Just got a Swedish Mauser.

[Outlaws]

Model 1896. Made in 1908. Its got all matching numbers and the 1 checked and the 6.51 checked.

Overall it has some scratches and a few larger scratches, but against most surplus Mausers it looks great.

Got it for $300. The guy was asking $350. But I only saw 4 of them at the show, and it was a big show.

 

[High Planes Drifter]

Congrats! I have one myself. Great Rifle. Enjoy!

 

[ocabj]

Excellent acquistion. Don't put too much faith in the bore disc. There's no telling how much that barrel has been shot after it was rearsenalled by the Swede armorer that inspected that rifle and marked the disc.

I still need to get myself the M38. People are just asking more than I want to spend.

 

[Father Knows Best]

I've been wanting an M38, too, and holding back because prices seemed too high. If M96's are going for $300 and up, though, it may be time to suck it up and buy an M38. Just a year ago, good M96's were available for $225 to $275.

 

[diyj98]

If you shop shop around, you can still find 38's for $300.00 at shows. Of course you can often find then much cheaper, but $300.00 seems to be the norm from a dealer.

 

[Outlaws]

(I added two more photos)

Just based on the gunk that you can see in the camber pic, I figured it hasn't been shot much if at all and the disc would still be a decent guess for condition. I don't know if its cosmoline because the only surplus rifles I have owned/used were already cleansed of it. It feels solid as a rock though. The guy said he used to bring a dozen or so every show, but since the supply dried up he hasn't been able to. Back to the cosmoline thing....the guy opened the bolt and pulled the firing pin and told me to clean out some of the grease before I fire it. He said I didn't have to clean it all out, but get rid of some. I just assumed it was cosmoline.

I only saw one M38 at the show but it was in real bad shape. The stock was split in half and glued. The action might have been fine, but they wanted $225 for it and hardly any of the numbers matched.

Is there any 6.5 Swede surplus left anymore? I bought a box of Wolf (brass case) and a box of HotShot. HotShot I have never heard of. It just says Made in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I intend to handload this round eventually, and if I like it maybe get a single shot rifle in 6.5x55 also since I hear is a very accurate round.

 

[Colt46]

Probably the finest example of a Mauser

Not as strong as the later 98 action, but the swedes did a lovely job with them. They also knew how to feed and care for them. I've had a 1909 Carl Gustav for almost twenty years now and cringe at what you paid for yours.

 

[Red Tornado]

Looks like you did pretty good. With a pristine bore, as indicated on the disk, you very well may have a MOA shooter. As to the grease, it sure looks like cosmoline from what I can tell. That "should" indicate that it's hasn't been shot since dipping, but someone may have.

Clean it, get to the range, and report back to us. We love range reports...especially if there are pictures.
RT

 

[Trebor]

Either Samco or Sarco (I get them confused) has Swede 6.5x55 surplus. They also have stripper clips.

I get my commercial ammo from Aim Surplus. The Bosnian 6.5x55 works great in my two M-96 rifles.

 

[aka108]

Read a interesting article on the Swedish Mausers. The formula of the steel used remained unchange from the first on built in the late 1890's thru the last on off the line. Many were built for Sweden by Mauser in Germany and the steel for the Mauser built ones was shipped in from Swedish mills. German steel was not used in any of them. From what I hear, the Swedish 96's are the only 96's safe for conversion to 308.

 

[jem375]

I have one made in 1902 with really good wood and bore and it shoots great. I had to install a taller front sight to get it to come down for realistic distances but it works fine now...

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Congratulations on acquiring a fine rifle. A Swede Mauser is on the list of C&R rifles I want to buy. Man, it's a loooong list though....

-jagd

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

The Swedes are sweet! I have one too, in nearly perfect shape, an older one, before they got short. Beautiful stock on mine. Nice dark wood. Shoots really well. Good luck with yours. You will love it.

 

[Father Knows Best]

From what I hear, the Swedish 96's are the only 96's safe for conversion to 308.

Um, why on Earth would anyone want to convert a Swede Mauser to .308? The 6.5x55 cartridge is one of the best cartridges in the world, and is the single best reason for getting a Swede Mauser.

 

[TooTaxed]

Father Knows Best beat me to it! The 6.5 x 55 is truly a great cartridge, has been used in many long range target matches, which initially attracted me to it. After getting an instant 226-yd kill on a nice buck the first time I shot my Swede, my trusty .30-06 has been relegated to back up status.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Excellent find. Its hard to beat a Swedish Mauser. Everyone should have one of these and a Persian one for the finest of the Mausers.

 

[M110]

Great find! I have a Husky, and really need to find a nice Persian, and a non converted M96 to go with it.

 

[lionking]

it looks like a beauty to me!

the combination of rifle and cartridge is like bread and butter.

mine like most shoot high,I have yet to get a front sight replacement for it.Really want to see your results at a 100 with it.

The only thing I think that could be better with it would be a more user friendly sights,a deeper rear notch to better line up with the front.This would improve the potential accuracy which its already known for.

 

[Outlaws]

mine like most shoot high

Well its lowest setting is for 300 meters. I was told to expect it to be about 9" high at 100 yards. Its a battle rifle after all. Square up the chest and you get a headshot.

I am going to take it out to the range tomorrow. The range is just too busy on weekends.

 

[Outlaws]

Okay so I took it out today. There were good times and bad times. The bad times were that overall I didn't shoot so hot with anything I took to the range. The good was that the Mauser did okay my 4th and 5th shots.

Using HotShot 139 gr soft points, the first 3 shots wheresome where between 10-15" high at 100 yards and kind of centered. But I just couldn't see my target that well. Focusing on the front sight I just couldn't see much of the target...let alone the bullseye.

So I decided that since I am so high I will use a 6 o'clock hold to at least get a decent sight picture. Well, the 4th and 5th shots were about 8" high and 3" to the right. But the good news is that they were bug eyes. Then the bad news. My next 5 shots or so opened up the group to about 5". Most were a little higher and back and forth between center and 3" right. I think I might need glasses....

The 139 gr Wolf FMJ didn't shoot much better, but again, I think it was me.

I shot my Rem 721 (iron sights) in .30-06 and had my day ruined when I missed the target all together the first 5 rounds. I shot high and low trying to find paper. Some how the front sight got bumped or something because I went out there I saw 5 shots perfectly in line vertically just at various hights to the right of my target....that was me because two had bit off some of the tape.

But then the really good news. My GI 1911 that I got back from Springfield because it wouldn't feed more than two or three times before failing to feed, shot 150 rounds flawlessly. Now I just need better sights on that because the GI sights are not that great.


All in all a bad day at the range, but it had a few highlights that kept it from being hopeless.

 

[TooTaxed]

OUTLAWS, you sound like me! Although I've shot on two Army level rifle teams, at my advanced age my eyes have aged to the point I have trouble seeing both sights and the target clearly ...but with a scope, everything's fine!

 

[lionking]

how were you shooting it?,benched,prone,kneeling or off hand?You may want to bring the target in to 50 or 75yds to get a better idea of a grouping.

I sure do need to get a 100yd replacement front sight cause mine shoots high also,like you said sights start at 300 meters.My eyes are fine with glasses and I still find the sights on a M96 a little hard to use,which is why I say I think that it would be even better with a deeper notch and a post that would give a better lineup.

Even so its a incredible rifle

tehehe,and dont sweat it if you need glasses,been wearing them since I was kid.These days you can get them thin and stylish,I even have cool copper colored prescription shades for on stage and "going out".I have bad stigmatism and I even got contact lenses also,though I have a hard time putting them in.Gone are the days when big BCG's were the only option for bad eyes lol!

 

[JohnKSa]

The shortest sight setting is 300 meters, so 10-11 inches high at 100 sounds exactly right.

Mine shows definite like/dislikes for ammo. Winchester goes just over an inch, Remington into pie-plate sized groups and the military surplus from Samco just under an inch.

 

[lionking]

last time I took mine out for a test shoot since I hadn't used it in a while I got fair results which I know its shoots better than it did that day which really I put the blame on me for lack of practice with it.

I ran out of ammo,need to get some more and try it again.

The rifle is so balanced,the action is so smooth.The cartridge is so right.The craftmanship is just of that "older time" when it was a art.Not to say newer rifles these days are not as good or even better but it has that nostalgia.

You did good with your purchase,the photo looks good.

 

[lionking]

double post so I'll just add that I need a bayonet for it also!Good condition ones are hard to find and kinda pricey.