6.5x55 Swedish Mauser...need advice

[Stinkyshoe]

I found a 6.5x55 Carl Gutstafs Stads M96 Swedish Mauser brand new in the cosmoline for sale. The guy wants $250 for it. Is this a fair price? I have heard a lot of great things about this caliber. What do you guys know about it? I want it for deer hunting, and target shooting. Please give me some input on the pros and cons.
Thanks a bunch
Ss
Ps Wow is the barrel long on this thing!

 

[DnPRK]

If it is all matching and has a good bore, then $250 is a steal. They are getting hard to find in good condition. Please do not bubba-ize it as it will continue to increase in value. Taking a hacksaw to it or drilling for a scope mount will destroy it's collector value.

 

[BusMaster007]

What are you WAITING FOR? Christmas? That IS Christmas!

Go for it before someone else does.
If it is what you say it is, cleaning it and shooting it will be a pleasure.
Good deal!

 

[Wildalaska]

Great rifle, if ya wanna go deer hunting with one I have a semi sporterized one I will trade ya....

WildloveswedesAlaska

 

[OEF_VET]

I bought a short barrelled Swede (I guess a Mdl. 38) last year in a pawn shop in Maine for $75.00, so I guess I really got a steal. It has a new, hand made stock on it, but the individual was thoughtful enough to put the disc on the new stock. It's a real nice rifle, especially given the price I paid.

Frank

 

[Mesa]

Yeah I found one in a pawn shop a few weeks back and figured it was $300+. I asked the guy behind the counter about it and he said he'd have to get $100 for it. I couldn't believe it! I checked it over and rechecked it. I couldn't find anything wrong with it at all. It was in very good shape. I purchased it right away. Shoots like a demon, recoil is practically nil, and looks great to boot!

 

[ACP]

Sounds like a good deal. Check this site for more info:
http://www.samcoglobal.com/rifles.html#m96

 

[mete]

The 6.5x55 is a fine cartridge, exceptionally accurate,still used for serious target shooting. An off the shelf rifle should give you 1" groups, a good one 1/2". I used it for deer hunting for many years. The 140 gr bullet has high ballistic coefficient and sectional density which does a great job without much recoil or muzzle blast. About 10 years ago they reduced the loads as it was then 100 years old. But if your gun is new it will take loads of 48,00 psi max. Buy it.

 

[jem375]

You will probably have to get a taller front sight to bring the point of impact down...........I did with mine since it shot so high.......

 

[Mike Irwin]

If you don't buy it, I shall slap you silly.

As for the cartridge, you can do some wonderful things with it. Very accurate, almost no recoil, easy on powder if you reload. It's one of those cartridges that someone on a budget could take just about anywhere in the lower 48 and take just about any game with.

I'd hesitate to try bashing an Elk or Moose, but if I had the right bullets and a perfect shot it wouldn't be out of the question.

 

[M67]

I'd hesitate to try bashing an Elk or Moose

I have seen a couple of surveys that indicate that the 6.5x55 is used to take close to one third of the moose shot in Scandinavia. The numbers may not be quite up to date, more hunters are using "new" calibers just because they can, the shiny new toy syndrome. But even if the number is somewhat less than a third, and considering that the cartidge is less popular in Finland since they never used it as a military round, the number of moose taken with it is considerable. The total number of moose taken in Norway, Sweden and Finland combined is somewhere around 220,000-230,000 per year, give or take a few. 50,000 moose killed by the "six-and-a-half" can't all be wrong...

 

[AC]

moose

Dave Scovill in his column in Rifle or Handloader (he's the editor) in the past year recorded information sent to him from Norway or Sweden on moose harvests. This included data on right around 10,000 moose. Recorded were caliber, shots fired, and distance that the animal traveled. There were literally thousands of entries for the popular calibers like 6.5x55 and .30-06. The 6.5x55 was the smallest caliber if memory serves and there were .300 magnums and .375s in the data.

There was virtually no difference in any of the cartridges in regards to shots needed and distance travelled. The column made me want to sell the other rifles and buy a 6.5x55 to use from now on. Fortunately that feeling passed.

 

[mete]

In sweden the minimum moose cartridge is the 6.5x55. When used they strongly suggest the 160 and a premium one at that . But with a sectional density of .330 it penetrates.

 

[Futo Inu]

"but the individual was thoughtful enough to put the disc on the new stock."

Just hope he didn't put a "good" disc on a not-so-good rifle's stock. So hold up a sec. That disc is the key - it will tell you the bore's condition upon refurb by the Swede gummint, post-issuance, and since it's in cosmo, it should not have changed. Do a search and you will find websites that explain all the markings on the disc, one of which is the bore's overall condition (rating), and another of which is the exactly bore groove diameter upon slugging at refurb, with the smaller the better for accuracy (but don't use hot reloads on the smallest bore sizes). On second thought, it may be the land diameter that's marked on the disc. Check it out. So I'd not pay more than 175 or so if the bore is marked good or excellent. Oh yeah, scandinavian "meese" are reindeer, as I understand it, and a tad smaller than NA meese, FWIW.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I'm aware of how popular the 6.5 is for the larger critters in Scandanavia.

I've got to wonder, however, how many are wounded and lost every year because of a shot taken under questionable circumstances resulted in a wound.

Perhaps not that many, but who knows.

I just know that were I hunting moose or elk I'd want something with just a bit more hole cutting ability, something along the lines of a .30-06 with Nosler Partitions.

 

[Capt Teach]

If memory serves (it doesn't always) the 6.5x55 bc is right up there with the .308. I have read that beyond 500 yds. the 6.5x55 actually begins to gain an edge with proper loads. Those long barrels 23.6" to 29" + really lets you get creative with the slower burning powders. People get a little carried away over the collector value of such weapons. I like to shoot mine and am currently looking for a smith to properly mount a variable powered scope on my m38. jmho

Capt Teach

 

[mtnbkr]

I like the 6.5x55. I just put 100rnds through mine (Winchester Featherweight) this weekend and easily shot "minute of bowling pin" offhand at 100yds. I think I've found a new "favorite rifle". It's easy to shoot and should be more than adequate for east coast deer.

Chris

 

[Wildalaska]

I picked up on my recent East Coast trip a Parker Hale 98 Mauser in 6.5x55. It has a crappy reblue, beat up sights and a hideous stock, but it has a featherweight countour bbl. Took it out last week (threw a 6.5x24 Swift scope on it which is possiblly the worst optical junk I have ever seen) and it shot 1/2 inch.

So now I have cut the barrel back to 21. Stock has been tossed, hi tech synthetic on the way. New Marbles folding rear, new Williams front. Three psoition saafety will be installed and probably ditch the Parker Hale trigger (anyone want to buy?) in favor of a Timney. Gonna teflon it, think it will weigh out just at 6 lbs. Will use this year for moose and caribou.

Wildloves6.5x55Alaska

 

[Wildalaska]

That disc is the key - it will tell you the bore's condition upon refurb by the Swede gummint,

Interestingly enough, I have a M38 and the bore disc is a unit disc (Coast artillery) instead of a bore disc.

WildnicecollectorsitemAlaska

 

[Baba Louie]

Check out Parallax Bill's Forums, specifically the Swedish Mauser board.

http://pub113.ezboard.com/bparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforums

My 96 is an Obie made in 1900, all matching numbers ('cept the cleaning rod), shoots like a dream, albeit 14" high at 100 yds... seems to be sighted in for a 300 yd (or meter?) zero.

Buy it. I paid $69 for mine back in 87 (bought several as gifts). Look to see if its already been drilled and tapped for micro sights, if so, purchase and install. Some say the B-Square scope mount (Scout position) isn't the strongest thing out there and Darrel hasn't yet gotten around to producing mounts for the Mauser clan (if you visit Parallax's site you'll see what I mean).

The 6.5x55 is one sweet shooting round. The 96 is one sweet shooting rifle (as is the 38 and the Ljungman).

Ask MauserLady about hers sometime. She's got this Huuuge scope mounted on hers and I think she probably hits whatever she aims at... anyway she calls herself MauserLady for a reason .

But is it really "new"... maybe cherry or armory re-built? It's worth the money I'd claim.

Adios

 

[scotjute]

They were selling for around $215 and up about 6 months ago at a gun show down here. Pawn shop is selling them for about $229. They are becoming harder to find, so expect prices to go up.
They are very accurate and are devastating on whitetail.
I prefer the shorter-barrelled ones personally, (23.6" barrell and sights already set for 100 meters). These are even harder to find and will probably run $250 +.

 

[Stinkyshoe]

Thank you all for the information. As far as I can tell, it is new from the factory. The serial numbers match up, the barrel is packed with cosmoline, the stock doesn't have any scratches dings or anything. The only thing that looks "used" is the metal butstock plate. I would imagine this comes from years of transporting and moving the gun and setting it down on the butstock. As best as I can guess, the barrel is atleast 26 inches long. I stuck the tip of the gun to my arm pit(kinda where you would position a rifle with a lot of recoil so it does hurt much) and my middle finger touched the start of the chamber(I am 6'5") There is a small tag with a wire that appears to keep the bolt from being able to be opened. I am thinking this might be how they come from the factory, but I really don't know. The blueing looked in perfect condition(although I am not the best judge of this). I am hoping that this a something worth jumping into. How is the availability for the ammo. I do have a reloading press and have loaded about 500 rounds of 308, and still have all fingers .Is 6.5x55 difficult to reload for? I know a guy who used to be the editor for the Hornady reloading book(His wife was my high school english teacher) He reloads for over a 100 calibers, so I am sure he would have experience with 6.5x55.

What are somethings I can be aware of to detect if this is really new or not?Thank you again for all the info and suggestions

 

[Capt Teach]

Follow Baba Louie's advice. I have one of Darrel's mounts for my M-39 for a scout setup, but I want a "real" scope mounted on my Swede 38.
Reloading isn't particularly difficult, but finding quality brass is. For some reason the domestic variety doesn't seem to hold up well. I have heard good things about Norma brass, though it's a bit pricey. Not as pricey as my 6.5X53R however.

Capt Teach

 

[Baba Louie]

New?
Look at the receiver where it should state Manufacturer "Carl Gustav WaffenFabrik" or something or other with a date. As I said earlier, mine says Oberndorff Waffenfabrik 1900, thus it was made in Germany (as opposed to Sweden) in the year 1900, some 103 years ago... and it will outshoot ALL of my other toys and I only wish my eyes were those of a 20 year old soldier so I could shoot up to it!

http://www.surplusrifle.com/mauserswedish/index.asp

Another link to follow re: loads, takedown, etc.

Please do visit Parallax Bills Site and read back thru the posts on the Swede page(s). Those are some serious die-hard collectors and shooters, boyo.

Adios

 

[Vic303]

6.5

The swede is easy to reload for--just watch your max loads for pressure as you're loading for an OLD action...Reloader 19 is a good powder and reportedly is very similar to what the Swedes originally used.

--vic303
happy owner of 2 M96's