What can I do with an 8mm mauser?

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wheelgunslinger

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I got this mauser from a guy at work for dirt cheap. It's a german wermacht 1915 stamped 8mm item. The barrel is shortened to maybe 24 or so inches and the front sight is reattached.

I've heard of people rechambering the "Mauser action" for other calibers. I've also read about the 8mm being a powerful caliber to use on medium to large and dangerous game.

So, what does it cost to rechamber one? What kind of calibers can a mauser action use. Anything like .375 h&h? Are there any inherent weaknesses to this particular gun? Is it a big waste of time to even bother.

thanks.
 
many many mausers have been sporterized in the past, but unless you are really into the hobby and just enjoy workin on a "project rifle" its not gonna be a money savin endeavor. and as far as a 375 h&h, i believe some mausers will work, most wont, depends on the model. i could not find a 1915 model in my mauser book so i dont know fer sure what you have got. the 8mm is a good round and is comprabale to a 30-06. and cost to rechamber it would depend on many many variables. would you do it yerself? if so youll need to buy some tools and guages. if not youll have to pay someone to do it for you which may or may not be cheaper. what barrel brand will you use? what contour? fluted? stainless or chrome moly? will the current stock work? if not what type of stock do you want? so as far as you waste of time question goes, it really depends on the reason you want to do this, what your time is worth, and how much money you want to spend. good luck.
 
Don't bother. Just sell it to me, these things are viral.:neener:

See how it shoots first before deciding to rebarrel.

You can do pretty much anything with this gun. 8mm is a fine old cartridge, and if you don't mind cleaning your gun, you can find surplus ammo for next to nothing for shooting paper. Commercial hunting rounds are a bit downgraded if you buy Rem, Win, or Fed, but still more powerful than 30/30. This year I deer hunted with mine for a few days, and while I didn't get a deer, I did pop a coyote out about 200 yards. Rolled him :D

You can buy pretty wood stocks, cheap rugged synthetics, triggers aplenty and rebarrel to pretty much any caliber.
Sounds like bubba already got to yours, is the original furniture intact, or has someone cut down the stock? Also, is the bolt turned or still straight, and is it drilled and tapped for a scope? You need to consider all these things.


You can find most parts here:

http://www.sporterexpress.com/v2/

And this guy will rebarrel for $45 plus shipping. http://www.skaggsgunsmithing.com/


Look here for more information

http://www.mausercentral.com/
 
Fifty years ago it made some financial sense to sporterize Mausers and other military rifles, since bolt action new production hunting rifles were harder to find and more expensive (adjusted for inflation) than they are now. But these days you are more likely to REDUCE the value of your surplus rifle by hacking it. Mausers in particular have a very extensive and complex history. Go look at all the rare subtypes in "Military Mauser Rifles of the World." What you think is a worthless old rifle may in fact be very rare, and collectors have all seen many, many hacked up rifles that would have been worth many times their asking price if they'd just been left alone.
 
Well, thanks for the input, guys.

The guy I got it from needed cash for gas this summer, and since he put a blower on his F150 lightning, he needed it fast. So, I bought it just to help him out.

I bowhunt mainly. And, around here, (It's just so expensive to hunt other places!!!) the average shot I take with rifle is no more than 50 meters. So, I use my bow, mainly. And since I drank the Ross Seyfried/ John Taffin kool aid™, I feel perfectly comfortable hunting with a wheelgun at that distance. The Mauser is just kinda here. I guess it would make a good deer gun if I were to hunt in GA. Maybe I'll see how it prints on paper.

It doesn't have any provision for a scope. Just an adjustable ramp rear (O.E) and a blade front that looks modern.
It's a GEW98, or so the stamping would have us believe. "Waffenwerke, Oberspree, Kornbusche & Co., 1915 is on the head in front of the bolt. There are various proof marks and what have you. Maybe I'll research this thing, but with the trimmed barrel (barrel and receiver #s match, btw), it's prolly worth diddly. I also have some of those stripper clips carriers that look milsurp and about 140 rounds of ammo stamped 1943.
Though, I have to say, it feels about as handy as a 30/30 with it's short barrel. And I luv my 30/30 for thick laurels and high elevation hunting.

But hey, any offer will be entertained. I'm not one to sink a ton of money into a rifle that I don't care about in the name of customization. I already have 2 motorcycles, 1 54 Ford car, and a bunch of other stuff I want to get rid of. Take it all except the bow and wheelguns! I'll be in a much more zen state without all this stuff.
Though I would like to see a Wild boar's expression when he charges me and I don't have to run up a tree.:D
 
Just a note.......if you shoot that 1943 ammo it will be corrosive and the rifle will need to be cleaned accordingly (that day).
 
Take it all except the bow and wheelguns! I'll be in a much more zen state without all this stuff.
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That's pretty dang cool; I'm working towards the same state of simplicity. Makes it far easier to lay hands on what I need when it's not all under junk. My goal is to be able to fit every single thing I own (except furniture) into my Toyota Corolla.

IRT the Mauser: do you have any rifle at all? If not, a short Mauser would be a great "just one rifle". If the bore is good, shoot 8mm surplus out of it for pennies, then clean it with an ammonia-based cleaner to get rid of the corrosive salts afterwards. If the bore is shot out, get a new barrel in .223 (needs boltface change?) or .308 to shoot modern surplus ammo. Mauser carbines are really cool, handy little things. Plus, it's a nice simple gun that doesn't demand accessories to clutter up your pared-down life.

If you already have rifles, maybe you know some young man with minimal cash that would cherish it. If you need karma more than cash, you could sell it to that kid for what you have into it, and get a new shooter hooked for life.


IRT Collectibility: can you post a pic up for us? It'd be terribe to change things if it's rare, and there were various short-Mausers produced.

Glad you got a good deal, and Short Mausers rule. Good luck on the zen-like minimalis; I bet the lack of distractions will give you some great focus for sixgun and bow.

-MV
 
Yeah MV, that's where I'm headed. Simplicity. About 4 years ago, I got rid of everything except my .40 baby eagle and my car. And the clothes on my back. And then I got rid of the .40. That felt good to not have a bunch of stuff. Really good. And now, I'm back to having a bunch of crap. Anyone want an original '54 Ford 2 door? :D
That's a good idea about passing on the gun to a young person without much money. Good karma is good medicine.
I'll post a pic or two of it.
 
Dmiculek,
Thanks for the note on the corrosive ammo. I don't shoot a lot (any) of milsurp stuff from the old days. I hear "corrosive" bandied about, but wasn't clear on it.
 
Glad to see someone fighting the good fight. I'm realizing that I have books I haven't read in five years (that I around to make me look smart) even though practically everything that I read comes from the library. I have guns that sit on the shelf for years while I shoot the snot out of my $220 MkII and $275 Sistema, and musical instruments I haven't played since I had shoulder-length hair.

Sistema/Bushie/Ruger22/Marlin22, laptop, fiddle, one bookshelf, 2001 Corolla, closet with a two weeks' worth of well-made, tasteful clothes, and my toolbox. That's about the goal.

There's times I'm just tempted to put all my junk in a pile, torch it, and walk away. I've been strongly influenced by reading Don Aslett's books, especially "Clutter's Last Stand: It's Time to De-Junk Your Life"

Lots of good lines:

"Do you want to love something that doesn't love you back?"

"Do you spend more time having and less time doing?"

If I spent a quarter as much time practicing shooting as I spend reading about guns, shopping for guns, and thinking about guns I want to have, they'd have named an IDPA Invitational after me by now. And if I spent half that time taking new shooters to the range, TX would be a Vermont-carry state by the time I finish grad-school.

IRT the Rifle itself: "corrosive" ammo is due to the lead salts used in the old school primers. It's fine to shoot, you just need to clean it as soon as you get home from the range, using a product that cuts lead salts (Windex works well, I believe). It's real cheap, just takes a little more cleaning.

IRT karma: I just sold a 1919 Colt PPS .38Spl to a med student that wanted a revo for he and his wife to keep in their apartment. Sold it for what I had into it, $125. I could probably get more at a show, but I figured that I'm not starving. Especially since I'm limiting the junk that I buy, I have plenty left over for things I like (ammo, Thai food, going to see bands play).

If you need a rifle, short Mauser is great. If you pass it on, there's got to be a newbie that'd love it, especially if you take him on a training trip to the range to break it in.

-MV
 
As I understand it, in 1935 or thereabouts, a lot of Gew98's were converted (rebarreled, bolt turned down, stock and stock hardware changed accordingly) to K98k configuration. The rebarrel was from a 29" (IIRC) 8mm to a 23" 8mm barrel. However, I'm not sure of the exact number of rifles Germany was allowed to keep for its 100,000man Wermacht.

Now, since so many K98k's have been rebarreled, you may want to slug the bore and make a cast of the chamber (to check demensions) to be sure it is in fact 8mm Mauser. I say this because there are other 8mm .323" chamberings besides 8x57Mauser and you don't really know which you have. It could have been rechambered to 8mm06 or some such after WW2 for lack of 8x57JS hunting ammo.

FWIW, a while back, I was in a pawn shop locally here and they had a beautifully sporterized 8mm Mauser dated 1916. It had a really nice Monte Carlo stock with cheekpiece and a Redfield rear aperture sight. If not for the price tag, I would have liked to have brought it home just like it sat right there.

There was mention, concerning the rifle in question here, of rebarreling in .223 or .308... I advise against .233 and in favor of .30-06/.308 type cases because .308, 7mm-08, .243Win, .30-06, and 8x57JS all use the same bolt face because the root of all those is 8x57 and .30-06.

Now, myself... if I were looking at taking an as-issued K98k in good shape and "sportering", I don't think I would do anything I couldn't reverse in 5 minutes. This means all I would do, or advise doing, is to drop the barreled action into one of those Bell&Carlson stocks Cabela's carries and take it hunting. It'll go right back into its military furniture. If I were dealing with a good action that's carrying a shot-out barrel, then I'd rebarrel in my favorite caliber, add a Lyman or Williams reciever sight and the appropriate front sight, reblue, probably do some stock work or just drop into that same Bell&Carlson... maybe install a Timney trigger (I know some on here don't like Timney), and maybe replace the lower metal with 1909 Argentine for the hinged floorplate.
 
MatthewVanitas said:
Glad to see someone fighting the good fight.
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We all want to preserve our lives and freedoms and aren't afraid to use force to do so. What's the point in all that if you never examine the quality of your life and how you live it?
If I spent a quarter as much time practicing shooting as I spend reading about guns, shopping for guns, and thinking about guns I want to have, they'd have named an IDPA Invitational after me by now.
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BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I know what you mean, MV. I'm using that line.

If you need a rifle, short Mauser is great. If you pass it on, there's got to be a newbie that'd love it, especially if you take him on a training trip to the range to break it in.
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Good thinking. Maybe I'll just hang onto it and keep my rifle skills up/burn that cheap ammo and wait for the next owner to show up.
 
mustanger98 said:
, you may want to slug the bore and make a cast of the chamber (to check demensions) to be sure it is in fact 8mm Mauser.
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First, thanks for all the good info on the Mauser.
Second, what's involved in the ole' "slug the bore and make a cast of the chamber" scenario. Is this easy to do?
Sorry, I'm not a riflesmith or even close to it. Obviously. Though, I've been told I'm a pretty good shot. So, at least I know the manual of arms. :D
 
what's involved in the ole' "slug the bore and make a cast of the chamber" scenario. Is this easy to do?
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Okay, Meister (bullet manufacturer) puts out kits with soft lead slugs that you drive through the length of the bore. After you drive one through, measure the slug with a dial caliper. If the bore is .323", it's 8mm. To make a cast of the chamber, I'm not sure what they use, but it's at least similar to plaster casts... all you do is pour the liquid goo in there and wait for it to harden into an impression of the chamber. Then you use that same dial caliper to measure the demensions of the impression and compare those to the caliber it's supposed to be. If it don't match, find out what it does match. Slugging the bore is easy. Making the impression cast of the chamber should be easy if the ones doing it know what they're doing.

FWIW, I'm not a riflesmith either. I just know what I've done or read about and hope the info I pass on helps somebody.
 
I say sell it.
I have some guns around just because I got them before I really realized what I needed from my guns. Now I have a couple really great guns that I can't sell. Some have sentimental value and it just wouldn't make sense with some. For example, I have the 10/22 that doesn't get used much anymore because I now have a CZ-452. I keep it because I got it from my dad. My 91/30 is accurate and a great rifle but it doesn't really fill a "need". It is only worth about $50 so it doesn't make sense to sell it. Not worth it. My M-39 is an awesome rifle but again, it doesn't fill a niche. I keep it because I like it but I wish I had never bought it. If some kind of disaster comes along I will have to leave it behind when I flee with my FAL.
I look at some of my guns and ask myself "What is the point"?
If you look at the Mauser and think that, then you would be better off to sell it to someone who will use and appreciate it rather than just keep it because you have learned to love it and have it "junking" up your life.
 
Take some grease, pop open a #00 buckshot shell, flatten it slightly with a hammer and with a wood dowel cut in pieces hammer it down the bore. Lead sinkers with the hole in the center work well too. That's the way I've been doing it when I started hand loading for my Mosin and Mauser. Just make sure you use some grease/lube on what you're sending down the barrel, without it it can get pretty tough to get out.
 
You probably have a Model 1898 Gewer or long rifle that was shortened to 24 inches in the 1930s. It's possible that you may have a cavalry carbine or something rare. Whatever you have, if you try to sporterize it you will probably end up spending lots of money ruining a good collectible rifle and end up with a junky gun you will be ashamed of.

My recomendation is to go buy a purpose built sport gun and leave the Mauser alone.
Mauserguy
 
Yep, the joke is on us, but they

a. Make us wonder what ever happened to the old Gewehr, or M-95, or M-96 and

b. These old threads answer new questions that maybe someone is too shy to ask.

If I fell heir to an old war horse that had been worked on, I'd either invest in some cerrosafe (here's a Midway link: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=462291 ) or take it to my friendly gunsmith. With my luck I'd find an old tight bore 8mm or someone would have wildcatted it for 8mm/06 or some miracle cartridge. The price is usually right for these old wardogs, but some were re-assigned to tasks their makers never intended.
 
this if you want.....
100_1361.jpg
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then clean it with an ammonia-based cleaner to get rid of the corrosive salts afterwards.
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Ladies and Gentleman (and anyone else :neener:), it's not the ammonia that does it, but the unnoticed 'inert ingredient' that is 98% of every 'ammonia based cleaner'.

It's called h20 and simply known as "water".
 
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