Would you do it?

Status
Not open for further replies.
WayBeau

WayBeau

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
415
Location
Central Virginia
I have Carl Gustafs Swedish mauser stamped 1918 with all matching serial numbers. It's a great shooter, but it's so darn long that it's impossible to take into the deer woods (where I would really like to take it). I'm thinking of making it into a 'sporter'. If I do this, I'd like to do as much of the work myself as I safely can. My ONLY concern is that I might be destroying a valuable firearm.

Can anyone speak to this? I mean, the ones that I've found online haven't been fetching much in the market place.

If you had this rifle, would you sporterize it? Why or why not?
 
Bubba it and my fellow Swedes and I will have to hunt you down and do what ever you did to the rifle to you :D joking aside i personally wouldnt touch one thats all matching and in nice condition they are getting more and more valuble every year.
 
I wouldn't. It's a piece of history, you can easily buy an inexpensive deer rifle and it would probably cost the same as it would to 'spoterize' the mauser.

They may not be super rare now but as time goes on they will be rare pieces. Think of Revolutionary/Civil War firearms that were once in surplus and are now treasured. Obviously not the same thing but still history IMO.

Plus if you buy a new rifle, you'll have 2 :)
 
I wouldn't. It might be worth more than you think. That and there are plenty of cheap sportized rifles out there already or rifles designed fort he exact purpose you're looking for...ie we can always make new hunting rifles but the supply of Carl Gustav Swedish Mausers are limited. If you don't want it in it's current state, why not sell it to a collector who would and then buy a rifle tailored for your purpose with the cash?
 
Don't change it from what it is. If you need a sporter there are plenty of good ones taking up temporary residence in gun shops and pawn shops for decent prices.
 
Keep the one you have and add a second that has already been "sporterized". There are plenty out there that need a new home. It'll be common ammo between the two rifles and you'll have the best of both worlds - mil-surp for playing at the range and a shorter handier version for playing in the woods :)

Besides, it's fun to take a bubba sporter and make it into a really nice game rifle :evil:
 
Lets see: You want to take a $300-400 dollar rifle, spend $200 to make it a $100 rifle. I don't see the sense in that when you can buy a used deer rifle for $200-300.
 
As BrocLuno has mentioned there are plenty of previously sporterized rifles out there. They range from horribly done to extravagent beauties, and the prices vary as well, but you can easily find one with alot of the work already done for less than $300. Then you can continue to fix it up further, leaving the rifle you have already in its present condition. I have a few of these converted sporters and enjoy shooting them alot, but I could never bring myself to cut up one in original condition.
 
By the time that rifle makes it to your great grandkids, maybe it'll be worth the same (buying power) money it's worth today, and you will have either had to buy another rifle or just not gone hunting. Enjoy it while you can and do what makes you happy while you can. Those guys who whine about how those $20.00 surplus 1903s are all worth $500.00 seem to forget that a really good paying job back then made $100 a week, too. Besides, I really got a kick from all the groaning and gnashing of teeth when I took a numbers-matching 1942 Tula 91-30 and turned it into a 22" barreled 1.5MOA peep-sighted sporter!
 
I agree with the previous posters I too would leave it alone. There are a bunch of good rifles that would work for you
 
I used mine in the woods of Wisconsin and made my longest offhand shot ever. That long barrel gave me a good sighting plane and a steady aim. I used the Swedish sling I have on it, but still it is a dream to shoot. Please don't chop it. Get a Remchester instead.
 
Lets see: You want to take a $300-400 dollar rifle, spend $200 to make it a $100 rifle. I don't see the sense in that when you can buy a used deer rifle for $200-300.
Click to expand...

This was the type of response I was really looking for. No, it doesn't make sense to do that and I WON'T be doing that. My whole reason for wanting to sporterize it was because I love the 6.5x55 round and want to use it in the woods. Unfortunately, the woods I hunt are too thick to use such a long rifle. I have a good deer rifle all ready, so it wasn't a necessity, just an idea I was toying with now that my deer season is over. That being said, you all have convinced me to spare the rifle. I just hope I can find a decent sporter job that still needs a little work in my area.

Thanks guys.

I used mine in the woods of Wisconsin and made my longest offhand shot ever. That long barrel gave me a good sighting plane and a steady aim. I used the Swedish sling I have on it, but still it is a dream to shoot. Please don't chop it. Get a Remchester instead.
Click to expand...

How long was the shot? If a deer is more than 150 yds from me in teh woods, they're safe thanks to the amount of laurel and underbrush. I'd have to aim at the deer's feet to kill one that close.
 
There's a lot of work involved in sporterizing a military rifle. It's a bit more than just cutting off some of the stock and shortening the barrel. New sights must be fabricated or the receiver must be drilled & tapped for scope mount bases. You must find a scope mount / base for your rifle also. The trigger will need some work to make it suitable for hunting purposes.
Back a few (well more than a few) years ago, it was financially feasible to sporterize the $15.00 ~ $30.00 milsurp rifles. Today, the cost is an awful lot more and the milsurps are a huge amount more.
You have received good advice from others here, leave your rifle alone and buy a used sporting rifle to go shoot Bambi's great grandfather.

Roger
 
No, I wouldn't. However it is yours and your on money, so I won't be preachy. People often attach a historical value to somethin and then ignore the idea that such an item will continue to build history. Just because you change a rifle doesn't mean you erase its history, you simply add another chapter to it.
 
Basically its your rifle, so do whatever you want. There are only about a million of these floating around, and its not necessary to keep each and every one pristine. I sporterize one of my Swedes, and it turned into my favorite deer rifle. It isn't cheap though, but I'd sure do it again..
257288-R1-14-15.jpg
 
WayBeau, thank you for not sporterizing the rifle!

There are new production hunting rifles in 6.5x55 as you seem to really enjoy the cartridge and then you have the best of both worlds.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

WayBeau
  • Locked
Would you do it?
Replies
11
Views
462
WayBeau
WayBeau
P
  • Locked
New Novice Info. (6.5 Swedish Mauser)
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
ChopperKen
C
N
  • Locked
1898 Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori 6.5x55
Replies
12
Views
3K
netling
N
V
  • Locked
Sporterized 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser vs Tikka T3?
Replies
18
Views
3K
scotjute
S
M
  • Locked
Swdish Mauser question
Replies
12
Views
733
Bob F.
B
Back
Top