1900 Mauser M/96

[SammyJankis]

Picked this up today from a friend at the range. Only got to shoot a few rounds through it but I'm pretty happy to have a real "shooter" to play around with. Anybody else shooting one of these much? Which ammo suits it best? Should I scope it? Anyone else got pics of theirs?

 

[35 Whelen]

Whether or not you scope it depends on how you want to use it. Plinking and informal shooting, nah. Hunting, yup. If you do scope it, I'd not drill and tap it as it decreases the value of the rifle quite a bit.
I owned M96 but I handload so I can't comment on the best ammo.

What happened to your head?
35W

 

[dzelenka]

What manufacturer is it? I have a 1900 Karl Gustav. If yours is the same, I would love to know the serial number.

 

[Float Pilot]

The Swedish m/96 rifles that were made during the year 1900 were made by two manufactures.

1. The Mauser Factory in Oberndorf Germany on the Neckar river made 24,487 that year.
(they only made m/96s during 1899 and 1900 for a run of about 7% of the eventual total)

2. The King Carl Gustaf Swedish National Rifle Factory (CG) made 22,670 during the year 1900.

1900 dated m/96s in original military condition are fairly collectible and sought out by collectors.

There is a special place in hell for those who bubba them.

The m/96 rifles, the m/38 short rifle (23.5 inch barrel) and the m/94 carbines all have a rifling twist of 1 in 200mm. (about 1 in 7.5 inches)

They like long loaded (long COL) ammunition since they have a long throat.

The original military load was a 156 grain round nose bullet. In 1941 they introduced a 139 grain spitzer boat-tail bullet.

Factory hunting ammo made in the US has slightly undersized brass. (the case head) But the federal factory hunting ammo is very accurate and has a good velocity without high pressure. Remington and PMC are very undersized and I won't shoot them.
The Norma and Lapua ammo has the correct size brass but tends to be a little on the warm side.

The Swede m/96 is capable of super groups with hand-loads and the original military sights. There are scout scope mounts that do not bubba the rifle. See the Swedish military rifle collectors site.
http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?49-Swedish-Military-Firearms-Forum

Here is a group from my 1900 Oberndorf made Swede Mauser. USING MILITARY SIGHTS. And I have grand kids.

 

[Kendal Black]

The Williams FP-98 peep sight will fit on the 96. Calls for drilling, tapping and inletting the stock a little bit.

With the long 29" barrel on the M96 you get a really long sight radius by mounting a receiver sight.

The Swede Mauser is a great rifle.

 

[shotgunjoel]

There is a special place in hell for those who bubba them.

I'll have to remember that line.

 

[SammyJankis]

It was made in Oberndorf and i'll try to get better pictures up sometime this week. I'm navy and stationed on an army base right now and for the next two or three weeks I'm living on base and can't have firearms! The picture I posted was taken with an Iphone3G but I'll use my DSLR later in the week and put some really big pictures up. Thanks for the link Float Pilot, I'll definitely be spending some time there. I really wanna shoot this gun a good bit. For the next several months I'll have access to some 800 yard army ranges on the weekends and a buddy of mine just picked up a '44 soviet capture K98 so I should be shooting a lot.

 

[iamkris]

Please do NOT alter that rifle. I have an 1900 Oberndorf and it is a fine shooter with mil-ball 6.5x55mm. If you want a scoped gun, sell it to someone who will preserve it and then use the money to go buy a modern rifle.

As said above, hell awaits those who destroy history.

 

[Moose458]

I guess I have a reservation in that HELL. My 1900 Oberndorf, serial nr 25XX has a refinished stock, rear sight changed to a peep sight, Bold trigger, and I glass bedded the received. It's a super shooter, that looks great, and I have no regrets. To each his own.

 

[Slamfire]

Wish I had an Oberndorf Swede. Those are rare rifles.

Be good to it and don't drill and tap it for a scope as that cut the value more than half.

If you want a sporter, I am certain you will find someone who will trade for an all military Oberndorf.

 

[06]

Congrats on your shooter. Nothing like your first centerfire. Bought mine way back when I-77 was being built through Charlotte, NC. Took it down to the roadway and sighted it in--right in the middle of town. Would not want to try that today. The SWAT boys would have you surrounded quickly. Times have changed. I have both lengths and love them both. Again congrats.

 

[SammyJankis]

This is def a shooter...some of the numbers match but not all. The bore is nice and clean and the stock is in pretty good shape. I really wanna put a long eye relief scope on it. I found some information here

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/

but he seems to be pretty backed up. anyone know anywhere else I could get a good long eye relief mount for this thing?

 

[35 Whelen]

There's a place in hell for me too. My VZ24 is now an elk smoking 35 Whelen. I modded one of my Swiss K-31's so that now it makes the AR shooters nervous. Too many others too mention...but really, I've never destroyed a rare military firearm.
35W

 

[NCsmitty]

anyone know anywhere else I could get a good long eye relief mount for this thing?

S&K makes quality mounts for that purpose.

http://www.scopemounts.com/index.html?main.html#



NCsmitty

 

[Float Pilot]

A Navy guy on an Army base....???

What is your Job code?

As for your 1900 Obie,,,, what does the stock disc have on it?

 

[SammyJankis]

My RATE is CT*. In the army I would be 35*. I'll have to check out the disc on the stock when I see the rifle next. Like I said, it's stored off base until I move so I don't have easy access. I may go take pictures this evening.....Army bases are rough...there's very little water...

 

[Float Pilot]

Roger that regarding RATINGs:
I asked job code, such as NEC ...CTI-9216, just in case you were a zero where you might have been an 18 series or something along those lines..
Like I held a GM 0891 ASROC series code (now obsolete) for awhile and later added a 533*. Later causing much confusion to the Army and Air Force.

By the way, your m/96 will out-shoot any German M-98 as long as you do your part.

 

[SammyJankis]

What makes the 96 such a better shooter than the 98? I know it feels better to shoot and the ammo is somewhat cheaper but I figured if the Germans adopted the 98 during WWII it must have had it's advantages.

 

[elkdomBC]

gifted to me some years ago a 1900 era Military Carl Gustaf bolt action in 6.5X55 Swede didn't excite me very much ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but,,,,

took it home, disassembled it, cleaned grease out of the bolt and magazine gave the bore thorough cleaning with Wipe-Out (tm), WOW!, the bore was bright and immaculate, time for a box of factory ammo, out to the range, fired a couple rounds to check if the fired brass was not oversize or showing any signs of head-space, they were perfect,

next snuggle down on the sandbags and fire 5 shots at 100 yards,the original military open sights, unreal! all five inside 2 inches,dead-on! fired off the rest of 20 rounds,

next day the 6.5 swede went to the gunsmith for scope mounts,a turned down bolt handle and a PH safety, I purchased a custom shop MC walnut stock, glass bedded the action, polished the original trigger work, installed a Canadian Military sniper scope ,I have had for about 30 years, a ( Kahles XF69-6x42mm) loaded up several combination of loads and headed back to the range

the 140grn BTHP hand-loads,proved outstanding, 3 shot 0.56in groups at 100 yds,
with a bit more tweaking, on a good day, under 3in at 300yards,

in the last couple of years that Carl Gustaf 6.5x55 Swede has been the demise of dozens of Coyotes and several Whitetail and a 187-5/8 Buck Mule deer,
Yoties out to 400 yards are a bang-flop,

the rifle is an absolute joy to shoot, no recoil to speak, and hits where you point it,
no thoughts of selling it,,,,,,,,

 

[Slamfire]

What makes the 96 such a better shooter than the 98? I know it feels better to shoot and the ammo is somewhat cheaper but I figured if the Germans adopted the 98 during WWII it must have had it's advantages.

While my 1896 is a very accurate rifle, I believe that is due to Swedish ball being really good and the high quality of manufacture in the rifle. I have German made 7mm M1898's in like new condition that are not inferior in accuracy to a M96 Swede.

I have never shot match ammunition in my 8mm Mausers. I have shot surplus and the accuracy is what you would expect from a service rifle. I suspect with match bullets, a good barrel, and given proper bedding, an 8mm 1898, Kar98, etc, would shoot very well. My 8mm's are war time rifles with war time barrels, and I am shooting surplus ammunition, so I am not getting the most out of the 8mm cartridge. Still I think that I will never be able to shoot a 8mm Mauser as well as a 6.5 Swede or a 7mm Mauser because shooting a 200 grain bullet in a rifle with a steel buttplate hurts and I flinch.

Enjoy your Swede.

 

[Kendal Black]

The Swedes had an aggressive ongoing maintenance program on these old blasters. That is what the brass disk is about. Barrel not so good? Here is another. Everything gauged and measured and refurbed in an ongoing cycle.

That, I think, is why you have a good chance of getting a straight shooter if you pull one off the rack at random at So-So Surplus. Might be Carl Gustafs, Hooskie or Mauser, same fine care given to all of them.

 

[dirtyjim]

so far my m96 shoots everything i've tried to feed it very well.
cg 1900 with a tiger striped stock

There is a special place in hell for those who bubba them

yeah, its right next to the people who cant tell the difference between a nice custom & a bubba job. the devil has actually started realeasing the bubbas early since hells getting overpopulated with collectors

 

[Float Pilot]

Even the German made Swedish Mausers were made from Swedish steel. Under the supervision of Swedish inspectors. As mentioned before they were super anal about their tolerances and PMS program. Their worn barrels were usually superior to the new barrels of other countries. Plus they were replacing parts and barrels up into the 1970s.

Yours probably has the initials O.G. just before the serial number. Since it was probably accepted during the duty period of Captain Olof Darling Gibson.
Like my 1900 Oberndorf below

 

[Kendal Black]

Of course, the obsessive maintenance program means "all original Swedish Mauser" is something bordering on a contradiction.

That adds to the charm, in my opinion. They kept these guns up and running and straight. Finally they decided the bolt action idea was not all it was in the 1890's, and dumped shiploads of Mausers onto the surplus market, which in my opinion was much better than melting them down to make FNC's.

I'm generally in favor of things Swedish, except Lutefisk, and wonder what is the best way to mount an Aimpoint on a Mauser?

 

[whcole]

I picked up a waffenfabrik mauser oberndorf a/n 1900 swedish no one has alter it, and it looked very good with a SN of 4683 on the bore all other parts but two have 683 on them. this is my frist mauser, I trade for it. I"am not sure if this is a good SN for this gun???? old or in WW2 . any help ????