Scoped M94 Swede...

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therealsteamer

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A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I could do something about scoping his M94 Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55. He had a scout mount that replaced the rear sight, but was not happy with that. I told him to lemme pick it up and I would see what I could do.... After cleaning it up a bit and removing the scout mount I took it to my local gun shop to let the smith there have a go at it... I also dropped off a Simmons 3x9-50 to top it off....

The shop called me a few days later to say it was ready.... Other than having to shave the bolt a bit to allow for clearance of the "bikini" scope cover and positioning the front "Bell" in the recess for the rear sight, it fit beautifully.




He has yet to add a sling and possible recoil pad...

Does anyone have any experience with the 6.5x55 round...?

Any idea what kind of performance can be expected from the short barrel on the M94?
 
Wow. Would you like some rifle to go with your scope?

Seriously, that scope looks huge on the little M94 Swede. It's not something I would've done, but whatever floats your boat, I guess.

I do have quite a bit of experience with the 6.5x55, but not in the M94. As I'm sure you know, the 6.5x55 is generally regarded as an excellent hunting and target round. It is soft shooting with a flat trajectory and is very wind resistant. I don't know what the short barrel on that M94 will mean in terms of velocity loss, though. I'd suggest using a chrono and working up loads for it.
 
Its your friends rifle of course but theres nothing like seeing a 100 year old $700+ rifle turned into a $200 rifle due to "sporterizing".
Click to expand...

I wish bubba would buy remington 700s or maybe a savage instead of doing crap like this:barf::barf:
 
If he's even a little bit unhappy....

Tell him to contact me and we'll talk about trading one of my new rifle for his old one. I'd love to rescue this one.
 
Its your friends rifle of course but theres nothing like seeing a 100 year old $700+ rifle turned into a $200 rifle due to "sporterizing".
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly. That is (or WAS) a very nice carbine. Lord knows there are a ton of other 6.5's out there that are nowhere near as rare. There are current production CZ's ready and able to take a scope. This is just a waste of both the scope and the carbine.
 
Since the brass plate had been removed(whereabouts unknown), the disk recess as well as the sling recess filled in with wood.... and all the wood redone... would this not severely devalue the rifle...??? FWIW it had already had this work done to it when he acquired it...
 
It's hard to know without seeing the stamps, but shaving the bolt, D&T'ing the receiver and putting the mount on can't have helped matters. My main gripe isn't so much about the value issues. I just get tired of rifle shooters trying to make every old relic out there function just like their Remchester. This is actually a very mild example. But I wish people would open their minds a little bit.

Plus, it's a bit like the cereal/milk problem. As soon as you start down the road, it's hard to stop. Once you've got a big modern scope on there, you realize quickly the stock is not set up for shooting with a scope. The ergonomics are all wrong. So then the stock gets hacked or replaced. Then you realize you can do better with a fully bent bolt. Or with a lower scope so you have to shave the irons off. Next thing you know it's got porting. I've seen it thousands of times on line and in the shops.

My advice to your friend is to stop and back up. Learn to appreciate the tangents and the old style bolt. Approach the rifle with an open mind. If he doesn't like it, sell it to someone who does want it. The Swedes are getting harder and harder to find.
 
Poor old Swede...**sniff**

Breaks me heart...

Soon enough, the folks that say "but it's his rifle" will come along...to me, though, it's just like watching a neighbor beat his dog. It may be HIS dog but it still doesn't make it right...
 
What was the date on the receiver and the serial number range?

Any close ups of the wood fill-in?
Was there also a place filled-in on the stock comb?
Were all the numbered parts matching before this travisty occured?
 
I am not sure about the serial # range, but the receiver was dated 1916 IIRC.

I realize as much as most here that altering a somewhat rare surplus carbine can get the purists riled up... I expected as much honestly... I was hoping those with actual experience shooting the M94 would chime in with actual use data on what kind of accuracy can be expected from the 17.7" barrel.

On the "It's his rifle..." front, he feels that it is better to have a usable weapon than one that sits in the corner gathering dust... This M94 has a family connection for him and he had no desire to get rid of it... The barrel is pristine, so provided it will hold zero and group well, it should prove to be a rugged field gun for him.

Had it not been altered and/or maintained the brass information disk in the stock, I would have absolutely discouraged him from drilling & tapping it.
 
Well, my two Swedes just got a little more valuable with one less in the world.

It amazes me how someone will take a $700 rifle, and actually spend money on it to make it worth only $200 or so.

That is actually a very rare rifle. That is also one of the nicest rifles ever made by man. I'm not exagerrating about that. Swedish Mausers are so well made; it would take thousands of dollars to make one today (the Swiss K-31 also) with the same quality.
 
The absence of the brass disk doesn't mean much of anything. It certainly wouldn't significantly affect the value of the rifle.

As for this comment:
he feels that it is better to have a usable weapon than one that sits in the corner gathering dust
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Well, I agree with you ... to a point. I don't buy wall hangers. But I do buy old military rifles. Mine (including my Swedes) don't sit in a corner and gather dust, though, and they certainly don't get sporterized. I shoot my Swedes with the issue iron sights, and they do just fine. The same is true of my '03 Springfield, my Garands, etc. Rifles work just fine without optical sights. In fact, I really dislike optics on rifles that are supposed to be handy and rugged, because optics are neither. Optics are invariably heavy and prone to failure. I consider a scope on a 30-30 Winchester to be a travesty for exactly the same reason.

Plus, if he didn't want a rifle that would "sit in a corner and gather dust", he could easily have sold the M94 or traded it for a modern rifle that he would probably be much happier with, and wouldn't have bubba'ed a rare and beautiful piece of history in the process.

I've been looking for an M94 for some time, in fact. I don't care if they are pristine, whether the numbers match, or whether the stock disk is present. In fact, I generally don't buy "perfect" examples of historic rifles only because they are too expensive for my blood, and I buy rifles to shoot, not as investments. I only ask that they be in the issued configuration. I would happily have bought that M94 before he had the work done on it.

But ... it's a free country. I hope he enjoys it.
 
In fact there are a few hard to find variations where the stcoks were modified back in Sweden for various purposes, such as in gallery target guns for the Officers Club...(using wooden bullets on short distance ranges)
Some of them had the initials of the Officer they were issued to...

Who made that carbine and where did you see "IIRC" ? or is that some sort of new age techno abrieviation.

I think 1916 was the last year they made the 1894s,
 
Well if he wants to make it more "functionable" by shaving off some weight, I'll buy the Bayonet lug, barrel band, and handguard from him for $50 at least the parts can go towards 'saving' another carbine.
 
IIRC = If I Remember Correctly...

I am pretty sure it was made in 1916... I'll ask him this evening...

I believe it said Carl Gustav on the receiver as well...

Hopefully he can send me some pics of the stock "fixin" too...
I'd love to post them and "stir the pot" a bit more..... (makes me want to post MY SEVERELY bubba'd Vz24)

I understand is pisses of the milsurp purists to sporterize what is a very nice and rare weapon.... I get it... If getting rid of the rifle was not an option and he could not effectively use the iron sights.... oh and the scout mount aspect did not appeal him...then for him receiver mounted optics was the way to go...

Provided the carbine is effective with the scope as is, I don't think he will alter it any more.
 
just another lament

I think these are going for over $1,000 if all matching an in vg condition - they are very hard to find and people are holding on to them. Even the run of the mil 96's are going for $350 now.

I know this was done out of ignorance - had to be as it's been devalued by at at least 60%, not counting what was paid to the smith to do it!

What a cryin shame all the way around.

I have a sporterized 94 myself, but it was bubb'd when I found it:
swede_left_side.jpg

The manlicher stock was warped badly and the front scope mount base screw hole was stripped. It's mag well was bent too for some reason.
I cut the stock back, redrilled and tapped the screw holes for the next size up and installed new bases and installed a buehler safety. Also squared the mag well back up. Shoots good and is a nice little sporter. But I'd rather have it in its original configuration!
 
The difference between a VZ-24 and a M94 Sweede is the same as the difference between a Honda Civic and a Bentley.
 
he feels that it is better to have a usable weapon than one that sits in the corner gathering dust
Click to expand...

This is what I was talking about. This assumption that the only "usable weapons" are the ones we started making after about 1965. Those "unusable" old war rifles fought the most intense conflicts in human history. In the case of the Swedish Mausers they helped keep Sweden out of it while war overtook every single one of her neighbors. The Swedish rifles in particular are famous for being extremely accurate. And they'll work fine with iron sights. The problem isn't the old sights or the old bolt handles, it's modern shooters who don't know how to use anything without a big honking scope on it.
 
The difference between a VZ-24 and a M94 Sweede is the same as the difference between a Honda Civic and a Bentley.
Click to expand...

That's going a little far, the Czechs make a darn good Mauser. I'd say more like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus.
 
By the way,
The Swedish Mausers and Swedish troops did see action.
while Neutrality Through Strength was their motto...
Swede Troops helped the Finns during their war of independence, during the Winter war and during the continuation war.
There were more than a few Swede troops in the SS as well.

Not to mention all of the Swede mausers that Sweden sold or gave to the Finns. Those usually have a small SA inside a litle square on the left side of the receiver just forward of the serial number and the inspectors initials.


Winter war mention of Swedes links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NklwqLG6o-E

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_and_the_Winter_War

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=29719

http://www.sci.fi/~fta/f19-1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Volunteers_in_the_Winter_War

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=6299

http://www.finlandiafoundation.org/Winterwar/invite_021114a.htm

http://www.finnmedals.com/Art_for_vol.html

http://www.colonialswedes.org/Headlines/SwedishVolunteer.html

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/swedish_aviators/swedish_aviators.htm
 
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