Well I have been reading all I can and the more I inform myself the more unknowing I feel
Seems like you really need to be on top of your game when buying one of these... they come from too many places and have been through too many hands. Maybe it would be wiser to just pay some more for a modern sporting rifle with a Mauser-like action although it just won't be the same , or wait until I get a graduate degree in Mauser science to make sure I am not throwing money down the drain.
One of the first rifles I ever bought was a sporterized Mauser. I got lucky, and ended up going with a Swede. It's still one of the most accurate rifles I own. I now own three of those (all Carl Gustaf made), and they're all accurate. If you're set on a mauser of any type, and want a pretty much guaranteed accurate shooter in nice condition, get a Swede and learn to reload for it. You will not be disappointed.
The 7x57 Mausers are more hit and miss, mostly due to the extremely varied service condition of them. I own one Chilean 95 (Ludwig Lowe) that's nicely sporterized that will come durn close to MOA with the right loads. It has one of those frosty bores that you would think would shoot much worse than it does. No real significant pits though, that's what you have to watch for. I have another Chilean (German DWM) that's not such a good sporter job that pushes 2-3" groups most of the time. The Chilean 95 has one of the best bolt movements out there though. It uses a guide rib in the left side of the receiver with a solid side wall. Later on they went to the guide rib on top of the bolt because it was cheaper to produce, but it introduced a lot of slop into the action. My military original Brazilian 1908 (German DWM 98 Action) also shoots about 2.5MOA groups, although a lot of that is me not being able to master the V-notch sights on it. I'm still working on that one. My 1909 Peruvian (Oberndorf intermediate 98 action) has one of the smoothest actions that I've ever felt on a bolt rifle. I won't comment on the accuracy though, because it's a rebarreled sporter, so it's really not relevant.
Anything made by Husqvarna will be a real shooter. They made a lot of Mausers based on both the 96 small ring and 98 large ring action. I've got a Husky .270 built off of a FN commercial 98 action. Even with some pitting in the bore (ignorant previous owner), it still shoots MOA three shot groups. The actions on them are some of the smoothest you'll ever find. My .270 feels like the bolt is on roller bearings. If you find one with the solid side wall receiver, it makes the bolt travel even a bit smoother. The commercial rifles built by FN are also mostly in this category, as are the Interarms Mark X rifles (although the fit and finish isn't nearly as good as the Husky).
My brother has a BRNO Mauser 98, 1942 production I believe, that was a RC and then sold to the Israelis and converted to 7.62x51. That rifle will shoot an honest 1-1.5MOA with peep sights. The action on it isn't nearly as slick as the pre-war guns, but it is an example of a good conversion rifle.
I've always shied away from the Spanish and Turkish Mausers. Both had a very long and very rough service life, and most were either built outside of Germany, or heavily rearsenaled outside of Germany. Ditto on the South American home built jobs, like the Brazilian Ijatuba guns. The fit and finish and metallurgy are just not up to the standards of the European guns. Same thing for most of the heavily rearsenaled guns. Most were built in the same kind of sweat shops that manufacture your Levi's.
If I had to put in order all the Mausers that I've owned shot or handled, it would be as follows:
1. Husqvarna Commercial
2. FN Commercial (or Smith & Wesson rebadged guns)
3. Swedish Military 94/96/38
4. Pre-WWI German, Belgian, or Austrian Manufactured Mauser 98 (Brazilian 1908, Argentine 1909, Peruvian 1909, Chilean 1912, Gewehr 98, etc.)
5. Pre-WWI German or Belgian built Model 95 Mauser (Argentine 91, Chilean 95, etc. Some of the Spanish 93s in NICE conditions fall into this category)
6. Interwar Mauser 98s made in Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, or Belgium (Czech VZ24s, Brazilian 1935, Peruvian 1935, Venezuelan 24/30, Pre-War German 98, etc)
7. Pre-'44 Wartime Manufacture German K98 and WWI Manufacture Gewehr 98
8. '44-'45 Manufacture German K98 and most indigenously produced/rearsenaled K98s.
Bore condition, headspace, and action smoothness are the three tell-tale signs of how well a Mauser has been treated. External condition has some bearing as well, but I've seen a lot that were in rough shape and still shot extremely well. When examining conversion guns, take a close look at the care with which the rearsenal stampings were done. If the marks are sloppy, chances are, so is the work inside.
If you want a truck gun, any of the 7.62x51 or .30-06 conversions should do, as long as they are in sound condition.
If you want an accurate military rifle, the Swedish rules King. I've tried many substitutes, but found no replacement. The 6.5x55 is also a delight to shoot and reload for, and an excellent killing round.
If you want a well-made classic sporter, the options are pretty much endless. Thousands of military rifles were rebuilt into sporters after both World Wars, here and in Europe. Some are bubba jobs, but most of the older stuff is real quality. Some wear their original barrels, either in the original caliber or a rechambered cartridge, while many others have been rebarreled to every caliber under the sun. When examining these rifles, it's all about condition, and how well the work was done. Again, a good smith almost always takes as much care with the slickness of the action, the shape of the bolt handle, and the finish of the bluing and stock, as he does on the fitting and chambering of the barrel. If it looks like garbage, it usually is.
The only thing is to get out there is get out and beat the bushes. Start picking them up and handling them in gunstores and at gunshows. If you can find a friend that has some in different calibers, shoot them and see what you think. Continue to read about them all that you can. It's a huge, but very rewarding collecting realm. You can be certain that you'll never have them all, nor will you ever feel like you own enough. You will also rest assured knowing that you own a rifle made with quality and worksmanship that costs thousands to replicate today, and history that can't be bought at any price
-cal30sniper
