swedish mauser

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Jim_100

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I have one of the Swedish mausers, I can't remember the date, that were in gun shops 10 years or so ago. It is the one that appears to be 9 feet long. :)Well anyway it is long. I am checking to make sure that it is ok to shoot modern commercial hunting type ammo in the thing. It is kind of a cool gun and I do not want to destroy it with ignorance.
 
This is not from first hand experience, but I just bought a swedish mauser and finished modifying it (Long story, previous owner, etc.) Search "swedish mauser" and see what I did with mine, if you want :D.

Here is what I found in my searches, use at your own risk.

It seems as if commercial loadings for 6.5x55 (Swedish) are loaded light, due to the number of "Old" guns in that caliber. If you are worried about your gun have a gun smith look it over. Otherwise, what most folks will tell you is that the long barreled swedish mausers seem to work well with a 140 +- grain bullet. Parvi Partisan (Spelling?) makes a round that previous THR guys have told me to try. (IT might be 139 grains?)
 
It might help if you post more information about the rifle. Or better yet, some pictures.

The manufacture date on Swedish Mausers is usually stamped in big letters right on the top of the receiver. They also usually have a metal plate on the side of the stock that tells you the "dope" on the rifle.

Lots of useful data are right there on your rifle that folks here can use to answer your question.
 
+1 on commercial ammo probably being fine to use, unless you have any reason to think the rifle is mechanically unsound. Current 6.5x55 production ammo is downloaded from what it is capable of doing, though my understanding is that this is done because there are some 6.5mm Krag-Jorgensons floating around out there (not surplus US military issue -- Norway issued a 6.5 Krag) which has a much less sturdy and durable design than the more advanced (for its era) Mauser design.
 
I see lights on, but it appears nobody is home! If the date stamp is above 1900, then forget "commercial" ammo, load up what you want and shoot! Does anyone buy that crap? You have no idea what you're buying/shooting. I use 125 gr Barnes in mine, loaded pretty close to max. Course I don't shoot it a lot--maybeso 1000 rounds per year.
 
Assuming that it is a M96 (or rifle with the same action), it will shoot modern 6.5x55 just fine. I shoot Hot Shot and Federal in mine but I'm going to start reloading for it soon.
 
Modern ammo will work just fine: there are 2 that I would avoid:
Remington- way underloaded
PMC- had a run of ammo a few years ago that was way too hot.
 
It's an M96

Well, assuming you have something that's not a prototype or been altered by someone else, that LONG rifle is a Swedish M96. They're very fine rifles, indeed.

The M96 used to be a favorite for sporter building, because the actions are some of the slickest Mausers ever made. The Swedes never used corrosive primed ammo, so your bore may be in prett good shape as is. The M96 is overshadowed a bit by the M98 because the M98 was built with more safety features to protect the shooter if you do something stupid. The action is plenty strong - but American ammo companies 'dumb down' the loads. The Euro manufacturers like Wolf, PRVI, Norma and others load it somewhat hotter.

The 6.5 Swede is legendary for accuracy, and is still popular in Sweden for both matches and moose hunting (yes, moose). The 139 grain load is the most frequently seen.

A rifle made in 1900 or so (like mine) is a quality, well-made, reliable firearm.
Most guys will tell you that on a used firearm you should have a competent gunsmith check it first, but many of us, too, wouldn't bother to since the Swede wasn't made under wartime duress by slave labor. YOU must make that determination.

The Swede isn't as common as they used to be - they were never manufactured in huge numbers like the M98, so there weren't a zillion of them on the market in the first place, and since they've been favorites for customizing, are getting rather scarce. The point here is carefully consider if you want to alter it - go ahead if that's what you really want, but know that
it's a rifle that's appreciating in value due to diminishing numbers.

Go here http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/ to get more general info on your rifle. They're a bunch of good boys like the members here :D and are very good at answering more questions.

Good luck. :)
 
I have 5 of those, Commerical or most surplus ammo is fine. I understand some there was some Danish ammo that was dangerous.
 
Thanks for the info. I would never change a thing on it as I like the wood military pieces. Thanks again.
 
If the barrel is 29 inches long, it is a Model 1896 (m/96) Swedish Mauser.
They were made mostly by the Carl Gustaf Rifle factory in Sweden. About 7% of the total production were made during 1899 and 1900 by the Oberndorf Mauser Factory on the Necker River in Germany. Those German made rifles were made from Swedish Steel....
During WWII some were made by Husqvarna in Sweden for the Civilian Shooters program.
Many have been modified with target sights for match shooting.
You will occasionally find some with replacement turn-down bolts as those were popular with shooting clubs.
The pic is of a m/96 from a shooting club. The original bolt on this 1900 Oberndorf was straight.

Any US commercial ammo will work. PMC ammo works but the case heads are slightly undersized. Swede surplus military surplus ammo is great. Norma factory hunting ammo is spndy but great stuff.

What year is this rifle?
 

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If the barrel is 29 inches long, it is a Model 1896 (m/96) Swedish Mauser.
They were made mostly by the Carl Gustaf Rifle factory in Sweden. About 7% of the total production were made during 1899 and 1900 by the Oberndorf Mauser Factory on the Necker River in Germany.
During WWII some were made by Husqvarna in Sweden for the Civilian Shooters program.
Many have been modified with target sights for match shooting.
You will occasionally find some with replacement turn-down bolts as those were popular with shooting clubs.

Don"t forget, some of those long rifles were cut down, starting in 1938 to their "short rifle" version by Husqvarana. Husqvarana also made some from scratch.
 
Yes, but I assumed he had a long rifle since he claimed it is 9 feet long.

The m/38 (model of 1938) rifles were originally made by cutting down existing m/96 rifles.
However due to the possiblity of becoming wrapped up in WWII,
(there were already Swede vontunteer units fighting the Russians in Finland and volunteer Swedes in the Waffen SS)....
The Swede government decided to have Husqvarna make new production m/38 rifles with 23.5 inch barrels.
They made @ 28,670 in 1941, 38,780 in 1942, 14,160 in 1943 and 1,970 in 1944.

You will occasionally find Swede Mausers that have actions dated outside the regular production years. Those are usually rifles built in the armorers school.

We did not even get into the m/94 carbines or the 94/14 modified carbines.

Pic shows a m/94-14 carbine, a 1943 Husqvarna M/38 that was used as a youth shooting school rifle and an m/96
 

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I greatly modified/sporterized a M96, but left it in the 6.5x55, even the original barrel, though shortened and turned down to featherweight dimensions. I load to book maximum regularly with very good results. I have another still original that I either need to build on or peddle. Great guns.
 
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