Turkish Mauser

[jagdpanzer347]

Picked up a model 1938 Turkish Mauser at the gun show yesterday. After a quick spray off in the solvent tank in the machine shop at work it doesn't look to bad. Especially for the purchase price of 59.99. The receiver is marked K.KALE 1946. Can anyone provide me with any information on this rifle? Surplusrifle.com has very little on it. If anyone here owns one I would appreciate any input on their shooting characteristics, especially compared to a K98k. Thanks in advance
-jagdpanzer

 

[rust collector]

I have one but haven't gotten very far with it yet. You may be able to glean more information here:

http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/mb/surplusrifle?forum=4881

 

[jeffdt]

I'd like to pick one up as well, just to kinda tinker with it. And ammo is dirt cheap. But at the last gun show the dealer wouldn't let me head space any. All the actions were zip tied and He said he wasn't allowed to cut them.

You might pick some info up here.
http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/idanddiag/index.asp


oops, sorry Jag, I just noticed you had already been to that site.

 

[ball3006]

Shooting 8mm out of a Mauser of.....

comparable length, is, well, like shooting 8mm out of a Mauser. I have several Mausers of various makes and they all shoot the same and the sights suck for old eyes. Turk ammo is a bit hotter than the other makers of 8mm. Turk ammo is getting difficult to find now too. Romanian and Yugo 8mm are what is being served in plenty now. Of all the Turks I have, none of them have a headspace issue, and they are all great shooters. And the bores are bright and shiney with little wear.....chris3

 

[KriegHund]

I have a turk mauser. And turk ammo to go with it- i hear that turk ammo is some of the hottest loaded.

It works. Not much more i can say- the bolt doesnt match but the barrel and reciever do. The bore is in pretty bad condition but i got it as a gift so im not complaining.

 

[cracked butt]

Rude, crude, but usually pretty good shooters- especially with turk ammo.

 

[Cosmoline]

The Ottoman Empire had a long and interesting relationship with Mauser. They were among the very first major customers and had a favorable contract with the company. They even had a little building on the factory site with permanent reps. As Mauser came out with a flurry of new models over the course of the 1890's, the Ottoman Empire upgraded their existing stock. By WWI they had shifted over to the 8x57JS. With the destruction of the empire and the depletion of the bank accounts, the Turks had to make do with what they had. They couldn't afford to buy Mauser-made receivers anymore, so as WWII heated up they took to making their own. This is what most Kirikkale rifles are.

They're solid rifles, but don't have the same reputation that Czech or German-made Mausers enjoy. The ultimate Turkey Mausers would be the handful that were never switched to 8x57JS. Those are tough to find.

http://www.turkmauser.com/1938/default.htm

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Thanks for your input guys. I keep a mental short list of milsurps that I will buy if the opurtunity presents itself and this Turk isn't on it. A rare impulse buy for me, but I'm glad I brought it home. With just the quick solvent bath it looks quite presentable on the outside at least.
For those of you interested I found a decent little website about these rifles: turkmauser.com. Nice pictures, serial numbers, etc.
-jagdpanzer