My first Mauser. Lots of pics and questions

[headoftheholler]

This is the Mauser I picked up for $199. From what I can tell its a model 1916 Spanish Mauser. Faint CAI import stamp near muzzle. Not converted , still 7x57. Odd (to me) colored bluing, shiny and brownish ? Beautiful stock with great grain, all numbers match, mirror bright bore with sharp rifiling. Did some reading and that has led to some questions.
1. Is this a "short rifle"?
2. Why does it still retain the Lange rear sight? From what I read these rifles were updated to a newer rear sight and conversion to 7.62. Being an import, how did it miss the updates?
3. Why does it have a straight bolt. All the others I researched had bent bolts, no stamping on the bolt.
Any additional thoughts/history/speculation is appreciated.

 

[browningguy]

Lovely rifle, but I don't know any of the answers.

 

[TurtlePhish]

I'm not a Mauser guy (I do Mosins) but the color of the bluing is either age patina or a hot blue job that the metal didn't take to very well. The color of the bolt handle and rear of the receiver (from what I can tell) screams re-blue (it looks like it was re-blued, not telling you to re-blue it).

 

[mookiie]

That might be the spanish M93 mauser? Actually it looks like a spanish model 93 that was converted to a M1916, but not rechambered to 7.62x51 round. That is why it has a straight bolt and the old style sight leaf.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Mauser Espanol...

Head of the Holler--For $199, Nice Catch!! I too can't answer any of yr questions, but very pretty rifle for a nice price.

Re the blueing: I'd leave it "as is." Likewise the nice walnut stock. Unless you want to do a complete sporterizing job on it, keep it pristine.

If it were already all hacked and dinged up my answer would be different, but you have what appears to be almost a museum piece, there, and it'd be a shame to "improve" the blueing or wood finishing, which will destroy its historic value.

'Course, it IS your rifle, not mine nor any of the other posters', so follow YOUR heart with it. All I can offer is my own opinion.

One of the Mauser gurus will be along presently, to tell you all about the short vs. long, the rear sight, the caliber non-conversion, and the straight bolt handle.

 

[shotgunjoel]

You have what appears to be a M1916 Short Rifle. As you said, these were all originally in 7mm Mauser. In the 50's many were converted to 7.62 NATO to provide ammunition commonality with the CETME. I'm not sure why your rifle has the Lange or the straight bolt. Also, it might have been reblued here in the states, as I believe that the bolt would originally been in the white. It's a great looking rifle, I think that you did really well on it. I have one of the 7.62 conversions that someone cold blued the whole thing, sanded and refinished the stock and glass bedded the stock without a release agent I didn't know about the bedding until after the sale. Thankfully I got it for $80. I had to shim under the handguard to keep the barrel band from coming off because the stock had been sanded so much.

 

[Bushpilot]

Nice looking rifle. The Spanish mausers are the only ones I'm aware of that have the gas vent hole in the side of the receiver ring. I remember reading something about a first and second "pattern" short rifle. The first had the Lange sight. Since it hasn't been coverted to 7.62 I think it makes sense still having the old style sight. I have seen them with both the straight and bent bolt handles. If it were mine I'd be very glad it wasn't converted.

 

[Uncle Grinch]

deleted due to my bad...