Interarms Mark X 7x57 Mauser

[jpr9954]

I just picked up an Interarms Mark X 7x57 Mauser. I believe it to be a Whitworth as it is marked both Alexandria Virginia and Manchester England. Correct me if I am wrong on this.

Instead of the usual Monte Carlo stock, it is has straight stock with a raised check piece and a schnabel fore-end. Additionally, it has a barrel band sling attachment. The wood is in very good shape except for a couple of dings on the right side near the loading port and a crack on the toe of the buttstock.

You can see the crack in the photo above. I have looked online for suggestions on how to repair it. I have read everything including Gorilla glue, 2-ton epoxy, cyanoacrylate super glue, and thin epoxy like Acraglass. For anyone who has had to make a similar repair, what do you suggest? I have also seen the suggestion to inlet under the buttplate for metal staples to hold the repair from cracking again.

Any suggestions for hunting ammo for this rifle? I have read the S&B 173 grain SPCE ammo works well. What else?

Eventually, I'd like to take this on a plains game hunt as it is so classically old school.

 

[MontanaGrant]

Sounds very unique. I’m guessing a custom stock? Could we get a pic of the whole gun?

I’ve fixed several cracks like that with bow epoxy. Meant to laminate bows. Warm it then inject into the crack with a small needle and then clamp. Works extremely well with thin wood and even better on heavy wood. A crack there could use many options and would work well

 

[cash_tx]

What a cool find, and should be fun to bring it back to field readiness! I love the character of it. I have an Interarms Mark X Cavalier that was made in 1975, and run a handload using Hornady 154 grain spire points that it likes pretty well. I measured mine out to be a 1:9" twist (maybe closer to 1:8 3/4"), and with the factory adjustable trigger, it is a pretty sweet shooter. If you look on the upper right side of the receiver just in front of the bolt handle, there should be a four digit code that tells you the month and year of production. Congratulations!

 

[eyedok]

I have a Whitworth 7x57 that was very finicky, while bedding it, found the front of the trigger assembly binding in the stock, dremel tool fixed that, now it shoots 1/2” or better with most loads, plan on taking it to Uganda, has became my favorite gun, shot a big muley w it this year, they seem to be pretty rare, nice find

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I just picked up an Interarms Mark X 7x57 Mauser. I believe it to be a Whitworth as it is marked both Alexandria Virginia and Manchester England. Correct me if I am wrong on this.

Instead of the usual Monte Carlo stock, it is has straight stock with a raised check piece and a schnabel fore-end. Additionally, it has a barrel band sling attachment. The wood is in very good shape except for a couple of dings on the right side near the loading port and a crack on the toe of the buttstock.

View attachment 598962

You can see the crack in the photo above. I have looked online for suggestions on how to repair it. I have read everything including Gorilla glue, 2-ton epoxy, cyanoacrylate super glue, and thin epoxy like Acraglass. For anyone who has had to make a similar repair, what do you suggest? I have also seen the suggestion to inlet under the buttplate for metal staples to hold the repair from cracking again.

Any suggestions for hunting ammo for this rifle? I have read the S&B 173 grain SPCE ammo works well. What else?

Eventually, I'd like to take this on a plains game hunt as it is so classically old school.

@jpr9954
I have used a product similar to acraglass to do repairs. Add a bit of colour to the mix so it blends in. Remove the but plate and use a fine drill to make a couple of holes. Make a groove between the two holes so the wire sits just below the surface.. Apply the acraglass to the repair then to the holes and staple. Push staple into the hole so it's below the surface and add more glue.
Sand the final result and refinish.
If that doesn't work shorten the stock Ha Ha Ha Ha.
Bob

 

[cash_tx]

PS - would love to see pictures of the overall rifle.

 

[mdwest]

Acraglass with the brown dye mixed in will fix that crack, no problem.. just get the thin, original acraglass, not the gel…

Bobs plan of attack should work well to address the problrm

 

[PARA45]

More pictures please.

 

[ThreeJacks]

What a cool find, and should be fun to bring it back to field readiness! I love the character of it. I have an Interarms Mark X Cavalier that was made in 1975, and run a handload using Hornady 154 grain spire points that it likes pretty well. I measured mine out to be a 1:9" twist (maybe closer to 1:8 3/4"), and with the factory adjustable trigger, it is a pretty sweet shooter. If you look on the upper right side of the receiver just in front of the bolt handle, there should be a four digit code that tells you the month and year of production. Congratulations!

From the old Interarms catalogs I have, the rifling twist on the 7x57 barrels were 1:9.5".

 

[cash_tx]

From the old Interarms catalogs I have, the rifling twist on the 7x57 barrels were 1:9.5".

I'll have to check my notes, but that actually might be what mine is.

 

[jpr9954]

PS - would love to see pictures of the overall rifle.

I'll get some pictures up in a couple of days. The pictures from the auction site are only so-so and don't show detail.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

The Interarms Whitworth 7x57mm Mausers had a twist rate of 1:9.5.
So they should stabilize the lighter 140-150Gr bullets better.

 

[eyedok]

maybe why i couldnt get mine to shoot, i started out trying the heavier bullets, were all over, bedded and fixed a couple tite spots but also started trying lighter bullets and started shooting excellent

 

[jpr9954]

Here are more pictures of the Interarms Mark X in 7x57. As you can see, it does not have any iron sights. I have tried to highlight the schnabel fore-end, the barrel sling band, and the safari style cheek piece. The scope bases are Redfield with the traditional dovetail front base and windage-adjustable rear base. According to my Timney mechanical trigger scale, the trigger pull is 2.5 lbs.

 

[cash_tx]

Very nice! With that wood grain, schnabel forend tip, and barrel band sling mount; I think it has some nicer touches than the typical Mark X. Enjoy!

BTW, the Mark X's started getting adjustable triggers sometime between 1972 and 1975. My 1972 Mark X has a traditional two-stage Mauser 98 style trigger, and my 1975 Mark X has a factory adjustable single-stage trigger.

 

[John Wasmuth]

How I long for the days of Microbed, made short work of bedding and repairing.

 

[cash_tx]

How I long for the days of Microbed, made short work of bedding and repairing.

Microbed? I'm not familiar with what that is. What was the benefit that it brought for bedding?

 

[rdog]

Great find the 7x57 is a classic cartridge, European ammo seams to be better , PPU ,S&B & Norma .
To fix the stock crack remove the butt plate flush out any oil & dirt from the crack using acetone & compressed air fill the crack with 2 part 24 hour quality epoxie died to match the wood & clamp it shut.
an other suggestion after repair is to fit a rubber recoil pad to keep the same length of pull cut off the thickness of the pad off the stock & you will be removing some cracked wood & the repair will not show as much. good luck.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Microbed? I'm not familiar with what that is. What was the benefit that it brought for bedding?

Microbed was a small company that made a one tube epoxy for bedding rifles, easy to work with and seemed indestructible. It was great for bonding cracks in stocks. Quick working time. Brownells bought them out around 2000 or so and then discontinued it. It was in direct competition with Brownells bedding compound.

 

[jpr9954]

Great find the 7x57 is a classic cartridge, European ammo seams to be better , PPU ,S&B & Norma .
To fix the stock crack remove the butt plate flush out any oil & dirt from the crack using acetone & compressed air fill the crack with 2 part 24 hour quality epoxie died to match the wood & clamp it shut.
an other suggestion after repair is to fit a rubber recoil pad to keep the same length of pull cut off the thickness of the pad off the stock & you will be removing some cracked wood & the repair will not show as much. good luck.

Your suggestion about repairing the stock and then having it cut for rubber recoil pad is something that I have been considering. I probably will repair it first and see how I like it without a recoil pad.