ed said he could complete the work and get it shipped back to me within a week of receipt. We talked guns for a few minutes. I had a good feeling about this fellow. The next day the Siamese action, written instructions and a money order were shipped to him. (NOTE: I recently tried to contact Ed. He is no longer listed in the directory)

A Simple 2.5 Power Scope Is Good Optics For Short Range Work

Once the magazine assembly and barreled action are fitted, then it is time to ensure the barrel is free floated full length. Free floating allows the barrels harmonic cycle to progress in its regular pattern. However, the first two inches of barrel channel won’t be free floated. The action requires support for a heavy barrel. Actually, the first two inches of barrel channel and the action both require positive support. This is where Brownells ArgoGlass Gell comes into play. But first, the stock requires additional insurance from the effects of recoil. This is why Mauser wisely designed the rectangular steel recoil bolt to be fitted to a stock.

Even the densest walnut is wood fiber, and wood can only take so much pounding. The recoil bolt provides support 3 ways. It provides support against the recoil shoulder of the action. It provides a support for the bottom of the action, and the retaining nuts help hold the thin sidewalls of the stock together during recoil. Since I was stationed at Ft Dix NJ, I took a drive up to Sarco. I got a new, surplus, Mil-Surp FN Steel recoil bolt. Again, this is where a Dremmel tool, with the correct wood cutting bits, is worth its weight in gold. The recoil bolt should be fitted to allow a thin layer of Agroglass to be between it and the action for a perfect fit. I also drilled 1/16-inch holes along the side of the retaining nuts to allow a thin layer to flow outside the stock. This permanently locked the recoil bolt to the stock. Heavy recoiling rifles can and will damage stocks, if the stock is poorly fitted, or recoil doesn’t protect the stock bolt. I’ve personally seen 2 Sako .375 H&H Magnums split their stocks, one right out of the box after 3 rounds of factory ammo! I have heard of a third rifle doing the same. Recoil bolts are considered ugly because they break the visual plain of nice looking wood, but cracked stocks are far uglier!

After the Agroglass Gell had set, the barreled action was removed. Cutting the stock to the required length can be tricky. One has to remember to figure in the length of the recoil pad AND the thickness of the most likely clothing to be worn while shooting.

Attaching the pad is easy. The tricky part was maintaining the stock lines while trimming the width of the pad. I secured the stock to the bench with the end hanging over, and free handed the trimming. Now it’s files, and sanding to shape and smooth the stock. After progressively finer grades of sand paper its finer and finer grades of steel wool until the stock looks polished, without a drop of finish on it. The last order of business was finishing the stock.

I used Birchwood Casey TruOil to apply the finish. The secret is to apply 6 to 8 large drops as one coat. Let it dry and apply another coat. In dry climates, many coats can be applied in one day. An oil finish gives the wood a warm glow. It had taken a long time, but I had a 45/70 Siamese Mauser.

Some may carp this gun really isn’t “custom”. The truth is; almost no custom makers do all the work themselves. Many just do custom metal work, but not blueing or stocking. Often the client will have one man do metal work, get the barreled action back in-the-white, then go to the stocker who will measure the client for the stock. After the stock is completed then the metal work goes to be blued. Many stockers work from semi-inletted blanks too; except, they have their own special “custom pattern” they have their blanks turned to, before fitting it to an action and to a client’s particular dimensions. Some clients will supply that special blank of wood to the stocker themselves. Other clients will select a piece of wood from the stocker’s inventory. Often, when a client and stocker have a long time relationship, it is common for the client to just tell the stocker he wants the stock made from, say; AAA Turkish Circasuian. The client trusts the stocker to select an appropriate blank.

I prefer to think of the 45/70 Siamese as a “semi-custom” rifle. The components of this rifle, with the exception of the safety, are all off-the-shelf items. However, when one takes a Mil-Surp to this level of redesigning and rebuilding, it surely is more then the sum of its parts. When considering how personal such a rifle is, the term “semi-custom” seems most appropriate.

While the stock work was proceeding, I ordered dies, shell holder, bullet mould, sizing chamber, top punch, gas checks and brass. The barrel was right on the money at .457. I ordered a .459 sizer die for the cast bullets. To determine the correct sizer die or sizer kit for a barrel, see the article on this site “Slug, Measure & Match”.

45 Caliber Cast Bullets Punch Big Holes In Both Paper & Game.

It really is thrilling to fire a gun you designed, selected components for, and guided through its completion. Of course, the proof is in the shooting. A rifle may have many good features, and be in a desirable caliber; however, if it doesn’t shoot well, it’s simply not a good gun. I started off with cast bullets from a Seaco # 019 mould. It is a very well designed bore-riding bullet of 465 grains. The fact they immediately grouped nice and tight is a tribute to the smoothness of Shaw’s barrels. I later found Seaco # 017; a shortened version at 350 grains did just as well. Many sporters won’t shoot cast bullets well until they are broken in with jacketed bullets. The Shaw barreled Siamese required no such formal break in.

The 9 Ring Shot Is What Happens When I Fail To “Follow Through”!

These 15 years, the Siamese has been on many hunting trips to the north woods. When brush

 is thick and shots tend to be taken at fairly short ranges, a big-bore express type rifle makes sense. Like any other rifle that goes to the field often, the Siamese has the scars to prove it. The stock has taken its share of dings and scratches. Scopes and rings have been switched. The Williams barrel mounted rear sight has given way to a Williams peep rear sight. The Siamese groups just as well today as it did in the beginning. There is a lot to be said for having a gun unlike any other.

If you desire a personalized gun, the first step is to decide exactly what its purpose is. Next, do the research and talk to others who have been down this road. Finally, select a builder and the components to make your dream come true. With careful planning it can happen a lot sooner and at less expense then you may think.

Adobe PDF Downloadable Version of Article