Just got a Turkish Mauser

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56FordGuy

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Yep, I just picked up a Turk Mauser from a friend I work with this morning. He bought it several years ago, fired fewer than 40 rounds through it, then put it away.

I brought it home and fired five rounds through it. It seems like a pretty nice shooting gun, though it needs a good cleaning. This is where my questions come from. I've researched online, but I have a few questions still. In order to remove the barrel band on the front of the handguard, I believe I need to take a file/ Dremel tool and grind down the non- head end of the screw, as it's cross peened in there and won't turn out. It will turn, but won't come out. Once I grind down the end of the screw, what do I replace it with, when I reassemble the rifle?

On the side of the stock, right below the serial number on the action there appears to be another screw. One side is flat, the other side looks like a nut with two small holes in it that some sort of spanner wrench might fit into. What is this fastener, and do I need to remove it in order to separate the action from the stock? If so, do I need to buy a special wrench to fit the two holes, or is there another way to remove it?

Lastly, I'd like to check the headspace on this rifle, just to be safe. It shoots fine and chambers ammunition smoothly, but I've read that the Turkish rifles can have issues due to being assembled from parts of various guns. I've read that there are two different angles in the chamber, for the same caliber, and the wrong gauge will act like there's a problem when there isn't. What angle do I need, and would it be common for a gunshop to have a set? I'll buy a set if I have to, but I'd rather try to check my rifle at a gunshop if I can, simply because I don't expect to buy many more rifles in this caliber. I think I'd use the gauges once, then toss them in a drawer to gather dust.

Thanks!
 
The screw looking thing in the rear barrel band is not a screw at all, as you have summised. It's a pin.

It will usually punch outwithout much trouble.

The spanner nut deals in the stock shouldn't be removed unless absolutely needed, like for stock repairs or something else. No reason to take it out. It's part of the stock. A reinforcing bolt.

What model Turk is it? Several different versions, about all are chambered for modern 8mm/7.92 Mauser. Could conceivably be chambered for the 7.65mm Mauser, as Turkey issued that caliber for a while. Although they converted about anything and everything(incliding Lee Enfields!) to 8mm Mauser during and before WWII.

The receiver ring(front of receiver top) should say something like K Kale 1942. Look and see if it has a date. If the gun is a rebuilt M93/M95 old style Mauser stay away from hot ammunition. If an M98 style action as most are, safe to shoot with about any milsurp ammo. The Turkish 8mm being fairly hot.

Google Turkish Mauser, and there is a good website that will help Id the action style you have.

Most 8mm ammunition (surplus) is corrosive, so itf you shoot it, you really need to clean it well soon after, preferably the same day. Will ruin the bore fairly quick if not cleaned. New commercial ammo is available thats not corrosive. Any ammo thats not brand new should be suspected of being corrosive. No big deal, just clean the thing.

The headspace should probably be checked. I personaly just inspect the gun to make sure it's not going to likely RIP on the first shot. If all looks good, I fire the gun, and check the fired case for signs of excessive headspace, backed out primers, stretched case, bulged case, stuff like that. If the brass comes out looking like it went in only fired and empty, probably the rifle is fine. It's not a bad idea to check the headspace though. The guages to do that are not all that expensive, but the bolt has to be stripped down bare to do it probably. There are a couple alternative methods to give an idea of acceptable headspace, but I'm not going into that.
 
The k.kale stamped are full length standard 98 style but with small ring threaded barrels. The earlier conversions are notched in the receiver and are shorter actions, the same as the Yugo 48's.
Here's a link to a informative site.

http://www.turkmauser.com/

NCsmitty
 
According to the turkmauser website, it's a model 1938. It's stamped K. Kale, and the date is 1946. My buddy bought it with a bunch of surplus corrosive ammo, he cleaned it well before he put it away. I've cleaned the bore and bolt face since I shot it today, but the stock feels greasy, and due to the crossbolt/ pin in the barrel band, I have no reason to believe that the rifle has ever been fully disassembled to remove all the cosmoline and gunk.

As for the pin through the barrel band, mine has a slot cut in the larger diameter end to fit a flathead screwdriver. Since it's a pin, will it damage anything if I ignore that slot and knock it out with a roll pin punch? If I knock it out, what do I do to ensure that it stays in place upon reassembly?
 
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