Taking the Mauser M12 rifle apart for transport - Reasonable or unwise?

[Somerset]

In his SportingUK review of the Mauser M12 extreme (20/11/2015 Mauser M12 Extreme review - Shooting UK) Bruce Potts wrote

"Another excellent feature is the bedding system, which has a transverse steel lug to matt the front receiver, while the rear is perfectly aligned with an aluminium pillar. This means you can take the action/barrel out of the stock for transporting the rifle in a short case. When re-assembled, the rifle is ready to go. I took the M12 apart, then assembled it again and found that there was no loss of zero at all."

I'm familiar with the idea of reducing the length of a rifle for transport (Blaser R93 and Sauer 202) and smaller cases are much more convenient when travelling, but the M12 is not sold as a rifle to take apart for transport.

Is it reasonable or unwise to take the M12 apart for transport?

 

[Markfox]

I've got an M03 which breaks down for transport fine



Regarding the M12 as you said it was never designed as a breakdown rifle


if you were breaking it down 2-3 times a year I don't see an issue but if you wanted to do it weekly etc then I would buy a proper breakdown rifle

 

[AnthonyR]

I can't speak for the M12 but I take my Sako 75 apart for travelling so I can use a nice small case, my Sako is pillar bedded with a fixed picatinny rail

I use a torque wrench on the stock bolts and when reassembling and I have tested it several times and it holds zero perfectly.

Like the man above says I wouldn't do it I was taking it apart on a regular basis but I probably only travel with my rifle once or twice per year.

This is the case I use:

16405 LX | Negrini

Needed a bit of modifying and wouldn't take a big scope but fits my rifle and boar scope just fine.

 

[Cottis]

Totally reasonable IMO. Not designed as a take down rifle but action is designed to be removed from the stock if need be. As long as care is taken not to bash the scope and it is put together properly, I see no reason why it wont retain the same performance you enjoyed before.

I remove the actions from the stocks of my rifles with fairish regularity to fully clean/dry them if they have received a dousing from heavy rain and never had any issue.

 

[Somerset]

Markfox, AnthonyR and Cottis - Thank you all for your help.
I have a Peli case for my Sauer 202 7x64. I'm about to buy a .30-06 and judging by your replies I expect that I could do something very similar for an M12.
A torque wrench would not be everyone's choice, but having been away from home with scope mount problems, and no competent local assistance, I now carry one with my toolkit.

 

[Heym SR20]

I don't see an issue with doing this. Many of the take down rifles did exactly this although hadda circlip on the action screws to stop them being lost. If you are travelling far, you would normally take a couple of shots to check zero in any case.

 

[Somerset]

I don't see an issue with doing this. Many of the take down rifles did exactly this although hadda circlip on the action screws to stop them being lost. If you are travelling far, you would normally take a couple of shots to check zero in any case.

Thank you.