Siamese Mauser

[papapaul]

My siamese mauser arrived yesterday. I saw it on Gunbroker and casually put in a low bid ($125) without reading the description. Turns out it had been welded, was missing XYZ, etc. Of course I won it. $30 shipping, $20 FFL Fee (and one hour of my time.) Turns out, it is pretty decent. Somebody had tack welded the extractor to the bolt and mag well opening, but just a little. It cleaned up completely and will make a nice 45-70.

[Alan in GA]

can it be made into a 45/70 easily? I guess I'm asking,,'can the tack welds be removed without major hassle?

[T.Zimm]

The way I understood it was that a lot of them were 45/70. I am not sure if they were converted or sold that way, but If I remember correctly they were sold that way. I know of one here in town that was bought that way and dropped a nice elk three years ago. Sounds like a good bargain to me. I bet it will be a nice shooter. How was the wood and blueing? Can you post us a picture?

[Bayou City Boy]

They were converted to 45-70.

Attached is a link with a little history. Back in the 1960-70"s, converting a Siamese Mauser to 45-70 was a common conversion as a lot of the actions were available and cheap.

http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/akforum/akshooting/61403.htm

The common chamberings for the Siamese, the 8X50R and 8X52R, made the conversion to the rimmed 45-70 a fairly simple process.

-BCB

[T.Zimm]

I read up on them after I made that post. My acquaintance bought it that way already converted. Sounds like they are a pretty good platform. If it has a good barrel, it should shoot well.

[Rick B.]

I was good friends with Bill Rodgers (owner of Springfield Sporter's, Penn Run Pa.)

Bill told me about going to Thailand to get these guns. He imported everyone that Navy Arms and others sold. (The story of going to get them, paying bandit lords on the way in and the way out, is a great story in itself.)

The actions were stripped and sent to Shaw Barrels and were re barreled. Then Bill sold them to Navy and Interarms for bluing and stocking.

When they came out I wanted one of the 18" bbl Cannons, but Bill told me to get the longer one as the short one was a killer on both ends.

As was me at that time, lots of wants, very little extra cash, I never did get my Siam Mauser in 45-70.

Fast forward to 10 years ago. A young guy that was in my shoes (No Money) had a Siam action and a 45-70 BBL and needed a Deer rifle.

I had an early example of a CZ 24 (Model 98 Mauser in 8MM that was a real shooter). We worked up a swap and I bought a stock for it.

Well it's still a 'Round Tuit', as thats how it sits in my gun safe.

I have 3 other 45-70's which I shoot, but still in my mind, I can see some Romper Stomper loads in that Old Mauser "Killing At both ends".

A guy took an early Navy Arms gun to Africa and convinced his PH that he could kill a leopard with it. The PH was Not too happy, as he had never heard of a 45-70 (we are talking 1974-5 here). After a one shot DRT on a Big Male Leopard, the PH reckoned that the 45-70 was "Bloody Good Leopard Medicine".

Have fun with it. the only thing a gunsmith has to do different on that action is tight fit the bbl, mark for the extractor cut, remove the bbl and make the cut. The stock is a Special item due to the slanted mag, and Longer than standard action.

These actions were made by Loew-Berlin (I think) and the metallurgy is the best between the wars that they had.

You will say 'Uncle' on loading for it, long before it will. You can use all Ruger #1 loads in it with ease. Ask MLM about some of those, LOL...

Good Shooting,

Rick B. and RedFoxy

[Bayou City Boy]

A post script to the Whole Story is that there was gunsmith in Chadron, Nebraska in the late 1960's/very early 1970's who did some of the first 45-70 conversions attempted on the Siamese Mauser action.

His name escapes me after a lot of years, but he was making this conversion when others were saying it was not possible. Later on, the conversion became a big selling point for the larger Siamese actions and the demand for them rose....

_BCB

[papapaul]

I may make it a .458x2 just because the bolt face is a dead match. And, I have brass. I'm using a 45-70 reamer and 45-70 dies, and 45-70 (Ruger) load data on my 458x2. I'm goint to try to use the original stock, but it may be that the new barrel is larger than the stock, I don't know yet. I'm having lots of fun playing around with the 458x2.2 I've got up and running. I bought some .410 wads yesterday. Not sure what for yet, but 2 grs of bullseye and a handfull of shot might make a good backyard shotgun. I loaded some 500 gr lead bullets yesterday, can't wait to see what that does. I'm going to start it out on the lead sled. Those bullets were 1-1/3 inches long! This is too cool!