Caliber determination

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Uncle Alvah

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Hoping to settle an arguement with a buddy.
Found, for sale, a bolt action Mauser 98, commercial, pre-war, sporterized, NO markings to indicate either original caliber or if it might have been re-chambered to 8mm/06 or something like that. I even had a German speaking dude look at it for hints...ZIP!
I say the only way to accurately determine, without doubt, what the chambering is is to do a chamber cast.
My buddy says he's sure there are other, easier ways(not like a chamber cast is all that tough!), but he don't seem to be able to offer any details as to just how to go about that. Maybe some tool and die maker can do measurements someway? :confused::confused::confused:

Help me be right, or help me be wrong!
 
You're correct. Theoretically you could chamber and fire various rounds and that MIGHT be easier, but in no way shape or form is it safer, for either you or the firearm. And I should point out that I in no way endorse that course of action. It's dangerous and could get you seriously injured or killed.
 
You're correct.
Click to expand...

Man I LOVE to hear those words! :D

I was thinking maybe if somebody had a bunch of headspace guages it might be possible, or even chamber reamers, but thats pure conjecture.
 
Those MAY help, but they're not without margin of error. And then you'd have to go through the laborious process of finding all those gauges.
 
Slug the bore then do a chamber cast, record your data and match that against the cartridge dimension data from CARTRIDGES OF THE WORLD. Then buy or roll up the corresponding ammo. Go to the range, take an old tire minus the rim and a long nylon string , put the butt of the rifle in the tire with the forearm resting over the sidewall and the muzzle down range , tie the string to the trigger, put a round up the spout take the saftey off, go to a safe position and yank on the string.

If it fires and sounds good see if you can lift the bolt and extract the case, if the rifle is still in one peice but you have to pound the bolt open with a mallet, it's probably not the correct round and you need to recheck your data, or the rifle has problems.
 
You could probably figure it out yourself with clay. I've done that. Just spray pam or somesuch into it, then cram potting clay in there, and wait a day. Not good enough to determine if a chamber is out of spec, but to tell what a rifle is chambered in, this will work.
 
Pounding a soft lead slug through the bore and chamber casting (I have used wax and/or clay) is the only way to go. Bake Easy by Welton works great to keep thinsg from sticking to the chamber and barrel. It was made as a cake pan spray but I use it on my cast iron frying pans and in / on my black powder shootin irons.

Is the barrel a military step type or is it a sporter?
Any photos???

Any photos?
 
As far as figuring between 8x57 and 8mm06, just take an empty 06 case and see if it will chamber. It's longer than the 8mm. If it won't chamber, no reaming has been done.

If the 8mm case allows the bolt to close, it's not a 7mm.
 
If that rifle still has the original --x57 chamber the bolt will not even come to close on a 30-06 round/case.

Any competent gunsmith can gauge immediately if the barrel is an original 32 cal, a 30 cal, or a 7 mm...smaller differences may be more tricky (for example between a .308 and a .311)

The only real mishap I can imagine is if you chamber a 30-06 and the rifle is chambered for a 8mm-06 (in the opposite case, trying to chamber a 8mm-06 on a 30-06, you will not be able to close the bolt) but then again is very easy to determine that the barrel caliber is not a 32 cal. or a 7mm cal.

There is still the possibility that the rifle is chambered for some very obscure, wildcat, proprietary cartridge but I think that possibility is extremely remote at best.

I have exactly the same situation with my Mauser 98 rebarreled in 30-06, no markings whatsoever on the barrel...but it is a 30-06 for sure (tested with the 30-06 gauges)

Figure out the caliber of the bore and then just test with it with the appropriate test gauges (30-06, 8x57 or 7x57)
 
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Yeap, that rifle was custom made some time ago and now wears a Fajen stock. With that custom barrel, there is no telling what it might be chambered for... I love the express sights. the scope mount does not get me all hot and bothered...
30 seconds with some calipers would give you some idea of the bore.
What type of price are they asking?

My cousin-in-law in Germany (Grosswinkheim in Unter Franken) still makes rifles that look like that.

It was customized in Dessua Germany. That town was in the eastern zone (commie) from 1945 until the wall came down in 90-91.

Büchsenmacher is the German word for gunmaker, and a Hofbuschenmacher is a semi-official title indicating approval from the city, or Hof, in which the gunmaker worked. Almost all the older German made rifles have that word printed on them along with the gunsmiths name and the city it which he was licensed.

I believe the rifle was imported into England at one time as it now has the British pressure proof stamped on it.

Too bad the original German stock is still not on there. It would have been lower in the rear stock area for using those express sights. The addition of a cheap scope on a one piece mount looks cheesy....

The floor plate release will work if the lower end (trigger guard, magazine and floor-plate are removed via the action screws. Whoever put the American stock on there did not leave enough room for the magazine floor-plate to move rearward as it unlocks.
 
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What type of price are they asking?
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Well, to get right to the rat killin, $800 but I'm fairly certain theres some flex in that hard to say to what degree but, number 1 rule of haggling is "Never accept a first offer!"
Bit too spendy for my blood really, but if it was something resembling a deal when all was said and done, I have an ACOG I could use to finance some of it.......
 
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