More Mauser questions....

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Moparmike

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I am typing this thing again:cuss: :cuss: :cuss: because this god-forsaken thing timed out:fire: :fire: :fire: . (fights urge to throw computer accross room....) Now that I have forgotten the stupid questions...

I am new to using firearms, but not to firearms in general in the academic sense. I am considering an 8mm Mauser for my first purchase, and its being sold for around $130 at the local Armory. If I buy it online, its approx the same when state tax, shipping, and the $25 processing FFL fees apply. I have a few questions about it:

How hard is it to mount a scope with a straight bolt?

Is there any non-anemic new ammo?

What to clean it with after the corrossive ammo? Any suggestions on particular cleaning supplies after I buy it? (Hoppes #9 gets tossed around abunch, but I have no idea what it is)

What is up with the weird-a$$ safety? It has 3 settings: left horizontal, vertical, and right horizontal.

I tried to hold the hammer and press the trigger to release it, but it was a very strong action (VERY strong). How do I do that?

I would be using this for my "bump in the night" gun. I know a shotgun would be better, but I cant afford that much. I cant buy a pistol untill a year from Thursday, so that is out also. How much over penetration of the house could I expect using FMJ's? I hope it wont be measured in miles like I am thinking.

Well, that is all the questions I remember at this time, I will edit it or make new posts when I remember more. Stupid server timeouts:fire: .
 
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B-square makes some scout mounts that replace the rear sight. I have one that was on my M48A that I was very happy with. You do have to use a long eye relief scope tho' so your choices are limited.

S&B sells modern ammo that is loaded pretty hot. I hear good things about Norma, but I'm not paying that much for ammo.

I use windex (Ok, so it's Blue glass cleaner from the dollar store, I'm really cheap) I haven't had any problem with corrosion. I think the big secret is to clean it as soon as possible and clean it well.

The safety works like this...to the left is, of course, fire, straight up is a trigger disconnect, to the right is the trigger disconnect plus it locks the bolt down so it can't be opened.

The way to decock is to hold the trigger back while closing the bolt, but I'm not sure if I would do that with a round in the chamber.

I've never tried it, but I'm thinking that 8mm fmj would go thru several interior walls at the very least. I know it will slice right thru 4 inch tre branches.
 
Over-penetration is huge with any high powered rifle. I don't think the 8mm is good for home defense for that reason, unless of course your nearest neighbors are MILES away!

You could probably find a used shotgun for the price of the Mauser you are looking at. But to each their own.

Regards,

Stinger
 
8mm Mauser Ball will go through your walls and keep going for miles. If you should shoot and miss and the bullet hits somebody far away, you're guilty of manslaughter.
Hoppes #9 is a solvent you can get in any gun store. Commercial factory ammo is not corrosive. Neither is all Ball ammo. A cleaning soon after shooting with hot soapy water then a regular cleaning is all you need do with corrosive ammo. It's the primers that are corrosive. They have salts in them that gets into the wee tools marks etc in the barrel and cause rust.
The 3 position safety is safe, fire and lock the bolt as I recall. Try holding the trigger down while you close the bolt. And get some books on Mausers soon. There's one called 'The Mauser Rifle'. Amazon has a bunch of others. Here's a web page that seems ok too. It explains the safety quite well too.
http://world.guns.ru/rifle/rfl02-e.htm
 
Okiecruffler's description of the safety is a bit inaccurate. Left is fire, vertical is safe, and right is safe plus bolt lock... But it doesn't work by disconnecting the trigger. It cams the cocking piece back off of the sear and holds it back. It's safer than just disconnecting the trigger, IMO.

Mounting a scope without changing the bolt handle means the scope must either be mounted very high or mounted forward in the "scout" style. The safety also gets in the way of a conventionally mounted scope.

As Okiecruffler said, you decock by holding the trigger back while closing the bolt, but I WOULDN'T do so with a live round in the chamber. Some guys have done it for years and never had a problem, but that still doesn't make it a good idea.

Ammo makers can only load their product up to the strength of the weakest gun it's likely to be fired in, which means things like the old 1888 Mausers in this case. I don't know of anyone making 8x57mm ammo that's loaded to modern pressures. Doing so would be courting a lawsuit. You'll probably want to take up handloading if you want ammo like that.

I don't shoot corrosive ammo, but the usual advice I've heard is PLENTY of hot soapy water ASAP, then clean as usual.

Best,
Joe
 
Thanks for all the great replys! Keep them coming!

How much is it typically to have the scope mounted and bore-sighted?

Any idea for the stepped sighting? What do the numbers mean anyway (1-20)?

What should I do to my bolt and how much is that?

I will give those sights a good reading, thanks for the posts!
 
There are a couple of scout-type mounts that don't require any gunsmithing; B-Square makes one and I know I've seen at least one more but don't recall the maker. Personally, I've never been the slightest bit impressed with B-Square products.

If you want a regular scope mount, the action needs to be drilled and tapped, which would probably run $50-$75. Then you need rings and bases. Plenty of options available, depending on what features you want and how much you're willing to spend. I've basically gone over to Talley for all scope mounts, but they're pricey. And of course, you'll need a scope.

The bolt handle can either be bent or cut off and a new one welded on. I like the latter, since bent handles end up a little too short for me. Figure another $100 at least.

Then, you'll need a new safety. Again, lots of options. Many aftermarket triggers include a safety, or you can get a really nice three-position vertical-axis safety like the Wisner or Gentry models. Maybe $50 for a trigger with safety, and somewhere between $200 and $300 for one of the really nice bolt-mounted safeties, gunsmith-installed.

So, assuming you go cheap but don't do the work yourself, you're probably talking something like this:

rifle - $130
drill and tap - $50
Weaver mounts (el cheapo deluxe) - $20? haven't priced 'em in years
bolt handle - $100
scope - $100
trigger with safety - $50

total - $450

To me, it's a very bad way to go, economically. It'll end up costing you as much as a brand-new CZ 550, it won't be worth nearly what you put into it, you'll have to wait on your gunsmith (gunsmiths work on a whole different concept of time than the rest of us) and you run the risk of picking a bad smith who might ruin your gun.

I'd either buy the Mauser and use it as-is, or save up and buy something closer to what you want, instead of going through all the hassle of halfway-sporterizing the Mauser.

Of course, if you went with one of the scout-type mounts, you wouldn't need to mess with the bolt or safety. That'd save a few bucks.

The numbers on the rear sight are ranges in 100s of meters, 100 to 2000 meters.

Best,
Joe
 
I've seen bent bolts on Ebay and AuctionArms for around $60, you've just got to wait for one to pop up. You can buy kits to convert the bolt to a bent handle fo about $15, but they require some drilling and tapping. Not terribly difficult if you have some shop skills and the equipment. If you go with a Standard Mount you can grind the safety so that it will clear the scope, or you can go with see-thru mounts which will raise the scope above the safety, but that raises the scope above normal line of sight. I had a B-square scout mount on my M48A that worked fine thru 1000's of rounds, and I have one on my SKS that hasn't given me any problems either. Maybe I'm just lucky. There is another option at www.iron-elite.com. They make a mount that attaches to the rear sight mount but mounts the scope in a normal rear position, but to the side. I've never used one myself, but I've heard many good things about them. They run about $90 without rings, so they are more expensive than the B-Square. Another possibility is the synthetic stock made by ATI It has a weaver rail that runs all the way down the top. You'd still have to bend the bolt to use a standard scope, but a scout set up might work with a straight. I've never looked at one up close, but it looks like that would work. They run about $80, and IMO are just butt ugly.
 
That "kit" to convert to a bent bolt by cutting off the handle, drilling and tapping, and attaching a new handle with a screw is without a doubt the cheesiest Mauser accessory I've ever seen.. Just my opinion...

Best,
Joe
 
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